According to The Washington Post, the two men became good friends in the 2008 GOP presidential race despite having very different opinions on many issues. Even their two wives, Ann Romney and Carol Paul, are reported to be extremely close, especially on the campaign trail. At debates, you can see the two men gravitate toward each other during commercial breaks as well as compliment each other on camera as often as their opposing views would allow them.
This is more than just a friendship; it is a strategic relationship between two very skilled and cunning politicians. Both know that to succeed and eventually win the Republican nomination and the general election, they are going to have to combine Romney's staunch mainstream conservative base with Paul's energetic independent and youth vote. It is a match made in heaven for the two.
The Republican Party is not going to beat President Barack Obama in November without the help of Ron Paul. The man could take his platform to a third party and essentially drive the GOP into the ground, fracturing its vote in the general election and all but handing Obama another four years. People within the GOP are starting to realize this fact, and they know that if they do not begin to court Ron Paul and his loyal following of key independent voters, they will lose. When Sarah Palin says that the Republican Party cannot overlook Ron Paul and his avid supporters, it is time to give the man a little credit.
Even if Romney can secure the nomination, with or without the help of the delegates that Ron Paul has acquired, he is going to need the energetic and young base of support that Ron Paul has on lock. Romney will have to convince them to vote for him and not their political messiah — a monumental task, given the depth of support in the Paul camp.
Now as the two candidates head into the Nevada caucus this Saturday — the same caucus that Romney and Paul finished first and second, respectively, during the 2008 race — we are going to see two men not fighting each other for the nomination, but two men fighting with each other to try and save the country and create a large, diverse and powerful Republican Party.
