How Lincoln the Underdog Won the Brokered Convention of 1860

So Lincoln, we should not be surprised to read, used counterfeit tickets to lie, cheat and steal. What a gangster! What a "great" president! What a great role model for our young children!

I guess it's feasible that we could come out ahead in a brokered convention, but the 1860s example isn't really relevant to this situation because the vote was a lot more spread out back then. And given the relatively poor communication of that time, the convention was much more of a necessary tool to exchange ideas and compare positions with all of the candidates in the same room at the same time.

But even if you look past the differences between the situation in 1860 and now, don't you first have to believe that McCain will have less than 51% going into the convention? With McCain leading in most (if not all) of the remaining states, it would take a monumental collapse for him not to end up with more than 51% of the delegates. Possible, but not very likely.

Don't get me wrong - I'm as big of a supporter as the next guy, and I can't honestly understand why Dr. Paul's message wasn't embraced by more Republicans. They should see the fact that Democrats are outvoting them 2 to 1 in the primaries and realize that the only chance they have is with a candidate who represents a break from a president with a 30% approval rating. But we are where we are.

I think all we can hope for at this point is that the seeds for the future are planted and Dr. Paul's message will gain broader acceptance over the next 10 years. Not sure what the country will look like at that point, though...

It sounds like he cheated and connived his way to the nomination which isn't surprising for a neocon scumbag who killed over 800,000 Americans. The only thing I fault John Wilkes Booth for is how long it took him to get around to it.

Huckabee's people are hoping for a brokered convention too.
www. forum.hucksarmy.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=9362

And they're looking for cooperation with our and Romney's camp.
"I've never supported Paul but don't have a bone to pick with him or his supporters." "We need a united front against McCain. He's the only one that has a shot of getting 51% on the first ballot. As long as the vote is divided up, there is a shot of a brokered convention."
www. forum.hucksarmy.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=9204

he probably hijacked the convention and used the neocons to do something unconstitutional!

At school today a tiny second grader walks into my art class in TEARS...
The little girl couldn't stop crying, gulping in air in deep breaths... she tells me her Mom is going away for a long time. ( I suspected a divorce case maybe ) Then the fragile gal catches her breath and tells me that Mom was redeployed and in her words "to the other side of the earth and I won't see her for 12 months"

I can't put to words here how mad I was about what I had to witness.... let alone what pain must be held by that child, her other 2 sisters and father who is a police officer. I have not spoken to anyone about today, and was on a rather large political blog just a few minutes ago, and I wanted to empty my guts/feelings, but....... before me there all I saw and read were mountains of personal attacks and dredging up mud from decades ago. That much sought for "heart and soul" can be a elusive quality to find around some of these career politicians/pundants of our day.... please someone tell me I'm just having a tough day.... but I do not need consolation for my eyes do not lie.

While the pundants pounce and play games with words.... we the adults in the room will put our noses to the grindstone and sweat our way to a better tomorrow. Our kids deserve no less. I will tell you I took a few minutes during class and made a colorful card today for that young gal... I'm good at art so it was no real sweat. All spring I will be canvassing, and I'm not too good at that but with time and patience and some sweat I'm gonna tell EVERY WAR LOVING SHELL OF A HUMAN BEING in my neighborhood that they have a choice to make soon. I will make it clear to them that "blood and tears" are but all that we have to show for this past 5 years of conflict.

Lets make a promise to all the children both foreign and domestic.... that at this gathering place the DailyPaul... we are here to work and sweat for a better tomorrow. As it's been said we are what we make of our lives... always has been always will be.

-Ramblin Randy
No More Constitutional Lip Service. They can blabber and steal Ron Paul's talking points... but they can't stand on them..!

You people act like you have a choice. Who else can you vote for? McCrank? Huckabilly? Billary? It's Ron Paul all the way. Either grow a backbone and fight to the end or go back to your Xbox's and TV's already.

Go to www.Lewrockwell.com and read great article about Ron Paul.
It lays out 3 choices.
1) Stay with GOP
2) Go 3rd Party and team up with Judge Napolitano
3) Drop out and begin campaigning for like-minded state candidates.

I hate to be a wet blanket because I do want Dr Paul to stay in the race all the way to Minneapolis, but I think it's important to note that it was Lincoln winning the nomination in 1860 and the way in which he won it that caused the south to secede from the union and lead to an incrediby bloody episode in US history. I'm not sure this is the model we want to be drawing on for our inspiration.

I ma looking on you from Estonia, Europe and do not understand your point of losing faith and patience and cold blood...
You have to not give up, what ever happens... this was told by Churchill...
Just go out to Kansas and serve your fellowmen... if you have nothing to do and do not spoil their mood and faith!
Shame on you about demeaning Ron Paul. He is after all our mahatma our Gandhi in America...
What you are afraid of?

yours,
Enn from Estonia, Europe.

