Posted on 03/12/2012 3:52:27 PM PDT by NoLibZone
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul reportedly won the U.S. Virgin Island caucuses Saturday, although it was reported rival Mitt Romney secured the victory.
According to the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Republican Party results, Mr. Paul won with 29 percent of the votes, followed by Mr. Romney at 26 percent.
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum placed in third with six percent, followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at three percent of the votes.
In contrast, The Associated Press and several other major media outlets reported Mr. Romney as the winner of the Virgin Island caucuses, because he actually comes away from the election with more delegates.
The win results in Mr. Paul picking up one delegate vote, while Mr. Romney will pick up seven delegates because of the unique Republican Party rules applying to the winner of the islands’ caucuses.
The Ron Paul 2012 presidential campaign team is reporting the caucuses as a victory for the Texas congressman.
“The media is reporting that Mitt Romney won the U.S. Virgin Island Caucus when Ron Paul actually won the popular vote,” wrote the Paul campaign team in reaction to the results. They also included a link to a Business Insider article explaining the results of the popular vote.
This marks the first time thus far in the primary race that Mr. Paul has defeated Mr. Romney in terms of the popular vote.
However, the results with Mr. Romney still picking up notoriety and more delegates for the win is similar to what happened in Maine, where several external factors created a controversial win for Mr. Romney.
“112 to Paul (29%), 101 to Romney (26%), 23 to Santorm (6%), 18 to Gingrich (5%),” reports the Republican Party of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Residents of the Virgin Islands, similar to Puerto Rico, can participate in primary elections, but are not eligible to vote in the general election.
News of the complicated results will likely strengthen Mr. Paul’s support among his loyal core following. The Texas congressman’s campaign team has also complained of media bias against him throughout the primary race.
“If the popular vote means you’ve won, then Ron Paul just won the U.S. Virgin Island Caucus. If collecting delegates equals victory, then Paul stands to do well there too. The media is trying to have it both ways with Romney and the Virgin Island Caucus while ignoring Ron Paul’s actual straw poll first place victory,” wrote Mr. Paul’s campaign team.
Mr. Paul and his rival candidates now turn their attention to Tuesday, with primary elections in Mississippi and Alabama, and caucuses in Hawaii and the American Samoa.
Read more: http://www.thestatecolumn.com/articles/2012/03/12/did-ron-paul-win-the-virgin-island-caucus/#ixzz1owhA8jnW
More lies from the MSM (including fox) no surprize.
The win results in Mr. Paul picking up ONE delegate vote, while Mr. Romney will pick up SEVEN delegates because of the unique Republican Party rules applying to the winner of the islands’ caucuses.
Did Ron Paul win the Virgin Island caucus?
The answer is no.
I can’t even understand why the territories get a vote at all.
I really have no idea either. I do know that when candidate X wins 1 delegate and candidate Y wins 7 delegates, candidate X did not win the caucus.
Paulbots are trying to spin a miserable loss in yet another territory that they thought they could rack up delegates in, into some sort of victory.
Apparently the Paultards had this grand plan of racking up delegates in caucuses to make themselves relevant at the convention and it hasn’t worked at all. They thought they could win in the territories, places like Alaska, etc, and it has all failed in spectacular fashion.
I can't believe this is coming from a conservative. The reason goes back to one of the very prinicples that this nation was founded upon. Taxation without representation. Residents of the AVI pay federal taxes just as I, and I presume you do.
Ok, some one explain this to me. VI can vote in the primary but prohibited from voting in the general, so who the hell cares then?
Because by allowing the primary vote, the GOP is taking sides in Charles v. U.S. Federal Elections Commission. I expect them to win the right to vote while living in the Virgin Islands.
The current system has outlived it’s usefulness. If I relocate to the AVI, I lose my right to vote. If a VI resident moves to Texas, he has the right to vote. We’re both American citizens who can travel freely between Texas and the AVI, we both pay taxes, but only one of us gets to vote.
I think you might want to read up on voting rights in American territories. Puerto Rico is a good place to start.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_rights_in_Puerto_Rico
Um, you know citizens of U.S. territories do not have voting representation in the United States Congress, and are not entitled to electoral votes for President right?
So the question is why they get to vote in presidential primaries when they aren't going to be able to send electors anyway? I simply don't know the reason, but I assume the major party's make whatever rules they want and choose to include the territories. I don't think they are under any obligation to do so though.
The same way Santorum fans spun his winning three caucuses on way day without securing delegates or saying that he has more states, which is meaningless?
It doesn’t make sense that they can send delegates for an election they can’t vote in. Personally I think its time to take a long hard look at making them states or cutting them loose (something they should have a vote on)
However America and the territories should weigh the benefits vs drawbacks before making that choice.
“[Paul takes the Bermuda Triangle Caucus]”
This makes infinite sense to me.
They could, but my point was more to the poster saying Paul fans trying to spin a non win positively. I was just wondering if the same applied to other fans being criticized for trying to spin non wins (not getting delegates) positively.
Better put a locator beacon on the ballots.
See #8. I’m well aware of who gets to vote in a presidential election. There is a case in federal courts right mpw concerning those in territories, and the GOP is taking sides by including the AVI in the primary.
Also Peurto Rico is a poor example, as it’s a commonwealth. The AVI is a territory. They are not the same thing. Unlike the American citizens in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Ricans do not pay federal income taxes. That’s one helluva difference.
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