Oregon Primary May 20
Posted April 26th, 2008 by Rubiebaby
output
This is from Oregon ~~ we are looking for answers!
Our voter pamphlets just came out, and Ron Paul is NOT IN THEM! Active supporters up here have been contacting the national campaign headquarter offices and our state election offices and we have been told that the Ron Paul campaign simply did NOT pay the lousy $1000 required to file his political statement and ensure his place in the information pamphlet. How in the world was this allowed to happen?
We vote by mail up here in the great northwest, so this is iincredibly disheartening to us all that have been working so damn hard to keep people aware that he is indeed STILL a candidate. Makes us all look very STUPID, to say the least!
The double whammy here is that John McCain is also not in the pamphlet ~~ if someone had stepped up and paid the $1000 for Ron Paul, he would have been the only Republican candidate listed in the pamphlet. What a royal screw up this truly is!
The frustrating part of all this is that so many folks up here have stepped forward with hard-earned money whenever the campaign needed it, or there was a money bomb day -- yet, we sit up here and there are NO ads on TV, NO visits by Dr. Paul, and now not even a stinking $1000 payment made so his statement would be in the only pamphlet our voters will read in order to help them choose a candadate.
We have had the Clintons here, Obama here, and TV is absolutely flooded with Obama ads. Where the heck is the Ron Paul presence we so badly need? Seems like I remember that we were told not so long ago that this state mattered. Guess not, after all.
Does anyone else wonder exactly WHAT the national campaign headquarters people are being paid to do? Can someone explain or rationalize this! We are all very bummed out! (Yeah, probably pissed off, too!)
Sad part is that people up here are notoriously very independent thinkers and definite free spirits -- too bad they haven't been given the facts to consider about Ron Paul in an effective manner. Oregon could have been, should have been, and quite possibly might have been a strong showing. Someone really blew this one!
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I'll be driving to Chicago
I'll be driving to Chicago to see my fav. band Seether on May 20. Of course my brother, friends and I will be spreading the name of Ron Paul far and wide when we arrive.
Oops
Ooops
California & Washington have free candidate statements
Since I haven't actually seen the campaign entry for Ron Paul in the WA voter's pamphlet, I can't give details yet about what was printed there, but I can -- if anybody wants it, once I get the copy they are sending me.
California has a voters guide, but presidential candidates statements are included only on a Web site due to "timing related to the printing." There is a reference to the Web site printed in the voter's guide. AGAIN, the entry is free-of-charge.
Our candidate's statement follows:
Ron Paul 3461 Washington Blvd., Suite 200
Republican Party
Arlington, VA 22201
Phone: (703) 248-9115
E-mail: mail@RonPaul2008.com
Website: http://www.ronpaul2008.co...
I am Dr. Ron Paul, the champion of the Constitution. In ten terms in Congress, I never voted for an unbalanced budget or tax increase. I have never voted to raise congressional pay, increase the power of the executive branch, or regulate the internet. As a medical doctor, I delivered more than 4,000 babies and advocate a health care system where patients have choices including alternative care and where competition will drive costs down. I want to stop spending hundreds of billions of dollars overseas and use those funds to pay down our burgeoning debt, reduce taxes, shore up Social Security and strengthen Veterans’ benefits. I would immediately bring the troops home from Iraq. My six point immigration plan is to: (1) Physically secure our borders; (2) Enforce visa rules; (3) Not allow amnesty; (4) Provide no welfare for those here illegally; (5) End birthright citizenship; and (6) Create true reform that is fair for all. I will continue to oppose a North American Union. I favor repeal of the Patriot Act, would stop the national ID card, and would end the erosion of our privacy rights and civil liberties. I will stop corporate polluters and end corporate welfare. I would also move immediately to return to sound monetary policy, to end the “inflation tax,” and to protect our dollar. I will act to end irresponsible government spending which is threatening our future. I am committed to ending the personal income tax and the IRS.
We don't want anyone to be tarred and feathered -- no sir -- but we do want to make sure that we don't rely on anyone to take care of Oregon without us everyday yokels without NATIONAL connections making sure we double check filings from now on. So, official campaign peoples and assorted minions -- please don't take offense if we repeatedly question and double check that things are actually getting done in this campaign (even if you say it is getting done). It isn't that we weren't thinking about it. It's just that we were TOLD you were HANDLING IT.
I've seen some pretty awesome quotes from people who care about this. One of the best -- the one that sums it all up -- is this:
". . .state and national . . . created a communication chasm large enough for a biosphere to fall into."
I trust this isn't the last time a great candidate like Ron Paul may need to be included in the Oregon Voter's Guide for the exorbitant charge of $1,000. I also hope it IS the last time that Oregon lets the opportunity slip by accidentally like.
PLZ. Do not give up!!!
