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Subscribe to RSSRon Paul’s third campaign for president may not lead to the Texas Congressman being nominated at the Republican Convention in Tampa this August -- notwithstanding a lawsuit filed by supporters in attempt to make that happen -- but, from Maine to Alaska, the “Paul Revolution” has swept state Republican parties.
Out of the national spotlight, Paul activists have mastered obscure local party rules to win key positions of power at state conventions, infiltrating the Republican establishment across the country, including in the key swing states of Iowa and Nevada.
In Massachusetts, they even beat out many prominent pro-Mitt Romney supporters to win spots as Romney delegates. They are informally bound by party rules to vote for Romney still, but the open secret in both parties, is no one is really bound – one of the issues at the heart of the Paul supporters’ lawsuit against the national party.
Ben Margot / AP
Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, cheer as Paul speaks at the University of California at Berkeley, Calif.
Paul’s strategy has always been to motivate “the remnant” to gain influence by getting involved in party politics, and described how that would happen to a small group of reporters in Columbia, S.C., in mid-January.
“We don't win over the insiders by becoming like an insider,” Paul said. “We win the inside over by making the outsiders become more appropriate.”
But what Paul activists have done in many places is learn the rules of the insiders and use them against them.
After being described as “an outlier for the Republican Party,” Paul Wednesday morning on MSNBC, explained how supporters will achieve his long-term goal of bringing the GOP around to accepting his political philosophy.
“I want to work on the platform,” Paul said, “but we know platforms don't change people's attitudes. That's what we want to do -- get attention to changing the attitude, so that we, who are perceived as outliers, become the insiders. And that's what's happening. … We're winning state delegations, state chairmen and small offices, anywhere from city councils to county commissioners.”
Paul supporters are winning elections and becoming party insiders: chairmen, national committeemen, executive board members, elected officials, candidates and delegates.
- In Iowa, four of Paul’s former aides hold leadership positions at the state party, including chairman A.J. Spiker – who was Paul’s state co-chair. At least six members of the Iowa State Central Committee are Paul supporters.
- In Alaska, Republicans voted Russ Millette as the party’s new chairman and Debra Holle Brown as co-chair, both Paul supporters. Local reports call this a sea change in state politics, after “at least 12 years of the Alaska GOP being run by what those party newcomers call ‘establishment Republicans.’”
- In Nevada, Paul supporters won 13 of 14 new elected executive board spots at the Clark County GOP. Four years after having the lights turned out on them at the state convention in 2008, Paul supporters now hold positions at local and county GOP offices across the Silver State.
- In Minnesota, the state Republican Party endorsed Paul supporter and economics teacher Kurt Bills for the GOP Senate nomination. He will face incumbent Democrat Amy Klobuchar in November.
- And in Maine, 21-year-old Paul supporter Ashley Ryan was elected as the state’s new Republican national committeewoman. The Paul campaign claims she is likely the youngest national committeewoman.
“Look at the next generation,” Paul said on MSNBC. “I mean, there is so much excitement out there. The big deal is that the next generation are sick and tired of what they're getting and they're looking for something. And what we're offering seems to appeal to the young people.”
Paul also explained that the goal of his movement “is to show that there's a political benefit toward accepting some of the views that we have.”
“I believe we're actually doing a favor for the Republican Party. If they would look to us for guidance and to realize that if they would accept some of these things, they might have an easier time winning.”
That said, not everyone's sold on just how lasting the impact of the "revolution" will be, considering Paul wasn't able to win a state in the GOP primary and didn't stop Romney, the most establishment of all the candidates, from becoming the nominee.
Asked which mattered more -- influence over party platform or being a state party chairman, Steve Schmidt, John McCain's 2008 campaign manager, dismissed either and said Paul supporters would be little more than a "hassle we'll have to deal with."
"I'm not sure that either have a particularly big influence on the direction of the party," Schmidt said on MSNBC. "When you have a state chairman who takes over a state party and the state party's dysfunctional, it's no longer relevant to the political goals of electing a majority, whether that's on the Democratic side or Republican side. Typically you see something that is taking place in California, for example, where you know the Republican parties become a small ideological clubhouse, totally faded to irrelevance where they-- factions gather twice every year to pass resolutions, denouncing the other faction, and it's a small clubhouse where people are relevant in the sphere of that small clubhouse, but no longer relevant in terms of being able to shape the outcome of an election -- to recruit candidates, to raise money, to register voters. And that's the direction these dysfunctional parties will go."
