Black churchmember discovers Ron Paul

[jmdrake]

Hello all. First let me explain that I don't wear my race on my sleeve nor do I think that race is the most important issue. But every so often I see threads posted about "how to reach black people" or worse that propagate the myth that black people are "unreachable" because they are "addicted to handouts" or some other nonsense. Most people I know are hardworking, not criminals, aren't looking for handouts and think Americans pay too much in taxes. But these same people can't figure out why we have money for wars, corporate welfare, bailouts, no bid contracts, crashing rockets on the moon and sending money overseas when there are people with real needs at home.

Anyway on to the story. Once you get past the myth that you can't reach black people with Ron Paul's message race is irrelevant to it. I saw one of the my church's pastors at a school basketball game. (Actually he's higher. In some churches he would be called a bishop). I talked to him about taking young people out to sell books to raise money for their tuition. (It's a private school). Out of the blue he said "I was checking out your man Ron Paul the other day. He seems really interesting. I liked what he said". Now I've never talked to this man about Ron Paul! I don't go around bringing up Ron Paul to everyone in my community because most supported Obama and frankly I have enough stress in my life. But I have kept my Ron Paul 2008 bumper sticker on my car. Another pastor overheard us talking and say "Oh you support Ron Paul? The independent." Note he wasn't positive or negative. I said "Yeah. Ron Paul's talking about actually pulling the troops out instead of sending 30,000 more in". He said something else which I can't recall. I added "The war in Afghanistan isn't winnable anyway" to which he had no reply.

So here's the bottom line. Ron Paul is getting the message out there. He's getting the TV coverage. If you don't have a Ron Paul bumper sticker on your car get one. Get a Tshirt, a hat. Put a bumper sticker on your laptop. Then be ready to be an advocate when the time comes. The ignored us, they laughed at us, the fought us. Now we are winning.

Regards,

John M. Drake

 

[torchbearer]

I still have my Ron Paul bumper sticker on-
Everyone knows me as a ron paul supporter-
almost daily someone comes up to tell me they saw ron paul on tv or to talk politics- ask for my opinion on world events.

 

[beerista]

So here's the bottom line. Ron Paul is getting the message out there. He's getting the TV coverage. If you don't have a Ron Paul bumper sticker on your car get one. Get a Tshirt, a hat. Put a bumper sticker on your laptop. Then be ready to be an advocate when the time comes. The ignored us, they laughed at us, the fought us. Now we are winning.

You know, when people would post that Gandhi quote you're referencing back during the campaign, I used to think they were more than slightly optimistic. Now... I'm not so sure anymore.
Thanks for posting the story. It's inspirational to hear that progress is still being made in the real world. I'll take your advice and break out my bumper stickers again, as they are probably more topical now than they were during the campaign anyway.

 

[Chester Copperpot]

Hello all. First let me explain that I don't wear my race on my sleeve nor do I think that race is the most important issue. But every so often I see threads posted about "how to reach black people" or worse that propagate the myth that black people are "unreachable" because they are "addicted to handouts" or some other nonsense. Most people I know are hardworking, not criminals, aren't looking for handouts and think Americans pay too much in taxes. But these same people can't figure out why we have money for wars, corporate welfare, bailouts, no bid contracts, crashing rockets on the moon and sending money overseas when there are people with real needs at home.

Anyway on to the story. Once you get past the myth that you can't reach black people with Ron Paul's message race is irrelevant to it. I saw one of the my church's pastors at a school basketball game. (Actually he's higher. In some churches he would be called a bishop). I talked to him about taking young people out to sell books to raise money for their tuition. (It's a private school). Out of the blue he said "I was checking out your man Ron Paul the other day. He seems really interesting. I liked what he said". Now I've never talked to this man about Ron Paul! I don't go around bringing up Ron Paul to everyone in my community because most supported Obama and frankly I have enough stress in my life. But I have kept my Ron Paul 2008 bumper sticker on my car. Another pastor overheard us talking and say "Oh you support Ron Paul? The independent." Note he wasn't positive or negative. I said "Yeah. Ron Paul's talking about actually pulling the troops out instead of sending 30,000 more in". He said something else which I can't recall. I added "The war in Afghanistan isn't winnable anyway" to which he had no reply.

