When endorsements don't help
Submitted by apriori on Tue, 12/18/2007 - 03:41There is an increasingly annoying trend of posts suggesting both endorsements and running mates completely detrimental to the good doctor's campaign.
Howard Stern is not the endorsement you should be petitioning for.
Don Imus is not the endorsement you should be petitioning for.
And because I'm sure it will happen, Larry Flynt is not an endorsement worth petitioning for.
These guys might advocate free speech. And free speech is a good thing.
But maybe Republicans won't take any such endorsement as a positive thing when the endorsement comes from someone who achieved public notoriety by asking misguided girls to bare their breasts.
Please spend your time petitioning an endorsement from a major public figure with a respectability worthy of Dr. Paul. These do not include trashy talk show hosts who fight for free speech so that any man may valiantly say a dirty joke or racial epithet in the name of liberty.
if Dr. Paul would not except an endorsement from George Bush, an endorsement from Hugh Heffner would likely also be anathema to him.
Sure, any vote by any number of the more "kooky" of Ron's supporters is welcome. But it is equally welcome that they are made quietly; thus not lending to media caricature of Ron Paul supporters.
Think libertarians like Clint Eastwood or Thomas Sowell.
And if no public figure will respond to a barrage of zealous Paul supporters, here are some endorsements that could be just as effective:
Your local church and pastor, your friends, family members, or any number of potential votes towards liberty.
And when you are done evangelizing perhaps write appropriate letters to editors. Appropriate meaning without mention of shadowy bankers, fatuous 9-11 conspiracies, or use of clever nicknames like "King George".
And God Bless ya, keep giving money.
Another thing: if you think that collectivist politicians like Dennis Kucinich or Ralph Nader would be good running mates for Dr. Paul you need to review the Federalist Papers and see if Dr. Paul is still sounding good to you. Chances are you might have some conflicting principles.
Sure they are anti-war. And once again, that is a good thing.
But they have also led laughable campaigns that we have thankfully avoided any comparison to. Not to mention that Ron Paul and any liberty minded individual has N-O-T-H-I-N-G in common with collectivist fringe politicians!
Sean Hannity's hair dreams of Ron Paul supporters calling for a Paul-Nader ticket.
Please do not waste time advocating shock jock endorsements on a website representing this campaign. I highly doubt it will resonate with the Republican base and I hate the thought that it could represent this movement towards liberty. The last thing we need is to be characterized as is an infantile bunch of pot head perverts wearing tin hats.
I'm glad you guys agree with
I'm glad you guys agree with me. I would hate to think that Dr. Paul's character, or even worse, the ideas of liberty could be impugned by the "Nader-wing" of this campaign.
I honestly believe that these type of Ron Paul supporters give their support somewhat arbitrarily. How can you say I voted for Nader or Kucinich and now I'm voting for Paul and keep a straight face?
I agree with the gentleman above that we need to get the Bush pro-war voters and NOT the "fed-up democrat" or fringe-left candidate voters if we are to succeed. I voted for Bush and I don't think the Iraq War was as terrible as many make it out to be. At the same time, someone who is willing to cut the IRS, DEA, and bring back the gold standard sounds incredible. And if he wants to end a war that has extended its reach and has become to cumbersome, expensive, and bloody all the better. While I might have agreed with Bush's reasoning for going in there initially, I definitely don't like that he attempted to colonize the country. I'm pretty sure a clear limit of a limited government is that it should not start a second government.
God bless Ron Paul.
Thank you
Just thank you. I agree with every word nearly.
Great Post!
If the "Bunny Ranch" REALLY wants to support Ron then they would do well to keep it quiet, as would the other parties you mention. We have to appeal to the mainstream, not alienate it.
Ron Paul cured my apathy!
Good idea
I agree. It seems to me support for Paul is very broad and it would be easy to offend or conflict with fellow supporters if the wrong person endorses him. Or alienate new supporters.I'm a pro war Bush republican but I support Paul fully. Some instantly attack me because I like Bush and I am pro war. I tell them don't waste your time. I'm not changing my mind. I still like Bush and I'm still going to vote for Paul. I don't HAVE to agree with Paul on every issue. I agree with him on every issue that's important to me and that's all that matters. To me. Others are different I realize that. I've given 3 thousand to the campaign so far and that doesn't come from someone who is undecided.
The endorsements that we need to be looking for, I believe, come from people like me. I'm a business owner and people will naturally question why I support Paul. This is where the common ground can be found. I can explain in very matter of fact terms why I support him. I don't try to change anyones mind and that seems to really have a positive impact. It's easy to be supportive to the point of becoming irritated that someone else doesn't see it our way but remember this, I don't see it your way on every issue and I still support him. Find the common ground. And for endorsements, they mayor, city council, business owners, are all good choices. These are grassroots endorsements, where one on one interaction is likely. This is where the campaign can be won.
Like I tell my friends, it doesn't matter if he polls at 6% if he wins. If everyone knows about him (through your networking and efforts), and if he gets enough votes, for the same reasons, who cares if there are differing opinons. Getting the message out is what matters, that's what converts voters.
Applause!
Thanks for saying what this cranky old chick has been trying to get across to the masses here for weeks.
If one more person mentions another socialist like Kucinich or Dean or Nader or GASP Bloomberg, I'm going to toss my lunch.