Jeff Johnson, a Republican National Committeeman from Minnesota, though, addressed the anxiety some in the establishment have over this increased participation by Paul’s followers.
“Ron Paul haters, get over it,” Johnson said. “If we don’t grow, we die as a party.”
Nearing the end of his career, Paul, 76, calls his movement an “ideological revolution,” one he says is “alive and well.”
And this year, as Paul disciples become more involved and win elections, it’s a movement the Republican Party is being forced to deal with.
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“Ron Paul haters, get over it,” Johnson said. “If we don’t grow, we die as a party.”
The GOP grew away from idiotic ideas like the economy-stifling "Gold Standard" in the early 1900's! Paul isn't growth, he's reversion to ideas with catchy names that appeal only to those too ignorant to see through them.
Yup, the GOP embraced the FED.
Have the treasury print your money on demand.
You do realize our country has large natural gold resources ??
They are leased out to mining, to other countries.
The last President with a commodity supporting our dollar was Nixon.
didn't nixon actually kill the last hope of staying tied to a commodity? silver?
"
Finally, President Richard Nixon announced that the United States would no longer redeem currency for gold or any other precious metal, forming the final step in abandoning the gold and silver standards.
Due to the fiscal policy of the U.S Federal Reserve, calls for a return to the gold standard have returned. Some states have chosen to use a loophole in the Federal Reserve act that gives individual states the right to issue currencies of gold or silver coins or rounds. This was done because the Federal Reserve act does not allow them to print their own currency if they wished. Currently Utah allows the payment of debt to be settled in silver and gold, and the value of the American silver or gold rounds used is pegged to the price of the given precious metal. Payment in some cases can be requested to be made in silver or gold rounds. 11 other U.S states are currently exploring their options to possibly make similar changes like Utah."
Now things will get interesting. With both the Demopublicans and the Republicrats, and the lamestreammedia, all doing their best to minimize Ron Paul, it still hasn't worked out so well for them.
People are underestimating age and cunning.
Clearly, the choice you and I have this November is to vote for #1. The rich. and hope we get some trickle down. #2. The middle class. Voting for a strong middle class will pull this economy out of this funk and that the do nothing GOP House and Senate has provided you and me.
I will stand for a strong middle class every time, Vote every GOP incumbent out of office this November!
Bringing the spotlight on the KKK and re-vamping American History
On a historical note America concerning the Confederate States and the KKK
"The rifle(s ?) through the tree line"
I have been thinking about this for a long time and have come to realize that the KKK was not part of the Confederate States. The KKK has made trouble for both sides after the war was over with between the states and continues to through the current day.
We know that the Queen of England came to the aid of the Confederates during the Civil War not for mutual aid and assistance but to take America back for England so that tyranny could be brought back into America so that the colonies could be returned to England. After which because of the industrial might that England would have England would have assaulted America to regain the colonies lost during the Revolutionary War.
We know that England brought slaves to America. Through the KKK England tried to keep both sides North and South uniting together so that through the American industrial machine England would not become an extended American Nation.
Thankfully because of the Souths loss during the Civil War England's attempt to regain the American colonies was thwarted.
Because of the Souths loss the liberties and salvation of a young American Nation was made complete.
America owes its freedom in part to the Souths loss during the Civil War because if the South would have won England would have destroyed the Constitution of the United States thus returning America to a state of absolute rule by monarchy without any rights.
The CSA will be forever remembered as securing the blessings of Liberty in America with its loss and sacrifice during the Civil War.
....Now to find where the Queen has placed her men....so we can get rid of them
The Democratic Party has become America's Socialist Party.
The Republican Party has become the Democratic Party.
The Libertarian Party has become the old conservative Republican Party.
Ron Paul is the only true conservative who has not sold-out to the socialists.
