We've Been Saying it, Do We Mean It?
"It isn't the man, it's the message that's brought us together." Sound familiar?
I think it's wrong to ask what Ron Paul supporters are going to do if he does not get the nomination. Not only because it's a defeatist attitude, but because what has been tapped into; what's happening; what we discovered; SHOULD influence politics regardless of the 2008 Republican nominee. I say that because now that the world is able to utilize the "information superhighway" and actually research candidates and (those that are willing) decide for themselves, we are able to see WHO the American people want. Or rather, what KIND of person the American people want.
Do a Wikipedia search on Michael Badnarik: 2004 Libertarian presidential nominee. Scroll down to the "Issues" section. Look like the stance of anyone we know? Do a Google on Libertarianism in general: does the mission statement look familiar? Ron Paul is one of a kind; but I think it's important (and it gives us hope) that he isn't the only one preaching his message of liberty and limited government.
Ron Paul is a good and honest man. I trust him to do all of the things he has promised. That is why I support him. But the thing that gets me excited; the part of his campaign that has me totally fascinated; are the ideas and the concepts of government that I want so badly to see happen. And I think the same is true for most of his supporters.
In essence, I think we've all been tricked into becoming Libertarians. :)
I am excited about Ron Paul's campaign. But I'm even MORE excited about the obvious Libertarian lean of the American people. A Libertarian lean that most of us didn't know we had. This isn't about just getting the right Republican in office in 2008. It's about realizing our power as a people; our similarities in ideals; and our RIGHT to elect ANYBODY we want. After this election I plan to change my registration to Libertarian, and if we are saying what we mean, and voting for the ideas and principles and the commonsense politics, I hope to see you all again in 2012 campaigning for the Libertarian nominee. Who might, for the first time in history, have a shot at the Presidency.
I supported Badnarik in 2004...
and I'll be proud to support him again. I met him in San Antonio back in June, and he's a really nice guy.
GO RON PAUL 2008!
GO MICHAEL BADNARIK SOMETIME AFTER THAT!
(^_^)
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Don't blame me! I voted for Ron Paul!
We Are Change
That's right, we have woken up to the fact that we are not free. That the future is not brighter than the past. The lessons that we learn from this will guide public policy for years to come, regardless of the outcome. Activism is important because it keeps the ones in power in check. The human race is at an important crossroads. I promise you, we are the right direction for this country -- AND WE KNOW IT.
Bottom Line
The bottom line for this country is agression. If we do not cool off and stop spending on military we wont survive. Bottom line. Candidates dont matter. Parties dont matter.
hello, goodbye, sometimes we all just need to cry.
I think libertarianism needs
I think libertarianism needs to keep reaching out to science, stay scholarly, and not go the way of Fruedian psychology.....that is, past up by science. Libertarianism needs to get itself grounded in the social sciences, not only economics but also sociobiology, evolutionary psychology, societal legal histories, anthropology, political sciences, etc.
Now Politically, and for strategic reasons only, libertarians need to SPLIT themselves into the democratic and republican parties. Yes, bye bye libertarian party. Moth ball all those good Plat forms.
One of the most interesting human abilities or mental gymnastics, can be seen in sports. Fans in one city will go crazy and stay loyal to "their team" regardless of the players. Infact, in basketball we have seen just about whole teams swap 4 or 5 players over to another team, yet citizens stay loyal to "their team". But what does it mean if my 4 favorite players are now playing in some other city for the "other team"? THe players change but the jersy is all that remains, ...that and our team loyalty. Crazy, but true.
Politics is exactly the same. Dems are prowar, now against. Republicans are pro war now against, Dems are for these sets of ideas, Republicans for a different set. Years pass and we find that some ideas on the Republicans side is now on the Democrat side. Ideas are very much like players, they are interchangeable.
Now Witness the neocons who love any war and once on the democratic side, now at home on the republican side. Infact, they have been very clever. They have think tanks and institutes that are each side. Blinding loyalties to the Dems or Reps STOP people from seeing that democrat Madiline Albright was just as much a warhawk as Donald Rumsfeld. They both came from two seperate think tanks but each think tank, yes, thought the same thoughts. Polically the voter will choose between war hawk Giuliani or war Hawk Hillary.
Libertarians can learn from their success. THink tanks are the training field for ideas. And Ideas are like players who can be traded back and forth between Dems and Republicans. The think tanks have training fields for thier ideas, send them to the teams that soon produce the players.
