Thread: The Ron Paul Phenomenon: Friday on PBS

Greg, you're not REALLY trying to claim credit for that quote, are you?

Imagine, for a moment, Ron Paul becomes president. (Stop laughing. This is an intellectual exercise.)

So a Democratic, or even Republican Congress completes the appropriations process, and sends President Paul the funding bill for, say, the Commerce Department. Ron Paul doesn’t think we should have a Commerce Department, so he vetoes it.
What now ???

Congress either overrides it, or maybe with enough folks to sustain veto. Suddenly the appropriators of both parties find themselves constantly bumping up against a president who forces them, for the first time in anyone's memory, to justify the existence of this federal department and its attending bureaucracy, much less the size of its budget. In the meantime, Paul may not appoint a Commerce Secretary, since he thinks we don’t need a department. Or any of the undersecretaries. Or Department of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development…. and many many many more... it wont work ...

Originally Posted by GREGAGREATAMERICAN

Congress either overrides it, or maybe with enough folks to sustain veto. Suddenly the appropriators of both parties find themselves constantly bumping up against a president who forces them, for the first time in anyone's memory, to justify the existence of this federal department and its attending bureaucracy, much less the size of its budget. In the meantime, Paul may not appoint a Commerce Secretary, since he thinks we don’t need a department. Or any of the undersecretaries. Or Department of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development…. and many many many more... it wont work ...

Why not?

The biggest problem I see is finding enough moving vans to get those bureaucrats out of D.C.

Originally Posted by PinestrawGuys

Originally Posted by GREGAGREATAMERICAN

Congress either overrides it, or maybe with enough folks to sustain veto. Suddenly the appropriators of both parties find themselves constantly bumping up against a president who forces them, for the first time in anyone's memory, to justify the existence of this federal department and its attending bureaucracy, much less the size of its budget. In the meantime, Paul may not appoint a Commerce Secretary, since he thinks we don’t need a department. Or any of the undersecretaries. Or Department of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development…. and many many many more... it wont work ...

Why not?

Because the GreatGreg said SO! sheesh

RuPaul can win a game of Connect Four in only three moves.

If any one wants to save Pauls campaign, they need to get over their egotistical attachment to the idea that Paul's unimpeachable principles and honesty trump all other considerations, and face up to the fact that to win a party nomination they have to make some effort to play the game the way the party leaders–from the lowliest precinct workers to the national leadership–expect it to be played.


In party politics it doesn't matter how right you are, it only matters how many people are convinced that you have a winning strategy. Paul's supporters don't understand this or don't want to understand it. They're thinking in terms of running an outsider, grassroots campaign. But Paul deliberately didn't run as an independent. He showed the good sense to run as a Republican, knowing all of the advantages of access and opportunity he would have in the primaries and the base of support he'd be able to count on in the general election if he won the nomination.

Paul's supporters don't seem to respect his decision to run as a Republican, and in this area he had the right idea and they are dead wrong. Regardless of the fact that he's drawn supporters from every quarter of the lunatic fringe and even from the far left, he's not going to make it to the election if he doesn't win the Republican primary, and he's not going to win the primary if his followers alienate too many people within the GOP. Even if his followers don't like it, Paul is running as a Republican and he has to play the party game.


lets look at a few Facts here


Paul has stated clearly that he will not run in another party or as an independent even if he loses the nomination.

• That being the case, to make it to the final election he has to win the Republican party nomination.

• Crossover votes are not enough to win the nomination. He needs support from mainstream Republicans, not just their votes but also their help in getting fairly represented in caucuses and straw polls down to the precinct level, an area where no amount of outside support will help him.

• Lots of mainstream Republicans have basically libertarian values and will support a libertarian-leaning candidate, but they won't support someone they perceive as hostile to the Republican party and its interests.

• Without winning over the party base Paul will not win the nomination. Without the nomination he will not win the presidency.

If you care about Ron Paul and the ideas which he stands for, then you ought to be as concerned as I am that the behavior of his Flowers and the extremist beliefs they are spewing all over the internet, are going to comit him to failure.


The support which Paul is getting not just from leftists, but scary extremists is unquestionably alienating the GOP base. These fringe supporters would be a great asset in a general election, but they are a deadly liability in a primary run by conservative political hacks, where candidates are expected to play ball to a certain extent, and where supporters are expected to follow certain rules and protocols. Paul's followers don't have respect for the party or its traditions, and that's going to alienate a lot of people they really need to have on their side...


It's great to welcome everyone into the Ron Paul “big tentâ€

Originally Posted by Cigar

RuPaul can win a game of Connect Four in only three moves.

That was a brilliant observation, got any of those POLICY issues yet?

Originally Posted by Cigar

RuPaul can win a game of Connect Four in only three moves.

Dont forget
two + two = door knob