Ron Paul Calls it Quits in Presidential Race

Ron Paul had always stood as something of an oddity on the political stage on which he stood. With views that ranged from the simple liberal to the conspiracy, he acted as a kind of polarizing figure in popular media. Intending to demonstrate that the Ron Paul Revolution will show how campaigns must run in this new digital age, he quickly used the newfound power of the internet, spreading his message across YouTube, blogs, and appealing to the technical literate rather than big campaign funds, which he was often pressed to accumulate.

That strategy appears to have backfired as what many considered to be the Republican long shot version of Dennis Kucinich announced on his website that he is officially dropping his candidacy for the Presidency. According to his campaign website, ronpaul2008.com, he is following the examples of Romney and Giuliani, and has left the Republican race up to Huckabee and McCain - the former of which is trailing exponentially behind the Arizona senator.

According to a statement made by Paul on his website, he will not be seeking an independent or third party entrance into the White House - which seemed largely impossible any way with his abysmally low polling numbers. Although he has explained that he will remain in the general primaries, he acknowledges that the Republican nomination has become impossibly out of reach, and has therefore stated that he will "focus on his constituents" at home.

Paul represented a figure that appealed to a new generation of conservative Republicans, using language that hinted at strict Constitutionalism and isolationism which cost him high points with most other voters, as evidenced by his 16 delegates after Super Tuesday. Generally, following defeat after defeat, internet websites, blogs, and other supporters such as internet radio maintained that there were constant conspiracies afoot, especially in New Hampshire where it was believed by many Ron Paul supporters that the Republican party was specifically tampering with Paul's votes.

In Louisiana, his support is the strongest the author has seen, as he appears to be the only presidential candidate (save for Bill Clinton's speeches across Lafayette and Lake Charles) with a visible presence in the state in the form of a variety of signs.

With limited campaign funds, Paul was constantly pressed to find new and creative ways to get the message of his "Ron Paul Revolution" out, which amounted to appealing widely to grassroots groups that made up the majority of his advertising. Some have speculated, however, that these grassroots groups may have harmed his bid for the White House more than it helped him.

This was not the first attempt made by Paul, as he also ran as an independent in 1988.

For all the praise Paul received from his admittedly few supporters, he was also not without controversy when it was revealed that under his name, a ghostwriter passed out a racist spewed newsletter that came to light during the 2008 election.

His latest article appears to be a final concession of defeat as he acknowledges that with 16 delegates following Super Tuesday, once more the White House is beyond his grasp, however he promises to "continue fighting for his ideals in the Republican Party".

Sources:

-Ron Paul 2008