The Messenger Does Make A Difference

This post is long, but I need to get this off my chest. I feel we are at a crossroads, and what is done in the near future can make a significant difference. This can be positive. But it can also be negative if we are not careful. In general, I've noticed a pattern of public response by certain Ron Paul supporters. The response needs to be more than the standard accusation that these people are hacks and shills, even if that is 100% true.

Why must some people make this campaign so hard on Ron Paul. The Message is indeed powerful. But the Message is sometimes overestimated by some. Come on, Ron Paul is not some Sorcerous Wizard. RON PAUL IS NOT AND NEVER WILL BE HARRY POTTER!Even the most avid supporter must admit this truth. Ron Paul does not cast a Magic Spell on people, and the sheer mention of his name does not automatically Enchant the masses. It is possible to reject the message and move on. This is especially true if the Message is wrapped in an unpleasant presentation.

Most people need to hear Ron Paul's Message first before they can in any meaningful way accept that the sky is falling, or that we as a nation are indeed in dire straits. If you try to tell people that the sky is falling before they hear Ron Paul's Message, you are making a big mistake. You will only come off as being hysterical and paranoid, and not in a good way. This is a vital point, and I think it needs to be reflected in the grassroots.

I just watched the video from the lady that ran the Republican Straw Poll in San Francisco. Ron Paul supporters were accused of being thieves -- stealing wine -- and no one has really addressed this, or condemned it if it was true. I don't care if every poll is fixed to exclude Ron Paul. That does not justify or excuse larceny. So now Ron Paul supporters are going to be watched more carefully at events like this in the future, to prevent future criminal activity. Then we get to complain that these events are becoming more like a police state and we then get more aggitated. Then something else destructive to Ron Paul's campaign is done. Then the scrutiny of Ron Paul supporters gets worse. It is a self-propelling perpetual cycle. I am not saying that a Ron Paul supporter stole anything, but this issue must at least be seriously addressed. Calling this lady a Neocon shill is just not good enough. Not by a longshot. If all you heard in that six minute video was neocon propaganda, something is wrong, and it is not just with her.

Then I read about the guy approached by Ron Paul supporters while he was waiting in line to see Santa Claus with his kids. The Girl Scouts stand outside -- and yes, in the cold sometimes -- to sell their cookies at grocery stores and shopping centers. Yet the Girl Scouts always seem to have pleasant and refreshing smiles on their faces. They do not run up and down the store aisles pushing their Thin Mints on customers busy trying to decide whether they want orange juice or grapefruit juice. Perhaps Ron Paul supporters can learn an important lesson from the Girl Scouts. Santa Claus exhibits at shopping malls are usually inside of the mall. This means that you must absolutely walk through some sort of a door, or other specific entry point, in order to get to Santa Claus. So why don't Ron Paul supporters take a lesson in manners from the CHILDREN that are Girl Scouts, and pass out Ron Paul literature outside the shopping mall. And take a hint. If people don't want it, then let it go. I've never met a pushy Girl Scout. True, I feel bad when I see them at the store, because I don't like turning them down. But I say no as I come or go, and that is the end of it. And if I want to buy Girl Scout cookies in the future, I have no problem going to the store to get them, when they are available. Perhaps the best thing to do is simply tell the person that has said no, "That's okay. I'll be here [fill in the blank]. If you have any questions about Ron Paul, you can ask me then." Something like that might be more work for Ron Paul supporters. But it will leave a much better impression on people.

Supporters of Ron Paul must accept the responsibility that goes with sharing with other people about Ron Paul. EVERYONE involved in a grassroots activity for Ron Paul is a SALESPERSON for Ron Paul. There is little material difference in methodology between trying to convince someone to support Ron Paul and trying to get someone to buy a ham sandwich on rye bread with dijon mustard and a tomato slice. The wrong Sales Pitch does make a difference. I am sick and tired of Ron Paul Supporters pretending it doesn't matter what they do or how they are perceived by other people. I may love a certain product, but if someone representing that product did something unacceptable with me, like being rude or obnoxious, I would move on to a similar product of a different brand. Such as Coke instead of Pepsi. Customers stop going to stores altogether because of the rude behavior of one cashier.

In fact, at a video store one time, I watched the employee accuse a child of taking advantage of the store's policy. The child rented the wrong movie. But because more than two hours passed by, the employee accused the child of watching the movie, and then returning it to get another movie without paying. The child left the store in tears, and I left too. I have never been back to that video store, and the event still troubles me when I think about it. This is the sort of impression some Ron Paul supporters are leaving on people, and it needs to stop. Actions do have consequences.

If we want to ensure that Ron Paul has maximum credibility, we need to make sure that whenever someone holding a Ron Paul sign or passes out a flyer, does something that will reflect poorly on Ron Paul legitimately, that we condemn it. Otherwise, we will indeed receive plenty of MSM attention. And it will be for all the wrong reasons. Ron Paul teaches about LIBERTY. And part of being FREE is PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. It's time for us to take responsibility for what is done in Ron Paul's name. We must hope that everything done in Ron Paul's name is indeed honorable and positive. And we must recognize and apologize for the shortcomings that result. Everyone makes mistakes. But for LIBERTY to work, people must admit it.

That is all. This became much longer than I intended.