On January 14, I posted an article about my observations of the subtle and corrupt 'stopping game' that media outlets have been playing all through this crooked election season, in order to keep Ron Paul's progress under control--under THEIR control, not the voter's.  I pointed out how the media will occasionally allow Ron Paul to bask in the media spotlight, to make it appear as if they are indeed fair, but that as soon as he shows any signs at all of actually succeeding, they collude to apply hard brakes--by ignoring, if not attacking, and pretending Ron Paul does not exist--just long enough to drastically draw back the campaign's progress, to levels they feel comfortable will keep him from winning.

Ever since I wrote the article, it seems as if the corrupt media outlets' braking of the Ron Paul campaign has been nearly non-stop--they aren't letting up!  They are braking like a truck driver on a 7% downhill grade!  I wonder why?

Could it be that as we came around the last curve into the primaries, they realized that Ron Paul had a REAL chance of winning the Republican nomination???

YES!  He has proven to have a much GREATER chance than a number of the most zealously supported media darlings (Thompson and Rudi, for starters).  He has consistently shown well in the primaries, and consistently outperformed the national polls.  Despite suspicious activity in the voting process of several states, Paul shows way better than the media expected, so they are scared.

It has not been pointed out enough, that while Hillary may have "won" Nevada on the Democratic ticket, Ron Paul actually received MORE votes than Hillary Clinton in his second place Republican win of Nevada!  Few people are talking about this.  Unless there is massive fraud in Nevada, then there must have been Democrats who were able to vote for Mitt Romney, because the numbers for Paul are in line for the numbers of ALL DEMOCRATS and all OTHER Republicans.  The usual explanation for Romney's exaggerated numbers, is that all of the Mormons came out to vote in a block for a fellow Mormon, which may indeed be true in a state like Nevada.  That means Ron Paul won the NON-MORMON vote, however.  And guess what, there aren't that many Mormons in other states.

Now the news comes trickling out, from out-of-the-way outlets, that Ron Paul PROBABLY won Louisiana, but YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T HEARD IT ON A NEWS BROADCAST!

The delightful fact is that Ron Paul probably DID win the state of Louisiana handily.  Here is one of the earlier reports:

Ron Paul Victorious in Louisiana Caucus.

---

Ron Paul beats out all other Republican nominees for president in yesterday's Louisiana Caucus.

---

by World
(Libertarian)

 The unofficial results of over 10,000 individuals participating in the 2008 Louisiana Caucus are in and the winner is... RON PAUL !!!  Garnering more votes than any other candidate, Ron Paul gathers a strong boost of momentum heading into the Florida and Super Tuesday primaries.  This momentum comes atop another solid $2 million fundraising effort on Martin Luther King Jr. Day leaving Paul with enough money and support to challenge the more publicized front runners. Dr. Paul's platform can be viewed here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Ron_Paul

 Mitt Romney scored a respectable second place. A large number of voters were also uncommitted at this late stage in the process. The official press release of the Louisiana GOP office is quoted below:

On Tuesday night, approximately ten thousand Louisiana Republicans caucused in 11 different cities across the state. Those attending the caucuses cast their vote for 15 delegates and 15 alternates to represent their congressional district at the 2008 Louisiana Republican Convention. Results were tallied on site late into the night and then reported to Republican Party Headquarters in Baton Rouge. Of the thousands of ballots cast, approximately 650 were cast provisionally.

Before these provisional ballots are counted, LAGOP staff must verify that the voter was a registered Republican voter in his or her congressional district as of November 30, 2007. The counting of provisional ballots in the 3rd and 7th Congressional districts is not needed to verify the results as the margin of victory for all winning candidates is larger than the number of provisional ballots casts. For the other five Congressional districts, Republican Party staff members will begin the process of verifying the results through each parish's registrar of voter's office. Once that process is complete, the Secretary of the Republican of Louisiana will certify the official results.

Read the article in its original context: http://www.nolanchart.com/article1392.html

But something fishy has happened since then, and severe irregularities have surfaced.

This from a Ron Paul 2008 Newsletter:

But now the bad news: Not surprisingly, the political and media establishment are trying to stop Ron Paul's message from getting out. Just look at what's happening in Louisiana. The Louisiana Republican Party has only posted "unofficial" results from the state's Jan. 22 caucuses on their website. And they are claiming that John McCain won with Ron Paul in second.

