One of our readers wrote me an email, asking if I thought that Ron Paul has dropped out of the presidential race. This article is my reply to her question. by Walt Thiessen
(libertarian)
Friday, March 7, 2008
I received a message today from Nolan Chart reader and occasional columnist, Lauren Sheffers. In that message, Lauren expresses some confusion about what Dr. Paul's intentions are as expressed in a campaign video update released on March 6, 2008. Here's what Lauren had to say:
The video has been up-and-down on YouTube and its link on RonPaul2008.com.
"The presidential campaign will soon wind down, but we do still encourage all effort to gain the maximum number of votes and delegates in all the remaining primaries and to continue the caucus process that's ongoing in the other states by loyal volunteers."
The MSM is saying RP has dropped out, but the DailyPaul/RonPaulForum supporters *don't* believe he has dropped out.
I think he's dropping out, but doesn't want to harm all the effort of the grass roots for the upcoming state elections, caucuses, and conventions.
He also states that there will be *no* HQ-organized March.
Lauren Scheffers
Well Lauren, I guess it depends on what you mean when you say, "drop out." If you mean that he doesn't believe he'll win the Republican nomination in 2008....yes, he has "dropped out" in that it's now numerically impossible to win enough committed delegates. Actually, the idea of "dropping out" is kind of silly in that context. It's more accurate to say that he and Huckabee were knocked out.
He probably won't "drop out" in the sense of finally withdrawing his candidacy, because there's always a snowball's chance in hell that McCain might be forced by events to decline the nomination. For instance, it's remotely possible that McCain's Panamanian birthplace issue might get in the way, even though the reality is that McCain is likely to be the Republican nominee anyway. Even if McCain were to withdraw, it's still likely that Huckabee would be the nominee, but at least such an event would breathe life back into the Paul campaign.
Like you, I think he is trying to keep the Revolution going, and he's right to do that. He's also trying to relinquish control of it by stating clearly that it must be grassroots run rather than top-down run. In essence, he leaves himself as an ongoing figurehead for the revolution, and he clearly wants to do it within the Republican Party. Just as past Republican have described themselves as Goldwater Republicans or Reagan Republicans, he is positioning himself to be the namesake for future Paul Republicans.
I think the strategy of working to change the Republican party is doomed to fail. It's far too corrupted, and contrary to Dr. Paul's belief, Robert Taft never represented most Republicans. The neo-cons are much more representative of traditional Republican beliefs than Taft ever was, even if Taft was known as Mr. Republican.
However, I laud Paul's move to keep the Revolution going at the grassroots level, and I think it makes sense for him to continue to be the figurehead around which such grassroots activity operates.
As a side note, Paul said that the campaign will not organize a march on Washington, but that he thinks June 21st is a good day for a march. I was particularly pleased that Paul chose to give verbal support to that date, since I'm the one who originally proposed that date for a march (if one takes place). I plan to follow up with the websites that are still talking about doing a march to see what plans, if any, are being made now that the Paul campaign has announced that they won't be organizing it.
Addendum: I've also written a follow-up to this article discussing how decentralized planning can move the Revolution forward.
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Good article and good answer to the question asked. Now, if Ron Paul is not going to be involved in planning the Washington event he called for, who is going to plan it and how? This could be an important milestone for the liberty movement, and it could move us forward or discredit us. So it must be planned and organized. Has something begun along those lines, or is something going to begin SOON?
Walt, very good. Now, if there is going to be a March, what will the stated purpose be? As I understand it there are a couple of webs up about this event. If Dr. Paul is not going to be the focal point how will we determine who or what will be? We either do this in a coordinated way or it will be a failure.
Also, given (for some time) that Dr. Paul will not be the nominee how can we vote in the general election in a coordinated way to send the message to the MSM and the Parties that we will not be neglected? As the scripture says, "The shepherd was smitten and the sheep were scattered". If we scatter and some vote one way and others another way the message will be diluted and dismissed.
I am the President of a company in the Military Industrial Complex (heavens!) and I am not used to proceeding without a plan. I trust you can see my frustration.
DX10, how wonderful that we have a President of a military industrial complex company on our side! I never would have guessed! To be sure, Ron Paul does believe in keeping a strong military for our own country--I think one of the difficulties of his campaign is the fact that people don't recognize this. How much influence do you have with other companies and even government officials, as far as promoting strong defense of our own soil rather than being spread around the globe?
My own plan is to represent Ron Paul as a delegate to my county convention and to vote for resolutions that are consistent with his ideas (that is, with the Constitution). I will also continue talking to anyone who will listen about these ideas and continue the fight against what I call "compassionate tyranny." That is the reason we're in the mess that we're in--people see the compassion (the claim that the government is protecting us from terrorists, protecting us from our own decisions about our money and our health), but they don't see the tyranny (the loss of Constitutional liberties). Tyranny is tyranny, no matter what adjective you put in front of it.Â
Psychology studies have shown that people believe something that they hear repeated over and over, even if it's not true. If that's the case, imagine what impact the truth can have if it's repeated over and over.Â
Our company goes back to the 1950's through acquisitions and whatnot and we are the preiminent supplier of mobile jet and propjet engine test stands to our Military. We occupy 60,000 square feet and employ around 80. The sub-title of the sign on the front of the main building is "A Constitutional Business". I am often asked what that means and of course that gives me a chance to preach a little. I just recently sold the business to an affiliated company and will move on to other activities later this year.
I have been a long time supporter of Dr. Paul going back several years. When my employees ran up to tell me about 9/11 the first words out of my mouth were that our foreign interventionism had come home to roost. Not all of us old heads are stupid.
I live in California and I wanted to vote for Ron Paul but he did not show up on the presidential ballot. I would have wrote him in but there was no place to write in anyone. What is this? How are the candidates elected and how do the people directly choose what candidates will run. Or is this a system where "delegates" choose who qualifies and we choose within the choices that they make? I'm not exactly sure how this works, can someone please explain?
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