LA Times admits what the rest of the establishment media won't: LA Times says Ron Paul is in 3rd place, has real chance of getting nomination for party

Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), center, is escorted to a ballroom to speak to supporters during the California Republican Party Convention in Los Angeles. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images / September 20, 2011)

By Michael Muskal
September 20, 2011

Quietly, and very much under the radar, Ron Paul, the Texas congressman who no pundit believes has a serious chance of winning the Republican presidential nomination, is staging a bit of comeback, returning to his position as a solid No. 3 candidate in the GOP race.

According to the USA Today/Gallup poll released on Tuesday, Paul was at 13%, displacing Rep. Michele Bachmann, who fell to 5% and into a three-way dead heat with former House speaker Newt Gingrich and businessman Herman Cain. Bachmann, who won a straw poll in Iowa last month, had been as high as second place before Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the race in August, upsetting the standings.

Paul’s latest showing mirrors what was seen in a recent CNN/ORC International poll in which Paul was also in third place with 13% of the vote. He was behind Perry, in the top slot in both polls, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, once the front-runner, but now in second place. For Paul, that jump to 13% represents a doubling of his support.

Paul’s resurgence shows the power of a candidate with a dedicated group of supporters, who will stick through thick or thin. As a libertarian icon, Paul has been running virtually the same campaign for more than 20 years, since he was the Libertarian Party presidential candidate in 1988. He has helped make the idea of smaller government, spending little and doing less, a popular mantra and an explosive political factor in 2010 and 2012.

Those supporters also help Paul in straw votes, pseudo-elections in which a committed group of followers can overwhelm the ballot box. In the recent GOP state convention in California, Paul won another such straw poll with about 45% of the vote.

But Paul has done less well in scientific polls, designed to measure popularity across the nation by interviewing a scientific sample of voters and extrapolating to a broader electorate. Still, even by that measure, Paul, whose campaign had been floundering during the dog days of summer, has regained some momentum.

Part of the reason for the comeback is the popularity of Perry, in effect, stealing votes from Bachmann, who has also been hit by several miscues such as the loss of a top staffer. Bachmann and Perry are playing right field in the same political ballpark and there aren’t enough voters to support them both. As Bachmann’s campaign teetered, much of her ebbing support went to Perry.

Paul may be in the first tier, but he is a distant third. He may have already shaped the philosophical debate, but to win as a candidate, he will have to demonstrate he can do more than play Texas hold ‘em with true believers.

Politics & Government :: 824 Views

NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

Our newsletter is released only to notify you about the exclusive stories on the site, exclusive leads on investigations and alerts on projects like video documentaries released by New World Order Report

Email Address:

RADIO ARCHIVE

Click here to read Jonathan Elinoff's bio

Latest radio interviews:

4/29/2012 11AM - Jonathan Elinoff joins Craig Silvermann on the Ross Kaminsky Show on Denver's 850KOA to discuss the Pat Sullivan story, confession and newly released information

4/27/2012 6AM - Jonathan Elinoff a freelance videographer and investigator who broke the Pat Sullivan meth for sex story is in studio with Peter and Julie Hayden investigative journalist for Fox 31 joins Peter and Jonathan to discuss the ugly Pat Sullivan story. Is Pat Sullivan a smaller piece in a larger puzzle of deviant sexual corruption?

4/27/2012 7AM - The show continues to heat up this hour; Bryan Maass of CBS 4 News joins the show to provide his take on the Pat Sullivan interrogation tape. What did Pat Sullivan admit to and what accusations could be corroborated. Why did the District Attorneys decide to proceed with a plea deal instead of a trial? Julie Hayden, Jonathan Elinoff, Bryan Maass and Peter Boyles discuss what is true, what is just and did Pat receive a sweetheart deal, there is contention and disagreement about the Sullivan interrogation tape and the four engage in great discourse and discussion.

4/27/2012 8AM - Peter opens up the show to calls this hour and the lines light up with many listeners weighing in on the Pat Sullivan story. This hour has many voices, views and opinions and discussion between Peter, Jonathan and callers. What do you think about the sentencing that former Arapahoe County Sherriff Pat Sullivan received for his sex for meth scandal?