But we suspect that when all of the provisional ballots are counted, Ron Paul's showing will be even better. For more information on the "boondoggle in the bayou", read ABC News' coverage here.

There's a ton going on, and as always, more news will be coming. But as you know, we are competing against an entrenched media and political elite. For that reason, it is even more important that we have the war chest necessary to get Dr. Paul's message - our message - out to the rest of our country. Donate as generously as you can now: https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate.

The fight has just begun.

Jonathan Bydlak
Fundraising Director
Ron Paul 2008

At the very least, Ron Paul again came in a CLOSE second--which by itself deserves notice--but I think NOT!

I'm strongly suspecting that Ron Paul DID win this one, as all indications suggested, originally.  Please be polite, but don't let the wool be pulled over the nation's eyes!

CONTACT THE MEDIA 

V!

Posted by Paul Bear (www.RonPaulite.com)

This sent to me from the LiveSmarter Blog:

10 Ways a Ron Paul Presidency would Affect Health Care

Topic: Health Care

Op. Editorial by Sarah Andrews

If Republican candidate Ron Paul wins the 2008 presidency, Americans could see a health care system that puts more dollars back into taxpayer wallets and allows for more individual choice in selecting a health care provider.

Paul, a constitutionalist and staunch supporter of a free-market system, opposes HMOs and the managed-care system now in place, saying it is too controlled by the government and is set up to benefit corporations and not individuals. Also an opponent of the universal health care plans touted by some of his Democrat opponents, Paul is calling for several measures that will give individual citizens the power to manage their own health care, limit the federal government’s role in the US health care system, and increase competition among providers in the private market.

1. Abolishment of HMOs
Paul believes that government involvement in HMOs has created a convoluted system of red tape that has consistently driven up the cost of health care by its lack of accountability. He also criticizes federal laws that provide tax incentives for employers who offer employee health care plans, saying those incentives should be provided to the employees directly.

Paul wants to abolish HMOs completely and rewrite tax codes so individuals are given a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on their monthly health care premiums. This system, he says, will motivate both medical providers and patients to keep costs low, since neither party will be reliant on a third party, currently the HMOs, to pay the bills. Paul also believes opening the system to the free market will give individuals more freedom to choose a plan that best suits their needs, rather than be limited to the plans offered by an employer.

2. Cheaper drugs for seniors
Paul supports the rights of seniors to purchase cheap, foreign prescription drugs and believes that individuals should have complete control over such medical choices, especially when government regulation of these decisions can have a negative impact on a person’s finances. He also supports the establishments of tax credits for seniors who require costly prescriptions.

3. Allowing state governments to rule on marijuana for medicinal use
Paul wants the legalization of medicinal marijuana to be decided on a state level. Once again, he stays consistent about non-federal, localized decision making, saying federal intervention is unconstitutional.

In fact, Paul believes decisions about the legalization of all narcotics should be made at the state level and is opposed to the government’s War on Drugs, calling it an ineffectual and harmful policy.

4. Allowing state governments to rule on abortion
Though Paul is personally an opponent of abortion and has called it “an act of violence,” he believes that abortion laws should be determined by state governments. In 2005, Paul sponsored the “We the People Act”, which would prohibit federal courts from ruling on issues like abortion, same-sex marriages, prayer in school, and sexual practices.

Paul defends this policy as being fairer to the individual taxpayer. Much of the discontent among pro-lifers, he says, can be traced to the fact that federal courts are allocating portions of their tax dollars to policies that they abhor without taking it to popular vote.

5. Opening stem cell research to the private market
While acknowledging the sensitivity of the issue, Paul generally supports stem cell research in the private market, but does not believe it should be prohibited or funded by the federal government. During a recent interview with the Nashua Telegraph in New Hampshire, Paul said the choice in Washington is often “to ban it or to subsidize it.”

Using the same rationale he uses when discussing abortion, Paul says the federal government should not fund such controversial social issues since it is unfair to the taxpayer. Paul supports stem cell research using amniotic fluid and other methods that do not involve abortion, but believes it’s a subject for the private market.

6. Creating tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts
Paul supports allowing individuals to set up a tax-exempt savings account to be used solely for paying medical expenses, and he voted for a bill to establish Medical Savings Accounts.

