Thread: Ron Paul on the Issues

Doug Wead: Ron Paul Surprise in Arkansas!

While many in the Liberty Movement were engaged in a weekend of blame and counter blame, other Ron Paul stalwarts were still fighting in the trenches at district and state conventions. I have lots of video and documentary on the marathon events in Texas but before that, here is another shocker. This one from Arkansas.

It shows clearly that the move to transform the GOP is organic and real and cannot be stopped, even from inside.

So here is the firsthand story coming out of the Arkansas District Conventions. No broken bones this time and, thankfully, no broken hearts either. Ron Paul was supposed to be shut out in Arkansas. Some in the establishment were going to great lengths to keep his forces from participating. But how can you stop his ideas? And how can you stop people who are awake to the truth?

Enjoy this report from Monica Serrano, Arkansas State Ron Paul Director. She endured months of loneliness, rejection and long odds on her unlikely road to success.

Monica Serranos’s Report:

Today was a most amazing day and for so many reasons. Where do I begin?

Arkansas held their district conventions. We have 4 districts. We elected 3 delegates and 3 alternates from each district. And they will be going to Tampa. On June 23 we will elect 21 “at large” delegates and alternatives who will also go to Tampa with the top 3 State GOP officials.

We really have no say about the 21 at large because they are elected by insider county chairmen. So the district conventions were the only hope for the people to win something. I think we did awesome!

It began in February, getting people to file. They had to pay fees and get papers notarized and filed with county clerks, just to be able to vote on the people that VOTE on the Delegates. Then the potential delegates had to file before our May primary and declare in advance who they support, causing any filed delegates for losing candidates to be disqualified. It was a long and detailed process, with some in the establishment looking for signs of Ron Paul youth to block but we navigated through the maze and came out with the strongest force in the state!

Here is a summary of the District Conventions. Keep in mind that some of the victories cannot yet be announced, lest the establishment find a way to undue them.

District 1: None of our delegates were elected in district 1, but we knew going in that our odds were low. District 1 is very rural and our support out there was much lower.

District 4: They swept all 3 delegate slots. With only 9 people filed, total, and 6 recommended by the Romney Campaign, leaving our 3 out in the dark on the district level, we nevertheless, managed to get those three elected! The party regulars are shocked and many are currently scrambling to find out how on earth we did it. It doesn’t matter, we did it fairly and it cannot be undone!

District 2: This was a sight to behold. We filled the tables with our people and before it started we could feel it….”we’ve got this.” However, nothing beats hearing the sound of that first delegate being called out. Once we heard that name we were set and we all knew it.

There was a little confusion because one of the delegates from our slate did not show, and we were not sure if we could elect him or not.

Also the District Chairman kept insulting him for not being there, saying he had no backbone. He was rude throughout the entire proceeding and that did not go unnoticed by even non Paulers.

Ok, back to our tale of victory! We replaced our second delegate, who was not there, with our first Alternate. We elected the second delegate and then the third. It was official, we had just swept the delegate slots in District 2 with Ron Paul Delegates.

Then it was time to elect Alternates. We elected the first alternate. We thought we had 6 people to vote on, but as it turned out, one of them was not on the ballot. (Found out later he had filed for Paul and not Romney) So….we had a decision to make. Do we vote on the absent delegate and really anger the District Chairman who clearly did not want him elected…..or do we give the establishment the last two seats/alternates?

I thought it over and considered a very dear and very old woman named Mozella. This woman is basically Mrs. Republican for the state. She wanted to go so badly. I sent the message around the room….we will give them one. Let’s vote for Mozella on the next ballot and then we send a message that we, the people, will have our say and we are a group that is to be respected.

I would like to take credit for that idea, but the “message” was the idea of a very wise Faulkner County leader. You know who you are! We voted Mozella and when her name was read her table jumped in such shock and she looked like a giddy school girl. It was really nice!

Last but not least, we voted in the absent delegate as the last alternate. Johnny was running for the same delegate slots. He even wrote up a short “resume” of sorts, asking for our vote, and placed it at every chair at every table. We denied Johnny, the Second District Chairman, a slot as delegate from his own district.