Please read my post below to Rubie about what we did in Vegas. If it were my Meetup groups, I would hound & harrass the campaign headquarters on a DAILY basis & request Dr. Paul to make visits to Portland, Salem & DEFINITELY to Eugene! Let him know how much he's wanted!!! He accepted our invite to our pre-convention rally party. He did not have to do that. He finished his evening in Idaho, jumped on a plane & made it to the "unofficial" party, even though it was late. He could've skipped it & just showed up for the GOP convention today.
He has visited some total sh*t holes to meet supporters. Call him, email him, send him cards, flowers, whatever, but INVITE HIM TO YOUR CITIES!!
Don't forget Grants Pass/Medford/Ashland
Why would RP ever want to ignore his faithful supporters in the third largest metro in Oregon: the beautiful Rogue Valley?
Don't worry about the pamphlets...
the important thing is the ballots. I signed up as a delegate, and am looking forward to seeing my name on the ballot. McAnus already thinks he has this thing wrapped up, so he thinks Oregon doesn't matter. Dr. Paul will be on the ballot. Don't worry. Pamphlets to me are a waste of time anyway. I have been a registered R for 23 years, but generally vote Constitution and Libertarian when the only R in the race is a sellout (for example-Gordon Smith). The positive is that the Oregon R platform is not that far off from the true conservative Dr. Paul. It's just that the party and the candidates have strayed from their own platform. I plan to help bring it back.
hey GunTrap
Good to have you on board here! I'm actually a previous delegate to an Oregon GOP convention, and helped work on that platform, back in 2000. I was pretty proud of it then and still consider it a worthy endeavour, although the candidates so rarely heed it once they are in office. :-/
Maybe we'll meet at an upcoming convention. It's definitely time to step in and provide the leadership the GOP has been sorely lacking lately.
I wish I could agree with you about the VP, but I can't; even if it isn't the end-all be-all of our efforts here, it is still a fantastic opportunity for the $1000 fee. Where else can you get your message out to potentially the whole state for that amount -- and an *unfiltered* message, at that? Mmmm. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Still, I'm glad that not everyone is thrown off track by this mistake. Thanks for your words of encouragement. :-)
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Get active NOW to put Ron in the general election. ronpaul.meetup.com
Oregon state coordinator here
I've got my voter's pamphlet in my hands now, and it's true: no RP entry (and no McStain entry either).
We're trying to determine exactly how this ball got dropped. It really is a big disappointment, and one which we in Oregon would have taken care of immediately had we known about it. Unfortunately, we didn't until we saw the VPs arrive in the mail.
Between this and the decreasing possibility of a visit from RP before our primary, it's not a very happy time to be an Oregon RPer, right now. :-/
Not everything is bad, though. A lot of folks are working hard and a lot of good things are happening in many parts of the state. I do recommend that everyone let the campaign know how much it would mean to get some attention from HQ out here. A RP visit would be the best, but other things would also help, like ads on radio/TV, or a visit from another member of the campaign team (Rand? Barry Goldwater Jr.?), or... anything! If we get nothing, it's going to be difficult to keep people's spirits up -- as this thread illustrates.
The comment above that grassroots leaders think this is no big deal is misleading. A lot of people are angry, while some are brushing this off and simply continuing to focus on the goal. They're doing that because they want to achieve the goal, and the best way to do that is to keep working hard. But we're all disappointed by it. An entry in the Oregon VP is important, and it should have happened. This really is a state with tremendous potential for support, if we can get the message out.
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Get active NOW to put Ron in the general election. ronpaul.meetup.com
Curious
Why do you post that there is a decreasing possibility of a visit from Dr. Paul? From what I see on the official website, he has nothing booked for the month of May. It skips from April to June 20th.
Please read my post below to Rubie about what we did in Vegas. If it were my Meetup groups, I would hound & harrass the campaign headquarters on a DAILY basis & request Dr. Paul to make visits to Portland, Salem & DEFINITELY to Eugene! Let him know how much he's wanted!!! He accepted our invite to our pre-convention rally party. He has visited some total sh*t holes to meet supporters.
why I said that
As state coordinator, I've been talking to the campaign for a couple of months now about getting Ron to visit us, and my comments here reflect what I perceive to be the trend on their end. Also, there's the simple fact that time is running out; the election is by mail, and ballots are sent out starting in about a week.
What you see on the calendar isn't everything I hear about from the campaign staff. The RP08 web site presumably doesn't list all his engagements, only the ones which pertain to his presidential campaign. Believe it or not, he still wears other hats. ;-)
I've got no objection to your strategy. Obviously it worked for you, so why not give it a shot? Thanks for the suggestion.
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Get active NOW to put Ron in the general election. ronpaul.meetup.com
Yeah-yeah
I know he's got work to do as Congressman & is in D.C. a lot; I love watching him on C-SPAN. :)
But honestly - today at the Reno GOP Convention, a good # of delegates switched to RP's platform & he got more just from his being there and hearing him speak. Just do it Oregon!
I can totally see Dr. Paul at South Eugene High School! Can you imagine the crowds?
This is a huge let down if true.
