Topic: Political Parties
Who will follow Ron Paul's example? This article is one man's view of some of the challenges we, the GOP Ron Paul revolution, must face to shape the future of our government by the nature of our candidates. Sadly we must also work at changing our local party hierarchy simultaneously. Or how to end Republican 'friendly' fire.by Jahfre Fire Eater
(Libertarian)
Thursday, March 13, 2008
What example? His remaining in the race for the GOP nomination to promote his principles even when he presumably can't win. That takes guts, that takes thrift, that takes belief that your message is worth standing behind for the duration. In our society today it is just commonly accepted logic that if you can't win you quit. That's fine for a contestant on "reality TV" but it is pretty cowardly for a candidate for President of the United States of America.
I intend to promote candidates who are willing to stand up for their principles, when they align with mine. It is a hard thing to get started with because there are so few currently available. It takes constant involvement to seek them out. It takes following them from audience to audience. Many fail on the 2nd audience because they will say something in direct contradiction to what they said to the first audience. I'd say hearing a candidate speak in person at least 5 times is necessary to begin to know if they stand on principles or if they are just in to win without regard to substance.
By asking candidates public questions each time you see them they come to understand that you are attempting to hold them accountable. They should expect to see you. They should expect that you will ask them to explain the difference between today's answer and the last one they gave.
Grooming acceptable conservative candidates requires the constant effort of our participation. That one simple fact turns off a lot of potential activists. Me included. Some do it anyway. Me included.
My wife on the other hand thrives on all this political participation. She is laser focused on how to be as effective in promoting our values as she possibly can. The things I write about doing when I can, she does every day, the success I share in, she manifests with her tireless effort. She puts at least twice as many hours into promoting our values in our community as I put into my job. The only reason I can figure I ended up with a political geek for a wife is that we all get what is coming whether we need it or not. I just had her coming to me. Lucky me. She makes things happen.
During the past 8 months of intense participation in the GOP, including regular participation in our local county GOP, we have discovered that another obstacle to promoting any kind of consistent principles in the GOP is the childish in-fighting between party officials starting at the county level. In our county, the GOP is thoroughly dysfunctional; 100% useless as a tool for promoting our values in government...but that is about to change.
The current situation is pathetic. County party officers will not talk to each other, they bring petty, personal issues into the workings of the party and deliberately discourage new participants with their behavior and words. One elected party official's shallow nature nearly derailed a County Assembly. Even though that was weeks ago now, I am still thoroughly disgusted that this person could be so self-centered as to blatantly disrespect every delegate in attendance by behavior I classify as deliberate, negligent sabotage of an official party assembly.
As a party officer this person should have been ensuring that all knowledge and experience was shared with the rest of the central committee, the officers of the assembly, our precinct captains and the assembled delegates to ensure a smooth, equitable and productive assembly. Instead, valuable information and experience were both deliberately withheld in order that this person could challenge the entire proceedings after the fact. Yes, after the fact. There was no objection during the proceedings. That would have been potentially helpful and instructive. No, that didn't happen.
At the next central committee meeting the same party officer voted to not accept the minutes of the assembly. Many delegates who attended the assembly were in agreement that the minutes documented exactly what transpired during the assembly. The officer who objected based that objection on the information that was withheld during the assembly. An accusation was made by another person, a former county party official, that the minutes were made up after the fact.
How could one group agree that the minutes were exactly correct and another group claim they were falsified? That part is easy. All through the assembly these experienced current and former party officials chatted amongst themselves rather than paying attention to the proceedings. Again, these shallow, arrogant people gave no thought to the disrespect they showed towards the other delegates in attendance.
This is where we are starting from yet we know we will prevail. You see, we stand on principles...only the lack of standing at all could thwart our efforts. We are demanding "trickle-up-integrity" from the county party officials, to the county elected officials and then on up the ladder to the top of the heap. I'd like to see 3 candidates in the next GOP nomination race that refuse to sit down when winning ceases to be the primary goal. I'd like to see at least 3 in every election cycle. The free market of ideas has been short-circuited by Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment and the GOP has atrophied as a result. The ability for Republican neighbors to discuss tendentious issues civilly and come to a consensus has withered on the vine in our community. Don't even mention a conversation with a Democrat or the local GOP will brand you as a traitor to the party. This whole mess stinks. I'm sure our county isn't the only one that is in such sad shape politically. I sure hope yours is better than ours though.
The point of this article is to bolster our resolve to influence the discussion within the party and to influence the direction of the party by grooming appropriate candidates with our direct participation. If things are rough in your area or even if they are as repulsive as what is going on in our community, take heart, your efforts are effective if you stand on principle like Dr. Paul. Just stand. A gardener who is shaping a banzai plant doesn't go out every couple years, chant slogans at it, wave signs at it and go away. No, it takes consistent effort to create the desired result over a period of time. Shaping candidates, shaping a local party and continuing in the face of people offering an easier, more fun alternative such as a third party takes principle. It takes determination. It takes a belief that what you stand for will carry the day because of your efforts and your choice of tools and tactics. I believe and I thank all of you who do too.
Fight on, exercise liberty daily, voice your opinions regularly and effectively at GOP functions. I'll see you there. Who will follow Ron Paul's example. Only candidates we create by our participation.
