Perspective on the RNC and MA Ron Paul Delegation
Posted September 8th, 2008 by Michael Nystrom
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Devastation does not begin to describe how I felt about the Massachusetts Ron Paul delegation. Until earlier today, I'm certain that I was suffering from a mild case of PTSD from the convention, especially the events surrounding Wednesday's vote. After five years of being a non-smoker I smoked like a chimney throughout the week. Following the roll call vote, my heart had gone dark, my head spinning with the events that took place. My wife didn't recognize me, moping around the house, lost in thought, a frown on my face. Until I wrote what follows this afternoon, I could barely generate a coherent thought. That's how bad it was.
As we all know, the Massachusetts delegation cast a unanimous vote for McCain at the RNC. It has long been all over the net - on the Forums, Lew Rockwell, and here on the Daily Paul, not to mention the mainstream news. I was a member of that MA delegation, and prior to last week I felt proud of it. Of around 80 delegates and alternates (I had mistakenly written earlier that there were only 60 total), Ron Paul supporters took 22 seats - over 25% of the total. MA is one of the bluest states with a weak Republican party, which helps explain how we were able to dominate the caucuses the way we did with only minimal organization. Unlike the stories we heard from other states, the Mass GOP was fair in their dealings with us. My friend and fellow alternate delegate Todd Fay has more perspective on this in his post here.
In Massachusetts, there was no way to run as a Ron Paul delegate. As such, Ron Paul supporters had to sneak into the party as either being for Romney or McCain. We all knew that McCain delegates were bound by Massachusetts state law, and by the covenant they made with the people who elected them, to cast their vote for McCain. The focus of this vote was therefore on the Romney delegates who became unbound when Romney dropped out of the race.
As a Romney alternate (District 7), I was not able to vote, and did not participate in the deal that took place, other than to voice my opposition to it. I was not on the floor and did not hear the rules, but my understanding is that there was no way for delegates to vote for Ron Paul or anyone else. The choice for Romney delegates was either to vote McCain or abstain. What follows is my view of what took place. As a free individual, not bound by party or other loyalties, I speak only for myself.
*
From the start of the convention, national Ron Paul delegates were meeting amongst ourselves - both at the state level and as much at the national level as possible. Todd points out that this effort was courageously spearheaded by Chris Blanc. My friend Matt Davidson also has good perspective on what happened at the Forums. The initial goal was to try to get Ron Paul the nomination, and failing that, a speaking role, or at least acknowledgment from the stage. The plan was to use our size, and the fact that the GOP didn't know what we were up to as leverage points. It was clear from the security measures taken at the convention that they were afraid that we would somehow upstage their carefully scripted convention. Rumors flew all week that Ron Paul delegates were planning something crazy. One rumor I heard directly from John Tate, Executive Director of the Campaign for Liberty, was that there was a plan for Ron Paul supporters to rush the stage and burn their credentials! (None of us had heard anything of the sort, though we immediately began propagating the rumor by asking if anyone else had heard it!)
When it became clear that there was no way to get what we wanted from national negotiations, each state went to work with its own party. In MA we were looking to trade our "good behavior" for acknowledgment of some kind. Prior to the day of the roll call vote, we never, ever discussed trading our votes. It never crossed my mind to bring it up in any of our meetings because, as far as I was concerned, that wasn't on the table. It wasn't anywhere near the table. That, I thought, was non negotiable.
*
I was not on the floor, but the story that follows is what I heard from one of my fellow delegates who did not support the deal. A few hours before the vote on Wednesday, a couple of Ron Paul delegates who were known to be planning to abstain were approached by members of the Mass GOP, who began pressuring them to change their vote to "show unity" for McCain, so as to avoid making the MA delegation "look bad." In an instant, they were joined by members of the McCain Campaign, and by Republican congressmen from other states, and other unknown individuals. The whole group was surrounded by secret service men / goons with ear pieces and mics listening in. The delegates were told that they they had to change their vote.
At this point in your reading, it might be easy to say to yourself, "So what? They should have stood their ground. What could those guys have done?"
Extreme Pressure
I am not here to justify anyone's behavior. But please allow me to paint a picture of what it was like in St. Paul. The Xcel Center is a hockey stadium that seats 18,000 people. It was full of rabid, war mongering McCain supporters. To say that most of those delegates in the stadium did not look kindly upon Ron Paul supporters is an understatement. Many of us wore our Ron Paul buttons proudly, but were shunned as a result. All of our Ron Paul alternate delegates were seated in a single back row (right near the doors, I assume in the event that we were to make trouble, we could be hustled out quickly.) There were two secret service men on either end who were watching every move we made. They were dressed in polo shirts and baseball caps, so it was impossible to tell exactly who they were working for. Stadium ushers? McCain people? Secret Service? Goons they were - all of them.
