Makeover Needed!!!
Okay, I just gotta address this issue...
It has come up several times here that Dr. Paul could use a better-fitting suit; he could use some spit 'n' polish; he could really benefit with better speech writers and training in professional speech presentations...etc. etc.
These comments come up because (...wait for it...) it is, evidently, our hope to please and impress the Brittney-Fox-Dr. Phil-shopping mall populace, and Ron Paul just isn't "enough" unless we fix him up all neat and spiffy to be presentable to that crowd.
* sigh *
Turn up the volume on your ears:
Dr. Paul needs to be: Who. He. Is.
He's been Ron Paul all his life. Hasn't seemed to get in his way. Accomplished and respected OB/GYN. Flight surgeon. TEN TERM CONGRESSMAN, fer cryin' out loud.
He got there without a custom Armani or a schedule of Botox injections. And he most certainly got there without all of us "helpfully coaching" him on how he can be a brighter, shinier, "New And Improved Dr. Paul".
Those who think Dr. Paul "needs" to be something he's not in order to please others have totally missed out on a major component of the r3volution. It's not about fitting in with groups, it's not about living your life to please and bow down to others' approval or their preferences on how they would have you live.
It's about being an individual. Having the freedom (and accepting the responsibilities) of making your own choices for yourself, being unashamedly who you are, with no apologies to anyone whatsoever. Yes! The freedom to live your life your way!! Imagine that!
I rather enjoy and appreciate Dr. Paul's "homey" (not homely) (not home-boy) appearance. He's the symbol of Everyday Joe, just living joyously and enjoying the gift of liberty. His countenance shines with an honest "aw shucks" kind of ease that makes everyone feel instantly comfortable (you KNOW what I'm talking about, don't you!), and yet -- when he gets riled up about something, he lets it honestly come forth, and you know it's a genuine, righteous anger. It's not a show.
Same with his speeches. They are pearls specifically because they are not rehearsed lines! This man knows his stuff, and he speaks contemporaneously because he can!! The others are amateur actors who memorize the words but don't possess the full meaning of their rhetoric. They can win a Toastmaster award for their eloquent presentation, but that doesn't qualify them to have the keys to the red Def Con button.
There have been some other folks in history whose personal presentations were not GQ-worthy, so perhaps they too should be therefore disdained. Check this picture of Albert Einstein. Obviously, someone who looks like that could never contribute to society. If only he had spent more time at The Gap and the hair stylist, and quit fiddling around with those stupid numbers; boy, then, he'd look just swell!
My headline stands, with a slight edit: Mental Makeover Needed!!!...
...for those who think Ron Paul needs a makeover.
/I feel better now
Excellent Post
I agree with you 100%. Those who are calling for such things are indeed, like you said - missing the whole point of who he is and the immense task he (and by extension, we) are undertaking.
And to everybody who posted on here - I enjoyed reading what you had to say. It's sooooo good to hear that there are still some of us who value substance over style.
Dr. Paul didn't get my
Dr. Paul didn't get my attention because he looked like Mitt Romney, clean, polished, and fake. His message got my attention. We need to stop wanting change his appearance, and get out there and tell people what he stands for. It wouldn't matter if he did look like Romney, the media would still ignore him and feed people the same mess, that he is unelectable. IT IS HIS MESSAGE, not his appearance that MSM hates. They will do everything in their power to keep the average person from hearing the MESSAGE!!
Sorry for the caps, but I am getting frustrated with people wanting to change Dr. Paul. He has been elected to Congress for 10 terms, just trust that his message will speak louder than his looks.
I'm not sure America is looking for a Statesman anymore
instead, we've reduced the selection of the President down to an American Idol theme...issues just don't seem to matter anylonger. Why would McCain be leading the GOP if that were the case. He's such an obvious flip flopper, he can't even decide if he's a Democrat or Republican! And he willingly want more war........now what kind of dumbass would vote for that? Must be quite a few.
alan laney
They Don't Know What a Statesman Is.
Honestly? I rather suspect that most people don't even know what a statesman is. Just another word for "politician" in their minds, and therefore -- irrelevant. If all those other candidates lie and lie and blah blah blah, then, to their mind, every candidate does the same thing. And if it's all the same? May as well choose the best looking or loudest or most popular in the polls.
