On Monday, militant Ron Paul supporters joined forces with Occupy Wall Street protesters to harass former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.
Fox News reported that Gingrich was forced to cancel an appearance at his New Hampshire campaign headquarters when Ron Paul supporters and Occupy Wall Street protesters swarmed the entrance:
About 40 protesters showed up Monday evening carrying placards reading "Ron Paul" and "Occupy." One played speeches by presidential candidate Ron Paul from a loud speaker.
Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond says the former House speaker's private security detail decided to cancel the event because of security concerns regarding the entrance and exit to the building.
According to Fox, about 75 volunteers and supporters were inside, waiting to hear and meet the candidate.
On the same day, ABC News reported that Rick Santorum, his wife and two of his children were similarly targeted by the same coalition:
Supporters and press mobbed the candidate as he made his way around the packed restaurant and bar here. As he exited his final primary eve event, he was surrounded by a mix of protesters from the Occupy movement and Ron Paul supporters.
As he walked out of Jillian’s in downtown Manchester, his staff surrounded him and the protesters tried to form a circle around the former Pennsylvania senator. They chanted, “Bigot, bigot!” and “Shame, shame!” as he made his way to his car.
Police and security were on hand and during the crush one member of the candidate’s entourage got shoved to the ground, as did one of the protesters.
Santorum smiled as he walked the short distance from the restaurant, but a serious scuffle ensued, and his wife Karen had a frightened look on her face. Two of his children Elizabeth and Daniel followed closely behind. His other children, including his 3-year-old daughter Bella, who has a rare genetic condition, are already in South Carolina.
This has become, unfortunately, the behavior one has come to expect from the more militant cult-like followers of Paul. While they do not represent all of the Texas Congressman's supporters, their actions tarnish anyone who supports him.
A blog post at The Blaze notes:
Burguiere mentioned one of the more “colorful” Paul supporters who had called the show to discuss the “Elders of Zion” and various “Jewish conspiracies.” This led Beck, Pat and Stu to agree: perhaps these types of supporters are Paul’s biggest obstacle.
“What they’re doing to Ron Paul, these supporters like that,” said Beck. “Is they’re making him less attractive to the average person because no one wants to be in the crazy camp.”
An op-ed at the Washington Post says that these supporters have become "one of the best arguments against Ron Paul," and with good reason.
Not only do these individuals engage in tactics reminiscent of the Sturmabteilung, they overshadow anything Paul might have to say. Moreover, Americans cannot stand a bully, nor will they tolerate someone who silently approves of bullying tactics.
A post at Thoughts from a Conservative Mom adds:
Ron Paul needs to condemn this kind of behavior from both Occupy and his supporters (though it appears there’s not a lot of daylight between them). His silence is tacit approval.
More on Ron Paul at Examiner.com can be found here.
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