2016 Iowa Caucus Thread

[fatjohn]

Billy, has a lot of issues with drugs methinks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OANCHSvscxQ

 

[banemaler]

Mark My Words

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/267766-koch-brothers-network-ready-to-oppose-trump

Marco is going to be the benefactor of Koch money. I saw a very revealing tweet from a big inner circle Koch fellow. After Scott Walker dropped out I assessed the field to figure out who would benefit in the future. Marco and Cruz were on the top of that list. Now that Rubio is in striking distance he is poised to win in New Hampshire and Florida. I think he's the man who's going all the way at this point. Bush had one person at the caucus I attended out of 107. People laughed out loud when the chair asked if there were any more Bush people. The Trump people totally flooded the event but they have no resolve to stick around, the promptly left after filling out their ballots. Didn't even stick around for the final vote tally. These people don't understand the process at all.

I think Rand can still carve something out for himself, Bernies loss could be a blessing in disquise as well as the Cruz victory over Trump who really had to come in first to prove the pollsters right. Cruz is dead in the water in New Hampshire. In Iowa you could organize churches to show up in record numbers, not so much in New England.

Something must be done to stop Rubio. He could realistically win this whole thing.

 

[GunnyFreedom]

Yeah. I'm about done with it. Give them the president they deserve and let it go to rock bottom so that it can be rebuilt again. Cruz, Trump, Bernie or Hillary should do it within 4 years.

Well, right now they ONLY want someone who tells them whatever they want to hear. Either the race monger authoritarian pretending to be anti establishment, or the fake conservative pretending to be anti establishment.

Republicans like to pretend they like the Constitution, but when the rubber meets the road, they hate it. When confronted, they whine that "the Constitution is not a suicide pact" in order to justify their violation of it. As though ignoring the Constitution is the only way to survive.

these people certainly deserve the dishonest despot they have been clamoring for 20 years now.

 

[banemaler]

I believe the media has got the better of us. Between all the people constantly saying our vote doesn't actually get counted and the media saying we are at 2%, people just didn't show up. If they did, they might have went for Trump or Cruz. Not all Paul supporters were Paul supporters. This time around there are a lot of clever looking candidates that take pieces of the message and have split the vote.

Turnout
Crossover
Media Black Out

All are factors in this big decline

Voluteers and money have also been lagging.

 

[GunnyFreedom]

Here are some possible answers.

1) They went to the rally to go to the rally. Maybe they went to get information to make a decision. Maybe they did caucus, but not for Rand.

2) Caucusing is a pain.

Kids don't vote.

 

[banemaler]

To be fair, just because you go to the rally in that county doesn't mean that you are actually a voter in that county.

I would be more concerned that the campaign didn't even have the 10K identified supporters show up let alone the extra change of people that aren't college students. Seems to me that if you secured at least 10K students you would have a few extra votes from the general electorate to put your totals over 10K. This is frustrating for sure.

Need to go back to the drawing board quick.

 

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

At this point the only way for a liberty candidate to win the primary nomination for President is to just lie. Be the most Neo-Con/Evangelical Teo-Con hardline anti-immigrant as you can be in your talk, and when the other candidate question you on your "vote" flip flops (e.g. you vote straight liberty in Governor/Senate/etc.), just lie again. The American people are no different now than the retards in Idiocracy. It's plainly evident. The rub is though, that's a fleeting meaningless endeavor even if you win. Sure, you'll repeal EO's and preach from the pulpit the opposite that you did as a candidate and pardon non-violent folk, bring the troops home, etc. but, at the end of the day, Boobus will vote in the next authoritarian asshat and nothing will really have changed. This is why I laugh whenever someone suggests the lie or pander strategy instead of being a hardline libertarian, educate the public and try to win as what you are, etc. If we can win doing that, then we know we have something at least moderately sustainable. Ultimately though, screw national electoral politics. You want to know where the real power lay? Start getting elected to local boards/county commissions/state office and raising the big FU to the feds. Kick them out, enforce natural rights, nullify shit, raise Committees of Safety, etc.

It's easier for the feds to kill non-elected mundane folk. Much harder to do what they did to Finicum to elected Mayors, Governors, House Reps, County Commissioners, etc. Ultimately if there is going to be libertarian success it has to come from local power, not trying to get into the WH. The last decade of evidence is pretty concrete.

 

[squirl22]

Well, I have an email today from the campaign and Rand is going on to NH. I will be supporting him financially and through phone banking. He is a good man.

 

[TheNewYorker]

At this point the only way for a liberty candidate to win the primary nomination for President is to just lie. Be the most Neo-Con/Evangelical Teo-Con hardline anti-immigrant as you can be in your talk, and when the other candidate question you on your "vote" flip flops (e.g. you vote straight liberty in Governor/Senate/etc.), just lie again. The American people are no different now than the retards in Idiocracy. It's plainly evident. The rub is though, that's a fleeting meaningless endeavor even if you win. Sure, you'll repeal EO's and preach from the pulpit the opposite that you did as a candidate and pardon non-violent folk, bring the troops home, etc. but, at the end of the day, Boobus will vote in the next authoritarian asshat and nothing will really have changed. This is why I laugh whenever someone suggests the lie or pander strategy instead of being a hardline libertarian, educate the public and try to win as what you are, etc. If we can win doing that, then we know we have something at least moderately sustainable. Ultimately though, screw national electoral politics. You want to know where the real power lay? Start getting elected to local boards/county commissions/state office and raising the big FU to the feds. Kick them out, enforce natural rights, nullify shit, raise Committees of Safety, etc.

