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| Ron Paul and his supporters set on being heard at Republican convention | Ron Paul and his supporters set on being heard at Republican convention |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Ron Paul and his fervent supporters, both inside and outside the Republican Party's convention hall in Tampa, remained a thorn in the side of Mitt Romney on Tuesday. | Ron Paul and his fervent supporters, both inside and outside the Republican Party's convention hall in Tampa, remained a thorn in the side of Mitt Romney on Tuesday. |
| The libertarian Texas congressman lost the nomination race to Romney and is now retiring from politics. But his presence in Tampa has provided a distraction from the seamless show of party unity desired by Republican planners, even though a dispute between his supporters and Romney campaign officials over party rules had been settled. | The libertarian Texas congressman lost the nomination race to Romney and is now retiring from politics. But his presence in Tampa has provided a distraction from the seamless show of party unity desired by Republican planners, even though a dispute between his supporters and Romney campaign officials over party rules had been settled. |
| When Paul entered the convention centre ahead of the official start of the convention on Tuesday, his backers among the delegates cheered and chanted his name, drowning out some competing chants for Romney. | When Paul entered the convention centre ahead of the official start of the convention on Tuesday, his backers among the delegates cheered and chanted his name, drowning out some competing chants for Romney. |
| Some of his supporters said they would disrupt proceedings later on Tuesday, ahead of the roll-call that will formally nominate Romney as the Republican presidential candidate. | |
| The Paul supporters are still angry over changes to the party rules that have stripped some delegates of their voting rights. | |
| David Boyera Paul supporter from Falmouth, Maine, said of the 24 delegates from that state, 20 are Paul supporters. As part of backroom negotiations, that number has been cut to ten. "They do not want a convention. They want a coronation," said Boyer 23. He added he is not disputing that Romney is the nominee and is not challenging that but he is concerned only about protecting grassroots power. | |
| He said that would mount a challenge ahead of the roll-call by asking to take the microphone. If he fails and is denied a chance to have his say, he will be followed by other delegates, all other nine remaining Paul supporters, each going up in turn. He said other delegations, including Texas and Massachusetts, are sympathetic and will also support them. | |
| Among the Maine delegates stripped of their voting rights is Cody Morgan, 19. Both Boyer and Morgan said the last-minute decision by a committee made up of nine members of the Republican establishment was unfair. The delegates had paid for air fares and hotels only to find they would not be able to vote, relegated to the status of guests, they said. | |
| Meanwhile outside on the streets of Tampa hundreds of Paul supporters – who embrace his mix of extreme right-wing hostility to government with more liberal views on foreign policy and social issues – demonstrated on street corners. | Meanwhile outside on the streets of Tampa hundreds of Paul supporters – who embrace his mix of extreme right-wing hostility to government with more liberal views on foreign policy and social issues – demonstrated on street corners. |
| A group of about 50 held up Ron Paul placards and signs by the main road going into the convention centre where Romney will be nominated this week. Though most of them identified as Republicans, they had little good to say about Romney and were full of praise for Paul. | A group of about 50 held up Ron Paul placards and signs by the main road going into the convention centre where Romney will be nominated this week. Though most of them identified as Republicans, they had little good to say about Romney and were full of praise for Paul. |
| "What he says is so real. He speaks about the issues that effect real people. He is the only one who understands economics," said Darrell Young from Georgia. | "What he says is so real. He speaks about the issues that effect real people. He is the only one who understands economics," said Darrell Young from Georgia. |
| Elsewhere Paul supporters walked the streets holding old Paul campaign signs or stood on street corners hailing traffic. They got a few horn beeps in return, including from several cars painted in Ron Paul slogans and portraits. | Elsewhere Paul supporters walked the streets holding old Paul campaign signs or stood on street corners hailing traffic. They got a few horn beeps in return, including from several cars painted in Ron Paul slogans and portraits. |
| Devon Spencer and Victor Escobar had driven three days from California just to be in Tampa and had attended the mass Paul rallies over the weekend. Like many Paul supporters they had nothing good to say about Romney and had no plans to vote for him. | Devon Spencer and Victor Escobar had driven three days from California just to be in Tampa and had attended the mass Paul rallies over the weekend. Like many Paul supporters they had nothing good to say about Romney and had no plans to vote for him. |
| "Romney and Obama are the same. They are financed by the same people," Spencer said. | "Romney and Obama are the same. They are financed by the same people," Spencer said. |
| Some of those views can even be found inside the massed ranks of delegates who will nominate Romney. Despite not winning a single state by popular vote, Paul's campaign began a "delegate strategy" exploiting party rules and their activists' enthusiasm to gain far more delegates than the share of the vote Paul won during the nomination contest. | Some of those views can even be found inside the massed ranks of delegates who will nominate Romney. Despite not winning a single state by popular vote, Paul's campaign began a "delegate strategy" exploiting party rules and their activists' enthusiasm to gain far more delegates than the share of the vote Paul won during the nomination contest. |
