DES MOINES — Rick Santorum won the Iowa caucuses in January, with Mitt Romney a close second, but neither was the true winner this weekend when the delegates who actually will vote at the Republican National Convention were selected. That would be Ron Paul.
The congressman from Texas finished a distant third in the Iowa caucuses more than six months ago, but of the 28 delegates selected Friday and Saturday to head to the national convention, 23 are Paul supporters – and they are not bound to support the victor of the state’s first-in-the-nation voting contest.
It’s part of a quiet strategy by Paul and his backers to amass an army of supporters at the GOP gathering in August in Tampa, Fla., to push Paul’s views on liberty, states’ rights, the monetary system and foreign policy. By working arcane electoral rules and getting supporters into positions of power in local, county and state party operations, the strategy is paying dividends across the nation.
Paul has stopped actively campaigning and has conceded that Romney will be the GOP nominee. It’s unclear whether Paul’s name will be submitted for nomination; mathematically, he does not have the numbers to derail Romney. But his supporters can have an effect on the party in other ways.
“We want to have a real big voice on the platform; we want to influence the direction of the party more than anything else,” said Joel Kurtinitis, a Paul supporter who was pleased after the Saturday vote.
He was Paul’s state director in Iowa until Paul suspended his presidential bid in May, and he said that although he would love to see Paul awarded a prime speaking spot at the convention, his followers’ efforts are about more than one man.
“We’re going to hold up our values and we’re going to bring conservatism back to the mainline of the Republican Party. That’s where my hopes are at and that’s my hope for this convention more than seeing Ron Paul do X, Y and Z,” Kurtinitis said.
Romney and his campaign have treated Paul and his followers deferentially, perhaps mindful of not alienating his incredibly loyal supporters. At the Iowa GOP convention, a Romney staffer who flew in from Boston watched the proceedings but did not get involved. At the Romney table, workers distributed three fliers to conventioneers – a general brochure about his candidacy, an invitation to a rally in Davenport on Monday and a news release that touted Romney’s endorsement by Paul’s son, Rand Paul, and effusively lavished praise on the Kentucky senator who many believe is the heir apparent for Paul’s movement.
But others say the move by the Iowa GOP is a black eye for the state’s caucuses and for the presumptive GOP nominee.
“Embarrassment is the word that comes to my mind,” said Jamie Johnson, who served as Santorum’s state coalitions director in Iowa. The former senator from Pennsylvania, who narrowly won the caucuses but has endorsed Romney since ending his presidential bid in April, appears to have one solitary Iowa delegate who supported him heading to the convention.
“I believe that it seriously puts the Iowa caucuses’ first-in-the-nation status in jeopardy,” Johnson said. “It will be a major embarrassment to Gov. Romney if there is a strong Ron Paul vote from the floor on the night in which the votes are counted.”
Paul is counting on having 200 delegates on the floor who can vote for him, and a few hundred more who are bound to vote for Romney but are his supporters.
“While this total is not enough to win the nomination, it puts us in a tremendous position to grow our movement and shape the future of the GOP!” Paul wrote in an email to supporters last week. “I hope every one of you continues the fight we have advanced so well this year. I hope you will finish your local and state conventions, and, if you were selected as a national delegate, that you will head to Tampa in August to force the Republican Party to listen to the voice of liberty.
“We have never had this kind of opportunity. There will be hundreds of your fellow supporters in Tampa who will be ready and willing to push the Republican Party back to its limited government, liberty roots.”
HAVE you ever wandered through London and seen the towering dome of St Paul’s Cathedral and thought, I wonder what it is like to visit? We’ve done the hard work and broken down everything you need to know.
St Paul’s Cathedral is the UK’s most popular religious attraction with over two million visitors each year.
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St Paul’s is the most visited religious attraction in the UKCredit: The Sun
It was designed by world-renowned architect Sir Christopher Wren and was completed in 1710, after the original cathedral was destroyed in the Great Fire of London.
Amazingly, the stunning landmark even survived the London Blitz during World War II.
And of course, it has a lot of royal connections including hosting the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.
Today, it remains a working church with daily services but the public can visit.
It costs £26 per adult (£28.60 with a donation) and £10 per child (£11 with a donation).
Concession and family tickets are also available.
The experience
Arriving at the cathedral, I was pleased to find no queue and with a speedy bag check I was inside within a couple of minutes.
And straight away, I was impressed.
The towering ceilings and sprawling cathedral floor were a beautiful sight, with stone arches, statues and ornate windows.
As soon as you enter, you pick up one of the guides which is essentially a small iPhone.
There are multiple videos, audio clips, pictures and activities to explore as you go through the cathedral.
This means you can take the entire visit at your own pace and in all, I spent around three hours there.
Realistically, I think two to three hours is enough, but you could definitely spend more time there.
What is there for adults?
History lovers will be in their element – the cathedral really is fascinating and holds so much more than religious history.
For example, when exploring the crypt you can see the graves of Admiral Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington.
The cathedral itself is also an architectural marvel, designed by the famous architect Christopher Wren.
Throughout there are tons of information boards and the interactive multi-media guide even goes behind the scenes and talks to some of the cathedral’s key figures.