Your observation is, sadly, spot on. There is the adage that we get the kind of government we deserve. Those who are so attuned to the "American Idol" approach to life will be rewarded with the lack of substance they so desire. And like Pinocchio, they'll discover (too late) that Pleasure Island...ain't.
Unfortunately, the rest of us will get to suffer along with that mass decision.
UNLESS...
...we are serious about Liberty; serious enough to do whatever it takes to wake up our friends, our family, neighbors, city, county, and state.
Don't give up -- these sleeping people need us to wake them up!!
Great post
The reason most people are turned off to politicians is because they are all show. Ron is the real deal!
I'm Absolutely Fascinated when Ron Paul speaks
I don't think he needs any makeover whatsoever. Some of his grassroot supporters do however a makeover from Negativity to being Positive
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"We, the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow men who pervert the Constitution." Abraham Lincoln
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"We, the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow men who pervert the Constitution." Abraham Lincoln
I agree
I agree
Wardrobe Makeover -- Would Help.....
Actually, I believe FanoWalt has a point. We Ron Paul supporters know what he is all about, but the shallow sheep out there want to see some spiffiness, etc. A nice-fitting suit would be great, but even the simple addition of a nice RED tie would be helpful. I love listening to him but he needs to deliver his ideas more slowly when speaking. He is miles ahead of the other candidates with his thoughts,but he needs to slow it down a bit so people can digest his ideas. He will also get more face time during debates. This is politics -- and image is everything. It's not selling yourself out, it's projecting success and a winning look!.
Paul must also TALK about who he is,
Not just what he believes.
He should talk about his history more often.
In the last CA debate, when Romney was talking about his business experience and McCain was talking about his military experience, why didn't Paul talk about HIS time serving on House financial commities and the Air Force?
When talking about foreign policy, why hasn't he empasized that he has actually served our military IN Ethiopia, TURKEY, SOUTH KOREA, and IRAN?
A month-and-a-half ago everyone seemed to be talking about bombing Iran, yet I'm pretty sure Paul's the only one who's actually BEEN there. On top of that, Paul gets like three times as many donations from soldiers as McCain does, yet I've only heard him mention this twice.
When Huckabee woos the hearts of values voters, why doesn't Paul remind the American people that he grew up Lutheran and almost became a minister in that church, and that he is now currently a Baptist. Let's also not forget he's just celebrated his 51st wedding anniversery and he was recently endorsed by the former Jane Roe.
And why is Paul so pro-life? He's an OB/GYN! He's a doctor and knows more about the health care system than any candidate in either major party!
(Note: I've also posted this at http://www.dailypaul.com/node/33254)
So, Get That Word Out
I agree with you. That information needs to get out and be widely disseminated.
Dr. Paul is one speaker, fighting an obviously biased media, with limited and often truncated time to make his salient points. He isn't granted copious amounts of time to go off on a grand oratory; when he does get a few precious seconds to speak on OM, he uses it to shout out the most important points of his message.
We, however, are thousands upon thousands of speakers, who can grab the ears of everyone in our precinct and beyond. He is relying upon us; has, in fact, called upon us to be his mouthpiece.
So I'd like to again stress that I agree with you; and, I also strongly suggest we re-read your post, replacing the word "he" with "we" throughout.
Dr. Paul himself has said that this is not about Ron Paul. This is about liberty for The People. Who are The People?...
Boots on the ground!!
I live in California
I've passed out slim jims and worn a Paul button, as well as talked about Paul with others interested in political discussion, but the party switch deadline has passed and Super Tuesday is the day after tomorrow.
Is there something I can contribute to get the word out about Paul's history in other states where the battle can still be fought? Jeremiah Black's site is still up, and I've supported his cause in the past (as well as the official campaign), but is anyone else trying to draw attention to Paul's credentials?
Plenty of Places to Contribute!!
Like you, Child, I'm here in California, where a powerful downpour of rain has foiled my plans to plant paper leaflets on cars today. Calling people in my precinct is my Plan B, and I urge you to do the same -- we need a last-minute push here in California (173 delegates)! But, if you want to spread the word outside of the Golden State starting Wednesday, you have plenty of options.
