Paul Turns Attention to State Race

And he's got no intention of dropping out of the race

(NEWSER) - John McCain has knocked out the last of his Republican opponents, right? Ron Paul begs to differ. "I'm still involved, nothing has changed," he told MSNBC after successfully defending his Texas congressional seat in the GOP primary. Paul has no plans to drop out and will resume traveling the country preaching his small-government credo. He'd even address the convention. "It would be nice," he said. "They may not want me to." More»

"Lone wolf''s" campaign gains traction with the young and wired

(NEWSER) - Most Americans know him—if at all— as the firebrand Texas congressman who’s always pushed to the end of the line during debates. Ron Paul flounders at the bottom of national polls, but he's is the most “friended” Republican on myspace.com. And he's the lone GOP presidential candidate who opposes the Iraq war. His solution to the mess, he tells the New York Times: “Just leave.” More»

Liberal blog plans 'Operation Hilarity' to give Romney a headache

(NEWSER) - The Daily Kos may be a liberal blog, but it's throwing its support behind Rick Santorum—sort of. In a post yesterday announcing "Operation Hilarity," Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas urged Democrats to take advantage of the upcoming open primaries and caucuses in Michigan, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Vermont and get out there to vote Santorum. Why? "The longer this thing drags out, the more unpopular the Republican presidential pretenders become," he writes. "Just look at Mitt Romney's trajectory, which followed Herman Cain's trajectory, and Newt Gingrich's trajectory, and Michelle Bachmann's trajectory, and so on." More»

Unpredictable low-turnout contest favors Paul's unconventional campaign

(NEWSER) - Tomorrow might be the day Ron Paul supporters have been waiting for: the day the Texas libertarian actually wins a state. Of course, that state would be Maine, which is holding a non-binding caucus that's expected to draw only a few thousand people, but it would still represent a milestone for Paul—and it would be Mitt Romney's fourth straight loss. While Romney won big in the state in 2008, turnout is so low that enthusiasm is all-important, the Washington Post reasons, and Paul supporters are an enthusiastic bunch. More»

Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri all weigh in on Republican primary field

(NEWSER) - Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri will all get a chance to weigh in on the Republican presidential nomination today, in a day that might just change the momentum for Rick Santorum's campaign. Here's what to watch for:

• Santorum's surge: If Santorum is going to make a move, now's the time. According to the latest Public Policy Polling numbers, he's in first, ahead of Mitt Romney, in both Missouri (45% to 32%) and Minnesota (33% to 24%). He's even second in Colorado.