To give you an example of the goon squad at work, a couple members of our delegation got some free anti-Obama t-shirts on the way in. They were rolled up and sitting on a little ledge behind our seats, and a goon came over to ask if he could see it. He took it, looked at it front and back, then turned it inside out to look inside before giving it back. I wonder what would have happened if it had been a Ron Paul t-shirt? Lew Moore spent a considerable amount of time in the hallway behind our delegation, wearing his McCain pin, talking to the goons.
Outside the stadium, security measures were designed to project total control. There were two layers of security to pass through before getting into the arena. The whole stadium was surrounded by 8-foot high heavy duty wrought iron / steel fences. Outside the fence was a much more aggressive paramilitary squad, dressed in full black riot gear, helmets, and sporting three foot long billy clubs on their belt. I witnessed one violent take down and arrest of a protester who was 1) no threat, and 2) did nothing wrong. Three big guys wrestled the protester to the ground and hauled him off.
Oh the stories that are yet to be told! One day after making it though the two layers of security and walked into the green zone carrying a paper notebook with a Ron Paul sticker on the outside. A security woman goon grabbed it out of my hands and said, "You can't bring this in here!" Why not? It is only a notebook I told her, holding back my rage as she rifled through my papers. She started talking into her collar mic and called for assistance, refusing to give my notebook back. As a crowd of other Ron Paul supporters gathered around us, she finally relented and released it.
The entire experience of the RNC was intimidating, disgusting and emotionally disruptive. "This is America?" I found myself asking again and again. Although I was in the stadium, I didn't even hear Sara Palin's speech - I just couldn't concentrate on it after her line about how John McCain would rather lose an election than a war. That line (like every other) brought down the house with chants and cheers. Watching this on TV may have been one thing, but being trapped inside the Borg mind was something altogether different. The zingers she cast at Obama were funny, and some were true, but what I could not fathom was how this could possibly help put our "country first." It was like two grade school kids trading barbs from opposite ends of the schoolyard, and the crowd was eating it up like it was Hate Week from Owell's 1984.
One final aside before getting back to the vote: For all of you watching on TV who saw the sea of "home made" signs in the audience... um, yeah. Those signs were not home made, but were somehow painted by the RNC (prison labor?) and passed out by the ushers/goon squad. They tried to give me one, but I asked for a Ron Paul sign and they didn't have any. The entire event was completely scripted for TV. There were cheerleaders running around at the lower levels, instructing people when to cheer, when to jump gleefully from their seats, and when and what to chant. This was the GOP in its full glory - a big, glitzy, phony show made for TV. Part of making the phony show grand was to create a show of unity.
I am not here to justify anything, but please understand that the MA delegation vote took place in the context of what I've described above when people were in an extremely vulnerable emotional situation.
On the night of the vote, the floor delegates who were being pressured to vote McCain called a meeting of the entire Ron Paul delegation. We had a text-messaging system set up that would get the word out to everyone. A large group of delegates and alternates assembled in the outer causeway. Members of the Mass GOP were there. The goon squad was there. Lew Moore was there. We argued back and forth. Todd Fay was the most vociferous opponent, but like me he was an alternate and couldn't vote. Chris Blanc who took the lead in the negotiations said we'd come so far that he didn't want to come back home empty handed.
Chris is a lifelong GOP member who wants his party back. For me, I was only in the GOP for one reason - to support Ron Paul. As such, my position was that there was nothing to be gained, only our integrity to be lost.
What would Ron Paul Do?
This was a question that came up during our debate. To me it was clear as a bell. Dr. Paul had already spoken with his actions - he would not, did not and will not endorse McCain. What is a vote if not an endorsement? We had come all this way, worked so hard for so long to support Ron Paul, and this was our chance to do it, even if the only statement we could make was to abstain from voting.
But it was not my decision to make. The pressure on the delegates was intense, both from inside our group, and from outside. In the heat of the moment, the stronger argument basically boiled down to: "If you don't vote for McCain, you're going to ruin everything for everybody forever, and it will be all your fault!" There was no time to separate the emotions from the truth. All of this came down right at the last minute like a hammer. The delegates were blindsided and completely unprepared. Most of those delegates who didn't agree with the prevailing sentiment of 'going along to get along' passed their delegate credentials on to alternates who were willing to vote for McCain. After the vote, some of those in our ranks were happy. It was a great compromise, they said. Many others, like Todd and I were crushed.
On the bus ride back to the hotel it so happened that Jean Inman, Chair of John McCain's campaign in Massachusetts was on the bus. Her spokesman made a spontaneous announcement that, "There are many Ron Paul supporters here and we want to thank them for being on their best behavior. And I heard directly from John McCain backstage that he is very pleased at the unanimous outcome we in MA were able to achieve." The bus gave up mild applause. I felt sick at being praised by John McCain.
