Do you want Jesse Benton involved in any capacity in Rand Paul 2016?

[Peace&Freedom]

So your response to "these people are fringe" is "I agree with them"?

Sometimes in order to win a debate you only need to let your opponent speak, so I won't add anything further.

My response (supported by evidence) was that the charge was patently false, and you failed to understand it. No wonder you won't add anything. "Fringe" implies only a very few extremists, whereas half the population means the view is commonly held. Honesty requires that you stop the mislabeling.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

You are remembering incorrectly, DevilsAdvocate. If you look at the names under the poll results I am one of six who voted for Benton to manage the campaign. Actually, these poll results have not gone anywhere close to how I wanted them to go, I was hoping the irrational Benton hate had subsided by now.

Oh Hey Rocco, sorry about that. Somehow I thought it was Matt Collins who was the OP. I remember Matt posted a thread a while ago (may have been years) where he met Benton at a party and Benton was a total &%^* to him. (Actually may not have been Collins after all haha) Anyway it was late last night and I haven't posted for a while, forgive me for this. Besides this misstep I think that I made my points quite clearly though.

 

[TaftFan]

He will probably have to have a minor role. Not campaign manager.

I think there is a broad group of experts that Rand will need to draw from, ranging from establishment types to grassroots types. The best group of consultants is a diverse group.

I could see him hiring Gingrich's guy, Rick Tyler.

 

[CPUd]

My response (supported by evidence) was that the charge was patently false, and you failed to understand it. No wonder you won't add anything. "Fringe" implies only a very few extremists, whereas half the population means the view is commonly held. Honesty requires that you stop the mislabeling.

I think you meant to say around half the survey respondents didn't even know the name of the 3rd building that collapsed, and after being shown a 30-second video, said they suspect a controlled demolition, but don't know for sure.

http://rethink911.org/docs/Rethink911Results083013.xls

 

[JK/SEA]

Agreed. I wouldn't want to donate my money into a campaign that hires a [mod delete] like Matt Collins talking like he's better than everyone. I'd rather give to Amash and Massies campaigns instead.

yep...this is the far superior strategy. Getting Liberty candidates in the House and Senate, and fuck the Presidency....too much BS goes into a Presidential run. Too much effort and time and MONEY....for what?....House and Senate...repeat this 5 times a day till it sinks in. Hopefully we can truly make real progress, and let the Matt Collins of the world pound sand instead....

 

[Teenager For Ron Paul]

 

[Matt Collins]

Why all the belittlement rhetoric and spin? The liberty movement was/is not a "personal agenda" and Paul was carried by the grassroots from the start, the latter did not Johnny-come-lately "attach" themselves to him.

Yes, there were many people who have tried to tie their own personal agendas to the Paul wagon. Whether it be their candidacy for office, or their pet conspiracy theory, their own prestige, etc.

And whatever machinations Paul delegates wanted to perform at the convention, those were not campaign actions, since the campaign was at its end at that point.

Incorrect, the Campaign was still active then.

In fact, they were ordered to "not be disruptive" by Paul himself, which guaranteed they could not succeed at the convention in any event.

following parliamentary procedure is not disruptive.

The campaign reps didn't just 'shed' PaulFest, they propagandized against it.

Yes, distancing some of the people at PF from the campaign was necessary.

 

[Matt Collins]

He will probably have to have a minor role. Not campaign manager.

No, he'll have a major role and will be one of the top guys just like he was on Rand's successful Senate campaign. But a Presidential campaign is a massive organization and power is not always concentrated. The most likely scenario I foresee is that there will be 3 or 4 top people who are calling the shots in their respective areas of responsibility.


Anyone who thinks that Jesse Benton will not be a major part in Rand's Campaign is kidding themselves.

 

[JK/SEA]

No, he'll have a major role and will be one of the top guys just like he was on Rand's successful Senate campaign. But a Presidential campaign is a massive organization and power is not always concentrated. The most likely scenario I foresee is that there will be 3 or 4 top people who are calling the shots in their respective areas of responsibility.


Anyone who thinks that Jesse Benton will not be a major part in Rand's Campaign is kidding themselves.

at this point, i don't care.

i'm giving my time and efforts to supporting Liberty candidates for Congerssional seats that fit my ideals.

The Presidency is a joke anyway.....need i say more, or can you read between the lines?

so Matt, you go right ahead and waste your time....(thats a Libertarian point of view btw....agreed?)

 

[69360]

If you put hard money, time and effort into a candidate's run for office, then you get a voice, AFAIC.

I still don't see how that gives you a say in who gets hired. Ultimately it's the candidate's choice who they think they can work best with and who will help them win.

 

[IndianaPolitico]

I have no problem with Benton being involved with Rand's campaign. I guarantee that he will not be campaign manager however. Rand will have access to a much broader, more qualified field to pick from.

