Ron Paul promises to support Texas incumbents!

The first important thing in Ron's strategy is "to get the message out".
To wake the people up.
To create awareness.

Remember, Ron has tried this as a third party candidate and failed. So he HAD to do it another way - attacking only the broadest issues:

• overspending
• big-government
• FED-power
• foreign wars

And emphasizing common ground with lots of folks.

He re-joined the Republican Party to get the message out.

And I would never have heard the message otherwise !

If you listen to Ron's statements from the 1980s
he was much more outspoken.

Today, he tactically limits the issues he speaks out against.

"I go after bad policies" he says, and not after particular "individuals" ;-)

Consider: To him it may be the hardest part of the job, to limit his statements to the main issues, no longer attacking the FBI for instance...

His unconditional support for Texas incumbents is still a bitter thing.

Regards
Peter

If I remember correctly, this video is the only time that Dr. Paul explained why he joined the Republican Party, if you have never seen it watch it all the way it is a very candid and open talk while he feels that he is amongst friends

http://www.viddler.com/explore/jbirch/videos/1/

Admired him and supported him without flinching.

Now I can understand why he might feel obliged to support other Republican legislators, but it stinks if it means he will support Rick Perry over Debra Medina.

and Rand Paul and Peter Schiff are genius's they
are playing the cards dealt by the elite in the Republican
party and it is a lot different than everything we
have seen from past election promises and support
only to see when they get to Washington it is the same old
special interest groups again running our country.

It will not happen with the Paul's or Schiff when they
go to Washington it will be change that actually happens.

Smart move Dr. Paul

That was just a meh "letter of support" for Lamar Smith. As others said, and he says in the video Ron Paul HAS to make some sacrifices in order to have the influence that he does have. Do people want him to run as an Independent and lose his seat in Congress?

.

Dear Fellow Texan,

As you know, America faces tremendous problems. I have dedicated my career to fight for solutions, but I need friends in Congress who will help and work with me in these critical times.

That is why I am grateful for the friendship of Congressman Lamar Smith. Lamar Smith is a thoughtful, intelligent leader who keeps his door open to me and is always willing to listen. As the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Smith's word carries a lot of weight on Capitol Hill and I am glad to see he fights to take principled stands on important issues like Healthcare and Cap and Trade.

Congressman Smith made a point of reading both of my recent books, The Revolution: A Manifesto and End the Fed and I enjoyed our discussion. True intellectual exchange has become all too rare in Washington and I appreciated his effort.

Lamar is also one of the true gentlemen in Congress. I value Congressman Smith's thoughtful approach and consider him a true friend. If more leaders in Washington adopted his style of governing, I know we could break down a lot of barriers.

I am proud of my friendship with Lamar Smith. I hope you will consider supporting him in his bid for re-election.

In Liberty,

Ron Paul

I've read the Republican Party Bylaws for California and even members of the county central committee are required to support those candidates supported by the Republican Party or they will kick you out of elected office!

The bylaws of the Republican Party REQUIRE candidates to support the Republican candidates or the Republican Party can kick you out!
I have read the California GOP bylaws and even members of the county central committee will be kicked out of their elected positions if they openly speak out against the candidates nominated by the Republican Party.
The Republican Party officials have made their bylaws to insulate them from any challenges. You either have to support them or be kicked out!
That's probably why Ron Paul has had to make a token statement in support of Lamar.

Ron has been playing this game for a long time now. He's using the republican party as a way to make changes. You won't hear him say he became a republican because he was inspired by Bush, big spending and the neocon mindset.

You will only hear about him talk about past republicans that were fiscally conservative, for smaller government etc. I don't think there are many of those running. So it may be his way of giving in and compromising to stay where he is, otherwise he'd have to run as a libertarian.

It may also be that Ron was asking to support the lesser of other evils? Without having an actual conversation with Paul and asking more questions, it's easy to jump to conclusions.

Austin, Texas, December 31, 2009 — Texas Congressman Ron Paul emailed supporters on Wednesday the 30th asking them to consider Lamar Smith for re-election to his US House district 21 seat.

