Yes and, hopefully, no. by rtbohan
(libertarian)
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Right now, with the trimming back of Ron Paul's candidacy for the preidency, the question arises as to whether we should continue to support him and follow him or not. The question is particularly pertinent now that Paul has called for a Washington rally or march in support of the idea of liberty.
A few former supporters have announced publicly that they joined the Paul movement in the hopes that he could carry his campaign for President all the way into the White House. Now that he has announced that, in the present circumstances, it is more important for him to concentrate on his re-election to Congress, they feel that he misled them into supporting him. Some have said that they will not support him as a Congressman. Others have said that the intend to avoid the event in Washington because they no longer consider Paul a viable leader of the movement. Some have announced their complete withdrawl from political action, others have urged joining or rejoining the Libertarian Party.
The majority of the movement, however, has announced their continued support for Representative Paul and are concentrating on the upcoming event and making suggestions to insure its success. Most of us have joined this year's campaign with the intention of being behind it as far as it goes. It is evident now that the trail will not end in the White House this year, but there is still valuable work to be done.
The success of the Paul campaign--downplayed as it was by the mass media and overstated as it sometimes was by Paul supporters--is a valuable start toward the restoration of liberty in America. The people were surprised that they had found a candidate for President in one of the ruling parties who shared their principles and was willing to undertake a presidential campaign to bring his message to the people. The candidate was surprised at the number of people who were prepared, with the campaign not yet off the ground, to support his campaign with their votes, their energy and their money. Now that campaign is in its final stages, and those stages must form the starting point for the campaign during the coming year to bring final success to the ideals which motivated both the candidate and his supporters.
The event in Washington is important to the continuation of the struggle. In this we must support what Representative Paul wants to do and demonstrate that the movement is real and has something to say. Although the campairn exposed most Americans to what was for them a new idea, much of the impact was blunted by the treatment which he received from the media. It was also, on occasion, made less attractive by the behavior of some of the Paul supporters. The tendency of the media, in both the news and entertainment divisions, to treat all who talk about limited government and personal responsibilty as somehow related to the Nazi movement is more or less ingrained. It is probably due to the use of the terms of freedom by those who would seek the return of institutionalized racism and government imposed segregation in the past. It is certainly in the public consciousness, and is what makes libertarianism such a hard concept to sell. This year, it has not helped the movement to give Fox News, for example, to run the film of Sean Hannity being chased through city streets by a group of Paul supporters looking like a troop of Storm Troopers or a lynch mob.
The first thing about the event in Washington is that it must be carefully planned. Since Representative Paul has suggested the gathering, he must take the lead in selecting the venue, the form, and the content of the event. It is good to see so many supporters of it offering good suggestions, and these certainly ought to have an impact on the plans.
The second thing is that the campaign has already brought the supporters in touch with each other and the campaign and its supporters have advertised the principles on which it is based. An event in Washington is not going to make a great impression in itself on Congressmen or government employees. The key to effectiveness is the media coverage. The coverage, unfortunately, will focus on the logistics of the event rather than its message. It is important not to state a goal for attendance, or at least if one is stated, slightly understate your expectations. If more than expected appear, that is useful publicity, if less than expected appear, the event will disappear altogether from the media. And it is important that the event be an enthusiastic but orderly one. This could be the jumping off point for the more protracted campaign.
After the event it is important that the people who have supported Ron Paul for president support him in his effort to return to the House. The defeat of this effort would seriously damage the credibility of the movement. Ron Paul has been the single libertarian in the Congress. To lose his representation would be a major setback for all of us.
Beyond this point, there are other questions. What will Ron Paul do in the presidential election after the Republican Convention? He is a liebertarian, but he is also a member of the Republican Party. At some point he will reach his personal decision about whom to vote for. He may or may not make that decision public. If he does make it public, we must remember that we are libertarians and not Paulites. Each of us must make a decision, and publicize it if we choose, which may or may not accord with what Representative Paul advises.
Rpresentative Paul has said that a number of people have expressed interest in mounting their own candidacy for the Congress on the basis of the principles they share with thim. It is important that we find these people and give them such support as we can. Representative Paul should not be the only voice for liberty in the Congress. Now that the presidential campaign is ending, it is important to work to send a larger contingent to Congress.
Ron Paul is a valuable spokesman for liberty. But he is not its only supporter. His candidacy and his leadership have given the movement a great surge forward. But winning liberty is not the busness of the leader. It is the business of the movement. The greatest accolade we can give to Representative Paul and his campaign is to show that the movement has matured to the point it can go forward, whether or not he continues to lead the way.
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Posted By: Jim Palmisano
Date: 2008-02-17 22:29:17
In Proper Perspective!
 1) FACT: All political power is dominated and controlled by the media thru the 2 Party system called the Republicans and Democrats. This was handed to the American People blatantly with the 2008 Presidential Campaign. We saw it firsthand!
