Romney is GOP Nominee, but Paul Supporters Stay Strong
Posted August 31, 2012 07:35 am
By
Stephanie Carroll Carson
TAMPA, FL - The curtains closed Thursday night on one of
the more memorable Republican National Conventions - and
Ron Paul supporters leaving Florida today are tasked
with the job of backing a candidate that's not their
own.
Luis LaRotta is a delegate from Texas who is admittedly in favor of Paul. The Tuesday nomination of Mitt Romney and the way it was handled by party leaders has him concerned.
"I don't know what to say other than I'm truly
concerned, and how are we going to unite the party when
people are breaking rules? The RNC rules are like the
constitution of the United States."
On Monday, the GOP announced a rule change that would
allow the party's presidential nominee to replace his
primary opponents' elected delegates with his own
supporters. The committee said the intended purpose was
to present a unified front to the American people.
LaRotta says not all Paul supporters will automatically
back Romney in Paul's home state of Texas.
"I can't go to my constituents and the people who
support me and say vote November Republican and not get
some concerned looks. And I can tell you it's not going
to be an easy sell. It's going to be tough."
It's expected that some Paul supporters will leave the
Republican Party and support Libertarian Party nominee
Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico.
Photo: Ron Paul, Paul campaign image - added by the Observer