Foot soldiers for the Ron Paul revolution (LAT)

LA Times ^ | 12/1/07 | James Rainey

[traviskicks]

The freewheeling tactics of his supporters have made the GOP candidate an Internet sensation and an unlikely phenomenon.

The late-fall night fairly crackled with energy -- from a persistent Santa Ana wind, the high-tension power lines overhead and, especially, from the crowd packed inside the living room of a ranch house at the west end of the San Gabriel Valley.

Eighty people sat elbow to elbow on tight rows of folding chairs, chattering with enthusiasm and ideas. They would produce wall calendars and a concert. They would reenact the Boston Tea Party on the Santa Monica Pier. They would write to every independent voter in Iowa.

The foot soldiers of the Ron Paul Revolution, Pasadena Division, were only getting started.

Founded nine months ago by one of the first followers of the Texas congressman and Republican presidential candidate, the Pasadena "meetup" spawned more than 1,200 similar groups that claim nearly 77,000 members nationwide.

These fervent supporters and their freewheeling tactics have helped turn Paul into, first, an Internet sensation and, now, this political season's most unlikely phenomenon.

A 45-year-old artist and adventurer is bicycling from Santa Monica to the Jefferson Memorial in Washington to raise awareness about Paul. A Nevada brothel owner recently promised to take up a collection from her customers. One Colorado backer quickly raised more than $350,000 online this week, with a plan to launch a Ron Paul blimp.

"It's bigger than one. It's bigger than a group," Juliet Annerino, a Silver Lake fitness trainer and singer, said at the recent gathering of the Pasadena group. "We are making history right now. Right here."

Paulites tend to be tech-savvy, tired of traditional politics and suspicious of their government and the mainstream media.

[traviskicks]

..the Paul chapters are "completely decentralized," according to Kerri Price, a Paul spokeswoman.

Paul volunteers take pride in making their own rules. "Authority," said one young man at the start of the Pasadena meetup, "will never be true."

Paulites also don't hesitate to criticize the candidate's small professional campaign staff, as evidenced last week when many followers flamed fundraising director Jonathan Bydlak. The protesters, calling Bydlak an "idiot," among other things, said his demand for immediate contributions would steal attention from the Tea Party event.

LOL! Hey Ron Paul campaign staff, "OUT OF OUR WAY!" :)

[traviskicks]

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[traviskicks]

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[stevem]

The freewheeling tactics of his supporters have made the GOP candidate an Internet sensation and an unlikely phenomenon.

I think Howard Dean was once an unlikely phenomenon and an internet sensation. I think Howard may also have been a bit of a media creation, and at leat Ron Paul can't make the same claim.

Otherwise, I suspect Paul will make it about as far as Dean did.

[xmission]

You know. If Ron Paul did get the Republican nomination, I would probably have to vote for Hillary, just to keep RP from doing the cut and run in Iraq, and REALLY SCREWING THE USA GOOD.

[billbears]

They would reenact the Boston Tea Party on the Santa Monica Pier

Imagine Ron Paul's supporters at every major port tossing whole crates of tea into the water. That'd wake up a few more folks to the reality

..the Paul chapters are "completely decentralized," according to Kerri Price, a Paul spokeswoman.

Well that just doesn't work for Republican 'faithful'. They have to have their candidate to tell them what to do. Isn't that how it's supposed to work? Until Dr. Paul's campaign unfortunately that's what it had become..

[gondramB]

I wonder what percent of Ron Paul supporters would be willing to support the eventual GOP nominees. If the answer is significant then the GOP really ought to try to keep them because they have and energy and a creativity that is usually missing.

[Tears of a Clown]

Don’t be silly. If it came down to Run paul and Hillary, here’s a list of my course of action, based on what I’d most likely do:

1. Not vote
3. Vote for Paul
4. Gouge my eyes out
5. Vote Hillary

Sure, Paul’s idea of defense may be “one nuclear submarine will do,” and he may have nutty ideas, but if I had to choose between Hillary and him, you bet your butt I’d take Paul.

God willing we will never have to make that choice, but voting for Hillary over anyone or anything is just insane.

[Tears of a Clown]

They would either write him in, or vote hillary to teach the GOP a “lesson.”

Most of them have never backed republicans, and I don’t believe they’d start now just because ron paul has an R next to his name.

[USMCVet]

Ron Paul is an idiot and doesn't seem to mind that everyone knows.

His rant against the Iraq war and then the Vietnam war during the debates sealed his image as a nonmilitary, non-tactician twit and got well-deserved boos from the audience.

Worst of all, he tries to pass himself off as a conservative. Conservatives fight for their country - or at least keep their mouths closed about other people's sacrifices.

[xmission]

Yeah, i know it’s REALLY CRAZY, (and won’t happen thank GOD), but I just could not watch this guy destroy what we’ve accomplished, in the exact same way the damn liberals wanted to do it.

[Tears of a Clown]

oops, skipped the number 2 there...

[tophat9000]

What a choice

The Shrill Hill or the Hill Shill

Ron Paul is Ross Perot II = a Dem Secret weapon

[xmission]

The Shrill Hill or the Hill Shill

That's very good!