The bill also contained provisions that would allow self-employed persons or persons paying for their own insurance to claim their health care premiums as tax deductions. Paul supports the creation of Healthmarts, which would allow small businesses and individuals to come together in a group or association and purchase insurance plans like large corporations and at similar rates.

7. Insuring patients against malpractice suits
Paul is in favor of allowing patients who require surgery or other major health procedures to purchase insurance protecting them against malpractice before the procedure. The insurance would guarantee that the patient is covered for additional treatment in the event that something went wrong. This would have the dual effect of eliminating the costliness of malpractice suits.

8. Limiting the powers of the Federal Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission
This year, Paul reintroduced the Health Freedom Protection Act, which aims to reduce the current legal powers the FDA has to regulate what information is and is not released to the public regarding dietary supplements, foods, vitamins, and natural remedies.

For example, under the current system, the FTC has the power to prosecute marketers who make absolute claims about a food’s, vitamin’s or mineral’s health benefits even if those benefits have been proven. Paul says this inhibits individuals from learning how to improve their health by changing or supplementing their diet rather than turning to prescription medications.

9. Less reliance on government programs, such as Medicare
Expensive federal “trust fund” programs like Medicare and Medicaid are not sustainable, says Paul, who believes that Congress should repeal its approval of the 2003 Medicare prescription drug bill. Paul believes in putting more emphasis on establishing savings programs in the free market, saying that the government’s spending on Medicare is irresponsible and impossible when looking at the country’s current debt.

While Paul does not specifically call for the abolishment of Medicare, he is adamant that there are few solutions to the damage already created by the program and said the focus now needs to be on transitioning younger taxpayers out of Medicare.

10. Tax breaks for individuals who have cancer or are terminally ill
Paul supports legislation that would exempt individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer or a terminal illness from Social Security payroll taxes. This tax break would also apply to persons who are the primary caregiver and are married to or are the parent of an individual with cancer or a terminal illness.

—

Paul runs his campaign on a platform of less government and more accountability to taxpayers and state governments, and his positions on the country’s health care system are consistent with that platform.

If Paul is elected, US citizens would likely see a health care system that affords them more options, is more affordable, and that is more reliant on and susceptible to the free market. While programs like Medicare would not disappear overnight, policies moving away from such government-heavy systems would likely be developed.

Read the article in its original context: http://www.ondd.org/10-ways-a-ron-paul-presidency-would-affect-health-care/

Thank you Amy Quinn

V!

Posted by Paul Bear (www.RonPaulite.com)

This from Trevor Lyman:

Update from Trevor Lyman

Super Bowl Sunday Commercials, DownsizeDC.org and more.. Posted: 25 Jan 2008 12:39 AM CST Super Bowl Sunday Commercials Super Bowl Sunday Commercials for Ron Paul are available here! Help us buy ads on local networks before, during and after the Super Bowl! (brought to you by the Liberty Political Advertising LLC of RonPaulBlimp.com) Help decide the next money bomb by casting your vote/opinions in this thread at RonPaulForums.com Ron Paul endorsed, (soon to be) Congressional Candidate Jim Forsythe recently introduced me to DownsizeDC.org. DownsizeDC.org is a great way for pro-freedom/limited government persons such as ourselves to act together to send a loud message to congress about the type of legislation we’d like them to support.Get started by supporting Ron Paul’s efforts for honest money and a restoration of our freedoms. Then consider supporting anti-realID and repeal the Patriot Act efforts or any of these other important initiatives. We’ve seen what we can do with our money bombs.. now it’s time to get going with message bombs to congress. It’s simple to do and it works. Our voices CAN and WILL be heard whenever we act together!

V!

Posted by Paul Bear (www.RonPaulite.com)

With the Republican field down to just five candidates, and Fox News not involved, Ron Paul was finally given the opportunity to be treated like the top tier candidate he is, at the MSNBC debate in Florida tonight. MSNBC still gave him less time than any of the other candidates, apparently missing the news of his recent second-place finishes in Nevada and Louisiana, but Ron Paul made the most of it.

Economic Stimulus: Ron Paul said government does have a role in stimulating the economy, not by borrowing or printing more money, but by lowering taxes, reducing burdensome regulations like Sarbanes-Oxley, promoting sound money, and pursuing a sensible and affordable foreign policy.

Republican Party's Economic Record: Ron Paul agreed that the Party has dropped the ball, but pointed out that he had done his best to warn them every step of the way, voting against tax increases and wasteful spending, and earning the title of "the Taxpayer's Best Friend."

