Wed 14 Nov 2007
Several Ron Paul volunteers met for another successful Ron Paul outreach at the University of Arizona. The mostly young audience was very receptive to hearing about Congressman Paul’s message of individual freedom and smaller government. See the Tucson Ron Paul Meetup page for their next event.
I did not see any volunteers from the other presidential campaigns, from either party.
Matt over at the SED blog has written extensively about the omnivores (mostly of the Y generation) and the Ron Paul candidacy. In one story Matt contends that these young and highly connected voters lean blue. Very interesting that they would work so hard for a freedom loving Republican. Many within the party understand what Judi does not and look forward to working with this new generation.
November 14th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
I agree with Ron Paul on many issues, but in all fairness, ideologically speaking, he’s not a Republican. He is a Libertarian and as such he shares a mixture of conservative and liberal principles.
November 14th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
I also agree quite a bit with Ron Paul on issues but the guy is radioactive. And I’m not just talking about “smoke detector radioactive.” I’m talking “Chernobyl radioactive!”
It is incredibly naive to think that we can walk away from a religiously driven fanaticism (a sign of weakness and vulnerability) and isolate ourselves from the rest of the world as Islamo Facisism spreads hatred and violence. In 20 years, Europe will no longer resemble what it looks like today. We are in a long term struggle and its time we woke up and fought for what made this country great. I am not a John McCain fan but if there is something I do agree with him on its this. Islamic facist only understand and respect one thing – strength.
If you really want something to think about for your children and grandchildren, go back and read the posting on The Four Major Transformations that we posted right before Earth Day on 04/20/07.
November 14th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
CD-3,
I agree with Rudy Giuliani on many issues, but in all fairness, ideologically speaking, he’s not a Republican. He is a legal-abortion, anti-gun New Yorker and as such he shares a mixture of centralized-power and liberal principles.
DSW,
Calm down. I did not endorse the guy. But since you want to discuss his approach on the issues what is wrong with wanting to make the U.S. as strong as possible trough letting its people be as free as possible? I don’t think Paul wants to walk away from fanaticism, after all he would probably support the citizens being armed to the teeth and talks about the Christian Just War theory. Engaging only in absolutely essential oversees military operations is different than isolation.
How are Romney, McCain, or Giuliani going to fix what is happening in Europe? How will we pay for a strong military in the future if the county is broke?
I agree with the notion that extremists only understand strength. Paul just has a different vision of what strength is. You may disagree with his vision but he does want a free, prosperous, and strong America. But through the combined strength of its people not in the form of a collective state.
The current war in Iraq will hopefully mostly be won by the time the next president is sworn in to office. It is valid to ask where do we go from that point.
Sure Congressman Paul has some unique approaches to the issues but I think essentially his is hardly much more reactive than the other Republican candidates. Give me a name and I can point out several flaws in all of them. It would be quite an upset if he won but he deserves to be heard as much as the next guy running in the primary. I cannot believe how the party can put up with the rest of them and somehow Paul is out of bounds. Have you looked at the records of the rest of the candidates?
November 14th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
And one more thing. Have you been to a Republican LD meeting lately? I don’t know about your district but in Pima County they just had a party for Republican women over 80. That’s right, over 80. What is the plan to bring in younger voters? Pleases tell me the plan! Has it ever occurred to you that we might want to be open and welcoming to younger voters that believe in a freedom loving Republican candidate?
November 14th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
OVD writes “Has it ever occurred to you that we might want to be open and welcoming to younger voters that believe in a freedom loving Republican candidate?”
Seems too harsh. No one has ever argued to the contrary. DSW didn’t. Is that one of those straw man arguments that I keep hearing about?
November 14th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
If they support Ron Paul because he wants to expand liberty, shrink government and eliminate the IRS, then by all means lets get those young folks in here! We’ll be stronger with them.
On the other hand, if they’re mainly motivated by his opposition to the war in Iraq and they favor an isolationist approach, then they themselves will never really join the party. The stakes are too high and the base of the GOP understands that leaving North Korea, Syria and Iran free to trade technology around until they all have nuclear weapons would be the greatest mistake in the history of the world.