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Shrimp boats is a-comin, their pork is in sight.
Shrimp boats is a-comin, they will be druggies tonight.

“Shrimp boats is a-comin”
I apologize to the song writer.

[traviskicks]

Conservatives fight for their country

Conservatives fight for their country by opposing their government, especially on domestic issues where no other candidate seems to be serious about repealing american socialism and taxation. We need a New Deal, except opposite what the old New Deal was.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Libertarianism is just anarchism, they want no controls on their actions.
They are just like no talent rap singers.

[DugwayDuke]

“Imagine Ron Paul’s supporters...” = ‘Whirled Peas’

[sauropod]

Question for you.

Yesterday I looked to find Fulton Huxtable’s Fatal Blindness book and website.

They appear to have been removed.

Any insight as to why and where can i find them?

[traviskicks]

Sorry I’m not familiar with it. Maybe someone else here knows about it?

[mosquitobite]

I like how we’re the ones called leftists or Democrats because we support Dr Paul and are chastized for saying that we won’t support anyone but Dr Paul. Then someone here actually says they’d vote for Hillary over Dr Paul. And WE’RE the ones called traitors. I wouldn’t vote for a single dem if my life depended on it. But you’re not going to get me to vote party over principle. EVER!

[B4Ranch]

The Democratic and Republican Parties have become merely opposite wings of the same bird, and it’s the American people who are getting the bird as our elected officials serve their corporate masters and the special interest groups that dominate both parties.

Lou Dobbs

[End Times Crusader]

I hate to admit it but I agree. Anybody but Ron Paul.

[radioman]

Most of them have never backed republicans

I have been a Republican since 1960. Every Paul supporter I know is a Republican. We're called small "l" libertarians and we founded the Conservative Movement when the NEOCONs were still Democrats.

[radioman]

Conservatives fight for their country

We have no country without the Constitution and if you don't fight for the only candidate who protects and defends the Constitution you're fighting for the wrong side.

[End Times Crusader]

Imagine Ron Paul's supporters at every major port tossing whole crates of tea into the water. That'd wake up a few more folks to the reality

I would love for that to happen just to see the idiots carted off to jail.

[marsh_of_mists]

If Ron Paul did get the Republican nomination, I would probably have to vote for Hillary

I hate to admit it but I agree. Anybody but Ron Paul.

Okay guys, that's your opinion. But I want you to tell all your fellow Paul haters never again to smear Paul supporters as the ones who'd be willing to jump to Hillary over another Republican.

[End Times Crusader]

We’ll have no country when the terrorists start nuking our cities which will happen if a surrendermonkey like Paul is elected president.

[rob777]

"If Ron Paul did get the Republican nomination, I would probably have to vote for Hillary, just to keep RP from doing the cut and run in Iraq, and REALLY SCREWING THE USA GOOD."


I am not supporting Ron Paul this cycle because I do not believe that he takes the threat of Islamic terrorism seriously enough. That being said, I find the above comment to be a sad reflection on the state of conservatism here. The multitude of issues that Hillary opposes conservatism on makes my few disagreements with Ron Paul pale in signifigance.

[marsh_of_mists]

Are you saying that this never-ending, nation-building, military adventure in Iraq is preventing terrorists from “nuking our cities”?

If Paul had been president on 9/11, he might actually have gotten the guys who did it.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Dean spent every penny he raised as soon as he received it from a donor. Ron Paul has been thrifty. It’s a huge difference between the two regarding Paul’s future if you’re trying to extrapolate.

[radioman]

We’ll have no country when the terrorists start nuking our cities which will happen if a surrendermonkey like Paul is elected president.

It will happen when Pakistan falls...and Pakistan will fall because we failed to complete the mission in Afghanistan before running off on a new adventure. Ron Paul didn't get us in the mess we're in.

[End Times Crusader]

We fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here. How many terrorist attacks have been carried out in the U.S. by al Qaeda since 9/11?

If Paul had been president, we never would have invaded Iraq and it would now be a major base for bin laden. Instead we have nearly wiped out al qaeda in Iraq out.
Paul would have relied on privateers to go after bin laden and Afghanistan would still belong to al Qaeda and the Taliban.
I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that one or more of our major cities would have been nuked by now if things had been left in the hands of a president Paul.

[End Times Crusader]

There are already plans to secure Pak’s nukes if the worst does come to pass.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

The comparison to Dean is disingenuous. Dean still ran a top-down organization that gave marching orders to the grassroots, even paying for their expenses. Plus Dean had favorable MSM coverage in addition to using the Internet. Keep in mind that in 2003 the Internet didn't have YouTube, the blogs, MySpace, etc. just chat rooms & coordinating with other members through email.

Paul's support is spontaneous, his supporters are paying for their own materials on their own time, and he's receiving little media coverage, & the coverage he does receive is usually negative.

[radioman]

There are already plans to secure Pak’s nukes if the worst does come to pass.

LMAO!!!

[marsh_of_mists]

We fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here.

