Could Ron Paul Supporters Game The GOP Convention?

Ron Paul supporters are everywhere online and offline.  There is no denying they have made their presence known.  They win every media and internet poll.  Could they also do that at the Republican National Convention?

Delegates to the Republican National Convention on September 1-4, 2008 will formally elect the next nominee for President of the United States.  The primary results determine the number of delegates assigned to a candidate.  Delegates to the national convention are bound to vote for a particular presidential candidate who won their percentage of the state votes.

Here is where it gets tricky and could enable Ron Paul supporters to game the system under the GOP rules.  If one candidate has not locked up the nomination by the convention then this opens the system up to gaming.  If a candidate determines he can not win, he may releases his  delegates.  These delegates are “unbound” and may vote for any candidate whom they choose.  For example, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee could release their delegates who could then vote for anybody. 

If Ron Paul supporters were to be elected delegates at the state level in great numbers they could then vote for Ron Paul.  It would mean posing as a supporters of another candidate like Romney or Huckagee who are most likely to release their delegates. Once released, they would have carte blanche to switch their vote to Ron Paul.

Is this an unlikely scenario?  Maybe.  Delegates are typically scrutinized for their loyalty to the candidates and are often members who campaigned for them.  Paul supporters would have to go undercover.  Yet, we all know Paul supporters have managed to win media and internet polls in great numbers so far.  What is to stop them from winning the ultimate vote at the GOP convention?