The next morning at the MA hotel delegate breakfast, the Ron Paul supporters in attendance received a very warm welcome from the chairman, and a booming standing ovation from the rest of the group. Everyone who was there said it was absolutely wonderful finally to be recognized. I didn't go, neither did Todd and many others.
*
As I saw it, this was our first real test at working within the structure of the GOP. Were we going to play by their rules, or would they play by ours? Would we stand for what we believe in, or would we give in? As RP said in his interview on Colbert the following night, he too could have spoken at the RNC. All he would have to do is sacrifice everything he believed in. "Just like everybody else," Colbert replied.
What would Ron Paul want us to do?
This second question that came up has a more interesting and complex answer, and I have an interesting story to illustrate it. At the after party following the Rally for the Republic, a Daily Paul member gave me a box with 500 of the McCain/Paul War/Peace fliers to distribute at the RNC. I managed to get into the VIP section at the bar and show them to Dr. Paul himself. I told him that the plan was to distribute them somehow - maybe throw the whole stack from the rafters.
He looked at them for some time. His head went around in kind of a circle - not a yes, or a no - and finally he said with a little laugh, "Well, I can't control what people do." The crowd that had gathered around us all guffawed. Someone said to me, "that means yes." But I didn't see a yes in his face. I recognize that Ron Paul is a wise man, and I replayed that scene over and over in my mind. "I can't control what people do," is what he said.
*
Dr. Paul, as he tells us again and again, is the messenger. The Message he is delivering is one that has been long forgotten: freedom, personal liberty and individual responsibility. These are not just slogans. He doesn't want to control the world, or the economy, or other people. And that includes delegates who are trying to figure out the best way to vote.
What would Ron Paul want us to do? I speak only for my own interpretation of his message. I believe that Dr. Paul would want nothing more for a person in such a position to fully realize that he or she is a responsible individual, free to make up his or her own mind, and free to make mistakes, understanding full well that decisions have consequences that must be lived with. If someone is truly free, he won't make decisions based on fear, or what he has to gain or lose personally, or what people will think of him, or whatever. A truly free individual will make that decision based on eternal, guiding principles that will not be compromised. True freedom cannot be enforced at the point of a gun, physical or emotional.
It is this understanding - that we are all free - that allows me to look lovingly upon my fellow delegates who made decisions other than those that I would have. With freedom comes great responsibility, and that is a great burden to bear. I was terribly disappointed with what happened, and for a brief few days, crushed. However, I will gladly choose freedom any day, with all its pain and suffering, over the false unity that the GOP attempts to display.
*
The most important thing now is to learn what we can from this experience for next time. The takeover of the GOP - for those who choose to pursue it - will be a long, slow process. On that road, patriots will face many more issues and tests like this one. The most important thing is that though this process, we maintain our principles the whole way through. As Dr. Paul said in his speech at the Rally - even if you make what you think is just one little exception, just one time, you've sacrificed 100% of the principal. It is a slippery slope.
In his introduction to Freedom Under Siege, Lew Rockwell writes of Ron Paul:
Greatness is often lonely, and it is never easy to oppose colleagues or the statist special interests who wanted Ron Paul to act as their errand boy to the Treasury. They were all amazed, then aghast, at his refusal to play their game.
New Congressmen are always advised, in shady Sam Rayburn's words, "To get along, go along." They're told, "Don't make waves. Vote for the other guy's spending bills, and he'll vote for yours. Do as you're told and you'll be taken care of."
How easy to become part of the system and reap the rewards of power. For virtually every Congressman, there is not even a pause before he plunges into the trough. But that ws not why Ron Paul went to Washington. He sought a great rostrum for freedom, and he never sold out.
After seeing the tremendous pressure put on people in real politics, live and in person, it puts me in flat out awe that Dr. Paul ever made it this far. He talks a tough game but he walks it courageously and unwaveringly. This past week I saw first hand exactly why Dr. Paul is so special. Standing for what he believes in takes the kind of courage that most people simply have not yet developed.
That kind of courage takes practice. This was a first test, and it will only be a failure if we learn nothing from it.
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Thank you. I agree whole -heartedly. We must learn from this
experience and move forward. It is sooooo sad that you and the other Paulites had to endure the whole mess. I give you all total KUDOS for putting yourselves out there. But we need your experience now. We need you to develop a tough skin like RP has. We need you to figure out how to make this into a positive so that the movement can move forward more prepared. Thank you for sharing your story, Michael.