Stephen Schoppe, who is filling to run against Lamar Smith this coming Monday for the March Republican primary, said “I really respect Dr. Paul but am disappointed with his email since Lamar voted for the $700 billion banker bailout. Compromises like this with Democrats have led to the financial disaster our nation is in today.” Schoppe is also encouraged that his campaign has spurred Lamar Smith to seek an endorsement from Ron Paul. “We must be having an effect if Lamar is kowtowing to Ron Paul,” Schoppe said.

Ron Paul’s staff has been quoted saying this was not an “endorsement” but the language in the email could lead a non-Washington insider to believing it was. “Since this was not an endorsement, I think it only fair that a similar email be sent to Dr. Paul’s supporters asking them to consider me as well. I believe Ron Paul supporters will be very pleased with my philosophy and agree with where I stand on the issues,” Schoppe said this morning.

Ron Paul ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and has amassed a very loyal following by speaking for the restoration of constitutional principles and standing strong to his convictions.

http://www.schoppe.us/content/schoppe-responds-ron-paul-s-em...

In the case of the bailout, congressmen voted in support in exchange for assistance in getting reelected.
In the case of HR1207, congressmen voted in support in exchange for assistance in getting reelected.

See the difference?

In the former case, people had to bow down to the Bush/Obama party to preserve their political lives. In the latter case, they had to bow down to the Liberty Movement! Until now, RP was a voice, but He had little weight. If HR1207 passes, it puts him, and all of us, on the map.

How can a sheep (especially the most influential one of all) stay amongst the hungry wolfs without being advertised as the main coarse? To have longevity in politics you must be a master strategist, forecasting changes and knowing who to trust. Now in respect to Dr. Paul no one, and i mean NO ONE, should place instant trust on any one person that he endorses in any election. That is left to the minds of the masses so truth may never again be placed in a centralized environment. It is important to study all candidates and all issues and discuss them thoroughly.

We should keep in mind that to represent requires an ability to communicate between two different communities (or worlds for that matter). All we see (or at least I do hailing from South Dakota) is the battles he fights at the national level. That one community. Rarely witnessing the fight that he must subdue every election cycle just so he may continue the good fight. In this era, our countries true worthy fight will be fought on ideological battlegrounds where our future victories will decided by our past defeats. Which is the wisest compromise to consed towards so we may continue to foster freedom in the minds of all?

I would like to think this is what Ron Paul is thinking but i am not him. Support Ron Paul on your own accord as well as everyone else. This is a freedom Dr. Paul hasn't the luxury to enjoy.

Ron has calculated reasons for everything he does. The Ron Pual archives give us a window into his belief system. That said, I truly believe he is doing what is necessary to keep his seat in Congress. At this time he is moving toward "King Maker" status whereas his popularity and influence grows daily. There will be a time in the near future when he will have enough power to pick and choose his colleagues without jeopardizing his position in Congress. He will not have this power if he loses his seat in Congress.

The reason I don't like this is it could give people the wrong impression that Dr. Paul supports these progressive Republicans. The goal of any constitutional movement would be to develop a party that can get on all state ballots and have a charter that representatives have to agree to before they join and they have to stick to in order to join. Make it broad issues such as foreign and monetary policy.

with RP ....
enough with these career politicians ....
basing decissions just because someone is in your party -
is not enough....
vote issues vote philosophy ..... out with old in w/ new

www.goooh.com
for the House .....

definition.

I think he knows that, at this moment, we are 'sunk'--

but he stays in congress and 'dukes it out'--

he faces down giants all the time, and he's only mortal.

So--

maybe he has figured that in order to continue to teach others and fight on some level he has to agree to play politics.

I wrote a post almost opposite to this on another topic a while back about some guy called Brown in Massachusetts, I think--where I said something about integrity--

it felt different to me at the time; perhaps it isn't.

The fact is that Ron Paul tells people what he stands for and votes for what he stands for.

I have no idea how parties work--

I worked only briefly in two campaigns and that was decades ago--

I know it's hard. I sense that Ron Paul believes that people having the truth is more important than what is immediately happening, on some level, and in order to have an influence he has to be in congress--

I think he's always seen himself as a teacher and a leavening agent--

he does both in his present circumstance.