Per information from HQ's website HERE, there are plenty of states to hit up. Here's a list of post-Super Tuesday states, dates, and number of delegates to be had:
February (AFTER Super Tuesday)
Now thru Feb. 7 - Hawaii - 20
Feb. 9 - Kansas - 39
Feb. 9 - Louisiana PRIMARY (their CAUCUS was Jan 22) - 47
Feb. 12 - Maryland - 37
Feb. 12 - District of Columbia (D.C.) - 19
March
Mar. 4 - Ohio - 88 (!!!)
Mar. 4 - Rhode Island - 20
Mar. 4 - Texas - 140 (!!!!!)
Mar. 4 - Vermont - 17
Mar. 11 - Mississippi - 39
April
Apr. 22 - Pennsylvania - 74
May
May 6 - Indiana - 57
May 6 - North Carolina - 69
May 10 - Wyoming (State Convention) - 14
May 13 - Nebraska - 33
May 13 - West Virginia - 30
May 20 - Kentucky - 45
May 20 - Oregon - 30
May 27 - Idaho - 32
June
Jun. 3 - New Mexico - 32
Jun. 3 - Montana (6/3 is their PRIMARY; their CAUCUS is 2/5) - 25
Jun. 3 - South Dakota - 27
Today and Tomorrow -- last hurrah for California!
Wednesday and onward -- the other states!!!
BOOTS ON THE GROUND! (Or, uh, on the phone!)
Yes! Yes! Yes!
What you just said!!!!!
Blessings )o(
What? No botox for Dr. Paul?
Style has no bearing on substance, at least it shouldn't. If the general population wants a smooth talker after our experiences with slick willie and his polar-opposite, George Bush, then we will be stuck with Obama, Huck or Romney. If the general population recognizes when somebody speaks from the heart, then they will associate with Dr. Paul. It is imperative to get as many people to listen to and watch Dr. Paul as possible.
The meaning behind my screen name
The battle of Gonzales, TX. (Oct. 1835)
Hear, Hear!
bump
Beautifully Said ...
Previously known as DCALIFANO
Previously known as DCALIFANO
I trust Dr. Paul to do the right thing
If he feels he needs a makeover then I'm sure he'll go get one. I'm sure he has much more important things to do though. Oh, and remember one of Ron Paul's heroes Mahatma Gandhi. He used to walk around in a loincloth and yet he started a movement that kicked the British Empire out from India.
Good Point!
...also the comment down below about Jesus (King of kings) riding in on a donkey. Seems He still was able to gather a little bit of a following since then.
Personally, I believe God often uses the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary. He didn't saddle up with the Pharisees to champion His cause. No -- he picked fishermen, tax collectors (the most despised), a shepherd, and other ordinary folks -- a plain ol' girl of no prominence was told by the angel, "God wants YOU to be the mother of Jesus." Throughout the Bible, there's example after example of God choosing the humble over the proud to further His kingdom. God lifts up and honors the humble (Matt. 5:5).
Not of a biblical bent? Okay, let's look at it secularly:
Clearly, we are a society that values the packaging far more than what's inside. We tend to rush toward the golden package encrusted with pretty baubles, because we have trained ourselves to believe that if it's wonderful outside, then it "must" be wonderful inside. We're fooled repeatedly by this outward promise, only to be rickrolled when we discover the contents don't live up to the outward hype. And we do this over and over!
The treasure found in the unexpected places, in the most unseemly packaging, is the treasure that is the most surprising. And, since it is in such contrast to the "dull packaging" and so contrary to what we might expect to come from such wrappings, the worth and the value of the treasure is that more enhanced and heightened.
Don't worry about Dr. Paul's appearance. Worry that our country has become so blind that we can't see a treasure of substance when it's right before our eyes.
And incidentally? I think Dr. Paul is adorable.
Right on! Only one person could have said it better. LOL
Go ahead, watch this!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLoxprLeT6Q
"I don't endorse anything they say"
~Ron Paul On the 911 Truth movement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGyhlNY0y1k
here here, Dr. paul would
here here, Dr. paul would prove to be a sell out if he sold his image out for entertainment purposes
www.gobonium.blogspot.com
I Stand With You
I fell in love with this man when I heard him say "Just Come Home".
Jesus rode into Jeruselem on a donkey and He's a King!
Deb
*sigh*
That was great, wasn't it? Another one of my favorites: "I'm Ron Paul, I'm a Congressman from Texas, and I'm the champion of the Constitution." (hope I got that right!)