| However, challenges by Romney-supporting legal teams and state officials has seen many of those delegates shorn away – but not all. Evan Kenney is a Ron Paul supporter from Romney's home state of Massachusetts who first won his delegate slot, then saw it taken away and then had it reinstated. | However, challenges by Romney-supporting legal teams and state officials has seen many of those delegates shorn away – but not all. Evan Kenney is a Ron Paul supporter from Romney's home state of Massachusetts who first won his delegate slot, then saw it taken away and then had it reinstated. |
| Though he is committed to vote for Romney's nomination, he said he was doing his bit to put forward dissenting views by talking about libertarian-style issues. | Though he is committed to vote for Romney's nomination, he said he was doing his bit to put forward dissenting views by talking about libertarian-style issues. |
| Nor would he commit to voting for Romney in November, saying he would do so only if Romney adopted some Paul-sounding policies in bringing troops home and monetary policy. "I hope I can vote for Romney," Kenney said. | Nor would he commit to voting for Romney in November, saying he would do so only if Romney adopted some Paul-sounding policies in bringing troops home and monetary policy. "I hope I can vote for Romney," Kenney said. |
| The idea that even within the convention hall there are outspoken delegates critical of Romney is anathema to the way modern political conventions are meant to unfold. | The idea that even within the convention hall there are outspoken delegates critical of Romney is anathema to the way modern political conventions are meant to unfold. |
| They are expected to be PR-driven efforts aimed at showing party unity and introducing Romney to a wider audience. | They are expected to be PR-driven efforts aimed at showing party unity and introducing Romney to a wider audience. |
| Yet the Ron Paul delegates, though so small in number they can do little to upset the actual process, have been able to inject some level of dissent that party bosses have been frustrated by. | |
| One supporter, Bobby Regi from Denver, was patiently waiting in line to get inside the convention holding a "Ron Paul for president" sign and even clung to the far-fetched hope Paul might still be nominated in Tampa. "I think Ron Paul could still be president," Regi explained. | One supporter, Bobby Regi from Denver, was patiently waiting in line to get inside the convention holding a "Ron Paul for president" sign and even clung to the far-fetched hope Paul might still be nominated in Tampa. "I think Ron Paul could still be president," Regi explained. |
| That might explain the recent bid by Republican National Committee officials and other party leaders to change the rules for the 2016 race. New regulations had been drawn up that would have allowed a nominee to veto delegates sent to the convention. | That might explain the recent bid by Republican National Committee officials and other party leaders to change the rules for the 2016 race. New regulations had been drawn up that would have allowed a nominee to veto delegates sent to the convention. |
| The move was seen as a power grab by the national party against state party officials and would have made insurgent campaigns like Paul far less likely in practise. | The move was seen as a power grab by the national party against state party officials and would have made insurgent campaigns like Paul far less likely in practise. |
| However, several groups of party activists, ranging from RNC lawyers to Paul supporters to outraged state parties, opposed the change and threatened a potentially embarrassing vote over the party rules on the convention floor. | However, several groups of party activists, ranging from RNC lawyers to Paul supporters to outraged state parties, opposed the change and threatened a potentially embarrassing vote over the party rules on the convention floor. |
| However, the Houston Chronicle reported that the new rules had been changed in the face of the opposition, especially from the large and powerful Texas delegation. The compromise deal now allows delegates to selected by local state rules and organisations but voids them if they vote for someone other than the nominee. | However, the Houston Chronicle reported that the new rules had been changed in the face of the opposition, especially from the large and powerful Texas delegation. The compromise deal now allows delegates to selected by local state rules and organisations but voids them if they vote for someone other than the nominee. |
| But other activists have warned they are still not satisfied. The conservative grassroots FreedomWorks group had emailed its supporters on Tuesday to urge them to still call delegates on the RNC Rules Committee and tell them to "stop the RNC powergrab". | But other activists have warned they are still not satisfied. The conservative grassroots FreedomWorks group had emailed its supporters on Tuesday to urge them to still call delegates on the RNC Rules Committee and tell them to "stop the RNC powergrab". |
| The dispute also brought in Tea Party favourite Sarah Palin who on Monday night had posted about the issue on her Facebook page and called the changes a "direct attack" on ordinary Republican conservatives by elite party officials. | The dispute also brought in Tea Party favourite Sarah Palin who on Monday night had posted about the issue on her Facebook page and called the changes a "direct attack" on ordinary Republican conservatives by elite party officials. |