Steve Schmidt is a giant douche bag who isn't fooling anyone with his dismissive wishful thinking. The only thing dysfunctional is his brain if he thinks the Liberty movement is going to lose relevance. Douchebags like him are certainly losing relevance very quickly while the Liberty movement is growing exponentially, and gaining steam. If he thinks this is just going to fizzle out and go away, he is sadly mistaken. We all know how solid his judgement is... (Remember his stroke of brilliance, picking the quitter Sarah Palin to run with McHothead? LOL)
This guy seems to suffer from extremely poor judgement. On an ongoing basis. How did he even manage to get on the show with Maddow anyway? Must've been the only person associated with the anti-Ron Paul forces in the GOP who isn't named in the delegates' lawsuit, so he's the only one not busy crapping his pants right now so he was able to answer the phone when her people called. That's my guess.
The new republican revolution huh? Cause the last one involving the Tea Party worked out so well for the GOP when it came to credibility.
Going to vote my conscience. Not follow the leader. To hell with party lines. Their both at the strings of the puppeteer and up to no good and good for nothings anyways.
While I agree with many of Ron Paul's stances on the Issues, I found it interesting that when asked about his stand on Same Sex he said and I quote:
"A group can't force themselves on anybody else."
Tell that to The Boy Scouts of America Mr Paul!!!
One of the interesting things about his stance on Social Issues is his actual Lack of one......From what I have seen, He does not want to truly commit and basically says the Federal Government should stay Out of Social Issues completely leaving this up to the Individual States.
Likely this stems from the Federal Govt. involvement in Abortion and Roe vs Wade where the Supreme Court justices did not even agree and One was quoted as saying they made their decision up from out of thin air.......Even the women who brought the suit who's pseudonym was Jane Roe wishes she could take it all back........She never considered that women would be using abortion as a form of Birth control...She stated that Women have come up to her 10 and 15 years later saying thank you that without her they could never have had their 5 or 6 abortions!!!
Now, Ron Paul is Pro Life so it seems to me his stand on Same sex is politically motivated, Not perhaps what he Truly feels over the issue and I submit a staff member ( probably gay) whispered in his ear How to get the GAY Vote!!!
Personally, After all the Attacks they have made on American Icons, American Values etc, I wish that we could take Their vote Away from them. Maybe that would help keep this country from getting even More screwed up than it already is....
Or maybe you have not noticed that things have not Improved in this country since they all came out of the closet.....Who knows, Perhaps America IS Being Judged???
No, we really believe that about gay rights. The government should stay out of anything but national defense and anything that will raise all boats, guarinteed. Try your experiments on the state level and prove their worthyness before you present them nationally. Otherwise let everything be open to competition; true competition, not this advantage by congressional order competition. This congress really give whores a bad name.
Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!
Obama/Biden 2012!!!!!
Send your money with your cards!!!!!!!!!
Ron Paul is the only straight shooter on both aisles.
Everybody saw the groveling to Dimon in the congressional hearings on both sides.
We need a stand up president--not one who gets his orders from someone else.
"Ron Paul is the only straight shooter on both aisles."
That may be true but the real hypocrites, the real non straight shooters are the American public. The SAY the don't like big government but try taking away their Social security, Medicare, public schools, highways, national parks, transit systems, food inspectors, all the stuff they get from the government and listen to the screaming and screeching. You see it's not big government Americans hate -- PAYING for big government is what Americans hate. And the politicians on both sides have convinced way too many Americans we can have all this stuff and somehow have tax cuts at the same time. But the real problem are the Americans who are stupid enough to believe them. As the old Pogo comic script said -- We have met the enemy and he is us.
If you took away everything you mentioned you would have NO GOVERNMENT. We are not for no government. We really follow the definition of Democratic which is to have private what is best done privately and civily what is best done by government. The U. S. is a great experiment, and a bunch of government run responsibilities are done very badly. The democrats say that spinning the success of governmental programs is the way to sustain them, but we think them getting their missions accomplished or being eliminated is the better way to go. The one agency which seems to be effective is EPA and it is effective at dragging down the economy. Is the department of education improving educational oucomes? Is the IRS effectively collecting taxes? Is the bureau of land management division of gulf oil extraction protecting the gulf from oil companies that would polute it? Is the INS keeping illegal aliens out of the country? None of these agencies ever really get put over the fire under the two party system. They all think they will at least make retirement. At least the decision makers think so. We need to change that hubris.