Jahfre Fire Eater
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2008 Jahfre Fire Eater, all rights reserved.
Published: Thursday, March 13, 2008
Last modified: Thursday, March 13, 2008
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"Shaping candidates, shaping a local party and continuing in the face of people offering an easier, more fun alternative such as a third party takes principle."
How is it that you come to think that a 3rd party is just some easier and fun alternative to the GOP? Perhaps you think we should only have 2 parties, but we don't even really have 2. How about an alternative? And why not 3 parties?
Repubs want economic freedom, but social statism.
Dems want economic statism, but social freedom
Libertarians want economic AND social freedom.
Not everyone is the right mold for the GOP. If you are happy in the GOP, well good for you. Freedom and the Constitution wins with me every time.
Posted By: Alexander Jefferson
Date: 2008-03-13 23:51:17
@Loddi
I can only speak for myself as a repub and why I have chosen to remain a Republican instead of moving to a third party.
Ron Paul was able to get out the liberty mesage as well as he did because he was running as a Republican. I agree with you that at the top, where it matters, there is no real difference between the parties. But the fact remains that a Republican has done more in a year for the movement then the Libertarian Party was able to do in 35.
In the genral election, if I do not feel reasonably sure the Republican candidate is a liberty minded person and there is a LP or CP candidate on the ticket, I will cast my ballot for that person. But for now I have pledged to work hard to find liberty minded repubs and get them elected.
Jahfre, nice article. I feel fortunate to be in a better place then you are, my county officials work well together and are very weloming of us RP newcomers.
Posted By: No Name Supplied
Date: 2008-03-14 01:02:57
Jahfre, We had difficulties in our counties, too, and are also sticking it out. We will use your suggestion of persistent questioning as a way of gaining support for our issues/principles and accountability from public servants. Sig
"Ron Paul was able to get out the liberty mesage as well as he did because he was running as a Republican."
Alexander Jefferson,
I agree with you that Ron Paul was able to do more within the GOP getting out the message (due in a large part to TV exposure during the GOP primaries debates this year) than he would have in the LP over the last 30 years. However, he was with the GOP for a span of well over 20 years, so it wasn't exactly overnight. Remember also that the "revolution" found him, not the other way around.
Why did the revolution choose him? It was his stances on the issues along with a history of voting with his stances. The libertarian philosophy has an uphill battle, no doubt.
However, the libertarian philosophy will be drowned out and diluted by simply colluding with a party and those who do not share this same philosophy.
By spreading the libertarian philosphy to only those within the GOP, the rest of the population is left out, which is the majority of people these days (Dems). And I actually think that the Dem voters are a much better target for spreading the libertarian message.
Besides, I'm tired of the ole one-two punch of getting hit by corporatism (fascism) from the right and socialism (communism) from the left. They are slowly taking us away from liberty and freedom using this scheme and moving the US more towards tyranny every day. It's time for people to take a real stand against this move towards tyranny.
I think Ron Paul running in the GOP primaries was a good move initially, but only so far as the spotlight he received (even what little it was in the grand scheme of things). I think he should use the attention garnered to promote the Libertarian Party and with that, the libertarian philosophy.
At some point, libertarians need to run as Libertarians. At some point, libertarians need to vote for Libertarians.
Dem, Repub... Back and forth we go.
It's time for a change. It's time to get back to our country's foundation and the principles that this country was built upon.
I commend the effort of trying to affect change within the GOP, but I'd rather see the libertarian philosophy flourish than for it to be repeatedly spat on by the GOP, and there are others out there besides the 1/3 of the population that currently voted GOP in the primaries, and the others probably weren't watching the GOP primaries and probably didn't notice Dr. Paul much, and if they did, they probably thought it not a good idea to go Republican due to the terrible, terrible reputation the GOP currently has.
I never knew just how much my liberty and freedom meant until I went to political chat. I still do that regularly. Except now I really know what I am talking about and what it all means. I have secured many Ron Paul supporters just doing that and all of us together really got involved in pulling for Ron Paul. We joined the meetups, we went to conventions, and we are still talking to people about Ron Paul. Except now it is different. We used to go out and spread the message. Now I have people coming to me, on a daily basis. They don't like what they have to choose from this election. They don't trust McCain, Hillary, or Obama. These people have already dug a hole for themselves. When I tell people we still have an option for a GOOD man, one with honesty, integrity and the intellectual know how to run this country based on his experience and work and just how ethical he is, they are receiving this information with readiness. We all want someone to LEAD. A leader is someone with a vision. Ron Paul has that vision. We may not get Ron Paul as our leader, sorry as that would be, and I say that because being in chat I have talked to many people from all over the world who love Ron Paul as we do. I have never ever felt this way about a man who would be our president in my life. In a time when the American people have lost trust in their govt., Ron Paul measures up in every way. He has already earned it. I will be so sad the day he does not get to win the nomination, and again will not have the trust in govt to lead as I once did, and due largely to the media for not helping this wonderful man, but Ron Pauls message will live forever in my heart, and never again will I ever take my liberty for granted.
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2008 Jahfre Fire Eater, all rights reserved.