Posted on 07/29/2007 6:22:19 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Yesterday I looked at the Ron Paul phenomenon as an expression of the anti-big government sentiments among some people in each of the major parties. Such voters have limited options among the other candidates this year. While the Paul supporters commenting vigorously disagreed, I also expressed the belief that Paul cannot win the Republican nomination. What if I am right? What will his supporters do?
It is hard to see Paul supporters being loyal Republicans and backing their party’s winner–which should be a matter of concern for the Republicans. If I was a GOP leader I’d be questioning Paul’s loyalty to the party and pressing him for a pledge to support the nominee and encourage his supporters to do the same should he lose. Of course it is questionable as to how many votes he could deliver to the authoritarian war mongers who dominate the Republican field should he be willing to do so.
I don’t even know that Paul would agree to support another Republican candidate. Would Paul jump ship and run as a Libertarian again? If not, will the Libertarian Party candidate benefit from what Paul has done? That will depend partially upon the candidate, but the LP will have the problem that many people are reluctant to vote for a third party which has no real chance of winning.
If they are reluctant to support a minor party, will many Paul supporters back the Democratic winner as the best shot of having an anti-war candidate win? That will depend a lot on the nominee. Richardson already has some libertarian support but remains a real long shot. Edwards will have a real tough time attracting any libertarian support, between his previous support for he war and Patriot Act when in the Senate to his current populist economic policies. Clinton will also have problems here, but I could see Obama managing to find a way to bridge liberal ideas with libertarian ideals as he has shown he is willing to avoid pandering to traditional Democratic special interests.
While I don’t think Ron Paul has any real chance of winning the Republican nomination, his candidacy is doing far better than might have been expected initially, and he very well may have a lasting impact on the race. Between the out right libertarians, as well as the more traditional conservatives who are becoming increasingly outraged by the current Republican leadership, there will be a number of Republicans looking for an alternative. Whether the Democrats can become a majority party will depend partially on whether they can attract a portion of these voters. To do so will mean not only opposing the war but showing they recognize that the 2000’s are not the 1930’s and their old New Deal coalition is long gone.
“The point being that the Republican Party leadership wanted Bob Dole, even though he could not win the general election.”
And what? They used hypnotism on the voters? Thery rigged the votes in the rest of the primaries? If you think a man who is good enough in the eyes of the people cannot be elected because of powerful leadership figures, why bother pushing Ron Paul, if in fact the fix is always in?
We "bother" pushing our favorite candidate, Dr. Ron Paul, because we believe he is the best candidate.
We also believe that the grass-roots party membership is worth listening to, in spite of what the party leadership thinks.
I've been in the party long enough to realize the power brokers are self-serving to the point of promoting their favorite candidate regardless of his chances of actually wining.
The power brokers are pushing their own agenda which is not necessarily in the best interest of the country, or even of the party.
This is no longer the old days, with limited access to be able to get the word out. The information is available. There is the net after all. But at what point do you come to the conclusion that he indeed will not be the nominee? Is there a time when you you say “Okay, ain’t gonna happen this time.” or do you go way over into the beyond, and mount a 3rd party effort that at best will garner single digit numbers?
If indeed power brokers are keeping us from hearing Ron Paul, please, name them and give specifics.
If you think that “power brokers” are the ones in control, that is as good as saying the rest of us are sheep, incapable of deciding things for ourselves, and that we are unlightened because we are not supporting Ron Paul.
Please show a little respect.
He's an MD (baby doctor), Veteran, 5 kids, 18 grandkids, and the only US Representative that has been a consistent voice for constitutional government for almost 30 years.
An idiot is the one who ignores Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is the engine that drives thousands of Western Mosques, schools, Islamic studies centers in universities and civil rights groups like CAIR and ISNA, all of which preach Muslim superiority over the Infidel in all religious and civil matters.
And they can only operate in the West with our blessing, (which they have.)
That doesn’t mean we have to give them carte blanche to spread their hatred and supremacism on our own soil, which is exactly what they have right now.
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