Minnesota, Ron Paul states shoved to back at RNC

States with significant Ron Paul supporters have been put in the nosebleed seats at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, where the Republican National Convention gets under way this week, Politico reports.

Author:: BMTN Staff
Publish date:: Aug 27, 2012

The GOP has quietly arranged to seat rowdy Ron Paul supporters in the very back of the Tampa Bay Times Forum, where the Republican National Convention begins Saturday, Politico reports.

Nevada, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota and Oklahoma, all with significant Ron Paul supporters, are located on the outer fringe of the convention floor, Politico says.

Minnesotans will be in the upper reaches behind Alaska and Connecticut, a map obtained by Politico shows. Groups with better seats include those from the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and American Samoa, Politico says.

Minnesotans are in the mix as the GOP wrestles over its brand, the Star Tribune reports. Rep. Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul's state chair threatened efforts to show that Republicans solidly support Romney, the newspaper reports.

Bachmann at a prayer rally Sunday said there's "a spiritual hurricane in our land," CNN reports.

The convention was scheduled to open Monday but has been delayed by Hurricane Isaac, the Associated Press reports.

Here's a glimpse at the venue – a time-lapse video of workers transforming the forum from a football stadium into a GOP showcase:

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Although its a forgone conclusion that Mitt Romney will win the GOP nomination at the Republican National Convention this coming week, several of Minnesota's delegates are still planning on voting for Texas Congresssman Ron Paul. Of the of the 40 delegates headed to the GOP convention in Tampa, Fla., 32 are Paul supporters.

When Minnesota delegates arrived in Tampa they quickly headed for a Ron Paul rally. Paul, meanwhile, refused an offer to speak at the Republican National Convention because he would have had to clear his speech with presumptive nominee Mitt Romney. And an uninvited guest named Isaac is wreaking havoc with the convention's schedule.

Many of Minnesota's delegates to the Republican National Convention relished their chance to support the libertarian campaign of Texas Congressman Ron Paul. But in many cases that satisfaction was tempered by frustration with the Mitt Romney supporters who organized the convention. From rule changes that went against them to a ban on Ron Paul signs, some of the delegates considered the event an Infomercial that stepped on the grass roots.

Work on the Republican platform begins Monday in advance of next week's party convention. Ron Paul delegates will push for changes including more civil liberties. But, as a leader of the Minnesota delegation put it, "you can't turn the barge around in a day."

Republicans in three Minnesota Congressional districts elected Ron Paul supporters to be delegates to the party's national convention. So far Paul has claimed ten of the state's delegates and Rick Santorum two. Four more districts and Minnesota's at-large delegates remain to be chosen.

While some Minnesota Republicans are concerned about the prospect of Ron Paul supporters taking over the state convention this week, Tim Pawlenty sees no need for fear. The former governor and presidential candidate says Paul's supporters are an energetic bunch that will be a valuable addition to the Republican coalition that gathers in St. Cloud Friday and Saturday.

While attending the Republican National Convention in Tampa, former Minnesota Congressman Vin Weber described a state party suffering from a split between Ron Paul supporters and the GOP mainstream. Weber says the divide leaves Minnesota's GOP ineffective and "screwed up." Also, Minnesotans are fighting a proposed change in the delegate selection process that would have delegates chosen by the presidential candidates rather than elected at state conventions. One calls the proposal a "power grab by Washington insiders."

Minnesota's delegation to the Republican National Convention may not hear from its preferred candidate on the floor in Tampa. If Ron Paul had carried five states, he would have been guaranteed a chance to be nominated and address the convention. But Paul came up one state short, carrying Minnesota, Iowa, Maine, and Louisiana.