To Stealth, Or Not To Stealth; The Delegate Dilemna
Posted May 17th, 2008 by spacehabitats
output
I know that this has been discussed to death, but it is an issue that will never really go away.
It is a frustrating question because there is no one right answer for all people in all circumstances.
Nevertheless it is a central question because, I believe, it is central to the long term goals of the Ron Paul/Liberty movement: to educate, persuade, convert, empower, and liberate the American people.
I do not know the optimal strategy for garnering the maximum number of "Ron Paul" delegates to the RNC this year. I have never claimed to be "an expert on the convention process". I DO, however, know a few things about people, human nature, and persuasion.
A great advantage in persuasion is to be able to identify with your "customer".
"I know how you feel, I felt the same way, and then I found out...." is an excellent way to initiate an educational dialogue.
If we start off in a confrontational role, we have just placed ourselves at a huge disadvantage when it comes to persuasion.
The “truth” of a proposition is not as important as its presentation. If it were not so, there would be no need for a liberty movement and the façade presented by the mainstream media would fall of its own weight.
I know this is going to disgust many of you, but even more important than being “right”, we need to be polite, and (whenever possible) likable.
We do not want to sneak in the back door.
People (including me!) do not want to be "infiltrated", "forced", "subverted", "hijacked", "diverted", etc.
We all want to feel that we have power to control our destinies.
After all, isn't that what "liberty" is all about?
I believe that, in general, we have hamstrung ourselves in the vain attempt to gain the most delegates to the RNC in 2008. We have lost opportunities to network at conventions. In a large part this has occurred from the belief that we need to be secretive about our support for Ron Paul and what he stands for.
We have lost the opportunity to present ourselves as an important, VISIBLE, and growing segment of the GOP by remaining underground.
We have discouraged our fellow Ron Paul supporters by making them feel even more isolated and outnumbered than they really are.
We have encouraged our opponents by making them appear to be more popular and numerous than they are.
We have discounted the possibility that many, if not most, of the people who have been voting against us are very close to agreeing with us, if we are willing to pay our dues politically.
For example, my wife volunteered to help a long time GOP activist in his quest to be elected to the Iowa GOP central committee. She made phone calls to his list of district convention delegates and (with his full knowledge and consent) put in a plug for her own RNC delegate candidacy. (He did win, by the way.)
In the process she had excellent response from the vast majority of the delegates she spoke with, gained valuable credibility, gained name recognition, accumulated some political currency with her "mentor", and generally laid the foundation for becoming at least a small factor in Iowa GOP politics.
She has become a member of the county Republican women's clubs for two counties. When we went to the district convention we went out to eat dinner with a couple she had "met" through her phone banking. We're sending them a copy of "Revolution: Manifesto".
Even if these had all been random voters, her time would have been well spent. The fact that these are people who are very active, donating their time and money to promoting candidates and issues within the GOP, makes her efforts invaluable. (Especially in Iowa, an early caucus state.)
True, she could have spent her time, instead, hanging out in Meetup groups complaining about the "sheeple" who just don't "get it", and strategizing on how to "steal" the convention.
I think she chose wisely.
Good luck in making your choice.
Bookmark/Search this post with:
If you do not stealth you
If you do not stealth you will not get elected, its that simple. The masks are off now and the R party isnt even trying to hide their theft and deceit any longer.
My Brother is a Stealth Delegate
Voted in as a McCain fan. Long time Republican who is guided by the light shining from Doctor Paul.
"Walls are stronger than the men that defend them."
Ghengis Khan
Hey, Kahn
I guess it doesn't really matter, but I'm curious... someone once told me that you are from my area... St. Cloud, MN area... any truth to that? Guess I'm kind of wondering if I voted for your "stealth" brother!
Christi
Proud Ron Paul Supporter
Good post
Really good post. I think this is somewhere that we've tried to be a bit too clever for our own good. Get out there, talk to people, show them that there IS a conservative running for president - an actual Republican who they can get behind without having to hold their nose.
Too many people think RP is a one policy candidate (bring the troops home), when that's the one policy most of them are too brainwashed to get behind.
Get out there - talk to people - show them that there is another option out there for them. If we'd done this in AZ we might have swung enough voters to swing our own slate in McCain's back yard. Can you imagine what a coup that would have been?
=========================
Live Free or Die - Amen to that
I personally say
Stealth, and then get to the convention, and let the fireworks begin. They
(the Neocons-warmongers) have found ways to keep us out. Some may want to really voice their opinions, and always regard the Constitution, and a Constitutional platform in hopes that it is passed.
..dunno..I have such a small
..dunno..I have such a small gop group here, but I am open. The SAID I could be a delegate at large at the state convention. I will find out for sure 6/2. They are all pretty old and set in their ways, but I have talked about RP, given them all constitutions, worked for their committees...whatever. I participate but I tell them I will not vote for a conservative no matter what and that is just the way it is. SO they basically have stopped McCaining me, and I told them I would never vote for a president who fund-raised in England, either.