CATO and others who avocate Liberty are now seen on the Conservative side. Yet there is nothing prohibiting new think tanks to arrise avocating Liberty but seen on the Liberal side producing democrats. There needs to be more Mike Gravel's and Denis Kuciniches up holding the ideas of Liberty to the Dems.
Who knows, perhaps one day libertarians can offer the voting public a democrat Libertarian vs a Republican libertarian. And Much like todays War Hawk Neocons, we would not care much if Hillary or Giuliani wins.
2 Wings of the Same Vulture.
We need multiple parties in our democracy to end the tyranny of a duopoly. That's why Dr. Paul has sponsored Bills in Congress to allow easier ballot access for other parties, always dubbed 3rd parties.
As of now, I mostly see the Democrats and Republicans as 2 wings of the same vulture.
-jared-
When one person can initiate war, by its definition, a republic no longer exists.
- Dr. Ron Paul's message to the U.S. House - 3/09/99 -
- RonPaul2008.com -
-jared-
When one person can initiate war, by its definition, a republic no longer exists.
- Dr. Ron Paul's message to the U.S. House - 3/09/99 -
- RonPaul2008.com -
we don't have a democracy; read the Constitution
It's a republic.
As for joining the LP, I have no plans to do that. Those who expect to do so might find that our goals are far better accomplished by *not* telegraphing that intention to the GOP (they will react very negatively to that idea). Wait and see how things turn out. Ron Paul is reviving the sensible conservative side of the GOP; perhaps you'll find that you don't feel so out of place there pretty soon. Without knowing the future, all we can really do is assess the present, and at present I see a trend toward a much better GOP! Let's roll with that as far as we can rather than abandon it in our hearts before it has a chance to succeed.
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Get active NOW to put Ron in the general election. ronpaul.meetup.com
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What is begun in anger, ends in shame.
ahhh, correction. Pardon me...
the United States is a federal constitutional republic,it is fundamentally structured as a representative democracy.
I was too lazy with the original post, and replaced the above information with the --- deff. not always similar term--- democracy.
cheers.
-jared-
When one person can initiate war, by its definition, a republic no longer exists.
- Dr. Ron Paul's message to the U.S. House - 3/09/99 -
- RonPaul2008.com -
-jared-
When one person can initiate war, by its definition, a republic no longer exists.
- Dr. Ron Paul's message to the U.S. House - 3/09/99 -
- RonPaul2008.com -
LP etc.
Well, I'm currently in the LP and I will make no comment on whether one should join us or not. I support Dr. Paul based on him and his issues, not the party letter behind his name on the ballot. I couldn't vote for him in 1988 as I was too young to vote for anyone then except my own campaign for Student Council.
I think all of this Plan B stuff is premature. Let's revisit it after Feb 5. I'll only say that the LP candidates this time around are even more unimpressive than ever.
But the idea of a libertarian coalition that is enmeshed in both the DP and GOP is nothing new. Ask the RLC about it and how much success they haven't had. That's the main reason I never joined the DP (since I tend to come to libertarianism from the left), and until the GOP is purged of the Theocrats (the religious right) I'll never join the GOP. But those are just my personal opinions.
Not tricked, just finally realizing what some of us have known..
...for years, that all people have varying shades of libertarianism in them but either wouldn't admit it or didn't know it. I've been doing successful LP outreach on that simple point for years. It'd fun to see the light come on in people's head when it dawns on them.
With this happenning now in this campaign on the scale it's happening, I too am heartened. Hopefully this will not fizzle.
Ya got me =)
I was registered as Democrat because that was what my local township was mostly...but I'd always vote for whom ever I liked best...then I was turned on to Harry Browne by my Boyfriend. I became a Republican for the primaries and plan to switch to Libertarian as soon as they are over.
On a side bar...I've been trying to get information on how to become a delegate in my state...contacting my Senator...House Reps....local folks...and NO ONE wants to give me any info...
The only place I get directed to is the local election department....is it possible that none of our elected officials know????
Becoming a Delegate
What State are you from? I might be able to help.
Donate to the Campaign http://ronpaul2012.com
WNY for Ron Paul Meetup http://meetup.com/wnyforronpaul
I Would like help on being a
I Would like help on being a delegate too and I am from Indiana any help would be wonderful
"I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library"
"I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library"
Pennsylvania here, I would
Pennsylvania here, I would like state specific info for the Pa. delegate selection process.
Thanks in advance
How to become a delegate
http://www3.webng.com/ronpaul/becomedelegate.html
There's information on how to become a delegate
http://www.ncgop.org/gopinformation/organization.asp