Your "conscience" is the measure of the honesty of your selfishness. ~Richard Bach
THANKS & GOOD job
I'm not going to read your whole article but I do respect what you went through. This same type of security crap was at the small Lancaster CO. McCain rally I attended. SS ,State police, Local police & every other want to be cop, was there to see to it no Protests by sign, voice, or force, would take place. This is typical GOP in LANCASTER Co.,PA. And typical of the type of government rule here. YOUR getting it weather YOU like it or not, attitude. You are so correct, that this is not AMERICA, nor are these people & enforcers AMERICAN. I do not believe that I was brought up with some of these same people who went to my school, my church & lived daily under the same teachings of the Republic. ANIMALS. HERE in LANC.Co the big offenders are the most religious . CAN you dig this. I am blown away by this. AND they want UNITY. RIGHT.. SINCERLY
says
If Ron Paul is Frodo and
If Ron Paul is Frodo and Frodo failed at the end, and I don't want Frodo to fail, can Ron Paul be Samwise Gamgee instead? So who would Frodo be?
Could McCain be Gollum or would it be the majority leader who had tasted some power and craves for more but cannot quite be Sauron?
Perhaps Merri and Pippin would be Nader and Baldwin?
Could Ron Paul be Gandalf, with a lot of knowledge and understanding including his own weekness?
Barry Goldwater be Bilbo?
Who would be the "returning" King and who would be Elrond?
Help me out here.
I was there.
I was there. And it wasn't pretty - in fact, it was worse than it's been described in most places.
RedHats following us around. BlackHats demanding to search our bags and confiscating whatever they felt like. Everyone around us laughing and jeering at us. Ugly faces shoving themselves in our faces.
No, it wasn't pretty. But we knew it wouldn't be before we ever went in there. We ourselves described it in advance as "Christians in the Roman coliseum" and "Davey Crocket at the Alamo". We were going in to LOSE - but we were going to do it standing on PRINCIPLE in order to trailblaze for freedom-lovers who would come after us, and who could look to our example for inspiration and guidance as they fought the good fight.
I was only an alternate, but I did everything I could to make sure our delegates could stand by their principles to the fullest extent possible under the rules and state laws. For two days we tried to get Dr. Paul a speaking slot, under a "Fairness Campaign." Then we pushed for delegates to "Abstain from McCain" if they weren't able to change their pledged votes. And on the final night, we tried to get an actual roll call vote for VP instead of an acclamation, so that all of the RP supporters could at least cast their votes for him (there are NO bound votes for VP).
Even when I was given a delegate pass for 30 minutes to have the "experience" of being on the floor, I used my time to take petitions to small delegations like Guam and the Marianas Islands, to try to get that 5-delegation majority support and get RP's name in the nomination.
Like so many of the RP supporters that went to the RNC, I busted my butt to fulfill my duties and obligations to those who had busted their own butts to get me there, and who wanted to see SOMETHING registered for Dr. Paul there.
And then, we were betrayed.
I don't use that word lightly. I sent text messages and emails, talked to delegates individually, did everything I could to make sure our people didn't listen to the likes of Drew Ivers... and then heard about delegate after delegate voting for McCain, when they didn't have to.
I'm disgusted. Yes, we are all individuals, and as individuals have to make our own decisions. But then we have to face the consequences of those decisions. Those delegates who sold out can be commended for their courageous fight against the enemy in order to get there, just like Benedict Arnold. But like Benedict Arnold, they will be forever stained with their final actions, where they betrayed the trust of those who had sent them there to do a job.
Shame on them. I have burned so many political bridges in order to go up there and stand on principle - how dare they turn that into dung. And that's what they have done.
I've read all of the reasons, and all of the excuses. None of them rise to the level of acceptable. I was there. I know.
Now, let's get on with the Revolution, and take back our party. We will be doing so in my state. What about in your state?
I am intrigued by your use
I am intrigued by your use of Drew Ivers. He was the campaign manager during the in Iowa caucus period, and I did not like him when I heard him and worked with him indirectly. The first thing I remember is he declared that we did not need to win Iowa. What kind of campaign starts out not wanting to win. I have first hand experience at work when the group management decided that we did not need to do as good a job. You can guess what happened to the project.
The other thing was sort of like a deception. He wanted us volunteers to have signs all over people's property and declared irresponsibly that people would almost fall over backwards to allow RP signs on their property. Now how did he get that power? Instead of being upfront with us, he made us march out unequipped. Do you think RP would do this thing?
And obviously he is no RP. So if he runs for office, I would probably run the other way.
So we were busting our butts off giving out slim jims and he wanted us to buy these things from our own pocket. Ok, that may be fine, and then slap some ridiculous shipping charge, and then later when they decided they will start giving away campaign stuff, it takes a long time to get it, and they bring the wrong things when u have explicitly request others.
Now what is your experience with him? Just curious.
hey, starcraft: what are you talking about?
That doesn't make sense to me, as written. Could you rephrase it? What are you saying happened with the signs?
