"While the media spotlight has been on Florida, Paul has been waging a quieter, parallel campaign in the caucus states with contests coming up in February. Unlike Florida — which awards its 50 delegates through a winner-take-all process — many of these states distribute delegates proportionally, allowing second and third place winners to nab some of them."

Ron Paul ready for caucus states


Ron Paul has known for more than a week that he would finish fourth in Florida.

So instead, he skipped the Sunshine State and campaigned in states like Maine, Colorado and Nevada.

“We’ve been having a fantastic trip,” Paul said to cheering fans in Henderson Tuesday night, adding that he had called Mitt Romney to congratulate him on his big Florida win. To Romney, Paul said: “I would see him in the caucus states.”

While the media spotlight has been on Florida, Paul has been waging a quieter, parallel campaign in the caucus states with contests coming up in February. Unlike Florida — which awards its 50 delegates through a winner-take-all process — many of these states distribute delegates proportionally, allowing second and third place winners to nab some of them.

The result is that the Texas congressman could end up winning more delegates over the next few weeks than anyone except Romney.

“We’re in third place when it comes to delegates and that’s what really counts and we’re only getting started,” Paul said Tuesday. “We will be spending time in the caucus states.”

It’s a calculated strategy designed to take advantage of new party rules that allow candidates to peel off delegates in some states even if they don’t place first. Combined, Maine, Colorado and Nevada represent 88 delegates compared to the 50 at stake in Florida. A total of 1,144 delegates are needed to secure the GOP nod.

Unlike Newt Gingrich — who hewed to the most grueling schedule of the week in Florida and emerged bloodied and poorer in a distant second place, without any delegates — Paul opted against sinking the $9 million he estimates it would have taken to make a real dent in the state. Rick Santorum also campaigned in Florida — he placed third there, and his campaign argued that it would have been a big mistake not to compete — though he abandoned his efforts there at the end of last week. Santorum spent primary night in Nevada.

Paul campaign chairman Jesse Benton believes that, if the campaign plays its cards right, it has a shot at winning a majority of the delegates in Washington, Nevada, Minnesota, North Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, Louisiana, Maine and Colorado. Hawaii is another state in which Paul expects to be a top finisher.

Last Friday and Saturday, while all three of his opponents campaigned in Florida, Paul barnstormed Maine, whose caucuses begin this Saturday and are open for one week. That state offers 24 delegates, half as many Florida...

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