The Ron Paul forces strike back in Nevada

Four years after backers of Ron Paul got steamrolled by the establishment at the state GOP convention, his Nevada supporters are politically savvier and better organized.

But despite those advances — and despite a toehold within the state party structure — on the eve of this year’s convention there are signs of a looming clash over the make-up of the state’s delegation to the national convention in Tampa.

Jon Ralston reports:

The Paul folks are more organized than four years ago, although the good doctor’s poor showing in the caucus (third place, 19 percent) after all the hype was somewhat surprising. But they have taken over the state party’s executive board and elected a sizable number of delegates to the Sparks confab. And now this, from state Paul Campaign Director Carl Bunce to his folks about Mitt Romney canvassing calls to delegates: “I fear they will continue to call you until you finally submit some type of answer to them. I suggest that you say you support Mitt Romney on Question 1 and that you are attending the State Convention on Question 2. These answers will give them a false sense of strength in the process moving forward.”

The political maturation of the Ron Paul movement, and the direction it takes going forward, is one of the more interesting backstories of the 2012 presidential campaign.

From Ralston’s report — and from conservative blogger Orrin Johnson’s criticism of the Paul forces as “dishonest goofballs” — it’s clear that whatever form it takes, it won’t be a smooth process.