"[L]ead the Republican Party kicking and screaming back to its senses.' by rtbohan
(libertarian)
Sunday, June 1, 2008
The Ron Paul supporters in Branson, Missouri, for the Republican state convention acted wtih discipline and enthusiasm, but failed in their first effort. But the determination is there, and if the Republican leadersip is still kicking, it is a sign that they are recognizing the strength of the movement..
The Paul movement was a presence at the opening of the convention with a crowd estimated at 1500 gathering to hear the candidate speak. What might be more important is that the movement was also a force on the convention floor, despite the efforts of the leadership to weaken it. The party leadership, determined to send a completely pro-McCain delegation to the national convention, challenged the credentials of 287 delegates known to be, or suspected of being, Ron Paul supporters. They succeeded in excluding more than fifty.
With the convention packed with party regulars and McCain supporters, a McCain delegation was selected. The Paul group succeeded in introducing resolutions calling for an end to the War in Iraq, the Repeal of the Patriot Act, and the elimination of the income tax, but were outvoted on all of these measures. But thedisappointment this year should not affect the ultimate victory.
What the current party leadership, in Missouri and elsewhere, has on its side is inertia. What the movement has on its side is momentum. In Branson, the leadership was able to use the argument that many of the Paul supporters are new to politics. This serves to worry those who have been in politics, even though inactive. But it is argument that time and familiarity will cure.
The presidential campaign of this year is the opening campaign of the revolution. This campaign will suffer some setbacks. But the movement has advanced. The need now is not to retreat, the need is to hold what has been won and advance from it. A Presidential campaign is noisy and fun, but a revolution is one at the grass foots. This year the movement has won some offices in the party, it has shown itself to be a coherent force at party meetings. It has put forward and fought for new ideas within the party, and it has won some converts. If the momentum of the revolution is maintined, the advances will be made. The dillatantes and hangers on whom the current leadership has marshalled against will not exert themselves in a long struggle. The necessity is for the revolution to maintain its momentum. The kicking will stop, the screaming will die down and the party can be brought to its senses and its principles.
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Awesome article, I left the convention feeling good. We didn't "win" but we did represent 40% of the sitting delegation from less that a year of organizational effort.
That's exactly what we have, "momentum."  We here in PA, from all across the state, are meeting in Harrisburg in few weeks to discuss the movement and where do we go from here.  This isn't over. The Revolution continues...Peace..
"Let it not be said that we did nothing." ~RON PAUL~Â
