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Trying--and failing--to feel sorry for Ron Paul's supporters
Modern Conservative ^ | Christopher Cook

Posted on 01/10/2008 5:29:29 AM PST by connell

Whenever anyone mentions Ron Paul, it really touches off Paulestinian nerves. Yesterday's piece was titled Ron Paul, get out of the Republican Party.

The post on Free Republic touched off the longest comment thread I think I have ever seen there: 441 and still going, last I checked.

Interestingly, I discovered early this morning that a similar "Ron Paul please leave the GOP" post went up on Redstate yesterday, titled Republicans to Ron Paul: Seriously, Get Lost. They even wrote it in 2nd person, just as I did. Sane minds think alike, it seems.

Through all of this, I keep noticing that Paul's supporters seem unable to distinguish between their support for some of Ron Paul's appealing libertarian positions and the rest of the neo-Confederate conspiratorial bilge that accompanies it. I noticed that a commenter on the Redstate thread brought up the same point:

It's a persistent characteristic of Paul's supporters that they don't seem to be able to grasp the difference between criticism of Paul specifically and criticism of libertarian ideas generally. You'll say "look, this guy either approved of or was too dozy or disterested to prevent to issuing of a whole bunch of racist, anti-semitic shlock under his name," and their reply is to point to the debt clock and ask you why you don't support cutting the size of government. It just doesn't address the issue, and it happens so frequently that is starts to look less like strategy than pathology.

The commenter is quite right.

I have tried several times, both in posts and in comment threads, to make the important distinction between the principled people who support libertarian positions and the fringe people and ideas swarming like flies around Ron Paul's stinking midden. And yet, again and again, many...

(Excerpt) Read more at modernconservative.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; gop; libertarianism; ronpaul
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1 posted on 01/10/2008 5:29:31 AM PST by connell
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To: connell

Ron Paul and Obama will be working together soon.


2 posted on 01/10/2008 5:31:04 AM PST by NoLibZone (Hillary 's loss will liberal repudiation of the Clinton years)
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To: connell

We’re leaving, we’re leaving, already! Voluntarily. Don’t whip us on the way out.


3 posted on 01/10/2008 5:31:10 AM PST by jammer
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To: jammer

Golly, if you’re a principled libertarian (as opposed to am America-hating angry racist), we’d be much obliged if you’d stay and work with us to make American better!


4 posted on 01/10/2008 5:38:52 AM PST by connell (I will not cease from mental fight, nor shall my sword sleep in my hand)
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To: connell
The post on Free Republic touched off the longest comment thread I think I have ever seen there: 441 and still going, last I checked.

How did I miss that thread?
5 posted on 01/10/2008 5:39:24 AM PST by rightwingintelligentsia (CNN: Full of plants from the DNC Plant-ation.)
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To: connell

“The post on Free Republic touched off the longest comment thread I think I have ever seen there: 441 and still going, last I checked.”

Haven’t seen a lot of threads here, have you?


6 posted on 01/10/2008 5:40:10 AM PST by Hoodlum91 (I support global warming.)
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To: connell
"the longest comment thread I think I have ever seen there: 441 and still going, last I checked"

Phht, I've seen longer "A Moose Bit My Sister" threads...

7 posted on 01/10/2008 5:40:16 AM PST by Damocles (MexAmeriCananda - Coming Soon To A Global Economy Near You!)
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To: connell

8 posted on 01/10/2008 5:43:34 AM PST by ReignOfError
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To: jammer

Don’t leave the party. Work to make it more respectful of the constitution and more respectful of individual freedom. Paul has a lot of worthwhile things to say. He just made himself a fringe candidate by going against the bulk of the party on Iraq. He’s patriotic as are the bulk of American Republicans, but the expression of that patriotism is support for our troops in Iraq and support for the attempt to make a war we started a victory.


9 posted on 01/10/2008 5:45:14 AM PST by Greg F (Duncan Hunter is a good man.)
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To: jammer

So Paul will withdraw from our GOP Debates?


10 posted on 01/10/2008 5:45:28 AM PST by NoLibZone (Hillary 's loss will liberal repudiation of the Clinton years)
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To: connell
“Through all of this, I keep noticing that Paul’s supporters seem unable to distinguish between their support for some of Ron Paul’s appealing libertarian positions and the rest of the neo-Confederate conspiratorial bilge that accompanies”

It is something the Claxton Army shares with the moonbats: If you have no knowledge, except what the leaders talking points are, either (1) Change the subject (2) Personally attack the questioner OR (3) Both of the above

11 posted on 01/10/2008 5:48:48 AM PST by sticker
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To: Hoodlum91; Damocles
Haven’t seen a lot of threads here, have you?

