Senator DeMint: GOP Should Listen To Ron Paul

Well, Ron Paul had a pretty good day yesterday. Yes, Romney won New Hampshire with almost 40% of the vote, but Ron Paul came in with a strong second place finish. If you're looking for a not-Romney candidate, Dr. Paul has finished above 20% in both Iowa and New Hampshire, the only candidate besides Romney to do so. Polls show both Paul and Romney in statistical ties with Obama in the general election, the only two candidates to poll that well v Obama. And Paul is aiming at South Carolina, hoping to make it a two-man race between him and Romney. And in that vein, something interesting has just occurred.

South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, an influential conservative figure in the Republican party, went on the record today, telling South Carolina Republicans that they need to listen to Ron Paul.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/203557-sen-demint-urges-republicans-to-listen-to-ron-paul

"One of the things that's hurt the so-called conservative alternative is saying negative things about Ron Paul," DeMint told conservative radio host Laura Ingraham. "I'd like to see a Republican Party that embraces a lot of the libertarian ideas."

DeMint said he does not agree with the Texas congressman on everything but that the rest of the GOP presidential field should capture some of what Paul's been talking about for years because the Republican Party "needs" the libertarian movement.

"You don't have to agree with everything he's saying, but if the other candidates miss some of the wisdom about what he's saying about monetary policy ... that will be to our detriment," DeMint said.

Make no mistake, this is important. It isn't an endorsement, but it is still important. Why? Because all of the other Presidential candidates are trashing Ron Paul on all fronts and dismissing him as a kook... while up to a quarter of voters so far think he's the best man to be President. DeMint clearly sees value in Dr Paul and his views, and doesn't want the GOP turning away from what he obviously considers some important positions.

And I wonder if these comments are actually a precursor to endorsing Dr. Paul. That's not out of the question, I think, because Paul and DeMint have worked together before and share a lot of the same small-government ideas. And DeMint actually endorsed Rand Paul in his 2010 run for the US Senate. So an endorsement may be coming, or it may not... There's no telling, really. And if DeMint DOES endorse Paul, look for Paul's numbers to improve dramatically there. Why? Recent polling shows that 31% of likely SCGOP voters are more likley to vote for a candidate endorsed by Jim DeMint.

However, even just the comments DeMint made are important, because they show influential, conservative leaders within the GOP are not happy with Romney and actually support some or all of what Ron Paul is campaigning on. An endorsement would be a huge game-changer, I think, but even these comments serve to rock the boat. For although they aren't an endorsement of Paul, they can easily be read as a partial repudiation of Romney. And that's got to hurt, you know?

It'll be interesting to see how this one plays out.

UPDATE: If you'd like Senator DeMint to endorse Ron Paul, you might send a polite request asking that he do so.
http://www.dailypaul.com/202809/demint-bomb-contact-jim-demint-to-get-ron-paul-endorsement

Senator Jim DeMint is the most popular elected official in South Carolina (he won his last election with 61% of the vote) and he endorsed Rand Paul in 2010 when Rand ran for Senate in Kentucky. If Senator Jim DeMint endorses Ron Paul before the SC primary it will give a huge boost to Paul's campaign.

How the "DeMint Bomb" Works:
As many people as possible contact Sen. DeMint to ask for an endorsement. Do it before Jan. 15th so DeMint has time to make the endorsement before election day.