Well, that's Bush's reason for staying in after he could no longer talk about WMDs or Saddam. Maybe we should just start colonizing the Middle East, if we have to be there forever, to keep them there.

How many terrorist attacks have been carried out in the U.S. by al Qaeda since 9/11?

None, and certainly all because of Bush's is wisdom to dither around in Iraq. And yet Iraq didn't stop terrorist attacks in Spain or Britain. Nor did has it helped prevent great loss of American life, a weakening of our economy, and our national defense.

Paul would have relied on privateers to go after bin laden

Paul would have used the tool specifically authorized in the Constitution to go after threats like Bin Laden and without sending the whole military overseas to do it. But we used the Bush plan instead, and Bin Laden was never caught, al Qaeda's in out in the mountains of our "ally" Pakistan, and we've been spending the past 6 years wasting our money and defense resources trying to hold two third-world countries together.

[billbears]

I would love for that to happen just to see the idiots carted off to jail.

Oh my you would have made an excellent Tory.

[Tears of a Clown]

I wish you guys would speak up more often instead of letting your troother and anti-war liberal allies have all the fun.

Also, I’m curious: what do you think of these people? Do you just view them as “useful idiots” that can help revive libertarianism through ron paul, or what?

[Tears of a Clown]

Yeah, man. I bet you would’ve tried to stop Guy Fawkes from blowing up parliament too, huh? /sarc :)

[radioman]

I wish you guys would speak up more often instead of letting your troother and anti-war liberal allies have all the fun.

Hey everybody needs to have some fun...we aren't greedy!

Also, I’m curious: what do you think of these people? Do you just view them as “useful idiots” that can help revive libertarianism through ron paul, or what?

I don't think of them. As long as they keep donating to a Candidate who is against their best interests I'll just sit back and smile.

None of us are reviving libertarianism. The pendulum is just swinging the other way now and we're seeing a return to the libertarianism of 1776. Stopping Ron Paul will not stop the movement.

[marsh_of_mists]

I wish you guys would speak up more often instead of letting your troother and anti-war liberal allies have all the fun.

Also, I’m curious: what do you think of these people? Do you just view them as “useful idiots” that can help revive libertarianism through ron paul..?

Yep.

[Tears of a Clown]

Interesting.

So what do you guys think Ron paul will do concerning the WOT and national defense? Do you think bounties are sufficient or would you rather he be more committed to ending iraq and afghanistan responsibly, instead of rushing to the exit?

[stevem]

Plus Dean had favorable MSM

I believe Dean was a media creation. I don't think Paul is. I believe the end result will be the same.

[End Times Crusader]

A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for Soros.
A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for Al Qaeda.
A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for Don Black.
A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for defeat.
A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for treason.
A vote for Ron Paul is a vote against Israel.
A vote for Ron Paul is a vote against America.

[radioman]

So what do you guys think Ron paul will do concerning the WOT and national defense?

I think he will win without sacrificing our troops as targets in a desert hell hole. We're six years into this war and all we have to show for it is high gas prices.

Do you think bounties are sufficient or would you rather he be more committed to ending iraq and afghanistan responsibly, instead of rushing to the exit?

Dude, we've been there for six years...you call that rushing to the exit?

[marsh_of_mists]

So what do you guys think Ron paul will do concerning the WOT and national defense?

By removing our military from places where they are not needed, he will actually strengthen our national defense. He believes in a strong national defense and feels that foriegn entanglements weaken it. He also believes in going after the terrorists who attacked, though strongly disagrees with the current methodology. And unlike our current president, he also believes in a strong border policy. This Townhall.com article has a wealth of information about his views and political actions in that regard. Also explicates on the "bounties" issue.

...would you rather he be more committed to ending iraq and afghanistan responsibly, instead of rushing to the exit

In other words, is just getting out responsible? Well, like radioman said, we've already been there six years, we long ago did what we went there originally to do, so it's not exactely "just getting out." Furthermore, it's not brought up nearly enough that it won't be until 2009 that a President Paul would even have a chance to pull the troops out of anywhere. By that time, we will know whether this surge of Bush's is working. If it is, the troops should be out within a year anyway and all President Paul would say is, "Good. Saves me the trouble." If it fails and the troops are still there over a year from now...how long must we stick with a misguided foriegn policy to save face?

To be honest, this was one of the sticking points with me for Paul for the longest time, and I often don't think he expresses his ideas how I'd like. Or rather, he says what he believes how he wants to say it, with little self filter. Meanwhile, I rather wish he make a little more effort to frame these things in a way more appealing to the conservative Republican base. Oh, well...

[marsh_of_mists]

A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for Soros.
A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for Al Qaeda.
A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for Don Black.
A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for defeat.
A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for treason.
A vote for Ron Paul is a vote against Israel.
A vote for Ron Paul is a vote against America.

Mmmmm...spam...

[CJ Wolf]

[dread78645]

You know. If Ron Paul did get the Republican nomination, I would probably have to vote for Hillary, just to keep RP from doing the cut and run in Iraq, and REALLY SCREWING THE USA GOOD.

Interesting ...