Apparently, I haven't seen enough :-)

I've been a user for many years, but I do check a wide variety of other sources too, so I guess I've missed out on some real fun here!
12 posted on 01/10/2008 5:49:00 AM PST by connell (I will not cease from mental fight, nor shall my sword sleep in my hand)
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To: connell

Good going - alienate all the younger people who are getting excited by the message of limited government, which they are hearing for the first time.

The first time is right - they sure as hell don’t hear it from the GOP.

Alienate them and they will never vote for another Republican again.

Christopher Cook, YOU get out of the Republican party. You spoke of a tent big enough for nanny stateres, abortion supporters, and gungrabbers - but not for people who favor limited government and the constitution.

When you whine after the election that the libertarians lost it for the Republicans, I don’t want to hear you whine that Hillary won because of libertarians standing on principle. You wouldn’t know principles if they bit you in the tuchus. YOU said get out - and if and when Hillary wins, I am 100% sure you’ll blame the people you told to get out.

The GOP lost my loyalty somewhere between massive social welfare entitlements, phony free trade, calling me a vigilant for supporting minutemen and opposing open borders, and calling me a sexist for opposing Harriet Miers.

I’m a Hunter supporter who would vote for a 3rd party Paul in a heartbeat against a gun grabber, an abortionist, a nanny stater, or any other type of Democrat in GOP clothing that appears to infect the upper levels of party leadership these days.

Saving some buildings and lives is not worth giving up our liberty for - which the GOP is doing incrementally slower than the Dems, but not damn much.


13 posted on 01/10/2008 5:49:33 AM PST by GovernmentIsTheProblem (The GOP is "Whig"ing out.)
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To: connell
The post on Free Republic touched off the longest comment thread I think I have ever seen there: 441 and still going, last I checked.

Author is not frequent guest on FR I suppose.

I have tried several times, both in posts and in comment threads, to make the important distinction between the principled people who support libertarian positions and the fringe people and ideas swarming like flies around Ron Paul's stinking midden.

This is classical leftist way to attack conservative candidates all over the world. They don’t really waste their time to question his views on different subject. They spend nights ad days to find out about some fringe groups of his supporters and when this goal is accomplished bring all attention to them.

14 posted on 01/10/2008 5:49:52 AM PST by Lukasz
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To: connell

Your tagline—Blake?


15 posted on 01/10/2008 5:52:37 AM PST by rightwingintelligentsia (CNN: Full of plants from the DNC Plant-ation.)
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To: Lukasz

“This is classical leftist way to attack conservative candidates all over the world. They don’t really waste their time to question his views on different subject. They spend nights ad days to find out about some fringe groups of his supporters and when this goal is accomplished bring all attention to them.”

Guilt by association.

Well Chris Cook, I associate you with the tolerance for leftism in the GOP which has killed it as an effective tool for small government.

Get out.


16 posted on 01/10/2008 5:52:53 AM PST by GovernmentIsTheProblem (The GOP is "Whig"ing out.)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia
Your tagline—Blake?

Yes sir: And did those feet in ancient time :-)
17 posted on 01/10/2008 5:55:20 AM PST by connell (I will not cease from mental fight, nor shall my sword sleep in my hand)
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To: connell

Ma’am, actually.

But it’s always nice to meet a literate fellow FReeper.


18 posted on 01/10/2008 5:57:08 AM PST by rightwingintelligentsia (CNN: Full of plants from the DNC Plant-ation.)
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To: GovernmentIsTheProblem

So many of your views are my views. I keep saying, over and over again, that we share many goals in common...but that Ron Paul is not the answer. That is my point here.


19 posted on 01/10/2008 5:57:38 AM PST by connell (I will not cease from mental fight, nor shall my sword sleep in my hand)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia
Ma’am, actually.

Aw shucks, I'm sorry! "Yes sir" pops out of my mouth all the time, without me even thinking. Next thing ya know, I'll be at a Hillary Clinton rally holding up a sign that says "iron my shirt." :-)
20 posted on 01/10/2008 5:59:56 AM PST by connell (I will not cease from mental fight, nor shall my sword sleep in my hand)
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