Iraq Worth It? Ron Paul gave perhaps his best answer yet, agreeing with 60% of American voters that removing Saddam Hussein was not worth the cost in money and lives, and demonstrating why he is the most electable Republican candidate. He reminded the viewers that al Qaeda wasn't in Iraq -- until after our invasion, that no weapons of mass destruction were found, and that we should never become a country that starts wars needlessly.

Question for a Competitor: Each candidate was allowed to ask one other contender a question, and Ron Paul asked John McCain if he would abolish the President's working group on financial markets. It was admittedly an obscure question, but watching McCain ramble on without answering the question might make a few Florida voters question just who is the "straight talking" candidate in the race.

Social Security: Tim Russert reverted to Meet the Press mode, asking Ron Paul if he still wants to abolish Social Security, as he indicated in a 1988 questionnaire. "Yes, but not overnight," was Ron Paul's artful reply, followed by his clearest explanation yet of why he would let young people opt out of a bad deal, and how he would protect those already dependent on the program better than anyone else. He's never voted to raid Social Security funds for the general budget, he wants to repeal taxes on Social Security benefits, and he wants to pursue sound monetary policies that would reduce inflation, which hurts the elderly the most.

Third Party Run? Asked yet again about leaving the Republican Party, Ron Paul gave his best answer ever to this question, saying that he's worried about the other candidates leaving the traditional Republican Party platform, while he continues to advocate constitutionally limited government and individual liberty, good old fashioned Republican values. He questioned why the Party hasn't been more welcoming to all the new people he is bringing into it, and said that he hoped his competitors would worry about him mounting a third party challenge, to "keep them on their toes."

Ron Paul was again the runaway winner in an MSNBC.com online poll, with 61% of the vote after the first 16,000 votes were cast. An MSNBC text message poll went to Mitt Romney with 41% of the vote, while Ron Paul was second with 40%. Update: Ron Paul won the text poll in the final tally, edging Romney 42 to 41%.

Four-pronged approach will strengthen the economy by reforming taxes, cutting spending, improving monetary policy and eliminating burdensome regulations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 24, 2008

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA –Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has unveiled a comprehensive economic revitalization package. The four-pronged plan is designed to stem the current economic slide and address the unsound governmental policies that are harming Americans’ pocketbooks.

“Real economic reform must address the underlying reasons for the current economic malaise,” said Ron Paul. “This plan is more than just a band-aid for our economy; it fundamentally reforms four areas where government policies are damaging our national economy. When enacted, my plan will provide both short-term stimulus, and lay the groundwork for long-term prosperity.”

The comprehensive economic revitalization plan is available online at: http://www.RonPaul2008.com/Prosperity.

The four areas that the plan covers are:

1. Tax Reform: Reduce the tax burden and eliminate taxes that punish investment and savings, including job-killing corporate taxes.

2. Spending Reform: Eliminate wasteful spending. Reduce overseas commitments. Freeze all non-defense, non-entitlement spending at current levels.

3. Monetary Policy Reform: Expand openness with the Federal Reserve and require the Fed to televise its meetings. Return value to our money.

4. Regulatory Reform: Repeal Sarbanes/Oxley regulations that push companies to seek capital outside of US markets. Stop restricting community banks from fostering local economic growth.

Congressman Paul has written or co-sponsored numerous bills to enact the policies in his plan. In Congress, he has been a champion of lower taxes and limited government.

Congressman Paul is the ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee's Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology. In Congress, Dr. Paul has never voted for a tax increase or for an unbalanced budget.

Paul releases comprehensive economic stimulus plan:

Ron Paul Unveils a REAL Economic Stimulus Plan

Four-pronged approach will strengthen the economy by reforming taxes, cutting spending, improving monetary policy and eliminating burdensome regulations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 24, 2008

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA –Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has unveiled a comprehensive economic revitalization package. The four-pronged plan is designed to stem the current economic slide and address the unsound governmental policies that are harming Americans’ pocketbooks.

“Real economic reform must address the underlying reasons for the current economic malaise,” said Ron Paul. “This plan is more than just a band-aid for our economy; it fundamentally reforms four areas where government policies are damaging our national economy. When enacted, my plan will provide both short-term stimulus, and lay the groundwork for long-term prosperity.”