The GOP has made it clear--Ron Paul will not be the nominee. The GOP is corrupt, they will get what they want for a nominee. The GOP would rather Clinton win than Ron Paul. We should be attacking and exposing the GOP and the Democratic party or the revolution loses the advantage of truth.

There will be no time to get on the ballots as a third party after the GOP convention. Staying till the end is what the corrupt GOP wants.

I do not want to pull a "Lincoln", the Civil War followed.

but its mathematically impossible for Ron Paul to win the Republican Nomination so I don't know what you guys are still talking about... Romney dropped out today because its impossible for him to win, and Ron Paul has a LOT less support than Romney did.

Its silly to waste more money. If you can find a strong candidate that has some celebrity appeal AND shares Ron Paul's views, there is still a chance at winning the presidential election in a 3rd party run only because McCain is such a weak candidate (not to mention Hillary and Obama). This person would have to be someone that everyone knows already, like Arnold Schwarzenegger (only actually qualified for president).

The only way McCain can win is if he has a true conservative running mate. Ron Paul should be McCain's running mate.

Verify it, but I've heard it TWICE on Bloomberg live video feed....

"At the cost of about $6,000, Republicans there built a new convention center for the occasion. Nicknamed “The Wigwam,” it had excellent acoustics and could seat more than 10,000, which purportedly would be the largest audience yet assembled in the country under one roof."

Lincoln was smart, and was fighting fire with fire. I'm not saying he should or shouldn't have done it. Besides, I can't imagine that TODAY'S GOP would let someone get away with that. The GOP today has tight controls, ya think? BUT, there's one thing the GOP CAN'T CONTROL, and that is the DELEGATES, because they are people!!

Additionally, some of the other great tactical ideas were:

"They made certain that Seward’s New Yorkers were seated far from other critical delegations with whom they might collaborate...

They also assigned two men with noted stentorian voices to lead the cheering.

Finally, Lincoln provided them with some tactical guidance and limitations of engagement, which included an admonishment to “make no deals that bind me,”

Also...

Confident that Seward would not have enough votes to lock up the nomination on the first ballot, Lincoln intended to get the second highest vote count on the first ballot and line up additional votes for the second ballot in order to show increasing strength. He hoped that this strategy--combined with the presence of an enthusiastic band of followers on the floor--would be sufficient to win the nomination on the third or subsequent ballot. One of these men reportedly had a larynx powerful enough to allow his shout to be heard across Lake Michigan. (my husband would qualify for that!)

THIS PART WAS GREAT!

When Seward’s name was seconded, the demonstration was so vociferous that “hundreds of persons stopped their ears in pain.” But when Lincoln’s nomination was seconded, the uproar was “beyond description.”

Leonard Swett, a friend of Lincoln’s, said that “Five thousand people leaped to their seats, women not wanting, and the wild yell made vesper breathings of all that had preceded. A thousand steam whistles, ten acres of hotel gongs, a tribe of Comanches might have mingled in the scene unnoticed.”

CAN''T YOU JUST HEAR THE RP SUPPORTERS BELLOWING?!?

What a GREAT article. Thanks so MUCH!!!

we aren't in the 19th century anymore!!!!!
get real people!
my hope for ron paul is gradually dwindling:( every day.
:(

The problem is that Lincoln had at least ONE STATE in his corner...Illnois.

Ron Paul has no states.

Ron couldn't win the state of Texas in a straw poll. I'm not sure how he thinks he'll win it with regular votes. Now if he were to win it, that would be huge of course. But seeing how poorly he's done in states he was supposed to win, I would not have false hope.

There is no telling what could happen at the convention if there were enough vocal, energized, persuasive Ron Paul delegates there. I think our passion alone has driven many many people to the campaign. The Ron Paul campaign is far from over! We have broken records, surprized many naysayers, opened peoples eyes, gotten recognition and outspoken other candidates at their own rallies. This is not the time to give up the fight! It is the time to strengthen our reslove and turn up the volume! There are 18 states left! My state of Indiana goes in May and we are still busting our asses out here, our group is still growing!

This election is showing that anything is possible. Whoda thought JM would have been a frontrunner a few months ago?

Ron Paul's got money left (AND folks are STLL contributing), still has a strong base of support, his name is still slowly getting out there! His own state of TX is coming up!

I'm in it until my leader, Ron Paul, tells me differently!

I think we should take this as a warning of what tricks etc we may encounter and be ready. They will all be against RP and us there. Yes, we have to outnumber them but be ready for anything they may dish out! They won't play fair that's for sure! Great Post!

But I understand the point.

RP would never do that!