We would yearn for gentler times when a terror attack meant that only 3,000 people died. The GOP is committed to preventing that from happening.
Anybody know what is motivating these folks? Let’s start asking them and then we can start sending out invites to as many as belong!
November 15th, 2007 at 7:52 am
John,
After living in an area represented by Jim Kolbe, Toni Hellon, Steve Huffman, and still by Pete Hershberger I am a little sensitive when people talk about who can and can’t be in the party. You are correct DSW never said the volunteers are not welcome but when you call their candidate “Chernobyl radioactive” it is not very welcoming. If we can have the moderate/liberals listed above plus others in the party why is Ron Paul so radioactive?
Certain comments from the Pima County Chair were seen as less than inclusive. Reports indicate that said person is concerned that Ron Paul supporters may infiltrate the party, whatever that means. I guess some people do not want to lower the median age of LD meetings by 35 years.
Tim S.
First let me say that no matter what I think about the current war in Iraq I hope that the troops over there receive ALL the resources and yes time they need to successfully finish the mission. I believe that most of the sacrifice in Iraq will have already been made by Jan ’09 so there is not too much reason to debate Iraq in this elections cycle.
The real question then becomes how to approach the next showdown? I believe that strikes like the recent one on Syria’s nuclear project are preferable to large ground operations. How is a large ground operation in Iraq solving the nuclear proliferation issue?
November 15th, 2007 at 8:08 am
Tim S.,
Who decides if they do or don’t belong in the party? Do we form a Star Chamber to go through the names and create a selection process? From where else will we get young people to join?
What other campaign is drawing young people to get involved?
Are you aware that most PC positions go unfilled and it is not necessary to go through the party to get on the ballot? Once on the ballot in an uncontested precinct you just got elected and now have a vote. Even if the party wanted to exclude this group (and I don’t) no one has the resources to do anything about it.
November 15th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Ron Paul is the only true Republican in the race. He has been elected as a Republican Congressman for 10 terms, and if you look at the core values of our party he is the only one that represents the true values of our party.
I lead a group of real Republicans in Tucson. The fact that some in the party would like to limit our right to peacefully assemble is unforgiveable. The fact that some locally elected officials are publicly speaking negatively about a Republican candidate before the primary is also unforgiveable and it destroys our party.
Let’s get this fact correct he is not an isolationist when he believes in constitutional trade with all nations. He is against nation building and policing the world.
The Islamic fascists do respect strength. However how can America show strength if we need to borrow money from China in order to fund this never ending war? America can no longer finance this occupation. What makes the United States of America look weak is the devaluation of the dollar while we try to save face in the Middle East. We have lived beyond our means and it is time to wake up.
What is more important fighting a war that from the beginning never had a definition of what winning is, or saving our currency so that we can be strong economically and thus having the resources to keep our country safe?
David Guthrie
Head if the Tucson Ron Paul Meetup
November 15th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
David,
If Ron Paul is the only true Republican in the race, why is that he said that he will not support any other Republican who wins the primary?
All the Republicans were asked this question at the last debate and he was the only one to say no he would not.
November 15th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
This is because he supports the ideals of the Republican Party. Ron Paul has said that the Republican Party has lost its way. He will only support a candidate that wins the primary if they believe in the true ideals of the Republican Party, and also support the Constitution of the United States of America. Please keep in mind that voting records speak louder than words.
How can someone stand up for what they believe in if they sacrifice the beliefs they hold to blindly back a party?
David Guthrie
Head if the Tucson Ron Paul Meetup
November 15th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
The Paul candidacy has been a godsend insofar as RP believes and acts upon the limited government, prudent foreign policy approach that the GOP loves to yap about prior to an election. He’s despised in the coutnry clubs because he believes, and more to the point, “fleshes out” the blather.
His campaign has also been uniquely characterized by two noticeable elements, youth and enthusiasm matched with creativity. These people are n great infusion of fresh blood.