Inside there are lots of information boardsCredit: The Sun
What is there for kids?
Despite what you might think, St Paul’s can also be fascinating for kids thanks to a handy guided experience on the multi-media guide with a phoenix.
The phoenix flies through the cathedral and shares interesting facts about the landmark that are appropriate for children.
It is definitely one of the better children’s guides I have seen, as it makes learning about history of the cathedral both fun and accessible.
There are a number of videos that bring past historical figures to life too, such as the artist William Turner who is buried in the crypt.
Of course though, as a historical and religious attraction, younger kids might become bored and also struggle with the amount of stairs up to the galleries.
For kids, the interactive multi-media guide has a number of games and activitiesCredit: The Sun
Is it accessible?
The North Transept features an accessible entrance with a ramp, which the cathedral recommends for wheelchair users or those that require step-free access.
When you enter from here, you enter straight onto the cathedral floor.
There are a number of wheelchairs available at the cathedral on request and there is a lift between the cathedral floor and crypt.
The only area wheelchair users or those who cannot use steps cannot access are the galleries, including the Whispering Gallery.
Even if you are able to use steps the Whispering Gallery is 257 steps, Stone Gallery is then an additional 119 steps and the Golden Gallery is an additional 152 – which is a lot.
It can be a bit of a struggle as many of the steps are up narrow staircases without handrails.
The galleries are up a lot of steps, which isn’t acceptable to everyoneCredit: The Sun
For the elderly or small children, I would say miss this part of the cathedral.
Guide dogs, hearing dogs and assistance dogs are all allowed in the cathedral.
For visually impaired visitors, there are audio description guides and free guided ‘touch tours’ available.
For those who are hard of hearing or deaf, the cathedral has a hearing loop system that covers the cathedral floor, OBE chapel and the crypt.
The multimedia guide also features a British Sign Language tour with subtitles.
I do believe the cathedral has done everything it can do to accommodate those with accessibility needs, however there are some things that are not accessible.
Any add ons?
The multimedia guide has everything you need to learn about the cathedral and its different features and it is free with entry.
But there are a few other tours available.
For example, you could head on a highlights tour for half an hour, which is free for ticketholders.
Or a cathedral floor and crypt tour which is free and lasts an hour to an hour-and-a-half.
For an additional cost, visitors can head on the ‘Triforium Tour’, which includes the library, the Trophy Room and Great Model and a view down from the top of the Geometric Staircase.
However, the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users or those with mobility issues.
It costs £15 per person and lasts an hour.
There is also a tour to behind the scenes area for £15Credit: The Sun
Is there a shop and cafe?
We all love a cosy cafe and St Paul’s has a great one.
The Crypt Cafe is located beneath the cathedral floor and recently reopened to the public in March 2025.
Inside it is calm and cosy, with a range of hot and cold drinks, sandwiches and salads, and cakes.
One thing that I particularly liked is that you can leave the cathedral experience to head into the cafe, but you can then re-enter the cathedral if you show your ticket – super handy for a quick caffeine hit.
Prices aren’t too bad either.
You could get a deli lunch, which includes a main and two seasonal salads for £13.95.
Wraps and baguettes cost from £6.95 and soup of the day for £6.75.
Coffee ranges from around £4 to £6, as does cake.
Heading away from the cafe, you will then find the shop.
We all love a good landmark or museum gift shop and St Paul’s’ is great.
The book and gift section is extensive, and I was pleasantly surprised by the prices.
A personal favourite of mine was the St Paul’s Sausage Dog teddy costing £22, inspired by Christopher Wren’s famous quote: “The secret of architectural excellence is to translate the proportions of a dachshund into bricks, mortar and marble”.
The cathedral also has a large gift shop and cafeCredit: The Sun
What else is there to do in the area?
Away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street and Covent Garden, St Paul’s still has a lot of places to explore nearby.
Right next to the cathedral, you could head to the F1 Arcade London or Fairgame – the ultimate adult’s playground, with retro fairground games.
There are a tonne of fast food spots around too including McDonalds, Five Guys and Wagamama.
Just a five minute walk from the cathedral you will find Ye Olde Watling, one of the best pubs in the area with 4.6 stars out of five on Google.
The pub dates back to the 17th century and features a good comfort menu with a range of ales.
The closest bus stop to the cathedral is Stop SH, just outside the cathedral, linking to many different areas of the capital.
The closest tube station to the cathedral is St. Paul’s Underground Station itself, with the Central Line, which is just a three minute walk away.
Final verdict
As someone who has lived in London now for five years and not visited St Paul’s, I wish I went sooner.
The history of the cathedral is truly fascinating for both Londoners and tourists alike.
It definitely is one to visit and for the entrance fee, I think you get a lot for your money.
Especially at the highest gallery where you can see skyline views of London.
Accessibility wise, even without the galleries, I think it is still worth visiting and for kids, if they are bit older or teenagers, they will be fascinated by the stunning artworks, ceilings and winding passages to the galleries.
For younger kids, the interactive guide will definitely keep them occupied whilst parent perhaps look at the more detailed information boards.