Islam provides the template
This is not a flippant commentary.
Islam remains quiet and passive when it does not have strength. It places its proponents in positions of authority passively and quietly. Ron Paul supporters need chairmanships and positions in convention committees.
As Islamic strength grows, it begins making demands on the community. It tests resistance. Ron Paul supporters can begin making demands on the GOP when it is an effective part of the GOP.
As strength and numbers grow to a level where offense is possible, Islam pushes hard for Sharia law and concessions. It protests. It acts with greater force. Once R3volutionary elements hold key positions in the GOP, we can start to push for recognition and use of resources (political capital and funds). This requires numerical superiority in key decision making bodies.
If majority status is reached, Islam doesn't ask for permission. It takes until an outside force contains it and causes a retrenchment. R3volutionaries don't assume. They put themselves in position to make it happen.
The time for experiments in democratic action are over. It's time to take over. That will take both the bold and the undercover -- but the victory lies with those who are infiltrating so as to give the bold the strength needed to succeed.
We talk a lot about finally getting to vote for somebody we....
We talk a lot about finally getting to vote for somebody we believe in and not having to vote for the lesser of two evils. We should be proud of that opportunity and let that pride show to others.
I'm tired of hiding in the shadows. It's time to come out and show our true colors. McCain is not a conservative. He's actually somewhere between Hillary and Lieberman on the conservative scale. There are a lot of main stream Republican party members that aren't buying the McCain's conservative enough story.
Bob Schaefer (candidate for CO Senate) told a story today about Tancredo standing up to the leadership on an omnibus bill that contained some amendments that would have reduced the enforcement of immigration laws. He talked about how Tancredo was able to stand up to the leadership and by doing so he inspired other GOP congressman to also stand up against the leadership to defeat a bad bill.
It would have been funny if it wasn't so serious. The praise he heaped on Tancredo for standing up on his one pet issue compared to the rank and file Republicans sitting quietly on their hands while the leadership crams John McDemocrat down their throats. If there was ever a poster child for standing up to the leadership and voting your conscience it would be Dr. Paul. And, yet, the grassroots still don't get it. And, they want get it unless we show it to them.
They think that Captain John can win the white house. They are willing to vote for a Democrat for president because he calls himself a Republican. One lady told me that she was supporting McCain, but, they knew they'd have to keep a close eye on him. I said, you are going to give McCain the most powerful position in the world which currently has almost unchecked executive power and you think he's going to be a good little conservative.
You remember that he has a reputation for being a Maverick. You know how he got that reputation. By going against conservative values. She got this very awkward, almost cornered look in her eye. I almost felt sorry for her.
So, I think that we can no longer hide who we are. We are the revolution and we have to lead people by being available to them, by teaching them, by showing them the way, by building our credibility. The alternative stealth approach puts us safely behind enemy lines, but, with zero credibility.
Just my two cents.
Fight to win
Check out NoJohn.com:
http://digg.com/2008_us_e...
Digg it!
"Victory for liberty! That is our goal, and nothing less. -- Ron Paul, December 17, 2007"
Thank you,
for this post. When you have a platform as sweeping as Dr. Paul's and a real
attempt by MSM to marginalize him it didn't seem to matter what we did. We started out being open and promoting our candidate just as any other supporter would do for their candidate. We were marginalized and ignored. We tried going stealth now we are characterized as being sneaky.
What they don't realize is we are like ticks on a hound I plan on staying and driving them crazy, in a nice polite way of course. Running from party to party is not working so I plan on sticking with Dr. Paul in this party. The Republican Party Renovation starts now, I won't be happy until Dr. Paul is given the respect he deserves and his message is the foundation to build Freedom, Prosperity and Peace. When people realize that we are not blowing smoke and that we are the real deal it will be like finding the cure to cancer pure joy.
Peace
A dilemna many of us
are facing. Thanks for the thoughtful post. Above all, I want my Republican party to play by their own rules so I am not ashamed of them!
We are learning
We are learning that even with the numbers (Nevada) you can't always push through your agenda.
The NV GOP was able to use their power as chairman of the convention to scuttle our efforts. But at least we did force them to do some very unethical if not downright illegal things to do it.
Without the majority, I am afraid that it will be even easier to scuttle us, if we do not have at least the SYMPATHY of the majority of Non-Ron Paul delegates. I am not saying that they will need to be secret Ron Paul Supporters, it is enough that we retain enough goodwill among them that they will support us out of a sense of fair play.
Rank and file Republicans are good people who really do not hold that much animosity for RP delegates (or that much love for John McCain).
I am speaking from personal experience at our county and district conventions.