Does Ron want us to leave the GOP?

[acptulsa]

Except he believes earmarking is Congress' job.

I don't believe you're taking that statement in context.

As for the president telling the Department of Justice what to, and what not to do, I do believe the DoJ is an Executive Branch agency. That means the president would be the CEO of the bureau.

 

[libertariantexas]

Does Ron Paul want us to leave the GOP, or stick around and hold our ground in an attempt to win more rank-and-file Republicans over to our side?


Judging from his history, what do YOU think he would want us to do?

It's hard to say, since Ron Paul has tried both methods, as have many of us.

For now, I've left the GOP (again) to run for Congress as a Libertarian, and will be supporting Gary Johnson, but I will continue to support good Republicans, and I will hold my nose and work within the GOP in the future if there is ever another candidate like Ron Paul.

 

[Smitty]

Ron Paul wants his message of liberty to be heard and accepted by America.

Political parties serve only as a venue to spread the message.

Once the controllers of a party turns its back on the message and works to minimalize it,...it's an enemy of liberty and is to be shunned.

The GOP is an enemy of liberty.

 

[Josalyn]

He wants us to do what we want to do. I heard him say so today.

^this.

I think he'd want us to do what we want to do. If we wanted to try and make the Libertarian party as well known then we should do that. If we want to stay in the GOP, stay. He'd want us to do what WE want. But I think he'd most definitely say, no matter what, keep up the fight for liberty.

 

[Keith and stuff]

I think it is pretty clear that Ron Paul wants us to do what we want to do. That said, he is certainly pushing a strategy of working within the GOP. I think he saw how successful we were becoming in NH and used his 2 recent presidential runs to try to push for something similar in the whole country. So far, it has shown little results but it certainly may show results. Perhaps it just needs more time?

 

[Matt Collins]

I still think he should go INDIE, for America's sake.

As much as we all like that, it is not going to happen.

 

[LibertyEagle]

I think it is pretty clear that Ron Paul wants us to do what we want to do. That said, he is certainly pushing a strategy of working within the GOP. I think he saw how successful we were becoming in NH and used his 2 recent presidential runs to try to push for something similar in the whole country. So far, it has shown little results but it certainly may show results. Perhaps it just needs more time?

More time and the effort expended that the supporters in Iowa and Minnesota did to win all the leadership positions in their GOP. Time alone isn't going to do it.

 

[Matt Collins]

He wants us to stay but my road leads me to the Libertarian party for now. I may be back in 2 years to help out again if another liberty candidate comes along. Also I have all the connections I need in my county and surrounding party. If need be I can get back in any time. Also I have some liberty to promote outside of all partys as well.

Keep in mind, many local Republican Parties will be having their officer elections in early 2013. I predict if Romney loses most people will just go back to sleep. That makes it much easier for us to get in there and build the groundwork for 2016.

 

[Matt Collins]

Judging from his history, he would consider building the Libertarian Party into a major party the first choice, and trying to inject some integrity into the GOP second choice. Of course, he did go to Plan B. But then, on the other hand, he and we have shaken things up and Rmoney--this very day--has added a whole new layer of totalitarian stink to the already hurting GOP. So, maybe we could actually pull off his Plan A. I'll just bet it would make him happy if we did.

Oh, sorry. You're the guy who doesn't believe there was any history before you were born. You should have been more specific.

Actually history shows that there has never been a viable 3rd party in the US.

 

[acptulsa]

Actually history shows that there has never been a viable 3rd party in the US.

Going into 1860 the Republican Party was the third party, Matt. The Democratic Party and the Whig Party were the established, 'mainstream' parties at the time.

 

[Matt Collins]

Going into 1860 the Republican Party was the third party, Matt. The Democratic Party and the Whig Party were the established, 'mainstream' parties at the time.

Absolutely, but it was a shift, there wasn't much, if any, of a simultanious 3rd party.

 

[acptulsa]

Absolutely, but it was a shift, there wasn't much, if any, of a simultanious 3rd party.

There was some. Yes, not much. The Whig Party was very much on the decline at the time.

And the Republican Party is very much on the decline right now.