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I have not commented yet
about the aftermath of this whole fiasco because I wanted to hear reports from the people who witnessed it. Thanks, Michael for yours and I hope it did not ruin your whole trip for you. I really have mixed emotions about it all. I would have to question the original intent of the delegates who at the last moment switched to something that is the total antithesis of what Ron Paul and the Revolution is about if they really ever did support it. You have to know the enemy or you have nothing. Their game plan has always consisted of of intimidation through fear, lies, trickery, detailed advance planning to cover all bases, and appealing to the ego if nothing else works. All of these tactics were used so did they think this event would be an exception? The other part of me says better to know now who is with us and who is not than later when the stakes are higher. As someone else here said as in seperating the wheat from the chaff, there is a sorting going on at all levels. At the end of the day we just got one more curveball thrown at us so let's just continue the game and see what happens. We may be hearing about a lot more damaging exposures coming out on the candidates and those in very high places coming out soon. I am seeing one report after the other on the internet of pretty jolting allegations, so we will see if they are accurate and if so how long the lid can be kept on. We also have an announcement coming up so we just need to take each day as it comes. Never a dull moment anymore.
The list of traitors and the list keeps growing
Remove them!
Yes! There is no room in the liberty movement for people who are...well, people. True patriots are not human, subject to pressure and coercion or pragmatism! And definitely anyone running for congress who shares 99% of the movement's ideals should lose to someone who shares 0% because we are angry dammit, that they didn't abstain!
listen
They caved. Simple as that. I don't give a shit what principles they say they have. As far as I'm concerned, they are weak and spineless.
Cunningham, I'm donating to your opponant. I hope you lose.
As for the mod deleting my post, the list is still growing and will be posted elsewhere and numerous times over. Your pathetic attempt at silencing free speech won't work.
No, you listen..
The people who voted for McCain to gain concessions within their state Republican Parties, were acting in line with what Ron Paul himself has advocated. His plan is to work within the Republican Party to transform it. He has said that many times. These people did what was pragmatic and what will forward Ron Paul's message. They are not weak and stupid. To name call and ostracize is not only self-defeating, it is playing into the hands of those who just want the entire movement to splinter and disappear.
I invite you to take your anger and do something productive with it.
LOL
They didn't GAIN anything! Let's see these so-called gains in writing. Anything less means they got conned, which they did.
Oh and I am doing something productive. I've donated to Cunningham's opponent.
He has shown his true colors. When push comes to shove, he caves. The Revolution doesn't need someone of his ilk.
My last response to you
No, they need more people like you, right? People who spout off about things they know nothing about? People who jump to conclusions and believe them to be TRUTH? People who are so used to being angry, that it's all they know how to do? People who can only see things in absolutes? People who, frankly, get no where in making change because they can't think beyond the simplistic and the extreme?
You may find, that once you banish all those who displease you, you are quite alone. Good luck with that revolution.
Its like this...
Some people take being stabbed in the back and ask for another and some don't. You fall in the former category.
I, however, don't take kindly to those that talk out of both sides of their mouth. People like that do not need to be in office.
Truth is, they voted for McCain. They could have abstained, but they voted McCain. Nothing more needs to be said.
Traitors, one and all.
It had nothing to do with
It had nothing to do with pressure for me, but long term strategy.
Michael's Lesson
Michael documented well a lesson learned from getting involved in politics:
Don't do it.
It is the rare person who can go in to the belly of the beast and maintain their principles and ideals. Many of believe we can do it, but most of us cannot. Michael chose to back out with his principles intact. Others bowed to the pressure and went along to get along - and they're only delegates! Do you think they'll fare any better if they became congressmen?
Take this lesson to gain a deeper understanding of what a rare individual Ron Paul is, and then move to the next level of understanding:
This system cannot be "reformed." Give up on the idea. It can't be "fixed" from the inside. It must be abolished.
Yes, Fordo failed, but Gollum (the Beast) finished the job!
The Beast that is the most drunk with its power Stepped of the edge and into the abyss.
Maybe that is what it will come down to. Those in the drivers’ set of power will execute themselves and take with them the democracy, leaving us with only the Republic. Quite poetic and ironic.
JonQ.Publik
Live Free or Die! Because if you are not free you’re dead already!
Who wants to be Gollum, any
Who wants to be Gollum, any volunteers? Don't u all raise your hands at the same time now, u hear?
Didn't McCain
accept the nomination ?
Dr. Paul cured my apathy
Thanks so much for your
Thanks so much for your report. I was watching the whole thing on TV and I could tell, (even though they tried their best to make it look perfect,) that they were not portraying things accurately. It is absolutely appalling and shameful the shenanigans that went on. Its an outright disgrace! Although I wish the other delegates would have stood on principles, I do understand the pressure. The state conventions were enough of a trial for me that I didn't want to go to the national. It is truly emotionally exhausting to know what is going on, and not be able to stop it. Without having the majority, it seems impossible to get much of anything accomplished. This makes us respect Ron Paul all the more as he has had to stand all these years against the pressure and intimidations. Bless all those who did their best-its always easy to say, "I would have done this or that", but unless you are actually there in that person's shoes, at the time of the incident, you never know for sure how you would react. Stress is a hard thing to work under, and it sounds like you guys had way more than your fair share. The info about the signs & cheer leaders made me laugh and also feel very sad, that the general public is duped this way. I know we sure didn't need cheerleaders to come instruct us when to cheer for Ron Paul at the rallies! As I have heard Ron Paul say, our forefathers would be ashamed. America, please wake up!!!