2) FACT: The state of the current media gives everyone a basic heads up that no 3rd Party will be accepted nor covered by the MSM. Proof is that the MSM continually called RP a Libertarian to purposefully label him as an outsider and diminish his broad appeal.
3) FACT: The overwhelming % of the population are under the strict control of the MSM because that's all they know!  We've seen how the Sheople will follow blindly for we've just experienced it in the Primaries.Â
On the Republican side they've convinced supposedly Conservative Americans that our first goal should be making sure that Hillary or Obama isn't elected. Vote for Insane McCain or the Huckster Mike Huckabee.
Anything! Just make sure these Democratic candidates who basically think just as the media's Republican choices of McCain and Huckabee will get shut down. Do not allow these uninformed People to be taken advantage of without being fully informed.Â
 Another bad Idea - Let's Draft Ron Paul or rather get him to run on our Party ticket.Â
4)Â FACT:Â It is well known that both the Libertarian and Constitution Partys are pure offshoots of the Republican Party.
5) PERSONAL OPINION:  Drop your Egos, Drop your labels, Drop your unsubstantiated Pride and let's Restore the Republic! The Republican Party is ours if we want it so it's time to take it back!Â
6)Â PERSONAL OPINION:Â The results after the Debates with Ron Paul winning the majority of votes as has been seen in the Primaries thus far.
Posted By: Jim Palmisano
Date: 2008-02-17 22:34:07
In Proper Perspective!
 1) FACT: All political power is dominated and controlled by the media thru the 2 Party system called the Republicans and Democrats. This was handed to the American People blatantly with the 2008 Presidential Campaign. We saw it firsthand!
2) FACT: The state of the current media gives everyone a basic heads up that no 3rd Party will be accepted nor covered by the MSM. Proof is that the MSM continually called RP a Libertarian to purposefully label him as an outsider and diminish his broad appeal.
3) FACT: The overwhelming % of the population are under the strict control of the MSM because that's all they know!  We've seen how the Sheople will follow blindly for we've just experienced it in the Primaries.Â
On the Republican side they've convinced supposedly Conservative Americans that our first goal should be making sure that Hillary or Obama isn't elected. Vote for Insane McCain or the Huckster Mike Huckabee.
Anything! Just make sure these Democratic candidates who basically think just as the media's Republican choices of McCain and Huckabee will get shut down. Do not allow these uninformed People to be taken advantage of without being fully informed.Â
 Another bad Idea - Let's Draft Ron Paul or rather get him to run on our Party ticket.Â
4)Â FACT:Â It is well known that both the Libertarian and Constitution Partys are pure offshoots of the Republican Party.
5) PERSONAL OPINION:  Drop your Egos, Drop your labels, Drop your unsubstantiated Pride and let's Restore the Republic! The Republican Party is ours if we want it so it's time to take it back!Â
6)Â PERSONAL OPINION:Â The results after the Debates with Ron Paul winning the majority of votes as has been seen in the Primaries thus far.
Very good analysis. I can't tell you how dissapointed I was at the Campaign for tossing out the idea of the march on Washington without better planning. I would have expected a Web Site to have been already prepared to begin sign up and dialogue with subjects such as travel, accomodations, suggestions and feedback on speakers, routes, purpose, hints, etc.
There are a lot of folks who would like to attend this event that simply cannot afford it. So, the campaign should raise money to provide transportation and some snacks or whatever so we can come from all points of the nation. If we can raise $6-million in one day this should be a cake walk.Â
As for me, no matter whether Dr. Paul endorses someone else or not, my vote will be cast for him even if it is a write in.Â
It saddens me that the partial Paul supporters who look for any reason to dislike him get as much mention as the many more who support him unconditionally.
 I have supported Paul from the beginning, and I support his run for reelection to the house now that the Republican primaries are essentially over. He may not be perfect, but he's a lot closer to perfection than I am, and more importantly: he's out there every day, fighting for what I believe in. He's the only elected official in the federal government who shares the majority of my viewpoints, and (despite the lack of media attention) drew more votes in the primaries than most of the supposed "front runners". Being realistic, I never expected him to go all the way to the white house, but his candidacy is the biggest victory for liberty that I have seen in my lifetime.
 I am a big "L" Libertarian and will remain one through this election .
Â
"4)Â FACT:Â It is well known that both the Libertarian and Constitution Partys are pure offshoots of the Republican Party.
5) PERSONAL OPINION:  Drop your Egos, Drop your labels, Drop your unsubstantiated Pride and let's Restore the Republic! The Republican Party is ours if we want it so it's time to take it back! "
 I take offense to this association. The LP is definitely not an offshoot of the Republican party, and I sure as hell don't "want it back". I will support a candidate as good as Paul whatever ticket he runs under, but this does not translate into support for the Republican party. It's his only choice now, but if we can ever get the system changed to something more fair, the Libertarian Party is our only ticket out of the awful government we're currently suffering with. Regardless of whether we mean well or not, any support for the Republican party as a whole can be misconstrued as support for our Bush dictatorship.