It's easier for the feds to kill non-elected mundane folk. Much harder to do what they did to Finicum to elected Mayors, Governors, House Reps, County Commissioners, etc. Ultimately if there is going to be libertarian success it has to come from local power, not trying to get into the WH. The last decade of evidence is pretty concrete.

I've always told myself, if I ever run for president, I WILL run on a fake platform to get me elected, and once elected, slowly flip flop to be more libertarian every day until I'm full on Ron Paul mode by my second term

 

[alucard13mm]

At this point the only way for a liberty candidate to win the primary nomination for President is to just lie. Be the most Neo-Con/Evangelical Teo-Con hardline anti-immigrant as you can be in your talk, and when the other candidate question you on your "vote" flip flops (e.g. you vote straight liberty in Governor/Senate/etc.), just lie again. The American people are no different now than the retards in Idiocracy.

Yes. This is pretty much what the other side does.. Promise shit. Dont do it or do the opposite after elected. Say shit people want to hear. I'd do the same thing if winning was the goal and then do what you want after winning.

I want to ban all mexicans and arabs. I want to give everyone 100 dollar an hour wages. I want to give everyone free christian friendly porn. I like kittens.

 

[limequat]

Yes. This is pretty much what the other side does.. Promise shit. Dont do it or do the opposite after elected. Say shit people want to hear. I'd do the same thing if winning was the goal and then do what you want after winning.

I want to ban all mexicans and arabs. I want to give everyone 100 dollar an hour wages. I want to give everyone free christian friendly porn. I like kittens.

Money, Jesus, porn, and cats? Hell, I'd vote for that.

 

[jkob]

well at least we beat jeb

 

[Dianne]

Actually I wonder if there's a serious medical problem there. The uncontrolled action of Bill's tongue makes me wonder if he has incipient Parkinson's...or if he's on an antipsychotic drug that mimics Parkisonian symptoms.

I think it's Parkinson's. Six years ago Larry King came straight out and asked him if he had it. And last week, his hand started shaking uncontrollably while delivering a speech. Or maybe he caught some super std from all those little 9 year old girls he and his best friend Jeffrey Epstein have orgies with.

 

[Dianne]

The next debate Rand should be more like Trump.

I agree.

 

[PaulConventionWV]

If anyone wants to move to China, hit me up.

 

[LibertyEagle]

At this point the only way for a liberty candidate to win the primary nomination for President is to just lie. Be the most Neo-Con/Evangelical Teo-Con hardline anti-immigrant as you can be in your talk, and when the other candidate question you on your "vote" flip flops (e.g. you vote straight liberty in Governor/Senate/etc.), just lie again. The American people are no different now than the retards in Idiocracy. It's plainly evident. The rub is though, that's a fleeting meaningless endeavor even if you win. Sure, you'll repeal EO's and preach from the pulpit the opposite that you did as a candidate and pardon non-violent folk, bring the troops home, etc. but, at the end of the day, Boobus will vote in the next authoritarian asshat and nothing will really have changed. This is why I laugh whenever someone suggests the lie or pander strategy instead of being a hardline libertarian, educate the public and try to win as what you are, etc. If we can win doing that, then we know we have something at least moderately sustainable. Ultimately though, screw national electoral politics. You want to know where the real power lay? Start getting elected to local boards/county commissions/state office and raising the big FU to the feds. Kick them out, enforce natural rights, nullify shit, raise Committees of Safety, etc.

It's easier for the feds to kill non-elected mundane folk. Much harder to do what they did to Finicum to elected Mayors, Governors, House Reps, County Commissioners, etc. Ultimately if there is going to be libertarian success it has to come from local power, not trying to get into the WH. The last decade of evidence is pretty concrete.

While the liberty movement stabs you in the back the entire time, eh? Oh, nevermind. They did that anyway to Rand.

 

[Jan2017]

To be fair, just because you go to the rally in that county doesn't mean that you are actually a voter in that county.

I would be more concerned that the campaign didn't even have the 10K identified supporters show up let alone the extra change of people that aren't college students. Seems to me that if you secured at least 10K students you would have a few extra votes from the general electorate to put your totals over 10K. This is frustrating for sure.

Need to go back to the drawing board quick.

College campus precincts were overflowing with Ron supporters in '08, so surprising to see Rand with less than 700 votes in all of Johnson County (UIowa)
with such a large total GOP caucus turnout statewide.

 

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

While the liberty movement stabs you in the back the entire time, eh? Oh, nevermind. They did that anyway to Rand.

You do realize how small a national electoral minority we are right? You don't need our votes to win. If winning was your entire goal (the Manchurians Manchurian), you'd lie your ass off and pander. Get in bed with Weekly Standard and Rupert Murdoch and eat up that yummy establishment media hype. I figure they're just as dumb and will eat your shit up no matter if you vote 100% pacifist. You can frame the issue however you want on whatever issue, you just have to make sure that you plumb the majority blocs. I mean for gods sake look at Donald freaking Trump. The guy is super progressive, but is doing extremely well in a national GOP election process lmao. You have Rand one of the most conservative people in the GOP, and he does crap in comparison. If winning was the only goal then damn well lie - who cares about our 5% of the GOP? But, like I said, that's a myopic vision, and will do nothing to advance liberty sustainability. You can accomplish much more with local power than trying to convince the rest of the nation to jump on board with you. At least locally you only need to convince a few thousand at most, and if you can get a strong group together you can do some impressive stuff (just look at FSP, local counties/cities in NH (Grafton, etc.), etc.).