For months, many observers have wondered what Ron Paul’s end game actually is. In primary after primary, caucus after caucus, the early enthusiasm his supporters have felt has been unrequited by the voters. Yet, the elderly Paul has continued to trudge along. Now, finally, the last of the reporters following his campaign is gone, with NBC sending its on-site reporter to do something more meaningful, perhaps measuring the kudzu growth alongside highways. Now Time Magazine is reporting that Paul’s representatives have offered to trade his support to Mitt Romney.

Rumors have been afloat for a while now that Paul has been working with the Romney campaign. In the debates thus far, Paul has attacked other Republicans 39 different times, but has said nary a discouraging word about Mitt. As well, he has run negative ads berating other candidates who dared say anything untoward about the GOP front-runner. In fact, his voters have been so sparse that he has spent more than $30 per vote thus far, virtually all of it negative attacks on whichever candidate appears to be closest in support to Romney in whatever state is being targeted.

Paul’s advisors have conceded, according to the article, that they are in the initial discussions leading to some deal between the two camps. You might ask yourself, why would Romney make a deal with Paul? It turns out that the answer has to do with the divergent demographics among the supporters of the candidates. Romney’s tend to be elderly and lethargic, which doesn’t play that well on television. As well, I guess to have so many motorized wheelchairs at the same place at one time could actually be dangerous. So, they will hope that the passion these youngsters have for Paul will easily transfer to Mitt once he gives the word. Also, RP will give all of his delegates to Mitt, virtually extinguishing the impending horror of a brokered convention.

What, then, can Romney offer to RP? Well, his aides claim that he has four priorities he wants Mitt to support.
• First, enact deep spending cuts that will lead to a balanced budget.
• Second, reforms to fix the US monetary system.
• Third, a commitment to permit the legislative branch to reclaim its right to declare war.
• Fourth, the restoration of civil liberties that have been decreased in the last decade.

Yeah, good luck with any of these. But RP has another option. He would like ‘someone in his orbit’ to be appointed a presidential advisor, or VP, or placed in the Cabinet. I wonder if there is a hypothetical orbiting person, let’s call him Rand, who RP is trying to leverage into an executive slot?

Now I’m not in the targeted demographic of the RP supporter. However, because of my unfortunate choice of occupations I have met and spoken with a number of these youngsters. They believe in RP because they believe that he is a man guided by principles, not mere expedience. Well, we all have to grow up sometime.