The comprehensive economic revitalization plan is available online at: http://www.RonPaul2008.com/Prosperity.

The four areas that the plan covers are:

1. Tax Reform: Reduce the tax burden and eliminate taxes that punish investment and savings, including job-killing corporate taxes.

2. Spending Reform: Eliminate wasteful spending. Reduce overseas commitments. Freeze all non-defense, non-entitlement spending at current levels.

3. Monetary Policy Reform: Expand openness with the Federal Reserve and require the Fed to televise its meetings. Return value to our money.

4. Regulatory Reform: Repeal Sarbanes/Oxley regulations that push companies to seek capital outside of US markets. Stop restricting community banks from fostering local economic growth.

Congressman Paul has written or co-sponsored numerous bills to enact the policies in his plan. In Congress, he has been a champion of lower taxes and limited government.

Congressman Paul is the ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee's Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology. In Congress, Dr. Paul has never voted for a tax increase or for an unbalanced budget.

Read the article in its original context: http://ronpaul2008.typepad.com/ron_paul_2008/2008/01/ron-paul-unveil.html

V!

Posted by Paul Bear (www.RonPaulite.com)

This is late, as I've been away from the blog, but this is an URGENT MESSAGE from the American Freedom Campaign:

Consider for a moment that your government has engaged in widespread spying on Americans' phone calls and emails.  Consider further that many of this nation's telecommunications companies knowingly helped the government with this surveillance.

 

Now how would you feel if these telecommunications companies were granted complete immunity against lawsuits brought by customers whose privacy rights were violated?

 

We hope you feel -- as we do -- that this would be entirely inappropriate.  If you do, we urge you to take a minute and send an email to your U.S. senators before they vote on this issue as early as tomorrow (January 24). 

 

Take action by clicking on the following link:

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2165/t/1027/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=22486

 

Starting in 2001, the Bush administration's National Security Agency engaged in a massive warrantless wiretapping program in violation of our Constitution.  The administration blatantly ignored laws and procedures under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) designed to protect the privacy rights of citizens.

 

The government could not have conducted this warrantless surveillance without assistance from the nation's telecommunications companies, which willingly -- and, quite likely, illegally -- turned over customer records to the government.  The claims by these companies that they were acting in the best interests of the country in order to enhance national security have been undermined by recent reports that government wiretaps have been cut off by the very same companies when the government failed to pay its bills on time.[1]

 

It seems the telecommunications companies care more about their profits than our protection.

 

The U.S. House has already passed an update to FISA that does NOT include immunity for the telecommunications companies.  As the Senate considers its own legislation, it is imperative that it exclude immunity, as well.

 

Please convey this message to your two senators by clicking on the following link:

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2165/t/1027/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=22486

 

Thank you for taking action.

 

Best,

Steve

 

Steve Fox

Campaign Director

American Freedom Campaign

V!

Posted by Paul Bear (www.RonPaulite.com)

Important Release From the Ron Paul 2008 Campaign:

Your work is paying off! (1/22/08)

Yesterday, you raised over $1.85 million for Ron Paul. Congratulations, and thank you so much!

It's been a great few days to be a supporter of Ron Paul, and not only because of the successful fundraising day or our great second-place showing in Nevada.

On the endorsement front, Ron Paul has won the support of three significant public figures in the last two days.

Yesterday, former New Mexico Governor Gary "Veto" Johnson announced that he is supporting Dr. Paul for president. Governor Johnson is an icon to small-government conservatives and libertarians for his long-standing commitment to the principles of the Founders. You can read our press release here.

This morning, Ron Paul also received the glowing endorsement of Donald L. Luskin, a prominent financial commentator on CNBC and Chief Investment Officer for Trend Macrolytics LLC. You can read Don's editorial in National Review about why Ron Paul is right for America here.

Finally, Dr. Paul hosted a press conference this morning with well-known pro-life activist Norma McCorvey, better known as 'Jane Roe' from the infamous Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade.

Much more good news about the campaign is coming soon, and all of it is made possible by your support. Here are some ways that you can immediately help to keep building our momentum:

1. Become a Precinct Leader: We really need to fill spots for precinct leaders around the country. Outside of donating, this is the most critical thing you can do to get Dr. Paul elected. Help us by signing up in your area.

2. Spread the Word: We've created a great tool to help you get the word out to your friends about why Ron Paul should be our next president. Check it out here.