This was probably the biggest message we sent today in our district. We showed the party establishment that we are here in large organized numbers and we can accomplish MUCH!

I spoke with State Chairman Webb after it was over, and he was very kind. I told him thank you for being such a great State Chairman and for treating us fairly. He told me I had been a pleasure to work with. At this point, I support him completely as state chairman. He has been nothing but fair and honest with us. I view him as highly ethical.

(update: That absent delegate got there a few minutes late and was not allowed in. The woman at the registration table could not find his name on the list. He told her he was not there to vote, but that he was a filed Delegate candidate for Romney. She still could not find his name and she was asked to come in the room and she took the list with her and shut the door, leaving him outside. He was the second name on our ballot. It makes no sense that she could not find him.)

District 3: Now this one was interesting. They held their convention very differently, opting to divide into counties and hold a mock caucus type election….although caucus rules were not really followed since “caucus goers” were not allowed to speak to their counties.

Because of the change in style, they were off to a slow start. We had votes all across the room in every county and the county establishment started trying to work against each other to get their own county delegates elected. They have a bit of a rivalry going between the counties, particularly Washington and Benton.

A slug fest started and Paul delegates were up for the fight. There was a lot of confusion and as they were caucusing a call came in to a big wig establishment person and that call was overheard.

“They took District 2!” I don’t know who from district 2 called district 4, but the word was out, somehow, the Paul People had taken a district!

A meeting was quickly called for all of the County Chairmen and the fight was on.

Some of our people, including our 2 delegates, tried explaining to their chairman that we have the votes to make things happen, if they would just play ball. They ignored us and attempted to get their way. The first delegate was elected and the second. Neither were Stealth Delegates, but it also was not quite going the way these County Chairmen wanted. I guess they weren’t getting who they each wanted.

Once again, the plea was made for the Benton County Chairman to work with us, or go down in defeat. As I understand it, a deal was struck and we elected Duane Neal of the rules committee and although not a Paul supporter, he was a man who had helped us along the way due to an ethical stand on “following the rules.”

In exchange, we took Alternate seats 1 and 2 for our only two delegates in the running. And we helped elect the 4th.

Now, I know…we didn’t get our two in as delegates, but it was still a victory and here is why. We showed them that we could block them and prevent them from getting what they wanted, and we could get what we wanted accomplished with just a little cooperation. They may not like us but they now know that they need us! Sound familiar? Couple that with our District 2 and 4 sweep and the Constitutional Republicans just became the biggest force in Arkansas GOP state politics!

Just to be clear: Every one of our people, with the exception of district 1, were elected to either delegate or alternate. This means 10 out of 14 are going to Tampa! Bravo County Delegates! (6 Stealth Delegates and 4 Stealth Alternates, with 1 Regular delegate and 2 Regular Alternates gifted by us, to show we can be respectful and kind but still in charge.)

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Ron Paul surprise in Arkansas! « Doug Wead The Blog

Even Rothbard favored political compromise?

Submitted by robrigo80 on Sun, 06/10/2012 - 13:40
Ron Paul 2012

‎"I content that we can urge immediate liberty while knowing that it will be gradual liberty in the end, because the contention ought not be the liberty will be achieved in a single, immediate victory, but that it ought to be. But, by the same token, there is no need to let the goal of immediate liberty, prevent us from taking actual steps to achieve it, even if they are frustratingly gradual."

Libertarian Button Pushers and Political Compromise

Even Rothbard favored political compromise? | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

Rand Paul Endorsement of Mitt Romney Was a Tactical Masterstroke for Libertarianism

Barry Lyndon
Politics,
2012 Elections
10 hours ago

Rand Paul Endorsement of Mitt Romney Was a Tactical Masterstroke for Libertarianism

I'm starting to think I must be the only voice in an avalanche of Paulites who wasn't outraged by Senator Rand Paul's endorsement of Mitt Romney.

As a libertarian with a perspective of the Scottish independence movement and the nascent liberty movement in my home country, Ireland, I sometimes wonder if many of Ron Paul's supporters are more invested in the short game of winning elections than in the long game of building a free world, an objective which transcends personality politics.