So here's the bottom line. Ron Paul is getting the message out there. He's getting the TV coverage. If you don't have a Ron Paul bumper sticker on your car get one. Get a Tshirt, a hat. Put a bumper sticker on your laptop. Then be ready to be an advocate when the time comes. The ignored us, they laughed at us, the fought us. Now we are winning.

Regards,

John M. Drake

I still have my Ron Paul bumper sticker on.. every now and then I see another person with one or something like "Dont Steal.. The govt hates competition." sounds like a ron pauler to me

 

[georgiaboy]

thanks for sharing! I sense a general vibe of folks looking around for answers out there, and you're correct, keeping Ron Paul's views in the marketplace of ideas is vital right now.

and you're so correct that race has really very little to do with it, in my experience.

 

[phill4paul]

Couldn't agree more. I've had a few of these episodes of late. Many Dems and Repubs that did not take what I was saying before seriously have brought Ron Paul into conversations of their own volition.
I don't give them an "I told you so" attitude. I answer their questions as best I can, direct them to Liberty sites and let it go at that.

 

[TXcarlosTX]

I went to a construction meeting yesterday, and one of the contractors said " I like your ron paul sticker, especially now with the economy".

 

[bobbyw24]

Excellent Post, John

I start a lot of threads on race not because I think that race is relevant or even important but since the Government has brain washed many of us to focus on race and group identity. I am not at all happy that the Government promotes these divisive policies.

About 70% of my clients are black. They see my "Ron Paul Revolution" sign in my office and they ask me about him. I tell them about him being anti-war and for sound money. They look at me and say, "The media says he is a kook, but I must admit that I like what he has to say." They realize that the weak dollar policies of the man they voted for has caused their gas and food prices to increase and is destroying their budget. The next step is trying to get past the fact that he is a Republican . . .

I see major growth area in the liberty movement among people of color--particularly the lower-middle class and middle class ones.

 

[klamath]

Great post, Times like this make people step out of their boxes and look around and ask questions.

 

[jmdrake]

I went to a construction meeting yesterday, and one of the contractors said " I like your ron paul sticker, especially now with the economy".

Good point about the economy. I was sitting at my kids karate class a couple of months after Obama was sworn in. Two guys were talking politics next to me. They were your stereotypical southern country white guys. One asked the other "Do you think Obama can fix this economy"? The other replied "I sure hope so." I kept my mouth shut. They were trying to be hopeful about the future and I wasn't going to take that from them. My point is that there were a lot of people will to be hopeful about Obama because it was clear our economy was screwed up, but they were given a false solution by the media. In retrospect I probably should have started talking about what's really going on in the economy and worked Ron Paul into the conversation. Gotta stay on top of those "teachable moments".

 

[bobbyw24]

A few days after Obama pushed the Stimulus,

I was at the bank. Two black men with "Obama-The President!" shirts were in line talking about the Stimulus package.

They said, "I don't even know why we're wearing these shirts. They might as well have Bush on them. Ain't no Change coming our way!"

 

[ctiger2]

I have 2 Ron Paul bumper stickers on my car and I had one guy honk his horn behind me and come racing up next to me and flash me his End The Fed book through the passenger window. Then, just this past thanksgiving holiday I was again driving and looked over to the left as a truck was passing me and the lady in the passenger seat gives me a thumbs up and shows me Alex Jones Fall of the Republic DVD. 10 min later another car passes me and I glance over and a guy is giving me 2 emphatic thumbs up. I just smiled. I think we'd be surprised at how many people are waking up.

 

[bobbyw24]

I rotate these stickers on my car

 

[Kylie]

The next step is trying to get past the fact that he is a Republican . . .

That's easy.

Remind them that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Abe Lincoln were republicans.

It's not the name that's given to an ideal...it's the principles of that ideal that people should be looking at. People who tell the truth, and can back it up by their actions, are people who should be getting all of our support.

 

[jmdrake]

I start a lot of threads on race not because I think that race is relevant or even important but since the Government has brain washed many of us to focus on race and group identity. I am not at all happy that the Government promotes these divisive policies.

About 70% of my clients are black. They see my "Ron Paul Revolution" sign in my office and they ask me about him. I tell them about him being anti-war and for sound money. They look at me and say, "The media says he is a kook, but I must admit that I like what he has to say." They realize that the weak dollar policies of the man they voted for has caused their gas and food prices to increase and is destroying their budget. The next step is trying to get past the fact that he is a Republican . . .