3. Donate: Keep in mind that we need financial contributions from our loyal supporters every day - and more so now than ever. Remember, there are an astounding 22 primaries and caucuses coming up on Super Tuesday. If you didn't get a chance to give yesterday, you still can help us compete in all of the upcoming primaries and caucuses by donating today: www.ronpaul2008.com/donate

Thanks again!

Jonathan Bydlak
Fundraising Director
Ron Paul 2008

P.S. For those of you who haven't heard, Mike Huckabee's campaign is broke. Don't let the same thing happen to Ron Paul. After all, where else would Mike Huckabee get all of his ideas? Contribute today!

-----------------------------------------------------------

V!

Posted by Paul Bear (www.RonPaulite.com)

Ron Paul's unmatched grassroots support was in evidence once again in an early caucus state, this time in the Louisiana district caucuses on Tuesday night. According to official but preliminary results, Ron Paul appeared to earn the second highest number of committed delegates to the state convention on February 16th, behind John McCain, although the totals in some districts could still move in Paul's favor as provisional ballots are counted.

A press release by the chairman of the Republican Party of Louisiana took a much more welcoming and far-sighted attitude toward Ron Paul and his supporters than party leaders in some other states have done:

"I applaud the supporters of Congressman Paul for their enthusiasm and superior organizational ability," Villere said. "Our Party needs the infusion of new activists who have both political skill and a passion for protecting the freedoms guaranteed to us by the Constitution," he said. "I left the caucus with a renewed commitment to promote our core Republican principles of limited government and individual freedom, thanks to the zeal displayed by Congressman Paul's Louisiana supporters," Villere said.

McCain and Paul both finished behind a "Pro-Life, Pro-Family" slate of officially uncommitted delegates, which included a coalition of supporters of Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, and Rudy Giuliani, candidates who had either recently dropped out or who were unable to field a full slate as Ron Paul had done. It was unclear from the press release whether McCain's current first place standing includes his share of the Pro-Life/Pro-Family slate delegates, or just his own individual delegates. Mitt Romney finished behind Ron Paul, with just "a handful" of delegates, according to the press release.

Ron Paul's share of the 105 delegates to the state convention is still unclear, due to a significant number of provisional ballots (500-650) cast by his supporters. Many voters who changed their registration to Republican ahead of the state deadline did not show up on the voter rolls, and their eligibility will have to be verified before they are counted. With over 10,000 people participating in the caucuses, a few hundred extra votes might seem inconsequential, but because the delegates are elected per district, in some districts the results could change substantially.

Louisiana gets 47 delegates to the Republican national convention, but its selection process is perhaps the most arcane in the nation. Three of the delegates will be state party officials, as is the norm. 20 of the remaining 44 delegates will be pledged to the winner of the statewide primary on February 9th, but only if the winner receives at least 50% of the vote. Only in Nevada has any winner topped the 50% mark yet, and that was in a low-turnout caucus, not a primary.

The other 24 delegates are selected at the state convention on February 16th, by the delegates selected in the district caucuses, and will be officially unpledged, but will naturally support the presidential candidate of their choice, which makes the results from Tuesday night critically important. If no one tops the 50% mark in the statewide primary, all 44 delegates will be officially unpledged, and selected at the state convention.

Ron Paul supporters are keeping a watchful eye on the results of the provisional ballot count, and have a largely-uncontested slate of alternate delegates available to step forward if any of the elected delegates to the state convention are unable to attend. The final results may not be known until after the February 5th Super Tuesday primaries, but the organization and enthusiasm of the Ron Paul Revolution in Louisiana has given all Ron Paul supporters another dose of optimism as we head into the heart of the primary season.

Update: According to "parocks" at the Ron Paul Forums, Ron Paul has won 5 of the 105 delegates to the state convention, even before adding in the provisional ballots. Enough provisional ballots have been cast, mostly by Ron Paul supporters, to add approximately 24 more delegates, if enough of the provisional ballots are ultimately verified.

2nd Update (1/25/08): According to "Vox Populi" at the Ron Paul Forums, Ron Paul picked up another 5 delegates, for a total of 10. Only about one-third of the provisional ballots were deemed valid -- registered Republican before the state deadline. John McCain's delegate total is still unknown, but Ron Paul has apparently strengthened his 2nd place finish, as most of the winning delegates were from the "Pro-Life/Pro-Family" slate, and uncommitted.