So was Rand Paul's endorsement really a sellout? Or was it a tactical master stroke for the libertarian agenda? It depends. Let's face it, the reaction itself was just a lot of hot air, equivalent to the outrage of folk fans when Dylan went electric in the sixties.

"Sellout!" they cried. "He’s giving in to the man!" It's a rich metaphor considering the general air of folk whimsy about Ron (as well as the purity complex of his more hardcore fans) and the more hard-edged, charismatic persona of his sequel.

I don’t believe that supporting your party's nominee somehow represents a devaluation of principles. Endorsements are just talk, and talk is cheap. But no need to worry; so far at least, Rand walks the walk. He is against foreign aid. He wants to audit the Federal Reserve. He has proposed a budget which balances in five years. He is one of the few members of the Tea Party insurgency who eats with a knife and fork.

He may be willing to haggle, but Rand is no moderate.

If he was wrong about anything, it was timing. To give Romney his backing just one day after the Paul campaign announced their shortfall of delegates must have stung for legions of supporters who were so emotionally invested for so long in defeating Romney.

But by sending the message that he is a team player to the inner bigwigs of the Republican Party, Rand succeeds in doing something that Ron never managed to do: build bridges. Speculation on a VP slot aside (of which I am quite skeptical) it means at the very least he may be given a headline slot in the convention in Tampa.

A similar convention gig launched Barack Obama into the public consciousness back in the 2004 presidential race when Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) was the Democratic nominee for president.

Frankly, I couldn’t care less about Romney. His Keynesian, pro-war and pro-nanny state policies, not to mention that sheer oiliness makes him a pretty weak candidate in the first place.

I would like to see Obama getting a second term, then Senator Paul in 2016. Better suffer through four more years of big government neoconservatism under Obama (it's true) than a potential eight under Romney and an war with Iran thrown in for good measure.

Rand Paul will become a sellout if --and only if -- he changes his senate voting habits away from libertarian values. I will be watching him very closely to see if this happens. If he starts “blowing in the wind,” I will certainly eat my words. But if I’m right, that Paul is simply being prudent in the pursuit of libertarian goals, then I hope Paulites everywhere will join me in giving full support to his future endeavors.

To be 90% right and in office is more use to the cause of liberty than to be 100% right and sit on the sidelines.

Rand Paul Endorsement of Mitt Romney Was a Tactical Masterstroke for Libertarianism

The New York Times Coverage of Mitt Romney La Jolla Mansion is Fair and Balanced

Zach Anderson
Politics,
2012 Elections
1 hour ago

Last Wednesday, the New York Times published a front-page article detailing Mitt Romney’s expansion of his beach home in La Jolla, California.

According to the article, this project would quadruple the size of Romney’s $12 million mansion, obscuring the narrow neighborhood road and blocking neighbors’ ocean views in the process.

Some believe that this story was an unjust attack on the presidential hopeful and served as a mere distraction from the issues. However, after reading the article, one can see that the issues play a prominent role in the article and that Romney’s attitude towards his neighbors provides valuable insight into the person who is trying to garner your vote.

In a political climate where the personal lives of public figures can often eclipse important issues like how well they do their jobs, this article did indeed tread a fine line between substantive and gossip. However, it earned both its publication and prominence through educating voters about Romney’s stances and attitudes in a variety of extents.

Mitt Romney’s beach house expansion project represents, almost eerily, what the United States would look like with Romney at the helm. The house represents the U.S. while Romney’s neighbors represent the rest of the world.

Romney desires to expand his home’s influence in an unapologetic manner. His house will grow and the lives within it will hopefully be improved as a result.

However, he will push his neighbors out of the way, blocking their ocean views and stirring resentment among them. His home will definitely be the most powerful presence on the block, but it will, due to it’s size, encroach on the borders of those neighbors who had grown accustomed to a house that allowed them to operate without its looming shadow ever present.

The house will also be heavily secured. Giant gas-guzzling SUVs will block passage in and out of fortress Romney and all those who come close will be under constant surveillance.

