Rand Paul aids Romney and Ryan in Ohio
But some libertarians not swayed, may back third-party candidate
DAYTON, OHIO Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan arrived in Ohio this week to news of dropping poll numbers. So they brought backup.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., joined the Republican nominees here Tuesday, and his appearance on the trail couldn’t have come at a better time. The libertarian worldview that made him and his father — Rep. Ron Paul, RTexas — populist heroes was on full display in his brief remarks before he introduced Romney and Ryan.
Paul told the crowd he was “mortified” by the fact that people in foreign countries are attacking Americans yet still they receive U.S. aid. “They are attacking our embassy, burning our flag, torturing and imprisoning the man who helped us get Osama bin Laden . . . what’s President Obama’s answer? Send them more of your money,” Paul said as the crowd booed.
Paul’s popularity could help re-energize Tea Party activists and help attract more libertarian voters to vote for Romney, local Tea Party leaders and voters here said. The elder Paul received a little more than 9% of the vote in the state’s March presidential primary. “Hopefully he can steal some of those Ron Paul votes,” said David Richeson, 59, a Dayton toolmaker.
Marianne Gasiecki, founder of the Mansfield Tea Party in Mansfield, Ohio, an affiliate of Tea Party Patriots, did not attend the rally but said Paul’s appearance served as a reminder to conservatives where Romney stands if they are worried that he may lean as far right as they want. “It shows that he is gravitating toward conservatives,” she said. “It’s a good sign.”
Libertarians and Paul supporters were more skeptical. At a forum in Lima on Monday, a man stood and asked Ryan why Paul supporters should cast a vote for his ticket instead of a third party. Ryan responded, “Do you want Barack Obama to be re-elected?”
Some said it was unlikely that many former Ron Paul voters would swing their loyalty to Romney, despite the endorsement of the younger Paul. “I don’t think they will end up supporting Mitt Romney,” said Chris Littleton, a grass-roots activist based in Cincinnati. “There will be people who vote for (Libertarian Party nominee) Gary Johnson and yes, some people who will vote for Romney, I just don’t think the majority will.”
Rich Beeson, Romney’s political director, said the campaign is not rattled by polls showing Obama in the lead. A Cincinnati Enquirer/ Ohio Newspaper Organization poll released Sunday showed Obama leading Romney 51%-46% among likely Ohio voters; a Washington Post poll Tuesday showed Obama up by 8 points.
Romney, in an interview on CNN, said, “Polls go up and down, but frankly, you’re going to see the support that I need to become president on Election Day.”