I have yet to look at the pamphlet but if what is said here is true, I feel like I have been let down so much. I live in Corvallis and our local coin shop even has a big Ron Paul sign in it. I go to work where we talk about Dr. Paul on a daily basis with every one there. Work knows I and others will take the day off to go see Ron Paul if he comes to Oregon. I constantly speak of Paul's philosophy of government and how it is of the constitution. I have convinced friends and most importantly family who have served for this country to look into Ron Paul and even made some very serious believers. I even told them, Don;t pay attention to what you see on tv, take it from me and look into it your self.
I put money and A LOT of my time into spreading this word in so many ways because I can not vote my self. For I am a felon on a victimless crime. That too has inspired me to try hard to get other voters
Please, if this is true what more can I do? What do I tell people who I specifically told them "Yes, you can still vote for Ron Paul".
It almost brings me to tears but as I have said before and I'll say to every one here, This is not only about Ron Paul, It's more about the message.
I will still buy his new book for my grandfather. He told me, "I have been paying attention to the news and I don't know who to vote for and I have never heard of Ron Paul." My grandfather is a man of principles and very smart when it comes to government. He will probably cry when he reads this book and sees exactly what I have been talking about.
Arg... I'll stop here.
Please Ron Paul, visit Oregon so I can show my friends and make even more supporters!
RubieBabie, What's your beef?
Hey:
I have it on the record that Ron Paul grassroots organizers don't really think it's any big deal. I disagree with them and agree with you -- but my posting that includes quotes and shows some of the attitude in the grassroots that "this doesn't matter anyway" has disappeared off Daily Paul.
Yes, it is a completely stupid decision by National entities, backed up by complete ignorance or complacency by grassroots leaders. This was a no brainer.
Glad to see this posting.
When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President. Now I'm beginning to believe it.
Clarence Darrow (1857 - 1938)
If you have it on record...
"that Ron Paul grassroots organizers don't really think it's any big deal." Then I think we need to find those "grassroots organizer", identify them and replace them, and think seriously of tarring and feathering and running them out of Oregon on rails!!!
I am a meetup group organizer here in Oregon and I am DEVASTATED that Dr. Paul is not in our Voter's Pamphlet. I feel like the $$$ I've spent, the doors I've knocked on, the phone calls I've made, the hours holding banners over the interstate, the miles I've traveled to place yard signs and to be at the Oregon Straw Poll in Portland to give Ron Paul 69%, ALL of it has been a total waste and our efforts have been dissed almost beyond belief.
THIS WAS A HUGE BLUNDER and I, for one, want ANSWERS and to know WHO, exactly, was responsible so that I can exert my efforts to getting them replaced.
I am, personally, heartbroken that Dr. Paul missed this opportunity to shine. With McCain also not in the pamphlet, I honestly believe that, if Dr. Paul HAD been in our pamphlet, we might have actually taken Oregon by storm and given him his only WINNING state so far. THAT is the magnitude of the blunder here, in my personal opinion.
With our mail-in ballots, people here REALLY PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to the voter's pamphlet, MUCH closer attention than we did back when we actually went to the polls. We sit down with our pamphlets and our ballots and go through the pamphlets in the privacy of our homes and mark our ballots and send them in. For Dr. Paul to not have a presense there is DEVASTATING!!!
And now you have ME on the record for the world to see!!!
Al Chrzan, Roseburg Meetup Group Coordinator
The things that will destroy us are: politics without principle;
pleasure without conscience; wealth without work; knowledge without character; business without morality; science without humanity; and
worship without sacrifice: Mahatma Mohandas K. Gandhi
Lou Moore?
Someone suggested that we contact Lou Moore -- he is the one who told us that they had nt paid the $1000 to get Ron Paul's statement in the voter information pamphlet.
If you don't want
Dr. Paul to visit, don't bother calling them then. Here in Nevada, we called the headquarters constantly & hounded them to come speak. Lew even came to speak at our meetup group & we've met Dr. Paul personally twice. In fact, they're on their way here now to speak at our Pre-Convention Ron Paul Rally & Party. Special Party Guest: Dr. Ron Paul
Dr. Paul has graciously accepted AN INVITATION to speak, and he is scheduled to come see us tonight at our night-before rally. We will see him tonight & tomorrow at our GOP Convention.
Dr. Paul will try his hardest to visit where he is wanted. I suggest Oregonians flood the campaign headquarters with emails & phone calls for a visit from the good Dr.
Lou Moore?
Someone suggested that we contact Lou Moore -- he is the one who told us that they had nt paid the $1000 to get Ron Paul's statement in the voter information pamphlet.
(No subject)
Plz call
The campaign headquarters & let them know that Oregonians want Dr. Paul to visit Oregon ASAP. Especially with the primary coming up.
703-248-9115
It might help to ask for Lew Moore. He is usually good about returning phone calls.
Aint dat some shiite.
I don't know what the strategy is anymore. It's a mess.