Romney’s potential domestic policy also unknowingly becomes a little clearer when examining this home. The article says that Mitt can be seen pruning his hedges ever know and again. That’s good; because, Lord knows, there certainly aren’t any immigrants allowed inside the United Mansion of America to do that for him.

This article also states that contractors asked a certain couple that lived next to Romney to sign a document forfeiting some of their ocean view. This couple happens to be gay. The audacity of asking a gay couple to surrender their view in deference to a potential POTUS, while simultaneously threatening to criminalize their union is an action taken within this domicile that echoes loud and clear actions that will be known as domestic under Mitt’s ticket.

It is a shame that the United States is not as wealthy as Mitt Romney. If we were, then we might be able to expand our influence in the same way that Romney is expanding his home. However, until then, we need our neighbors.

Why should we believe that a president who isn’t afraid to tick off his neighbors in California would show any restraint before alienating the United States from its global neighbors? Mitt’s intrusive expansion in California may result with a rock through his window.

His unapologetic expansion into the world may result in much worse.

The New York Times Coverage of Mitt Romney La Jolla Mansion is Fair and Balanced

Great news! Repeal just 3 Federal Laws and the whole thing comes tumbling down!

Submitted by Treg on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 11:11
Politics & Law

1) Abolish the Fed and make it like any other private bank.

2) Abolish employer required tax with-holdings

3) Move tax day April 15 to November 1st, (when people vote).

"I mention this just as a reminder: the entire system of Federal power rests on three laws, two of which are essentially technical, namely, the date for tax filing and tax withholding. These two technical laws are the foundation of the modern welfare-warfare-nanny state. Remove these two pillars, and the whole Federal system will come down."

- Gary North

Restoring Liberty With Three*Short*Laws by Gary North

Great news! Repeal just 3 Federal Laws and the whole thing comes tumbling down! | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

Even Mitt Romney Is Confused

Submitted by zooamerica on Sun, 06/10/2012 - 19:00
Daily Paul Liberty Forum

Mitt Romney: "Hey guys, how'd we do in Texas this weekend?"

Sr. Advisor: "Well...we don't know yet, Mitt. The delegates aren't talking. Even the Daily Paul doesn't know. Nobody's spilling the beans like before."

Mitt Romney: "So I didn't win?"

Sr. Advisor: "We're not sure yet, Mitt. If the Daily Paulers don't know, how are we supposed to know?"

Mitt Romney: "Good point...Can we trust Rand Paul? Is he with the program 100%?"

Sr. Advisor: "Uhh, the situation is kind of like Texas, nobody knows for sure, sir. Some say he is a double agent."

Mitt Romney: "Am I being set up?"

Sr. Advisor: "100% set up to lose against Obama, yes sir."

Mitt Romney: "Not that set up dummy! What I was saying is, am I being set up by Ron Paul and his son?"

Sr. Advisor: "Ron Paul is too moral, he would never do such a thing."

Mitt Romney: "I think you're right. The man can't lie, just like George Washington."

Sr. Advisor: "They're waaaay too Christian to ever pull a fast one on us, Mitt. As soon as we hear something from the Daily Paul about Texas, we will fill you in, sir."

Mitt Romney: "Is it hot in here?"

Even Mitt Romney Is Confused | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

You guys are all a bunch of Ron Pauls

Submitted by Lao Tzua on Sun, 06/10/2012 - 17:49
Ron Paul 2012

In the face of all that has happened with the "players" in the campaign, we don't budge.

We are, figuratively, a legion of Ron Paul's.

They can tell us why it's good to endorse Romney - we won't.

They can subtly try to convince us it's over - we say no.

They can all make arguments for compromising our principles, for acting as if Ron Paul isn't still in it - we say nope.

They can try to sell our mailing list info - we say - that and 2.50 will get you a ride on the subway!

Just like Ron Paul has behaved these past 30 plus years.

I hope Ron Paul can see it - I hope he is able to recognize our emotion and our passion for what it is.

I hope he feels a lot less alone now - because he is.

I hope he gets the message.

I hope the delegates get the message, too.

You guys are all a bunch of Ron Paul's.

You guys are all a bunch of Ron Pauls | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012