Only Frodo can carry the
Only Frodo can carry the ring of doom without immediately getting seduced by its power. Ron Paul to me is Frodo, the ring bearer. No one not even the mighty Gandalf and Lady Galadriel dare touch the ring.
I love "Lord of the Rings" story and I agree with Michael Nystrom in realizing that this is the reason Frodo was chosen and the only one that can bear the ring to Mt Doom, bec he does not care for power and control.
Amen.
Frodo failed in the end.
Remember that.
Yes, Fordo failed, but Gollum (the Beast) finished the job!
The Beast that is the most drunk with its power Stepped of the edge and into the abyss.
Maybe that is what it will come down to. Those in the drivers’ set of power will execute themselves and take with them the democracy, leaving us with only the Republic. Quite poetic and ironic.
JonQ.Publik
Live Free or Die! Because if you are not free you’re dead already!
I worked
closely with most of these delegates on the streets, in forums, in NH sat on the recount and many other activities. They did what they thought was right and I applaud them. These are stand up guys who put in many many hours for this cause, and they are right by the next election we will own the Mass GOP. This state is very weak for republicans and we will be giving them theire marching orders. We gained seats on the GOP, built bridges, and became embassadors. I dont see any other state in the US that has gained as much as we got. Nevada had to fight for theire lives and came up empty, although it was a good fight. Each state is different some will have to fight and others can handle it differently. We just walked in the front door and others will have to go through the rear.
Ron Paul has a pair of titanium balls.
What a cluster fu#$. I won't back down, the stakes are to high. I'm talking to all the dems and repubs I can winning them over one at a time. We may have lost the battle but the revolution has just begun!
"Evil flourishes when good men do nothing."
—Edmund Burke
Balls vs Total Corruption.!!
You people in the USA are going right down the crapper,
that is the one thing that stands out from all this talk of
"JUST WAIT TILL NEXT TIME..!!" What next time???
You are one step from being put in a FEMA camp to put
out your lights for good.. NO? Look how they treated you
at the GOP convention.. GOONS - controlling your every
move etc. etc. Reads more like a HITLER rally to me..
Michael, butt out the smokes and buy some ammo,
while you still can... Revolution now, Bill
I prefer black powder.
"Evil flourishes when good men do nothing."
—Edmund Burke
Since i have not seen it
Since i have not seen it stated here im going to ask this question: is it true that not one delegate (be they ron paul delegates or mccain delegates) from any state voted to have the delegates vote their conscience so we could at least try to have a brokered convention???????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"THEY WILL NOT RESPECT YOU
IF THEY DO NOT FEAR YOU"
THEY WILL ONLY FEAR YOU IF YOU HAVE NUMBERS AND DO NOT GIVE IN TO THEIR DEALS. LET US LEARN FROM THIS EVENT SO THAT WE DO NOT REPEAT IT. LET'S LIFT UP OUR SISTERS AND BROTHERS FROM MA AND ENCOURAGE THEM. WE DID NOT WALK IN THEIR SHOES AT THE RNC.
THANK YOU MICHAEL FOR YOUR PRESPECTIVE AND GOOD LUCK
Michael, it's time to talk
Michael, you have done so much for the cause, take it from me, cheer up dust yourself off and lets talk, I also live in Massachusetts.
As I have said many times on this forum, I have have vast political experience.
With your help and my experience we can organize a takeover of the Massachusetts State Party.
As you have stated, it's mostly a blue state, and the state party I am sure was shocked and excitingly surprised to have such a force of activism displayed before them.
We should meet for a beer. Contact me via the Ron Paul Method and I will give you my phone number, or you or anyone on this forum is welcome to contact me via email, dhanlin@comcast.net and we can exchange information.
People are showing back up on this list, that is a very good sign.
They are probably McCain people hoping they scared us off. (To them I say, we are coming right back at you!)
We must be relentless in our pursuit to save our nation and our children from ruin, there is a way...
We must adapt and overcome all obstacles. We can never except defeat, I will never allow myself to be a slave or let my country enslave my children. We are Americans, we cannot quit! The NeoCons must go !!!
It's time to pick yourself up and lead, do not blame yourself for things that are out of your control.
Instead, you and all the others need to be debriefed, so that we can record and right down the actions taken against us, so that we may be better prepared next time.
Next time it will be them, not us, that will leave the convention in defeat!
