Bye Bye Barry by Joel S. Hirschhorn (Centrist Liberal Libertarian)
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Topic: Ron Paul
Ron Paul Scrap the DC March. Gather in St. Paul for the RNC instead.by Jim Hines
(Libertarian)
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The developing plans to gather in DC "sometime" this summer are a tragic waste of manpower and resources.
I suggest everyone who still wants Ron Paul to be the Republican nominee for POTUS get busy making flight plans and hotel accommodations in St. Paul, Minnesota for September 1st through the 4th, 2008. We know the date, we know the place and we have a purpose.
At this point in time our fight is not with the DC establishment. It is still with the GOP. It will be our absolute last chance at making this happen THIS year.
Ron Paul will have delegates at the convention. 16, 42, 552,000, I don't know. But we need to be there supporting them from outside the hall. Stomping our feet, holding our breath, waving our signs and shouting out to high holy heaven and anybody else who will train a camera on us, "WE WANT PAUL!!!".
The media will be there in full force. It won't be hard to get some attention.
RP himself could be there. He could make speeches. We can broadcast them live on the web. We can record and edit them for YouTube and beyond.
Our friends and supporters from abroad could be there. It is a date certain and a hospitable environment and we would boost the economy of that region considerably. Arguably a far more worthy beneficiary of our largess.
It aint over until it's over. It will be over after the convention. This could be our Alamo. Hopefully with a better outcome for Ron Paul than it was for Davy Crocket.
I'm inspired to write this by RP's performance today on Capitol Hill in front of Ben Bernanke. Ron is the right guy at the right time: for the economy, for foreign affairs and for civil liberties.
I respectfully request that the "Revolution" reconsider it's potentially ineffective, confusing, purposeless, small, expensive and misguided DC march and make an official call to gather in St. Paul, MN for the RNC, September 1st, 2008.
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2008 Jim Hines, all rights reserved.
Published: Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Last modified: Wednesday, February 27, 2008
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While I appreciate and agree with your assertion of the importance of making at statement at the convention in St. Paul, why does this have to an either/or proposition?
The D.C. event will occur months before the convention. The rally on Washington is the right thing to do at the right time. A rally of support in September may also be beneficial regardless of the outcomes from D.C.
I don't have the time or resources for both. I'm probably not alone in that regard. I believe St. Paul would deliver the best bang for our bucks. It is a relevant and timely arena for this "cause" and there will be plenty of media looking to fill space and time on there broadcasts. If we are creative we could capture a lot of free attention to promote and keep the "cause" alive even after the big event. Coordination and logistics take care of themselves with the St. Paul gathering. DC is a logistical nightmare and overpriced to boot.
Posted By: JR from Texas
Date: 2008-02-27 13:29:18
This assumes we won't get the job done electing delegates yea? ;^) I'd like to see 1191 ppl screaming Ron Paul inside the convention than outside. Still, great point and I'll consider going --- if I somehow lose my Texas precinct March 4th or nobody else in Texas does their job.
Since when wasn't our fight with the DC Establishment? If we keep this a GOP only matter, we'll still lose regardless of where we march. We need to all kinds of Americans on board...especially the people who have fallen for Obama's false hope of change.
The statement in DC has to be made. The St Paul convention must be attended and supported. Both os these are not open to "convenience", consider them sacrifices.
The elitist are not fooling around; it's lights out on freedom and the concept of america for you, your children and their next generation. Yea, this is serious.
I agree with Brian, this doesn't have to be an either-or. However, Jim raises a wonderful point. If we got a boatload of Ron Paul supporters planning to come to St. Paul, if we really committed to it, the way people are talking about the DC march, numbers-wise, perhaps we could take up enough hotel rooms to potentially effectively block out other people, other supporters. I imagine within the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, there are hundreds of hotels, but with every room booked by a Ron Pauler, that's one less room for a McCain/Huckabee supporter. They gave RP a media blackout--let's give them a Minneapolis blackout.
Posted By: Alex Wallenwein
Date: 2008-02-27 18:43:56
By the time the contention rolls around, it will all be too late.
Ron'a only real chance is to run on a third party or independent ticket, and to make that decision ASAP after it becomes clear whether he retains his congressional seat or not. That day is only a little over a week from today.
I want him to retain his seat, of course. But, if it should so happen that he won't, he would be free to run as an independent. Using the planned March of DC as the launching pad for that run would -re-energize the whole Ron Paul Revolution, which has fallen kind of flat since people got depressed over his predictably poor showings in the GOP-rigged primaries. It will also give a huge boost to his fundraising efforts which have flagged of late for the very same reasons. We have the financial power to boosthim all the way to the White House - but only ifwe get tokeep the GOP fraudsfrom sabotaging him at every turn.
He will then have far more time to organize, fire his ineffective campaign staffers (sorry guys, I know you mean well, but your, the official campaign's, efforts results so far were pathetic. All that was accomplished was accomplished by volunteers in spite of the campaign, not because of it).
Nothing keeps us from going to the convention as well - after the March, after Ron announces his run, and use the event to draw national attention away from the pathetic GOP convention and to the Ron Paul Revolution's Counter-Convention.