RP is a Republican. In order to call himself a Republican he has to agree to certain things. It is not a compromise because he is not making a new deal. He is staying firm on a deal he already made years ago.
It was a good deal as he would not have gotten a 10th of the media coverage or allowed in the debates.
You can judge the man for laying the foundation of all these other candidates. When he made the deal there was little to NO liberty candidates. It is not like he is supporting McCain. He simply agreed to support Republican incumbents, remain silent or stay out of the Republican party.
I guess you can argue that was a bad idea, but you would have a difficult time holding water.

Yeah, this is the slippery slope whereby Dr. Paul finally sells out. I am sure he is going to chuck everything he has worked for over a 30+ year political career just to get elected.
[End of Sarcasm Alert]

Too many DPer's thrive on being offended, shocked, outraged, by the actions of the friends of liberty in America.
We eat our own young and then wonder why we are spinning our wheels.

Makes you kind of wonder who's side we're on.

He supports a guy like this when a person who is FOR liberty is running? You mean he does everything to get re-elected? That does make him a politician, not statesman.
I am torn in two tents here:
1. We really need him in Congress.
2. Should it be done whatever the cost?

I support Ron I really do, I just hope he knows what he is doing man, he may lose many supporters doing this, sad but true.

I am a die-hard Ron Paul supporter, but I have to say I'm rather disappointed that he has made this agreement.

?

Let's not forget the Republican Presidential Primary Debates wherein he took on the whole party by himself.

I mean he pushed every hot topic button he could INCLUDING Socialist Security, the IRS, Republican neo-con foreign policy, the Federal Reserve, Dept. of Education, Dept. of Energy and on and on.

The guts it took to do that are beyond anything any Republican has EVER done.

So...

I don't know the rules of the game these politicians must play within the party system but I'll bet Dr. Paul has pushed those rules to the limit and this particular issue does not change my opinion of him one iota.

People in the freedom movement are smart enough not to blindly ditch a good libertarian candidate for some NeoCon. And Dr. Paul's "endorsement" doesn't mean anything to any one else.

Is it a "backroom deal" anytime a politician makes a calculated decision and comes to an understanding with a political colleague? Maybe he should put a webcam in his congressional office so we watch his moves 24/7?

Do you think Ron Paul needs to post his political strategy on the DailyPaul for us to hold a free-for-all referendum?

Thank God he is too smart to even consider such pseudo-libertarian baloney.

People here complain all the time about the establishment opposing Ron Paul, but in reality that isn't true. They haven't officially backed or funded any of Paul's congressional GOP primary opponents. Not now, nor back in 2006 and 2008 with Sinatra and Peden.

If Ron Paul was to openly side against an incumbent Republican, than the party would have every right to go after Paul in his primary. Think about it.

It's just the political reality. Plus in terms of getting the liberty message out there, it's probably the most effective. It's always better to win hearts and minds of those who disagree with us rather than isolate ourselves to the point of having no impact.

As RP said it is the policy that counts !!!

p.s. RP is a human being working within a 2 party system imo. In contrast to some other hypothesis - He is only one man lol

We can't keep dumping our luggage on him and hoping he does not lose some sometime.

If I could accomplish a tenth what he has accomplished in his outstanding life for people and the traditions we admire and strive for - I would be drinking pina coladas out of coconut shells somewhere sunny and warm !!!

Keep Marching RP !!!

In liberty,

that RP has been able to gather so much support for HR1207. His consistency has earned him a lot of positive public opinion, which translates into votes. So he was saving for thirty years, and now he's cashing in some of his political capital in order to make a major change.
Usually deals work the other way, the establishment offers support for a candidate if they support their agenda. But now, the Liberty Movement is passing its' agenda in exchange for political support. See? We have the votes and the power so they are forced to come around to our side to get reelected. Tables are turning!
How many years does he have left in Congress? Maybe its time to start making whatever changes he can and put the liberty movement on the scoreboard.