The Neocons are extremely afraid of the valiant effort we have taken on behalf or Ron Paul. Don't slap the troops, invite them over for a barbeque or pizza and beer instead, they will forgive you.
Tell them we have another angle. Our troops have gone up against seasoned political veterans. They have taken on the best in politics, but they have learned and will go on to battle another day soon.
Take my advise, watch massive doses of the comedy channel, laugh, it's great medicine, and be ready for battle in the morning. Believe me, the Massachusetts, state party is tipping their hats to all of you, as they should. I would even go as far as to say, you moved them
Either you
do what you say you will do, or you don't. Ron Paul does what he says he will do. It is his character, even more than his ideas, that has energized the movement that grew up around his candidacy.
Unfortunately -- though, on reflection, sadly, not surprisingly, given human nature on average -- it seems even many of his ostensibly most fervent "supporters" don't understand this simple, basic principle. Either you do what you say you will do, or you don't. If you don't, well... Think about it: In your personal life, what kind of relationship can you have with someone who doesn't do what e says e will do?
Why did these people get themselves elected/designated as "Ron Paul delegates", if not to vote for Ron Paul, or at the very least to quietly but firmly refuse to join the madness in St. Paul, as Dr. Paul himself did? What, were they in danger of being shot in the back of the head? Oh, some secret service type might actually *frown* at you? Ohmigosh.
Apparently these people were "delegates" first, and "Ron Paul delegates" only second -- which meant, in the end, not at all. They wanted to be "accepted" as "part of the family", so they caved. And made headlines -- liars *love* company -- and stabbed the rest of us in the back. In the end, it seems that the Ron Paul Revolution is just as corruptible as the rest of politics, back room deals and all. Whew, that's a relief; now we can get back to politics as usual.
And what exactly did the Ron Paul delegates from Massachusettes, Nevada -- and elsewhere? I haven't been following closely -- get in return for selling out? A rousing welcome to the table? Where they can get in on carving up America's carcass with the pigs? Hey, all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others -- hadn't you heard?
I've paid little attention to politics for 20 years, since I voted for Ron Paul in 1988, then realized that America *really* didn't want an honest man in the presidency (or anywhere else in politics). I got caught up again this time, and spent more energy and money than I could really afford (at age 65, chronically ill and living on an irregular pittance) trying to help the Ron Paul message get out. If the people who claim to be his most committed supporters don't even get the meaning of principle, then ... well, what?
I want to highlight the most important paragraph
"After seeing the tremendous pressure put on people in real politics, live and in person, it puts me in flat out awe that Dr. Paul ever made it this far. He talks a tough game but he walks it courageously and unwaveringly. This past week I saw first hand exactly why Dr. Paul is so special. Standing for what he believes in takes the kind of courage that most people simply have not yet developed."
Try to emulate him.
Try to emulate him.
One thing this confirms...
Is that those of us who utterly refused to "chip-in" to the various delegates "pay me to vote for Ron Paul" --- were right in our cynicism.
Much better the delegate from Maine who simply REFUSED to vote for McCain (since he was told they would not "accept" his vote for Ron Paul).
Another thing that this all tells me... is that McInCain and the GOP establishment are both SCARED and WEAK. Anyone who was "strong" and confident would be not only ABLE but WILLING to accept that there are people who disagree or of a different faction, and would be capable of "winning graciously" and would then use THAT as a means of "unifying" the party.
Instead, they have to be all "pissy" little cheaters.
Oh well, within another 4 to 8 years the biggest share of the GOP establishment (and membership) will be either dead, incontinent, or comatose in nursing homes (at least from what I see at our local membership meetings... there weren't more than 20 people under 65, and less than 5 people under 50 present at any meetings; and this in a county that is {was?} virtually 100% "Republican" {aka RINO}.)
Headlines
Regardless of which side of the fence you're on (delegate should work with the GOP vs. delegates should stand up and shout for RP), the result of what happened in MN is that headlines like these are showing up in the news:
Paul backers give in, graciously
and
Ron Paul, not for the long haul
Regardless of how it came to pass, the perception is that RP supporters caved, and when push came to shove, we bent over and took it. Now WE look like flip-floppers, regardless of whether we are or are not.
Those on the outside looking in on the r3volution movement are likely sighing with a shake of the head, thinking that either we're just like every other political start-up group who will eventually go along with whatever "massah" says, or, that no group can ever have the power to go up against the big guns. "Look," they'll say, "they tried it, and it didn't work."
I take this as a message that we will need to seriously redouble our efforts to open eyes and win hearts and minds. Let's get to work.
Thank you for that explanation
It's easy for me to sit behind a keyboard and imagine myself hurling insults or even fists at those thugs, but reality is almost always different. Plus I don't want to find out exactly what Extreme Rendition is any earlier than I have to...