 

[jjdoyle]

No, he'll have a major role and will be one of the top guys just like he was on Rand's successful Senate campaign. But a Presidential campaign is a massive organization and power is not always concentrated. The most likely scenario I foresee is that there will be 3 or 4 top people who are calling the shots in their respective areas of responsibility.

Anyone who thinks that Jesse Benton will not be a major part in Rand's Campaign is kidding themselves.

Well, at this point, the FBI is still investigating the Kent Sorenson issue.
And if Kent Sorenson was telling the truth, and Jesse Benton knew about the bribe, I think that takes him out of the running for any position.

Then again, the issue might do enough damage to Rand in Iowa, it won't even matter.

So, unless Rand isn't thinking that is an issue, then maybe he is kidding himself? Maybe he isn't really serious about running to win, and instead just interested in running another campaign to waste millions of dollars, to build up his name, keep his family/friends employed, and then retire from the Senate and setup a paid-subscription channel to spread the message from behind a paywall?

After all, the message is very important to spread, but apparently only so important it should be behind a paywall or if you're making $160K+ a year for some. Or, if you're peddling plastic chicken dinners enough, in the hopes you might get a job with a campaign, that is filled with other dishonest people.

So no, I don't think supporters are kidding themselves if they don't think Jesse Benton will be, or should be, part of Rand's 2016 campaign (assuming he does run). If he is, it shows Rand hasn't learned from history. Clearly, that was the case when he hired Jack Hunter, who used RonPaul2012.com to defend Rand Paul's lying endorsement of Mitt Romney.

Jack Hunter, like yourself, belittled the supporters and thought they needed some STUPID explanation of why Rand was right in endorsing Mitt Romney. It's not the supporters' fault Rand didn't have a clue of how to do a proper endorsement, and gave Mitt Romney credit for something there is absolutely no evidence he was supportive of "throughout his campaign".

See how well that worked out for the both of them.

 

[Peace&Freedom]

Incorrect, the Campaign was still active then.

following parliamentary procedure is not disruptive.

Yes, distancing some of the people at PF from the campaign was necessary.

The campaign, by all contenders, was OVER, Romney had the delegates to win on the first ballot, and had won the rule battles. The only issue was whether Ron could get his name placed in nomination, and get to give a nomination speech. The GOP henchmen weren't willing to give him even that, and in that context, the only way to fight back was to be disruptive. This could have been as simple as having the delegates mass protest the proceedings, then motioning to suspend the rules (i.e., not follow procedure) to unbind the delegates or grant Paul speaking time. Paul instructed his supporters to not disrupt, so no victory was possible, even for getting him 15 minutes to speak.

Again, the campaign reps didn't just distance themselves from PaulFest, they propagandized against it (as well as lied to its organizers, according to several here), which was not necessary, and widely displeased the grassroots.

 

[Original_Intent]

yep...this is the far superior strategy. Getting Liberty candidates in the House and Senate, and fuck the Presidency....too much BS goes into a Presidential run. Too much effort and time and MONEY....for what?....House and Senate...repeat this 5 times a day till it sinks in. Hopefully we can truly make real progress, and let the Matt Collins of the world pound sand instead....

And state legislators with the cajones to tell D.C. to suck it when they don't adhere to the Constitution. (which is pretty much all the time.)

 

[MelissaWV]

And state legislators with the cajones to tell D.C. to suck it when they don't adhere to the Constitution. (which is pretty much all the time.)

*nitpick*

Cajones? Containers? Boxes? A drum?

 

[Matt Collins]

Paul instructed his supporters to not disrupt, so no victory was possible, even for getting him 15 minutes to speak.

Disruption and fighting for procedure are not one in the same.

 

[rp08orbust]

And yall should be grateful for Jesse because he was the driving force to get Ron to run in 2012.

What is that supposed to prove? I can think of plenty of self-serving reasons to persuade another person to run for president.

While I would have been disappointed if Ron Paul had run for the open Senate seat from Texas instead, in hindsight, perhaps that would have been the better decision.

 

[RonPaulFanInGA]

While I would have been disappointed if Ron Paul had run for the open Senate seat from Texas instead, in hindsight, perhaps that would have been the better decision.

The U.S. Senate is a six-year commitment, and I do not believe Ron Paul wanted to remain in Congress until he was 83-years-old in early 2019.

 

[phill4paul]

If Benton, Jack Hunter and Teh Collinz are on RandPaul2016 Inc. then I know I'll be sitting that one out. Because at that point I wouldn't trust Rand to pick the right people for cabinet positions.

 

[kathy88]

Well I maxed both times Ron ran, and like others here if Benton is involved that will decrease to zilch.