GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — Though the battle for the Republican presidential nomination was over many weeks ago, as far as the rest of the world was concerned, supporters of Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) put up one final push for their man here on Saturday — and came up short.
Paul’s forces had hoped to pull out a victory at the Nebraska Republican convention, because winning a majority of delegates here would have guaranteed their candidate a speaking slot at the GOP convention in Tampa late next month.
Under party rules, a candidate cannot have his name entered into nomination at the convention unless he has won a majority of delegates in at least five states. Paul had won four.
So charged up were his supporters that some had feared mayhem here, and the party at one point hired extra security for its gathering at a golf club. But the convention turned out to be an orderly affair. Paul himself had appealed to his supporters to play nice.