It freshens up the ‘farts n’ hacks’ image we’ve been taking on!
November 15th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
Omnivores lean blue socially. They lean towards Paul regarding the current GOP borrow and spend the country into oblivion. They are pro environment, anti-oil, and despise Bush and Cheney as criminals. They HATE the war in Iraq and cannot stand global imperialism.
Paul is weak if not crippled on the green front, and his position on the legalization of drugs is problematic. The man is not a Republican. He is a libertarian.
AND he is a force to be reckoned with and seriously. The party that fails to disaggregate and grasp the dynamics fueling the Ron Paul engine does so at great peril.
Republicans flatter themselves if they think Ron Paul is a force for their party without considerable surgery. Think Corporate Pork.
The omnivores are young. In my opinion, duly distinguished as opinion, I don’t think they grasp (yet) what he means regarding education. Omnivores are serious proponents of education.
Paul will not win the GOP nomination, but he has much to teach both parties.
November 16th, 2007 at 8:26 am
X4MR:
Not a bad analysis but I have a couple of questions:
!. What is so good about the Iraqi War (Mesopotamian Misadventure)?
2. Is seeking to restrain spending through the discipline ihhrent in a tangibly related currency un-Republican
If I’m not mistaken, the individual who essentially crafted Paul’s foreign policy in the mid 20th century was dubbed “Mr. Republican” in his lifetime.
I would furhter remind listmembers that all too often those who espouse ‘Republican’ principles during an elcetion discover in January that they have to “reach out” or “create one big tent”!
And of course you people of principle are thrown overboard
The theme song for the “rut driven” GOP suporters should be Crystal Galte’s “Here I go down the same road again”
Ron Paul offers a window of opportunity for a change. Let’s hear him out and see how it plays out. I believe the process will be refreshing.
November 16th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Sorry for the typos!
Small fonts and lousy eyesight are not good bedfellows!
November 16th, 2007 at 11:53 am
I disgree with the “Ron Paul is a Libertarian” argument. He is clearly not a Libertarian, as his recorded statements about what he would allow (and encourage) state governments to do shows. He is much more of a traditional federalist (of the Madison/Jefferson variety as opposed to Hamilton/Adams variety), or what he calls a “constitutionalist.” The President should only have those powers that are specifically enumerated in Art. II, and Congress should only act within its Art. I powers. If it’s not in the Constitution, it is illegal outside a constitutional amendment.
The state governments on the other hand would have incredible power to regulate and restrict freedom; which clearly demonstrates that he is not a libertarian. You can attack RP for many things, but just calling him a libertarian is wrong.
November 16th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Frankly, if its perfectly O.K. to be a Republican aocial/economic liberal in Arizona (R.i.N.O.s are in fact a protected species who can rely on Congressional endorsements when challenged in primaries), why can’t one also be a libertarian and a Republican?
After all, the party should be “One big tent” or so I’m told by my counttry club friends.
Am I missing something?
November 16th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
I consider the “Paul Phenomenon” the tip of an iceberg and what’s under the water is not the man himself, and the political parties that miss the message will suffer.
I am on campus everyday and also network with young professionals. I got into a lengthy conversation with a freshly graduated Raytheon engineer and enthusiastic Ron Paul supporter.
I just posted another rather lengthy piece on this group. They cannot stand global imperialism and refer literally back to George Washington’s warning about meddling in the affairs of foreign nations. What the GOP may not see yet is that this group supports FAIR taxation to provide services that make social sense.
Easier said than done, but they are not about gutting the government, and our current path points towards half the country living in poverty without health insurance. I’ll spare the proof. Look at the trends.
I openly admit I’ve not had time to research Paul’s positions, but the environment, energy, and education are near the top of the list of my questions.
Only malignant filth like Cheney believe that “deficits don’t matter.”
Anyone that cares at all about this country knows better than that, as does Paul and his followers, which continue to grow in number.
Paul will not win the GOP nomination, but to dismiss him or his following is to completely miss an important development in this country.