The people like having the parties they have destroy the country. If we wanted to get out of this rut we would begin by dumping both parties. By the time the people wake up America will be something in the past.
Better wacko Ron Paul than serial Wall Street fellator Willard Mitt.
Paulbots have been at it for the last couple of cycles at the state level spamming the local/state level GOP party conventions.
I see the point of what they are doing as the Radical Progressives were very successfull in hijacking the Democrat Party from the roots up. All it takes is time ......and patience.....
I see the point of what they are doing as the Radical Progressives were very successfull in hijacking the Democrat Party from the roots up.
And the religious fanatics are very successfull in hijacking the Republican Party from the roots up.
As a registered Libertarian I still sport the bumper sticker, "Ron Paul is a Nut and So Am I." All I know is "Keep going in the same direction (voting for democrats and republicans) and see how that goes." Who are you conservatives going to vote for if Doctor Ron Paul is the only conservative in the race? You think Romney will resist starting a war to get himself in the history books? You think under either Obama or Romney we won't establish more expensive bases around the world until we bankrupt? You think Obama won't bankrupt this country with presidential amnasties. Go ahead and vote yourselves into the dustbin of history.
well if you look to the world today the leadership that has led to this point was elected by Americans who well lets just say have proven the ability to elect good leadership year in and year out.
very smart and wise people we have right?
Ron Paul is a good guy. The rest of the Republicans are the enemy of the people.
Than RonPaulians should run as thier own third party and have thier own conventions instead of trying to hijack the GOP .
What, like this is some gentilmen's game and their are rules? I don't think so. This is politics.
Well old man Paul will know how to catch that Rat. I know he didn't think he would see that fast talking, smooth walking, libertarian again. See what a little character can do for one (he doesn't even sing). I don't agree with where he is coming from but, he is smart and fighting for what he believes. Unlike Willard nibbling on every peice of cheese thrown his way. But what is a big money guy to do, his father taught him well (Willard the Rat that is).
The GOP needs a Ron Paul to slap some sense into it. Unfortunately, he will more than likely end up doing to Romney what Ralph Nader did to Gore; split the vote. I was a longtime Republican who finally gave up on the party. I supported Obama, but he truly does not deserve a second term. The incessant pandering has really turned me off; just another politican. The choices in Novemeber are indeed dismal.
Sadly.
RON PAUL IS A HYPOCRITE.... he takes Social Security money... why does the take the money?
@ toomy because he paid into it for decades. He doesn't take the much more lucrative government pension and insurance because he doesn't pay into it. Please don't regurgitate the garbage you hear in the msm. Search for the truth for a change
You guys opposing Ron Paul clearly don't see he is the best candidate out of ALL of them. He would do the last damage and is the most qualified person of the job. He has been in politics for 40+ years and has multiple degrees in several fields, most of his issues he proposes are legitimate and have worked in the past, somebody show me what's wrong with Ron Paul, other than that, who can't prove me wrong are clearly blind and will realize your foolish mistake soon.
You people are so friggin' clueless. Stop voting along party lines, because they realistically don't exist anymore. Dems, Repubs, leftists, righties, libs and conservatives. Just a bunch of titles that mean absolutely nothing. None of it means a damn thing anymore. Just a bunch of idiots who create problems and then point the finger at the other guy. Or blame the previous guy. They are all sellouts. Paul predicted along time ago, just about everything bad that would happen in America, and he was right. But yet, you retards come on here and call him crazy. It just shows how little you really know. Just shows how afraid of reality you truly are. Obama is a fraud, and he's holding the White House captive. He doesn't belong there. Connect the dots on the all the unconstitutional bills and executive orders he's gone ahead with, and you'll know he's set himself and the globalists that control him up for something big, and put us in a very dire situation. Romney the flip-flop artist wouldn't be much different. Just another puppet for the masters to control.
Come on Ron ! Let help make the Republican Party more radical and less palatably to Independent middle of the road voter's ! And divide the vote ! OBAMA/BIDEN 2012 !
As i read though these post i notice that poster White Collar Auto is almost aways full of @!$%# and more likely to lie in his post's !