I see major growth area in the liberty movement among people of color--particularly the lower-middle class and middle class ones.

Thanks for the kind words. Yes race is important, but not in the way most people think it is. It's important for understanding each other and looking for ways to move public opinion even among groups that are different from you. But too many people see race as a way to call out one group or another for being "bad" or being "the problem". Take the thread about the CBC complaining about Obama. Yeah they're looking for earmarks but so is 99% of congress. Only those earmarks are typically rooted in regionalism. Is regionalism any worse than racism? Regionalism led to the civil war. (While people may disagree on which regional differences were the most significant, there's no denying the role that regional differences played). Mary Landrieu getting bribed millions in "disaster area health-care" to vote for Obamacare is a good modern example of regionalism.

You are right that bread and butter issues such as food and gas prices can tip the balance and get us past the "isms" that too narrowly focus our interests on what is specific to our respective groups. I don't know how many people yet connect that to government policies. I'm sure you've educated some. Some still are in "blame Bush" mode. But some are starting to realize that economic policies haven't really changed since Obama's election. What all Obama supporters really need to be educated on is the potential effect of the policies that haven't passed yet, especially cap and trade. If anyone thinks energy prices are high now they ain't seen nothing yet.

Regards,

John M. Drake

 

[bobbyw24]

That's easy.

Remind them that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Abe Lincoln were republicans.

It's not the name that's given to an ideal...it's the principles of that ideal that people should be looking at. People who tell the truth, and can back it up by their actions, are people who should be getting all of our support.

Thanks-good point. If it weren't for the GOP, there'd be no 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

 

[bobbyw24]

Thanks for the kind words. Yes race is important, but not in the way most people think it is. It's important for understanding each other and looking for ways to move public opinion even among groups that are different from you. But too many people see race as a way to call out one group or another for being "bad" or being "the problem"

Excellent clarification of my statement, John

 

[jmdrake]

I was at the bank. Two black men with "Obama-The President!" shirts were in line talking about the Stimulus package.

They said, "I don't even know why we're wearing these shirts. They might as well have Bush on them. Ain't no Change coming our way!"

LOL! I'm waiting to see the "I voted for Obama and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" shirt.

 

[Kylie]

LOL! I'm waiting to see the "I voted for Obama and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" shirt.

There's your next best seller at T-shirt hell.com

 

[jmdrake]

That's easy.

Remind them that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Abe Lincoln were republicans.

It's not the name that's given to an ideal...it's the principles of that ideal that people should be looking at. People who tell the truth, and can back it up by their actions, are people who should be getting all of our support.

Well most blacks know Lincoln was a republican and I suspect most know that blacks used to be solidly republican before the passage of the civil rights act. (Many might not know about MLK.) The problem with this approach is that if someone took you up on your King / Lincoln point, came here to check out "Ron Paul republicanism", then read all of the threads bashing Lincoln and King....well it might be counter productive.

I think the best approach is to meet people where there is already agreement. Talk about how Ron Paul has been consistently against pre-emptive war even when it was Bush pushing for it. Talk about the need to cut taxes. Have an answer for why we can afford to cut taxes without "throwing the poor out in the street." (Ron Paul stresses ending the empire as a way to save money immediately and then weaning people off of dependency on government). Talk about how the war on drugs is hurting everybody, especially blacks, and that there's got to be better ways to address the problem of illicit drugs. Talk about how the Bush bailouts and deficits were bad and how things are only getting worse now. Stress how you're trying to change the republican party rather than simply wanting to get people to join the republican party. I can't stress this last point enough. We all know Bush drug this country into the ground. Those "late comer tea partiers" who try to make our problems all about Obama hurt the cause of reaching disgruntled Obama supporters. Don't try to do a "the media is distorting her record" defense of Sarah Palin. Save that for when you're talking to Palinbots and you want them to understand the smear campaign against Ron Paul. But when talking to an Obamabot just say "I didn't vote for her or Mcain so why bring them up?" (I know this from experience because while I don't like Palin I realize there are some instances where she's gotten a raw deal. Then there are others were she really has shown lack of intellect. But if you say anything positive about Palin to an Obamabot you'll lose all credibility with them.)

Ok, I've rambled on enough. The short answer is that there are a lot of areas where Ron Paul supporters can find common ground with disgruntled Obama supporters. Find them and use them to your advantage.

Regards,

John M. Drake