Several people have stated that they can't afford to go to both. Congressman Ron Paul suggested that we all march to DC. It is a time to come together. Not tear people apart with confusion on where best to go. It might be more wise and effective to follow Dr. Paul's idea and have millions march to DC. After all he is an itelligent man and would have thought deeply about the march before suggesting it.
The more that people know about RP, the more support he has. Let's get that support as early and as often as possible. I think the DC march is a good idea. Hopefully this will produce more attention and more support for Minneapolis. Do both, enthusiastically!!
Their only weapon is censorship. If they lie, and we can get the attention to spread the truth, then the truth, and we, will win. Not without pain and not without a fight, but the truth will win. It is the blank-out that we must fight! Get attention, EARLY AND OFTEN. Don't wait!
Excellent point. A march on DC can be too easily infiltrated and turned into a riot, thus discrediting Dr Paul's candidacy. We need him in the WH, not back in TX writing his memoirs. Google: Cointelpro DNC Chicago 1968
and see how Nixon was elevated to POTUS - coming back from
his ignominious defeat by JFK in 1960. Almost like John McCain is doing right now ....
I agree, the DC march is a wate of time and resources. The issue will be lost in the vast DC media. I make this comment with 20 years experience in mass rallies and protests.
Even mass rallies with 10's of 1000's are lucky to even get a mention on the nightly news.
If you consider yourself a liberty activist, please spend your time and efforts locally to organize and address local issues.
All politics are local. Attend your local gov't meetings, attend the GOP or Libertarian meetings and take a leadership role.
Support exsisting issues organizations that supports your pet issue.
Run for office and change the system from with in.
You want to hold a sign? Then protest your local gov't attempts to raise taxes.
Organize a rally at you state capitol demanding a cut in spending and ear marks.
Follow your heart, but I feel the DC rally is a waste of time.
The rally is planned to be a mobilizing factor and building up momentum with the RNC in background, and in the light of the media black-out. If no action is taken, they may think the Ron Paul revolution has reached its end. If the rally is planned and a great success, it will also serve as a renewed inspiration for supporters to continue and it could also have a positive effect on the delegates that represent other candidates.... With this as background, the RNS in September is of course the most important.
I looked over your blog "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and you have the credentials to back up your assertion. While I on the other hand am only another yahoo operating on emotions and talking out of my a** :)
Write-ins for Ron Paul will not be counted if he does not file as a write-in candidate, but in some States a candidate losing the primary cannot file as a write-in. In some States write-ins are not allowed for the office of President.
If Ron Paul is not on the ballot in November please support your favorite third party and vote for their candidate.
A few references:
Missouri: "If a candidate files for nomination to an office and is not nominated at a primary election, that candidate cannot file a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate for the same office at the general election."
South Carolina: "A defeated primary candidate may not actively offer or campaign as a write-in candidate for the ensuing election". and "Write-in votes are not allowed in primary elections or the election of President or Vice-president."
Michigan: "Write-in votes cast for an individual seeking the office of U.S. President who fails to file the required documents are not counted."
I think there is probably a lot of people that for one reason or another can't make it to the March and/or the Convention , so other ideas should be welcome and used, so everyone can be involved if they want to. It shouldn't be one or the other or even just these two. State Capitals also might be a good idea, closer to home and less expensive.
The most important thing is to keep all the rallies Peaceful. Nothing would turn people off more than violence. Also, any mass event supporting Ron is going to be intentionally sabatoged the neocons, you can bet on it. In fact I wouldn't dobt it at all if the police don't try to divert Paul supporters away from any event with "Allowable Protest Zones" as they have done in the past.
A convention showing of 100,000+ Ron Paul supporters makes a lot of sense. We will be heard, all of the media (and delegates) are in place and they can't ignore us, and let's not forget to bring the "Ron Paul Blimp". The weather in MN in early Sept is great.
Let me weigh in by saying that I think Paul is the best chance we have in pulling our country out of a downward spiral. I must also admit, to myself as well, that the tactics of the media blackout and being ignored for months by the GOP has made the Paul campaign fall apart.
The troops are scattered. There are small pockets of 'meetup groups' still meeting and everyone complaining about how Dr. Paul has been mistreated during the campaign.... and so on. However, the damage is done.
While not ready to concede defeat, I am saying that if we don't do something - SOON - then there will be no one left to do anything later. If Paul's supporters don't see that there is still people out there who believe then no ne is going to make the pilgrimage to the convention. That's just the truth.
The media can under-report the event, lie about the numbers and squander the message but this is not for them. This is for the believers. This is to make sure they still believe. If you can gather 50K people in DC over the summer, then that momentum will carry forward and you will have quite a showing at the convention (blimp and all). However, September is seven months away. Wait that long and you'll be at the convention with a noise maker and whatever sign you bring.
I want very much to see Ron Paul as our next president. In fact, I fear not seing him as president. Anyone else will drive us into the dirt within the next 4 years. The official website needs to be much more of a rallying point than it currently is. Dr. Paul needs to be more of the pit bull we've seen him be (view the Bernanke videos!). Nice guys finish last. Ron's last right now.
I would like to see a DC march June or sooner. Without it, the supporters will be scattered like leaves and won't come together in time for the convention.
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2008 Jim Hines, all rights reserved.