Topic: Ron Paul
How Ron Paul Has Already Won How the Ron Paul phenomenon has changed politics for the future.by Grizzle Griz
(Centrist)
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Ron Paul celebrated the Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party by raising more than $6.0 million by 8:30 PM pacific time. He has already beaten his own record for the highest fundraising drive of any GOP candidate ever and, at $17 million and counting, he will probably be the best-funded Republican candidate in the 4th quarter. By the stroke of midnight, more veterans, homeowners, businesspeople, and families donated to Ron Paul's campaign than to any other campaign on any single day in history.
What this says about power dynamics:
An imposing new band of political allies have formed to take back the GOP. The Old Conservatives have returnedfor another battle over the Barry Goldwater / Jerry Falwell divide, including Goldwater the younger. We witnessed American mayors, wall-street traders, and quick-witted Texas judges open their pocketbooks to end neoconservative influence on the Old Conservative wing. In addition, the two youngest voter generations who will suffer the consequences of governmental largess are tipping this old balance of power.
Generation X is under fourty-five but they are coming into power. Their parents' obstinant polarization has become a burden. The government has already sold their their Social Security Trust to China and sent them to fight a preemptive war on a half-baked theory. Now it is taxing their own children before they are already born. They can only secure their future if they discipline the federal government's monetary diet and eliminate its incompetance.
Also, the college-aged generation has risen from its helplessness-induced lull to give the old political machine a proper sendoff. Paul convinced them that they don't have to be Democrats to be right, they just have to think more Republican than the GOP. They know the federal government compromises their freedom becase it cannot deliver on what it promises. With that new attidtide, they will revilatalize academia and challenge the assumptions that underlie it.
Entire states may follow suit. Unlike many of Ron Paul's opponents, he is leading in at least one state (In Alska, the citizens make the state pay them for the privilege of governing). Many other states already feel the crunch of federal mismanagement and they are taking increasingly devolutionary positions.
What this means for Ron Paul:
Ron Paul has already won huge. For his entire political career he has stayed fast to a core principle of governance while his colleagues buckled under the fear of party ostracization. So he took this chance to make his case in front of the public and he won, big time. His campaign did not have an infrastructure or an endowment. Instead, armed with only an idea, he motivated hundreds of thousands of people to volunteer their time and donate $23 million over the course of his campaign.
His supporters have freed him as well. When Paul is approached by supporters who say he cured their apathy, he responds that they cured his skepticism. Just as Nelson Mandela had to be liberated in order to liberate, Paul's ideas ideas of conervatism had to be broken from the bondage of a below-average media and Washingtonian groupthink. To achieve this, he did not convince people that he would be their perfect leader, but that they are better fit to lead themselves. (that's right, I compared him to Mandela).
This is a measurable defeat for Ron Paul's opponents. They locked themselves inside all day away from the press. Now they will badger their staffs about the internets and try to invigorate their bases by kicking them. They will regret every flip-flop, every public equivocation, and every soul-selling vote- If for no other reason, then because they envy Paul's spending power. (Except Romney who donates to himself).
No doubt, they will all misunderstand this victory as well. They will surely strategize to harness the grass roots. They will search for ways to reconcile a new platform of honesty and public empowerment with their own political ambitions, but they wil miss the crucial point: you cannot pick this new demographic, it picks you.
Regardless of whether Ron Paul is the next President, he has taught hundreds of thousands (see the donations) of Americans that they need not tolerate secrecy and incompetence from a government that is prostituted to special interests. These Americans will be the new politicians in the next ten years. They already have vast networks of passionate, educated supporters united under common causes. The state GOP infrastructures will be wise not to stand in their way. Soon this will nudge-out an entire generation of spineless Washington indoctrination. Many of those who will campaign on Paul's political platform will communicate it with even brighter, more articulate, and more compelling zeal than he. They will be his legacy.
Paul's Constitutionalist platform has become the new populism. In this new era of information exchange, populism can finally flourish. Today the people proved they can circumvent the media news cartel to choose their own front-runner. They mandated that he discipline their government for violating the very terms of its license to exist For their authority they need not cite articles, nor sections, nor amendments. They will invoke their power under the first three words of the Constitution.
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2007 Grizzle Griz, all rights reserved.
Published: Sunday, December 16, 2007
Last modified: Monday, December 17, 2007
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If Ron Paul loses, it is guarenteed that the first priority of the winners will be to "secure" the internet, so that this can never happen again. The biggest mistake they made was in letting him into the debates and then not controlling the internet. They won't make those same mistakes again. This is our chance. Now, not next time.
When the libertarians made a good showing in some primary a long time ago, the Two-Party party went to work in every state to pass legislation setting up blockades to third party ballot access.