 

[Matt Collins]

I don't know why its so hard for people on this forum to do more then one thing at the same time.

You don't win a war by fighting on multiple fronts.

 

[jmdrake]

You don't win a war by fighting on multiple fronts.

I guess that's why the U.S. lost World War 2. Fighting against the Germans in North Africa and Europe and the Japanese in the Pacif.....oh...nevermind.

 

[Matt Collins]

How can we stay in the GOP? The rules have turned it into a dictatorship.

Rules can be changed, but only if enough of our people show up and fight for it.

 

[Matt Collins]

We're gonna do whatever we feel is necessary on an individual basis. So it takes all kinds, and the GOP is one option on a table of many.

We don't need to lose focus and dilute our efforts. That's how they win!

 

[Matt Collins]

Their guy will always win...it would be futile.

Your defeatism is not welcome here.

 

[Matt Collins]

Staying within the GOP isn't about fielding Republican liberty candidates and winning elections for them under the current rules. Staying within the GOP is about getting involved locally, going to meetings, and taking over your state party, then replacing the RNC with our own people. Then, we can correct the rules ourselves. In short, staying within the GOP is about replacing and becoming the GOP's leadership. It's an activist numbers game, and as long as the RNC and negative nancies don't dissuade us, we have a lot more people willing to put in the work than the establishment does.

If people don't get involved in the meantime, Rand will suffer the same fate as Ron. We have learned that, under the current party leadership, it is impossible for a liberty candidate to get a Presidential nomination, and it's difficult to field more than a handful of Congressional candidates...so our strategy must be to change the current leadership instead of just waiting four years for Rand. For the GOP strategy to work, we MUST get involved locally during off-years, take over committee spots and state chairs, and take over RNC positions. After that, a Presidential win will be within reach, as well as fielding enough liberty candidates to gradually take over Congress...which is both critical and impossible to do without the resources of a major party.

 

[hrdman2luv]

Does Ron Paul want us to leave the GOP, or stick around and hold our ground in an attempt to win more rank-and-file Republicans over to our side?


Judging from his history, what do YOU think he would want us to do?



Obviously he stayed involved in the Republican Party and it's a good thing he did! We should do the same.

I'm already gone. I came back to the republican party to support Ron Paul. But now, even though I'll still support the movement (whether it's in the GOP or the Libertarian party or both) I'm heading back over to the Libertarian party to give them most of my support for now. Gary Johnson is the only liberty candidate left. If we don't support him, we can kiss the liberty movement goodbye.

Here's why.

The liberty movement has given the Libertarian Party a lot of good publicity. And even though the libertarian party has little chances of success this time, the liberty movements reputation coupled with the Libertarian party will continue gaining strength by gaining membership. With that, comes more money to advertise. And considering that the poltical arena is based on how much money you have, then that increases our success. It's a sad truth. But not all bad.
You see, Ron Paul is known more as a Libertarian than a republican. How many times have you seen some news commetarain say "Ron Paul, the Libertarian leaning candidate"......... Everything the media has protrayed this movement, has been based on Libertarian leaning idea's. And because the republican party now has a balck mark against it, I think the only viable next step would be to build on what's already the mindset of the people. Those that are still on the fence, will look around and see what's going on our way. And if we all are still supporting the same corrupt SOB's in the RNC, then what will the possibley new members of this movement think? That we still don't have a clue as to what we are supporting?

keep in mind, WE already know what we are supporting. And it's not so much a poltical party, but a movement. And we have to continue this movement. And there's no reason why we can't support the movement within the GOP, and still support Gary Johnson at the same time. Because our principles are still in tact.

 

[ninepointfive]

I encourage anyone who doesn't want to work within the GOP to go out and do whatever you feel will be the most effective.
I encourage Matt and anyone else who wants to continue to work within the GOP to continue to do so. And I also encourage Matt to STFU.

Matt, you are so very wrong on this appeal to central authority and somehow insisting wars cannot be fought on many fronts. I imagine you're just worried about fading away into obscurity, which you won't - just hang out with the other politicos and have the respect for other people who want to take different avenues.


This thread will continue to feed Matt's ego - you can tell by his history that he thrives off of negative energy.