To those of you who are upset that Dr. Paul is spending time trying to get re-elected to the House please don't be. If we can not get him in as President, we still need his voice in the House. He has done many good things as a representative and we can not afford to lose him. If you are going to be angry then blame the party and the media for the blackout of Dr. Paul. If you think we are disappointed, just imagine how he feels. We have fought very hard and so has he, we cannot give up. This is our country we are fighting for and we must keep striving to elect Dr. Paul and any others who are of the same beliefs.
I've always heard it said that "it's more about the journey than it is about the destination". While I like the idea of the March/Rally, just don't really believe that singular event, of a few hours in duration, would be that much "unlike" most others that take place on a daily basis in D.C.! We need to come up with something that is "outside the box" ... something that will last for days, instead of hours, something that everyone in the entire country, from coast-to-coast, north-to-south and everything in between can be a part of, can make their voices be heard, can attract the attention of the world and DEMAND THE ATTENTION OF THE MEDIA AND ALL FORMS OF GOVERNMENT!!!
Â
I would like to initiate an idea here of organizing simutaneous non-stop, slow rolling motorcades/caravans originating from the West Coast, South Florida and Maine, utilizing ALL of the Interstate Hwy Corridors targeted for a timed and coordinated, staggered convergence on Washington, D.C., within days of the planned "Ron Paul Liberty March". It will be bigger and more attention grabbing than the Blimp was. The reason the Blimp failed was because it had limitations. It was bound by restrictive campaign regulations, unpredictable weather conditions, time and manpower parameters, out-of-control operating expenses, haphazard planning, and restricted/limited access by those of us who were paying it. But, in my most humble of opinions, I think that the one, singular, most serious mistake made with the Blimp is that the planners did not utilizie the resources, knowledge and willingness of our "grassroots organization" to make it work. Had the Blimp remained a "grassroots" project, I predict that it would still be in the air today. When it became a "business venture" its future was sealed.
Â
I propose that by  using a central land based command center and utilization of GPS, cell phone, text msg and wireless internet technology, we can aim multiple timed & staggered convergance on the Washington D.C. & surrounding four state area within 72 hrs of the scheduled start of the "Ron Paul Rally March for Liberty". Each motorcade would be fed by it's own "media driven inertia", i.e., as each motorcade proceeds to the east, from city to city, county to county, state to state it will generate it's own life and growth. News of it's approaching will draw hundreds, thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of of spectators to the nearest Interstate to watch as "History" presents itself. Waiting, staged vehicles of every shape, size, make, model & color. Cars, p/u trucks, big rigs, campers, RV's, motor cycles, emergency vehicles, tow trucks, you name it, will fall in line at the rear to participate in their support for Liberty! Some will sign up for the entire trip, those who can't might only make the trip across their county, their state or whatever. Everyone, regardless of their socio-economic status, ability or position in life can participate to whatever extent they wish and still be a part of the "Next Historical Moment in the Ron Paul History" phenomenon.
Â
Picture this in your mind, I-8 from San Diego, I-10 & I-40 from LA, I-80 from San Francisco, I-84 from Portland, & I-90 from Seattle ... I-95 from Miami, I-75 from Tampa ... I-95 from Maine and every other Interstate connection in between, each with their very own "Liberty Motorcade". Vehicle-to-Vehicle cell/txt communications. Each vehicle manned with multiple drivers for "straight through" shifts, as fuel, food and/or maintenance demands occur, vehicles fall-out and rejoin at the rear as appropriate.
Â
With the availability of todays technology at our disposal this event truly has the potential of making history in enormous proportions. Somewhere around the middle of May each and every taxpayer in America will be gettin a $ 500.00"hot check" from our "good friend G Dubya", which he has so graciously borrowed from his good friends in China! What better way could anyone come up with to show our appreciation for him adding that much more to our already insurrmountable debt than to spend it in protest supporting the man that he and the other Republicans hate the most, Our next President, Dr. Ron Paul!
Â
If anyone has any comments or ideas along these lines plz reply to ricknhouston@gmail.com
A Masterful Idea! This can show America how widespread and dedicated Ron Paul's support really is, as well as being un-ignorable by the major media. We got us a Freedom Convoy! Where do I sign up?Â
And, while I'm at it, what kind of recount effort - and results - has there been in primary states like New Hampshire and Massachusetts? Anyone know?
Mitch,
Which libertarian party are you talking about? They have some bad guys. The Cato Institute types of libertarian party have been taken over by the warmongering neocon Republican party. Have you been asleep? Their shills have joined the greek theatre chorus to stop Ron Paul. And they have succeeded.
The libertarian party is a complete mess. I haven't seen such internal discord as when I was a member of the green party years ago. When you have staunch libertarians questioning Paul as a torch bearer simply because "he's popular now" shows how self-defeating the party is, and with new infiltrations of neocons it is doomed to repeat the mistakes of Ross Perot's Reform party when it was infiltrated by Buchanan's fanatics.