4/6/2012 6AM - Peter Boyles Show - Jonathan Elinoff the investigative reporter who was instrumental in breaking the Pat Sullivan meth for sex scandal joins Peter for the full hour to discuss his investigation into the dark world of drugs and male prostitution. Jonathan and Peter delve into the egregious story of sex, drugs, coercion, abuse of power and possible murder.

4/6/2012 8AM - Investigative reporter for Fox 31 Julie Hayden joins the show and John Elinoff returns to discuss the Pat Sullivan story and the possibility of a connection between Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold of the Columbine massacre. The Sullivan Story is sure to continue and seems to get stranger and more deviant.

4/6/2012 9AM - Tom Martino addresses a caller about the alleged sex trafficking that was observed in the Sullivan investigation at the start of the show...

4/4/2012 8AM - Peter Boyles Radio Show Interviews Jonathan Elinoff and Tom Martino about Pat Sullivan Meth for Sex Scandal

4/4/2012 9AM - Tom Martino continues the Peter Boyles Interview with Jonathan Elinoff and Tom Martino about Pat Sullivan Meth for Sex Scandal

4/4/2012 3PM - Caplis and Silverman Radio Show Interviews Jonathan Elinoff about the Pat Sullivan Meth for Sex Scandal

2/2/2012 3PM - Jonathan Elinoff interviewed on KGNU in Boulder and Denver Colorado about his investigation into former Sheriff Pat Sullivan in the "Meth for Sex" scandal, with host Shareef Aleem

12/16/2011 8AM - Peter Boyles Radio Show Interviews Jonathan Elinoff and Tom Martino with release of info

12/16/2011 7AM - Peter Boyles Radio Show Interviews Jonathan Elinoff and Tom Martino with release of info

12/2/2011 9AM - Tom Martino & The Troubleshooter Network Radio Show Interviews Jonathan Elinoff with release of info

12/1/2011 3PM - Caplis and Silverman Radio Show Interviews with release of info

12/1/2011 10AM - Tom Martino & The Troubleshooter Network Radio Show Interviews Jonathan Elinoff with release of info

12/1/2011 9AM - Tom Martino & The Troubleshooter Network Radio Show Interviews Jonathan Elinoff with release of info

12/1/2011 - 8AM - Peter Boyles Radio Show Interviews Jonathan Elinoff with release of info

11/30/2011 5PM - Caplis and Silverman Radio Show Interviews with release of info

11/30/2011 4PM - Caplis and Silverman Radio Show Interviews with release of info

11/30/2011 11AM - Tom Martino & The Troubleshooter Network Radio Show Interviews Jonathan Elinoff with release of info

11/30/2011 10AM - Tom Martino & The Troubleshooter Network Radio Show Interviews Jonathan Elinoff with release of info

11/30/2011 9AM - Tom Martino & The Troubleshooter Network Radio Show Interviews Jonathan Elinoff with release of info

11/30/2011 8AM - Peter Boyles Radio Show Interviews Jonathan Elinoff with release of info

11/30/2011 - Truth Jihad Radio with Kevin Barrett interviews Jonathan Elinoff on the following up with the now breaking story of Pat Sullivan and the scandal related to it

11/16/2011 - Truth Jihad Radio with Kevin Barrett interviews Jonathan Elinoff on the first breaking story of Pat Sullivan and the scandal related to it

9/22/2011 - Tom Martino Show with Special Guest Jonathan Elinoff: Discussion about underground facility at D.I.A.

9/8/2011 - Tom Martino Show with Special Guest Jonathan Elinoff: Tom Martino wakes up to 9/11

9/8/2011 - Peter Boyles Show with Special Guest Jonathan Elinoff: Discussion about the Core of Corruption sequels as well as 9/11 in general and Elinoff's research on it

1/27/2011 - WKRP with Host Rob McNealy with Guest Jonathan Elinoff, Editor of New World Order Report. Click here for the show information and bio Click here for the 1/27/2011 Show

To listen to any other radio interviews or archived radio shows, check our Archives section or click here.

SUPPORT US

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

New World Order Report is proud to offer our award winning documentary, Core of Corruption: In the Shadows. Click the ad below to order the DVD

Watch Core Of Corruption: In the Shadows for FREE Below: