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This Race is Far From Over!
Posted February 11th, 2008 by Michael Nystrom
There was a lot of confusion this weekend over Ron Paul’s Friday message. The old media and many supporters took his note to mean that he’d thrown in the towel and quit the race, but nothing could be further from the truth!
You wouldn’t know it from the old media, but the GOP race is far from settled. They’re trying to paint John McCain as the guaranteed nominee, but we know that the media doesn’t have as much control as they’d like to pretend. Remember? Last summer they painted Rudy G as the frontrunner, but his campaign died with a barely a whimper. His main problem was that no one voted for him. Now McCain is in a similar position: He’s so popular that nobody votes for him. This weekend McCain got trounced in – of all places – Kansas, by – of all people – Mike Huckabee. He lost Louisiana, and at last count he’s in a virtual three-way tie with Huck and Ron Paul in Washington State’s straw poll.
Not only is McCain disliked by voters, he’s positively hated by the conservative neocon spinmeisters. Ann Coulter ravaged him in a blistering attack last week on Hannity & Colmes (must see video here). Hannity didn’t put up much of a fight defending him. Meanwhile, Rush Limbaugh is also having second thoughts about McCain. This neocon revolt has the Wall Street Journal mounting its own weak attempt at defending him in an editorial in this Saturday’s edition. (The Right is Wrong on McCain. But Saturday? Does anyone read the Saturday edition of the Wall Street Journal?
The real problem with McCain is that he has all the appeal Y2K’s leftovers, which is what he is. Who wants the guy who lost to Bush in 2000 to be the next president of the United States? Should he win the nomination, it is pretty widely suspected that he’ll be 2008’s version of Bob Dole.
Now turn your attention to Mitt Romney. If you’ll recall, Romney did not quit the race, he merely suspended his campaign. This seemingly subtle distinction is of great importance, as suspension means that he holds onto his delegates and could, should he so desire, reanimate his campaign. Importantly, for all his high and flowery language about standing aside “for our party and our country in this time of war,” he rather stingily (don’t you think?) refused to hand over his delegates to McCain. Nor did he lavish on McCain a fawning endorsement the way Rudy G did when he quit the race.
Meanwhile Huckabee, who’s central campaign strategy seems to be to copy everything that Ron Paul does (now he wants to abolish the IRS, too – sound familiar?), has no doubt read us Paulites talking about going all the way to the brokered convention. No doubt he thought to himself, “Self, that is a great idea! I’m going all the way to the brokered convention!” So he copied us again. Big deal. You know what they say about imitation. And if he manages to help block McCain from winning enough delegates to clinch the nomination…well, so be it. That’s good for us because it ensures the outcome we want – the brokered convention! The increasing possibility of a brokered convention means that Mitt “I hate to lose” Romney might also be tempted to jump back into the race. Good! Welcome back, Mitt! They don’t call you Flip Romney for nothing! We’ve got a job for you, too. You can help dilute the pro-war vote, bicker with the other two over technicalities, and open up a nice big hole for Ron Paul to run through and grab the nomination!
We all have a job to do, too. What we need to do is help ensure that Ron Paul has as strong a showing as possible in the eighteen (as I count them) remaining state contests. Forget the idea of a third party run. If you thought the old media ignored him in the debates as a Republican, just remember this: 1) At least he was on the stage, 2) Good luck getting anywhere near this kind of exposure as a third party, and 3) Best of luck trying to avoid becoming the GOP’s scapegoat when their ultimate nominee loses in a landslide.
Ron Paul is a Republican. This is what he’s said, and if you respect him you’ll respect his decision. He’s been at this game much longer than any of us, so let’s trust that he knows what he’s doing. If you don’t like it, just remember this:
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
Dr. Paul is our man in the arena. This race is still far from over and new developments are changing it every day. What Dr. Paul needs now more than ever is our trust and our support. Forget the third party, let’s take over the Republican party! The infrastructure is already there, but the rats are abandoning ship. We Paulites are the ones with the passion and the energy to reshape it. It has already begun happening in Alaska. As Ron Paul has said myriad times, the Republican base is shrinking. Now Coulter, Hannity, Limbaugh and Co. are helping to lead the exodus of the remaining rats.
Beyond this presidential election, this is a huge opportunity for all of us – together – to rebuild the Republican party into something that represents us all. A new generation is rising. The fight for liberty is never ending.
Welcome to the most important seven months of this campaign.
Mark your calendars accordingly:
Maryland - Feb 12
Virginia - Feb 12
DC - Feb 12
Washington - Feb 19
Rhode Island - March 4
Ohio - March 4
Texas - March 4
Vermont - March 4
Mississippi - Mar 11
Pennsylvania - April 22
Indiana - May 6
Nebraska - May 13
North Carolina - May 6
Kentucky - May 20
Oregon - May 20
Oregon - May 20
Idaho - May 27
New Mexico - June 3
-----
Michael Nystrom
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In The News Already.....
In The News Already.....
why not shoot $20 to Ron Paul Racing after your Money Bomb Donation???
Let's get Ron Paul MORE Interviews........
This is a Blog posted at www.ronpaulracing.com
RonPaulRacing.com Generates Interview Request for Ron Paul!
From a comment on another thread…
If the Ron Paul logo is so small and isolated as opposed to being on the front hood or roof than how is Ron Paul going to get any media exposure? Only when the rear tire gets changed?…So how will Ron Paul’s name come up during the races? How is this really worth $300k ? Again, I love this idea. Kenny is amazing. But how is this REALLY going to help get Ron Paul’s name out there?- RPfan
RPFan,
You said it yourself. Kenny is amazing. I watched all his pre-race coverage on Speed today and you can tell just how beloved he is by race fans in general. Kenny’s fans want to know everything about him. If Kenny announces Ron Paul as a sponsor, his fan base will start talking about it and blogging about it.
And that’s just the beginning.
Imagine the exposure we can get by announcing that, for the first time in history, a presidential candidate has sponsored a ride in NASCAR? And for the first time in history, a thousand individual donors have sponsored a ride in NASCAR?
Pretend the sticker doesn’t exist, and this is STILL the best bang for the buck of any Ron Paul advertising campaign that has been done to date.
The deal isn’t even signed yet, but I’ve sent out three news releases on wire services that increased our site traffic three-fold. Every one of those news releases links Ron Paul and NASCAR and they come up in web search results. If it has increased our site traffic, don’t you think it has increased Ron Paul’s site traffic?
Every time a Meetup group goes to the track in support of the cars, it’s a chance to send out a news release. Plus a news release with race results. A news release with comments from the drivers. A news release announcing when we reach $50,000 in donations and $100,000, and $250,000 (I can dream!)
News releases are money.
As a result of sending out my news releases, on Friday I was contacted by a radio host from a 50,000-watt AM sports radio station in Kenny’s hometown (St. Louis) who wants to interview Ron Paul about this. That’s right…the SPORTS guy wants to get Ron Paul on a 50,000-watt AM station. (And he wants to talk to me about it too…but frankly, that’s just gravy.)
The sponsorship isn’t even in place yet and it’s generating news.
And this is the entire point.
NASCAR sponsorship is a way to keep Ron Paul in the news for the next 10 MONTHS, all the way through the summer, through the Convention, and into the general election. It’s an excuse to create more content and links back to ronpaul2008.com, an excuse to generate more interview requests for Ron Paul.
It’s not about the danged sticker. (Which, by the way, will also be very clearly visible from in-car cameras.) This is a MEDIA CAMPAIGN!
And that’s the beauty of it.
I apologize if I haven’t done a good enough job of emphasizing this.
-Kathleen
Date Posted: Sunday, February 17th, 2008
Advertising..................
Message from Founder of Ron Paul Racing, Ron Conrad
Ron Paul Racing was started with one mission, to promote Ron Paul and his message to the 75 million Americans who follow NASCAR. Sounds simple doesn’t it?
Our first plan.
We started with the idea of covering a complete Sprint Cup car (#28) for one race. Before we even collected 5% of what we needed, there was a takeover attempt by one of the volunteers because we disagreed about how to pull this off. He wanted the Web site. We got into a public fight about it. That was a huge set back that almost killed Ron Paul Racing.
Our original idea was to open a non-profit foundation to handle the donations and then fund the team. The CPA told us this wouldn’t work with the campaign finance laws. Plan B, we sought out help from the Blimp people as they had a system in place for an advertising project like this. They never responded to our contacts. This was two more set backs.
The attacks started on the message boards and they have never stopped. So there are little set backs every day when we are called scammers and frauds by other people who don’t know us who claim to be Ron Paul supporters. But we don’t know there names or who they are so how do we know? It was funny that the attacks got worse after we announced our deal with Fitz Motorsports and the more info we released about us and the PAC. People attacked us WORSE after we proved we were legit? Who are these people? Why would a real Ron Paul Supporter do that?
Plan C.
Then we had real experienced people step up and guide us through the process initiating the PAC. In my 25 years in the working world I’ve never seen a group of people that work so hard under such pressure as well as personal attacks and for free…in my life. True dedication.
We wanted the #28 Sprint Cup car, but seeing we had no chance of that $400,000 goal for one race we switched to a season long major associate sponsorship of two cars in the Nationwide Series for $300,000. I still believe its by far the best arrangement we could hope for.
What about the size of the sticker?
Many many people are fixated with the size of the sticker, well its not that important. For 20 Million dollars you can cover the whole Sprint Cup car. That’s why only Fortune 500 companies do it. Well I hate to break it to you but we don’t have that kind of money right now. I wish we did.
We were offered a great deal by Fitz Motorsports (its explained in great detail on the website). We could have a Ron Paul sponsored car in 35 events around the country in a major NASCAR forum. We envisioned Meetup groups from around the country gathering at the tracks every week, handing out Ron Paul gear, talking to people about the platform all over for almost a year until the election. We would get Kenny Wallace “The Hermanator” on TV two times a week, and all of Kenny’s fans and show car visits and a rolling billboard on the transporters for $100,000 less than the deal for one race in the #28 car.
We think we have a great deal. Fitz Motorsports could not be better to work with and we want to get this sponsorship before somebody with deep pockets buys it out from under us.
We can continue only if we have your support. We think this is the best ad idea in the Ron Paul movement right now, there are so many people who will hear about Ron Paul for the first time because of NASCAR.
You can’t believe how hard this team is working to make this happen but it’s up to you. We have done everything we can, we have the PAC and the Web site and the car deal, what else is it going to take?
Sincerely,
Ron Conrad
Founder, Ron Paul Racing
www.ronpaulracing.com
Date Posted: Sunday, February 17th, 2008
Six and a half months...
September 1 is when we delegates will decide whom we will nominate as our champion. A lot can happen in six months time.
As we ARE the Republican party, and have a voice, let it be heard that we want to WIN! We must convince our brothers and sisters within the party not to give up hope on the White House by nominating someone so unappealing to the public at large, and repugnant to us conservatives. We have a champion in the gates that can offer the change that Americans have so clearly shown they will demand.
"Hope for America" sums it up as the platform of changes for the BETTER offered by Dr. Paul. The dem's have nothing but empty rhetoric behind their platform of change, while we are so very eager to point out the very issues affecting us all that need the "change" being touted throughout this campaign season.
We should all know by now that Dr. Paul is the ONLY Republican candidate that can unite not only the party, but people from across the political spectrum, to crush the dem's in November. Our party cannot afford to field a lesser candidate.
Let his message of hope, of peace and prosperity, of return to the rule of Constitutional law, of a return to sound fiscal, monetary and foreign policies, be spread throughout the land. This movement continues to amaze and inspire me with its continued growth. Let us continue to awaken our bretheren to the dawning of a freer 21st century America. Our enthusiasm is contagious!
This race IS far from over. A lot CAN happen in six months time. Exciting things! Blogs for Victo(R)y!
Long live the Republic !
Go Ron Paul ! ! !
Actually, I think it is.
We're just refusing to see it.
Absurd Claims Must Be Refuted
This mad passion for Ron Paul causes his followers to misinterpret the cold hard facts:
Delegates required to win the nomination: 1,191
John McCain -- 819
Mitt Romney -- 282
Mike Huckabee -- 240
Ron Paul -- 14
Sorry, folks, any rational person would admit that this race IS over. Passion doesn't win nominations.
I'm not a McCain or a Huckabee or a Romney supporter, but I am a realist. I see reality for what it is.
correction
Romney isn't here any more and McCain does not have 1191. The race is NOT over. But since it is over for you, you may be excused. Bye, now.
March On!
We have to kick it in to high gear and motivate not only our loyal Ron Paul supporters...we need to rally together and unite all of those who fight for justice and peace, freedom from large government and taxes, freedom from funding a losing war! We need to rally our family, friends, churches, schools, athletic clubs and chorus groups. Homeschoolers, Gun owners, Law Students, College Students, Seniors, Teachers and everyday citizens we need to finally unite...be a part of history and put all other gatherings of the past to shame. We all have dreamt of this possibility and it couldn't be any closer than now! I am willing to fly accross the nation and march for Ron Paul, restoring liberty, ending the war, taking back our country, and rebuilding America!
I recommend the summer time when students are out of school!
Nice Article in Sawyer County
http://www.haywardwis.com...
'I always think of all you canvassors and precinct leaders at the front line.
Good luck out there &Thank you. It's appreciated'.-fip -U.K
South Dakota is also June third.
South Dakota is also June third.
Great Post, but you missed Wisconsin
Great post, you touched on many important issues.
But you left the state of Wisconsin off of your primary list.
Huckabee is up here this week trying to sucker some votes
but Dr. Paul has a lot of support. Our open primary is next
Tuesday, the same day as the Washington primary vote.
We've has a lot of fair and balanced coverage of the GOP candidates
on the local level, and like I mentioned, lots of support for Paul.
No caucus, 3 delegates for every district's winner. and then
13 more for the state winner. There are some straggler delegates
that go to the convention automatically, we're not sure where those
will fall.
Because, as far as the campaign is concerned...
Wisconsin doesn't exist.
Sorry!
Thank you for the correction.
The latest from Ron Paul
Here:
http://www.youtube.com/wa...
Tipping point?
I've been reading/commenting in Huffingtonpost.com... If you feel in the mood, take a look at some of the comments to some of the blogs... you know, both the Democrats and the Republicans, all of them are very discontented with the "state of affairs" -- which is to say the war and the economy. They are beginning to sound like Ron Paul supporters without considering him. It will take a few more weeks, or months, before they fully "wake up". They will.
Taking over the Republican Party
In CNN situation Room now! I wrote a Republican Party Platform. I suggest dropping the Liberty word because its has connotations with a 3rd party and replace it with "ABOLISHIONIST". Ron Paul wants to abolish the Federal bureaucracy and return to states rights. He stands in the shadow of Jefferson the author of the Constitution of the United States. States Rights means the people's freedom. We the Republican Party oppose "Big Brother". The Republican Party has a strong abolishionist tradition. Folks we can do this, but its a long drawn out conflict that requires at least the work of a generation. The American people have suffered years of DEMORALIZATION. For years Big Brother propaganda has foisted socialist and communist centralized planning upon the American People. This all began with the Central Bank commonly disguised as the Federal Reserve "System". Now our coutry suffers from DESTABILIZATION. The economy, foreign relations ie Iraq war, and military defense coupled with porous international borders. CRISIS: this country faces a major depression and entitlement programs that threaten national bankruptcy and 3rd world status. NORMILIZATION: With a Police state well entrenched a President could assume a dictatorship and abolish the Constitution. Big Brother has gotten frightenly BIG. CONTROL OF MASS MEDIA: A few corporations control MSM. GAIN CONTROL OF A COUNTRY'S CURRENCY: That's exactly what the Federal Reserve "System" and the 16th Amendment accomplished.
Make no mistake about this: Taking over a party in no way compares to running a chosen candidate for political office. Taking over a political party means setting the agenda of the party and establishing long term goals. This requires a protracted struggle that shall take years YEARS! Ron Paul might have cured your apathy but if that's the case then this is what it means. Taking charge of the Republican Party leadership requires a long protracted struggle. We must educate the demoralized American People. Judging from this election, "programmed" defeatists can not hear the truth even when they see it with their own eyes! The protracted conflict means that the youth we must re-educate to despise Big Brother Nannyism. The protracted struggle means we must uproot centralized economic planning. The Republican Party opposes socialism and communism on more than a political level but primarily by rejecting the economic premises by which it stands.
FYI
Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence. I believe he was in Europe while the Constitution was being written.
--------------------------------------------------------
"No man has a natural right to commit aggression on the equal
rights of another, and this is all from which the laws ought to restrain him." --Thomas Jefferson
My bad
FYI thanks for correcting my mistake
regards moshe
CHECK THIS OUT!!
ronpaulracing.com
West Virginia
In WV there were 18 delegates 15 for Huck and 3 for Paul. The remaining 12 will be during the election in May if I am not mistaking. WV has 30 delegates.
You missed Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Primary (Open) 2/19
we ARE doing well...ways to kick it up!
Hello all...I know there's been concern regarding the letter that Ron sent out in combination with bad reporting on the TV.
Remember, Ron is NOT going to abandon us. He is very inteligent, and we must trust him to use that inteligence in a strategic way.
He has given us the order that we must ensure his Congressional Seat...so act on it!!!!!! (Donate at RonPaulforCongress.com)
Ensuring his Congressional Seat DOES help us win the Presidency...so ACT NOW!!!
If you're in Texas, go CANVASS!!! District 14 needs you!!!!
If you are not in Texas, then take care of your state.
Once your state has had it's caucus/primary and you feel "lost", then help Texas. Call them, email them...make YouTube videos for them....send flyers, write cards, write letters....plan a supporter bomb...do a poster bomb....do EVERYTHING that you can think of.
NOW is the time to ACT!!!!! We only have until March 4th!!!!
RonPaulforCongress.com
V is for Valentine!
Mass donation event.
Send a Libertarian Valentine to Ron Paul.
Check out
http://ronpaulblimp.org
for more information.
[note: "ORG" not "com"]
v
v
Ron Paul said....
"With Romney gone, the chances of a brokered convention are nearly zero." --- Ron Paul's own words.
Manny, please keep 3 things separate in in your head.
1-- Ron Paul the man
2-- The Revolution
3---HQ's campaign decisions, expenses, etc.
Just like it is NOT anti-Semitic to be critical of the government of Israel, so it is NOT anti-Ron Paul to be critical of HQ's campaign and its lack of strategy and lack of TV advertising. So I ask, are we the ones drinking the Ron Paul Kool Aid? Because read the quote above, Ron Paul is not drinking the Ron Paul kool aid. Nor should we drink it, its not healthy to the Revolution. We should be constructively critical, asking questions, figuring out where we went wrong, what can be done, and so forth. That is all HEALTHLY and POSITIVE for the Revolution as a Movement. After all, we do not want the Revolution to be a personality cult, right?
Why cannot this Revolution become as powerful or more powerful than DailyKos.com or MoveOn.org? It can and it will, without the personality worship. As Ron Paul said, he has his own faults, but the Freedom message does not.
Here is the BIG QUESTION we should all be wanting an answer to. Please tell me why HQ did not back-up us in the Grassroots with National TV ads 6 days out from Super Tuesday. ??? I had dozens and dozens of rank n file republicans from my walking list call me to ask, "When did Ron Paul drop out? I never see or hear a commercial for him".
As best as I can tell, yes there was a MSM black out, but there was also a HQ black out. All our signs went for nothing....if you are not on TV, then you are not real. That is how the public thinks and believes. We money bombed HQ to death, did they "go all out" prior to Super Tuesday? No.
I feel I was stabbed in the back Manny. Ron Paul calls for Federal Government Transparency, well where is HQ's expenditure Transparency? In hindsight, I wish we just Money Bombed a NATIONAL TV INFOMERCIAL series that ran day in and day out for 10 days straight before Super Tuesday. Heck, we could have exposed Ron Paul's ideas on TV a thousand times better ourselves.
I have 2 pairs of red stained sneakers from making over a thousand revolution signs, well over 7k invested, and countless hours -- a year in fact--- into this grassroots campaign. I can't help but feel Ron Paul at HQ let us all down. Call me negative, but just do not call me as still drinking the Ron Paul Kool Aid.
I implore you and others to call for an audit of HQ. Harry Browne was the most honest man alive, or so the true believers said, until we audited his campaign to find lots of money went into his pockets, nothing into TV advertising.
Treg / Tempe, AZ Tempe Meet Up leader
Except that someone called
Except that someone called HQ and found out that Dr. Paul did not write that letter. As he often does, he provided some talking points to a staffer and they winged it. Hence the disastrous "chance of a brokered convention is nearly zero" comment and it's unfortunate timing for release.
As a result of the backlash, we got the new state of the campaign video to clear up a few things.
-n
Dr Paul's letter put me ON FIRE
Dr Paul knows that this fight is bigger than a presidential election. For over 200 years forces have been trying to remove Our Freedoms. America was the first time that Free People were put in charge of their government and their destiny. This was a threat to the power structures of the world
" IT IS GOOD REPUBLIC IF YOU CAN KEEP IT" Ben Franklin
The concept would require ETERNAL VIGILANCE.
They have been slowly eating away at our liberties. Causing specific problems to bring us the solutions that they wanted in the first place.
Why do they allow Illegal Immigration?
So we will ask for a national ID
They are very smart. do not under estimate.
Dr Ron Paul cannot campaign enough to overcome the obstacles that will be faced trying to change the WORLD'S Direction.
We tried it in 1988
It was difficult but AMERICA was still asleep.
In these Trying times America is open to new (OLD) ideas
IT IS UP TO US
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE FREE
WE MUST WAKE UP THE MASSES
WE MUST MAKE THE CHANGE
WE MUST BRING PEACE
The problems we face cannot be solved by one campaign
especially when strong forces oppose him.
AMERICAN INGENUITY WILL SAVE US
as I watch this movement I see what we as Americans are capable of.
WHATEVER IT TAKES
USE YOUR SPECIAL GIFT
IT IS OUR DESTINY
IT IS OUR PURPOSE
RON PAUL 2008
if it does not happen right now, our current path of communicating the truth will be removed. we will be slaves
"Rush Limbaugh is also
Understatement of the campaign season.
Limbaugh absolutely lambastes McCain on a daily basis, usually in character while doing a rather unflattering McCain imitation. Also, while the radio audience listens to the commercial breaks, Internet listeners get treated to hilarious political parodies by Paul Shanklin, many of which rake McCain over the coals. (No, I'm not a paid member, but I have a friend who is.)
----------
Liberty for Dummies
Also a must-read...
...to go along with Michael's commentary:
http://www.lewrockwell.co...
Yes, that was good, just read it - thanks
---- ---- ----
Find information on your State - vote for Ron Paul and become a Delegate and or Precinct Chair!
http://www.ronpaul2008.co...
Do you KNOW how to become a Delegate for Ron Paul? -- Do it!
great post
thanks!
I am a member of the Constitution Party, but that was formed as a reaction to the GOP abandoning their principles.
I am all for taking over the Republican party if it is possible, after all - all the sheep in that party need shepherds - and if that can be us Constitutionalists instead of big govt neo-cons, then we should GO FOR IT and get them back on the right track, while routing out the anti-american globalism in the R party.
Howard Phillips would agree with you
Howard Phillips is a man who puts principle above party, and this would even apply to his own party. Mr. Peroutka is the same way. Both endorse Dr. Paul for the GOP nomination, which speaks volumes to the integrity of the CP's members, leaders, and their philosophy of principle over party.
(USTP/CP member since 1994)
Howard Phillips
is a hero of mine,
right there with Ron Paul.
-------------------------------
Murray Sabrin Money Bomb:
http://www.scholaroffreed...
The New Ron Paul
http://www.freedomsphoeni...
Blogging CPAC: Ron Paul on Presidential Steroids
CPAC 2008 CHAPTER SIX: The New Ron Paul
I missed the first portion of Bob Barr’s introduction of Ron Paul yesterday because some whacked-out independent presidential wannabe ran into me in the hallway. However, I took copious notes during the intro and the speech, notes which are no longer needed, because it’s now on YouTube (Barr intro, Paul Part 1, Paul Part 2, Paul Part 3).
During the first part of Ron Paul’s speech, I was sitting next to a reporter from one of the major cable television outlets. The crowd wasn’t dominated by Paul supporters, but there were quite a few there. The few McCain supporters were easy to find. I didn’t note many Huckabee people in the room. There were a whole lot of Romney supporters there, many still sporting Romney stickers and buttons. The reporter and I initially focused our attention on an obvious Romney supporter and an obvious McCain supporter to note their reactions.
Around the middle of the speech, I went near the stage to shoot some photographs and sat down on the other side of the room, this time by Reason’s Dave Weigel. Again, I found a McCain and a Romney supporter to watch.
One really, really interesting thing I observed was the amount of applause Romney supporters gave Ron Paul. Other than on the foreign policy issue, they were cheering as loudly as the Ron Paul supporters. The McCain supporters were not cheering, but sat with their arms crossed, for the most part. There was a battle of boos and cheers (the anti-war cheers eventually drowned out the boos) over a statement Paul made about Iraq. I suspect McCain supporters were the loudest of the opposition.
The video doesn’t depict something well that quite a few people in the media section noted. Ron Paul actually sounded like a presidential candidate. I’ve probably heard Paul speak around fifty times in my life and seen him on television many more times. Weigel wrote:
If anyone was wondering what effect Ron Paul’s new hires like Doug Bandow or Daniel McCarthy were having on Ron Paul’s campaign, it was on display when he addressed CPAC late yesterday, the last candidate to speak to the grand ballroom before it was cleaned up for a banquet. Paul’s speech was the most combative I’d ever heard from him, and the message sent out from his campaign was that it wouldn’t be the last.
One reporter told me that Paul would have won several states already if he had been speaking like this a public events. A Romney supporter I know told me that Paul’s speech convinced him to support Paul. “I may not agree with Paul on Iraq, but saving the Republican Party is more important than that single issue,” a pregnant Romney supporter said to me. “This nomination is about turning the Republican Party back to conservative values and Ron Paul is the last candidate standing who has any.”
Back to Weigel:
The key moments in the speech were harsh statements of his foreign policy and attacks on John McCain. That latter stuff was red meat for this conference. After one subdued mention of McCain’s pledge to keep troops in Iraq for a hundred years if needed, Paul said “McCain” had a few troublesome friends. “One of his friends is named… Feingold!” Then a blast against campaign finance reform. “Another of his friends is named… Kennedy!” Then, an attack on immigration reform. “Another of his friends, although he’s not in the Senate anymore, is Daschle! Tom Daschle. Working with him on raising taxes, not cutting taxes.” All of this got the biggest cheers from the most listless, curious section of the crowd. Kids and middle-aged men who’d had their arms folded for most of the speech started smirking and saying “Yeah!” at every McCain hit.
It is likely to be too late to make a major difference, but something tells me a new chapter has just opened in the Paul presidential campaign.
I agree 100%. Ron will fight
I agree 100%. Ron will fight till the end and he is both intelligent and experienced. The grassroots overreact to everything, but that is also the strength, since that shows the passion for the cause and that they really never will abandon freedom. No going back.
quiting vs strategy change
Thank you Michael,
This is a well thought out post, and I agree on some, but disagree on a few points.
The problem I see is that some people do not know the difference between giving up and changing strategy.
In my view, there is not a whole lot of value in spending lots of resources on the presidential primary - sure we will make sure to vote and participate, but in my opinion the focus should be different. Does that mean that I am giving up the cause that Dr, Paul stands for. No. But there are many times when reassessments of strategy are a good thing. How much different might things be now if the Confederacy had given up a year or two earlier ?
Politics is not a football game, there is no time limit, and the cost of loosing is much higher. We have made great gains, many things that others are trying to imitate. But it was just not yet enough to break the power of Old media, entrenched special interests, and the Party Establishment.
Now you have touched on some important things. Might we be able to reform the republican party ? I'm skeptical, but its worth some effort. Is it good to become a delegate - yes, will it give RP the nomination, - very doubtful. In some ways, McCain winning the nomination, and being handily defeated in the general would be better for this goal.
There are some things that we can fight for. My state has not yet adopted the Real ID, there are congressional candidates, perhaps "the revolution" should make endorsements in other races ? these are areas where we could make a real difference.
My fear is that we will end up being the unrealistic kooks that old media try to paint us as, driving away those people that may be the best long term supporters. Don Quioxte was a romantic, but going down in flames for a lost cause is not noble at all. Its the last resort of losers. But lets not let our emotions rule us, lets be pratical so that we can continue beyond this election.
The disturbing thing is the idea, often angrily spoken, that if you don't support a particular strategy or direction, that somehow you are quiting or giving up. This is far from true. At this time when disappointment and emotions are at their peak, we should try the best we can to be inclusive of ideas.
PJB on McCain and the Right
I think this says it all:
http://www.worldnetdaily....
Dr. Ron Paul has put this election into OUR hands! Nxt? UR move.
The following paragraph is written by Rick Fisk of Lew Rockwell.com. In a piece titled "An Open Letter to Ron Paul Supporters," Rick pretty much summarizes my own personal sentiments. http://www.lewrockwell.co...
"Dr. Paul's latest communiqué to us has put this election into our hands. He's pairing back the staff and getting them out of your way. What happens from here on out is completely up to you. I believe that you'll rise to the occasion. While a large majority of the Republican apparatus has treated Ron Paul as if he had a contagious disease, he has bravely defended the constitution and his oath. Now the hardest part of our battle comes and it is up to us to prove we can match Dr. Paul's courage and work ethic..."
PLEASE:
1. BECOME DELEGATES, in states that are still open.
2. BECOME PRECINCT LEADERS, Ron Paul asks of us.
http://people.ronpaul2008...
3. CANVASS. Canvass, Canvass. Door to Door. MAKE Ron Paul KNOWN to the rest of the nation. Believe it or not, a lot of Americans have still never heard of our Good Doctor.
TAKE THE INITIATIVE:
-Try something like what Cam Shane has done here:
"How I won my HUGE caucus." http://www.dailypaul.com/...
-and... "Ron Paul wins 100% in WA Precinct & 100% Delegates!" http://www.dailypaul.com/...
-and getting properly organized at caucuses and canvass at the same time: http://www.dailypaul.com/...
And if I may re-post the following comment: http://www.dailypaul.com/...
This is a clarion call. The Doctor has NEVER quit, in his entire life. He gave us over 30yrs of public service. With the momentum and the support that we now have, how petulant and pathetic of us, will it be to quit over ONE mis-read letter??
This Candidate DOESN'T QUIT! Dan McCarthy, from the Official RP Blog.
http://people.ronpaul2008...
To a PEACEFUL REVOLUTION! We are definitely in the middle stages of the INFOWAR, now.
I AM RON PAUL!! We ARE ALL RON PAUL!!!!!
President RON PAUL: Jan 20, 2009 - Jan 20, 2017
B E L I E V E
P.S.1. I begin each day with this video. Make this bigger than "A New Hope." It gets me moving.
MSM's Best Kept Secret http://youtube.com/watch?...
P.S.2. One of the best sites to introduce those who has never heard of Dr.Ron Paul, from either parties, or independents, or no party affiliations folks.
http://www.apaulogist.com...
P.S.3. Ron Paul describes the world in a single page. Okay one really hearty page. A treatise: " Some Observations on Four Terms in Congress," a speech delivered on the Floor of US House of Representatives, September 19, 1984.
Truly one of the BEST speeches, given by anyone, I've ever read, or heard. Truly a tour de force. http://www.lewrockwell.co...
Why the confusion?
I don't know why anyone read that letter and thought it meant he was dropping out. The media spun it that way is all. There was no need to perpetuate their lies here!
I think it was the part
Where it said that there was almost no chance of a brokered convention with Romney out.
Thank you, Manystrom! YES,Take over the GOP, clean up the house!
BECOME DELEGATES, in states that are still open.
Please take an initiative! Try something like what Cam Shane has done here: "How I won my HUGE caucus." http://www.dailypaul.com/...
and... "Ron Paul wins 100% in WA Precinct & 100% Delegates!" http://www.dailypaul.com/...
and getting properly organized at caucuses and canvass at the same time:
http://www.dailypaul.com/...
And if I may re-post the following comment: http://www.dailypaul.com/...
------------------------------------
My Personal Take on Ron Paul's Friday letter.
We should take Ron Paul's latest email as a recognition that the GrassRoots SHOULD essentially drive the core message independently, HEAD-ON!! Just as CAM Shane has done here!
Creativity, ingenuity, driven by the virtues of the founding principles of this nation. That is what our RON PAUL REVOLUTION has been, so far defined by, along with the obligatory, and occasional internal bickering thrown in, as any functioning dysfunctional family should.
With a little tact, the world may be surprised, by just how many will ACTUALLY decide to NOMINATE Ron Paul at the National GOP Convention in September!!!
Let's make it happen. We're all self-starters here. As far as I'm concerned, the email was a signal to truly free us up and follow our gut.
TRULY, Make this campaign OUR CAMPAIGN!
And even for those of you, whom still truly believe that those in the official HQ are somehow incompetent, then you DO something about it! If this movement has shown us anything, is that we should STOP complaining and JUST DO IT. YOU do what you think is best to move this campaign forward. We've all organized here anyways. That's true PEOPLE POWER.
DO NOT WAIT FOR DIRECTIVES.
As far as I'm concerned, the latest email is a little test that the Doc has dropped upon us. Those of us, who are truly committed, will drive this campaign, by virtue of passion, faith, with intelligent due-diligence. Let us NOT fail him. Let us not fail ourselves. Let us not lose this REPUBLIC.
Priority No.1: Becoming DELEGATES, in states that are still open. And as the HQ suggests, also becoming precinct leaders.
Priority No.2: VISIBILITY. Believe it or not, depending on polls and depending on election cycles, what I'm finding out is that most people, between 40%-70% UNBELIEVABLY, in fact, decide who to vote for, at the last minute, at the polling booth!! So we MUST re-DOUBLE our efforts to CANVASS, door to door.
We are so surrounded by the ubiquity of RP support around our circles, that we often forget, that to this day, many still have no idea who our Good Doctor is. Let us change that from this moment to all the way up to the November elections.
I certainly am committed to spreading the message, wherever and whenever I can, including financially.
This is a clarion call. The Doctor has NEVER quit, in his entire life. He gave us over 30yrs of public service. With the momentum and the support that we now have, how petulant and pathetic of us, will it be to quit over ONE mis-read letter??
This Candidate DOESN'T QUIT! Dan McCarthy, from the Official RP Blog.
http://people.ronpaul2008...
To a PEACEFUL REVOLUTION! We are definitely in the middle stages of the INFOWAR, now.
I AM RON PAUL!! We ARE ALL RON PAUL!!!!!
President RON PAUL: Jan 20, 2009 - Jan 20, 2017
B E L I E V E
P.S.1. I begin each day with this video. Make this bigger than "A New Hope." It gets me moving.
MSM's Best Kept Secret http://youtube.com/watch?...
P.S.2. One of the best sites to introduce those who has never heard of Dr.Ron Paul, from either parties, or independents, or no party affiliations folks.
http://www.apaulogist.com...
FYI - Carol says the last RP message was not written by Dr. Paul
We should have known from the very first line: "Whoa!...If I may quote Trotsky..." Why would he quote Trotsky? And what kind of a greeting is "Whoa!" People at RP forums are speculating it may have been some sort of sabotage from a disgruntled staff member. We should know more on Monday.
http://www.ronpaulforums....
"Please forward this email to your lists:
Please believe me when I say I have assurances from Carol Paul, Ron Paul's wife, that Ron Paul HAS NOT SUSPENDED HIS CAMPAIGN.
Statement was taken out of context. He did not write it and unfortunately did not check it before it went out.
