They seemed to make up more than half of the 1,300 or so state delegates to the convention. They won a key procedural vote on the rules, and their boisterous presence created significant delays, causing the convention chairman, Bob Beers, a state senator from Las Vegas, to recess the convention without selecting delegates to the national convention. The state convention is to resume at a later date.
This isn't as simple a story as the Missouri Paulite rEVOLution, as Paul's Nevada campaign was one of his best, and he actually beat John McCain for second place in the January caucus. (Mitt Romney won overall.) There are from-the-scene reports on the Ron Paul forums.
At the beginning of the Convention the State GOP/McCain campaign tried to limit who could be considered delegates. This prompted a floor fight that went on for hours. The record crowd wondered why they were there if the people to be voted on were already predetermined.
Already the 3 congressional districts have gone (3 delegates for each Congressional District) One district has awarded all 3 to Ron Paul, the second district went, One for Ron Paul, One for John McCain and One for NV. US Senator John Ensign and the third congressional district is unknown since the convention authorities won't tell.
The Reno Gazette-Journal chalks it up to a wheezing, out-of-shape party.
Gov. Jim Gibbons has been beleaguered by a host of missteps since his election in 2006. And neither U.S. Rep. Jon Porter of Henderson, whose daughter was getting married, or U.S. Sen. John Ensign showed up to the convention.
"There's no elected official that really unites the party," Herzik said. "The Republicans in this state are just not hitting on all cylinders."
Speaking of poor organization, the actual, national RP campaign (which told journalists that their Nevada organizer was available for interviews, but did not actually have his phone number) is debating what to do with its remaining $4 million. The most popular (if not most legal) idea: A publishing house.