I applaud you for your honesty and for all the effort you have put into the campaign, Michael... I sincerely appreciate it. And the same goes for everyone on DP and beyond who donated, passed out slim jims, held signs up in the rain, or just voted for Dr. Paul. Our numbers aren't as big as we'd like, but maybe that's why I appreciate the ones we do have so much.
Moving forward, nothing really changes as far as I can tell. The line has been drawn: liberty vs tyranny. Our message spreads by word-of-mouth and persuasion, and their's by coercion and force. We'll just set our sights a little further down the road.
--------------------------
"I killed the banks"
Bones are very hard and, yet ...
very brittle. So, when a bone breaks at its weakest and most brittle point, it begins the process of healing. When the bone is completely healed, it heals hardest at the point of the initial break and will never break there again!
We will become stronger as we understand more about the breaks within our ranks. We will grow harder in our resolve when we, again, find ourselves face-to-face with new, but recognizable challenges on our continued march toward freedom.
Thank you for your wisdom and for reminding us of Dr. Paul's belief in being free to make choices, good or bad, and having to take personal responsibility for our individual actions. Eventually we will profit by everything that is happening in our crusade because of our accomplishments and our failures!
No Excuses
Sure it was tough. But there was no mention
of bodily harm. The RP delegates should
have voted RP or abstained. Those who
voted McCain betrayed all of us who worked
so hard to get them there.
Quit your whining and excuse making.
Apolgize and leave the job to stronger,
smarter dependable people if there is
a next time.
So the "home made" sign that
So the "home made" sign that was misspelled "Mavrick" was actually created by the RNC...
http://www.youtube.com/wa...
Astroturf...
They probably paid some Ad agency a grand or more for that sign... including $500 or more for the "design" and the "consulting expertise" that told them to purposefully misspell the word.
We joked about this last fall when we were making spray-painted Tyvek RP signs... that the other campaigns would try to "emulate" it and would spent a big bunch of bucks to do so.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I'm curious to know, did you hand out the McCain/Paul War/Peace fliers? I imagine that it would only have inflamed people at the RNC if you had. Those people (many of them christians) are pro-war and actually believe that they are spreading peace and democracy by having war.
I didn't
It was like a hornet's nest in there. Plus there was no way to get them in. I suppose we all could have snuck a few in, but it would only have antagonized people, certainly not helped. I ended up giving them away to some protesters on the outside of the green zone.
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Thank you Michael for your
Thank you Michael for your very clear account on what happened.
I keep seeing words like
I keep seeing words like "deal", "compromise", and "negotiations"... which all suggest something is traded for something else... but I never see any examples of Ron Paul delegates being offered anything whatsoever in exchange for their votes. That's where this whole thing utterly and completely falls on its face. The delegates who gave up their votes caved to fear-mongering, and got nothing at all.
There was a deal
I'm just not exactly sure what it was. Those who were involved in the deal got something of perceived value. Part of the deal was the standing ovation at the delegate breakfast.
It wasn't all just fear mongering.
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Faustian bargain.
that they made, to be sure.
NEVER make a deal with the devil.
Thank you Michael
I have read so many accounts of the battle the delegates were up against and I unfortunately was not shocked by any of them. When I first walked my neighborhood I had a good feel of what we were up against. I can't stomach msm news, so I've only read things on the net and seen videos. My only reaction was, this is communism, this is the big boogey man they talked about when I was a child and growing up. This is what they supposedly went to war for in Vietnam, so the communist wouldn't take over. This is what they talk about happens in China. This is the country I live in! How sad, to grow up believing the lie of a free nation and then learning that speaking out against the government can not only end you up in jail but could very well cost you your life. Michael thank you for all you did, I would never been strong enough to endure what you did, I would have been physically ill the first round. What you have done providing this site is beyond fantastic, all the people here exchanging ideas and learning, this is what is so great.
"Truth will ultimately prevail where there are pains to bring it to light.
Liberty, when it begins to take root is a plant of rapid growth. If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter. The Constitution is the guide I will never abandon." Founding father and American Patriot George Wasington.
Two steps forward, one step back.
Michael, have you seen the video of the Rally? If not, you and the rest of the delegates that weren't there need to watch it. It's just what the Doctor WOULD order!!
By the way...
at the moment we are a llittle over 500 names until we reach 100,000 at the C4L. Hang in there, guys!
Great Read, but the lesson is this.
The battle is for 2012.
The battleground is for 3 states. Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
The battle is FOR massive Name Recognition.
We have an ace in Jesse Ventura. He has name national recognition.
We have a principled Dr. Paul in Gov Gary Johnson.
We have 4 years to the next battleground.
The strategy is this, Push VENTURA/JOHNSON as much as we can from now thru 2012. We must get them on TV as much as possible
The strategy is to de-legitimize Mittens and Huckleberry at every turn in the public eye, in republican circles, and advance Ventura/Johnson whereever possible.
In Peace & Liberty,
Treg