Official confirmation (press release) will follow.
We cannot allow Ron Paul's devoted followers/workers/supporters to believe "the campaign is over; their wonderful work will suddenly be for naught. "
Remember the saying "It's not over until the fat lady sings." She has not yet nor will she ever sing. So, all of us must stop waiting for her to sing.
Get back on your horses and carry on.
God bless all of you.
Charlotte
Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt
Former Senior Policy Advisor
U.S. Department of Education"
Dear Charlotte:
(is this REALLY Charlotte? Ironic if not, seeing as we're here talking about a post that was not from who it claimed. Yet I'll still grant that your really are Ms. Iserbyt.)
Your book, DDDoA, was one of the first collections of material I worked through which really helped me understand WHY I had so much trouble effectively and constructively conversing with so many of my own contemporaries. Not that I was able to help them directly with it, but that it helped ME better understand the overarching sociology around us all. Thank you.
In other blogs spanning divers material, in hopes of finding keys to unlocking more minds, the idea came up that a change-agent methodology could be developed to work this con, in reverse. Might you have any suggestions for that kind of approach? Or, would you advise against it? It seems so delicate, especially if the law of unintended consequences risks psychological "blow-back" in the application of questionable "means". I have railed against such ideas, since it seems far too similar to the rational Bernays gave himself.
I would be very interested in your thoughts on this tricky subject.
If you feel this forum is too rambunctious, please suggest another. I would prefer to have such a conversation 'open-source', rather than retreating to selective emails or private get-togethers.
Regardless... thanks again for your ground-breaking maneuver through the DoE.
Erin
I am not Charlotte...
I got that email from Ron Paul Forums yesterday, where it was posted. I think the thread is gone now, although the email was apparently verified by the moderators over there yesterday evening. That's why it's in quotes...It said "please forward to your lists." Here is a related thread on rpf
http://www.ronpaulforums....
thank you
if one read through it in detail, you will see it does not hint at all that Dr. Paul would stop. The media and also some Ron Paul supporters have mistakenly interpreted it this way. Some formulations are not coherent. Well, we know that if Dr. Paul should win all the remaining states, he may/will still not be over the magic number of delegates, the same with Huckabee. Politics can change overnight. It could also be that some GOP officials put some pressure on Romney to suspend his campaign in order to avoid a brokered convention, but this may just backfire now. If McCain wins less than 42% on average, we will not have enough seats. It now works in our favor: if Romney would have stayed on and in a brokered convention, Dr. Paul would have been in 4th or 3rd place, and not so likely to get the nomination. Now we can get most of his support and Paul can fare much better, and Huck and Paul combined can enforce a broekred convention. The anti-McCain feeling is gaining steam and McCain's momentum has been stopped, in any case for now. Dr. Paul can also feature now more prominently in debates etc. Huck also start to despise the media now and he and McCain would have to attack each other, which can leave the bone to the third dog in the race. If Huck pulls out, we would get the endorsement of Dr. Dobson and many others, even though they may not agree with the foreign policies: we can persuade them over time.
After Virginia Tuesday Dr. Paul could issue another PR....
thank you
if one read through it in detail, you will see it does not hint at all that Dr. Paul would stop. The media and also some Ron Paul supporters have mistakenly interpreted it this way. Some formulations are not coherent. Well, we know that if Dr. Paul should win all the remaining states, he may/will still not be over the magic number of delegates, the same with Huckabee. Politics can change overnight. It could also be that some GOP officials put some pressure on Romney to suspend his campaign in order to avoid a brokered convention, but this may just backfire now. If McCain wins less than 42% on average, we will not have enough seats. It now works in our favor: if Romney would have stayed on and in a brokered convention, Dr. Paul would have been in 4th or 3rd place, and not so likely to get the nomination. Now we can get most of his support and Paul can fare much better, and Huck and Paul combined can enforce a broekred convention. The anti-McCain feeling is gaining steam and McCain's momentum has been stopped, in any case for now. Dr. Paul can also feature now more prominently in debates etc. Huck also start to despise the media now and he and McCain would have to attack each other, which can leave the bone to the third dog in the race. If Huck pulls out, we would get the endorsement of Dr. Dobson and many others, even though they may not agree with the foreign policies: we can persuade them over time.
It's always darkest before the dawn
This is only the third act of the play, where our hero appears to be defeated. Triumph comes in the fourth act!
***money bomb***
**** www.presidentsdaymoneybom... *****
donate to Ron Paul on Presidents day now !!!!
You should maybe set up a counter..
A counter showing the amount of people who have pledged would not be a bad idea for the www.presidentsdaymoneybom... site.
I think a money bomb is in order. Without money the campaign will have a hard time competing with the other candidates. The dollar will be worthless in the near future anyway if things don't change, so lets do our best to try to help the campaign. The day of the bomb was a great idea. Now beef up that site! Show people that they have made a difference and that there participation has been accounted for, otherwise.. it looks a bit like a Diebold Voting Machine;)
Peace
manystrom, many people asked
manystrom, many people asked about the donation tracker has been gone from the front page of this site. Is it possible to put it back on the front page again? Thanks so much.
i got a question
we wn WA? or mccain won? i read on yahoo that mccain won,what happened there? plz someone explain me
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