They learn from their mistakes. They are not about to give up their power and corruption without a very ruthless battle.
you're right John, the MSM will continue to call him a 'fringe' candidate even as he has more than 10 times more meetup.com members than any other candidate, more grassroots contributors than any other candidate, and even when he raises more money than any other candidate, he will remain in the fringe because the power elites do not want him in the main stream. They do not want joe sixpack to consider him a viable alternative, they do not want soccer mom betty to realize the only person protecting her kids from pedophiles online and in reality is if Betty starts packing and paying attention to what her kids are doing, as she will be enabled to do under a Paul presidency.
They are already trying, I tried to donate to Paul's campaign from my paypal account, since I dont use credit cards, but the ron paul website wouldn't let me.
nelson mandela is a communist and since he so-called liberated his people, South Africa is a crumbling land with out of control crime, economic struggle, and Aids infection. Please for the love of God, don't compare Ron Paul to him. Ron Paul will send this country in the RIGHT direction.
Iconoclast, I don't understand your question. But I think it stems from a deeper misunderstanding about conservatism. Paul's ideas of conservatism are distinct because they are genuinely conservative. Neo-conservatism isn't conservative in the original sense. It is more like right-wing progressivism. For instance, Huckabee and ilk want to change the world toward a right-wing agenda. That's prgressivism. A real conservative would say you cannot legislate your morality whether it is left-wing or right-wing.
"you cannot pick this new demographic, it picks you."
Exactly!
What the other politicians don't get is that the people are not looking for someone who can spout the right platform (i.e. disingenuous poll-driven flip-floppers).
The people are looking for the candidate who has proven over history he/she will actually use the Presidential powers to implement the Constitutional platform. Bush over-reached. The Ron Paul Revolution is a normal and predictable consequence of having a President who behaves as though he is above the law of the land. This is America. We have rule of law - not of men.
Well put, and I believe an accurate analysis of what is about to happen! Now is the time for all honorable men and women to get involved in both parties to restore this once honorable and free nation.
If Ron Paul wins it will set the US back 150 years minimum. I agree that we must focus on individual liberty, but a vote for Ron Paul would eliminate the freedom of choice for a woman to have an abortion. He's an old fashion conservative in the terms of a woman staying at home and being the nice little wife. He disregards a womans right to choice as a matter of fact.
Honorable men and women can not possibly support him.
Hi I forgot to put my name on my last comment. I hope it is considered appropriate. I have just discovered this sight although I recognize it. Thank you. That is a very encouraging insight about the political energy that Ron Paul has released and the abundance of people of integrity that it has unleashed in the political arena. They can assasinate Ron Paul but he has infected the nation with his intelligent command and that can not be wiped out or imprisoned.
In fact, Bush has by far outstripped even the British King's abuses. Bush has from day one he swore to uphold the Supreme law of the land, done exactly all the opposite. Yes, many are ashamed they voted for him, they beleived in his promises. But it is time to get over it, and take action, and remember not to beleive all they say. Most of it, is just saying anything, or lying, to get your vote by stating what you want to hear. Anybody can do that, even an imbecile like Bush, and it worked. Do not make the same mistake, among all the candidates, there is one that actually does not work for special interest or even himself. He has been tirelessely working for the people for many moons, and obeys striclty to the Constitution. He is the only Republican smart enough to have voted against the war in Iraq. He was right, we were all wrong. And he has been right on a lot of different issues, and as he says himself, it is not difficult, if you obey the law. You have a unique document called the Constitution, which Bush has sworn on it, but then called it just a piece of paper. Wrong. This "paper", is what guarantees your individual rights and limits the dictatorial powers of Bush. Bush's tipping point has largely been overdue. As 200 years ago, when this point of abuses has been passed, action must be taken. I hope you will take this window of opportunity, and do the right thing, for America, and the rest of the world.
God bless you all and may Dr. Paul bring back the light to America.
Hi Myra I would suggest that you and as you say all honorable men and women should actually take a closer look at exactly what Ron Paul is saying about abortion. I think that you would be pleasantly surprised and perhaps even pirouette.
Mike, I did just that and the following excerpt is copied directly from www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/life-and-liberty
I am also the prime sponsor of HR 300, which would negate the effect of Roe v Wade by removing the ability of federal courts to interfere with state legislation to protect life. This is a practical, direct approach to ending federal court tyranny which threatens our constitutional republic and has caused the deaths of 45 million of the unborn.
The same site has a line by Ron Paul about being "an unshakable foe of abortion". Anything that negates the effects of Roe v Wade is totally unacceptable and is a step in the wrong direction for the rights of women.
Because of people like Ron Paul the federal government must step in to protect the rights of a woman to chose to have an abortion. I'm fairly conservative on most issues, but try to keep an open mind. However, this is one that I am unbending on and guess I am labeled a "liberal", but any foe of abortion is a foe of mine.
Nice try Myra, but reguardless of what Dr. Paul personally believes about abortion, he believes you have the right to your belief, which is why he wants the states to decide for themselves, meaning you can go to a state that allows abortions to have one. Its not the role of the federal government.
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2007 Grizzle Griz, all rights reserved.