I tried to warn you guys.

[govtpigII]

If you think Iowa was bad, wait till we get to the states that people could not switch parties. At New Years Party I met 4 other people, out of a crowd of 20 that were Ron Paul supporters....to fucking bad they are NOT registered Republicans....and in New York you had to be by mid Aug! They set this up in a manner so someone like Paul cannot win the nomination. Our hope will be a 3rd party run.....

 

[MN Patriot]

I have felt the same way on many occassions. When given the time he has managed to complete these thoughts as you ask for, but always in a clumsy way. If there was one thing he could do right away it would be to hire a speech writer and to practice, practice, practice.

He needs to get these answers into sound bite forms. Another example is "end habeas corpus". What the hell is habeas corpus? (i know what it is, but from the perspective of most americans, this is confusing).

Still, we are rolling and Rudy is curled up in fetal position on the floor of his office sucking his thumb and refusing to come out. God I wish I were a fly on the wall of Rudy's office this morning!

If there was one thing he could do right away it would be to hire a speech writer and to practice, practice, practice???

All of us need to practice as if we are the soldiers for freedom on the front line of battle.

10 years ago I was in Toastmasters, getting rid of my fear of speaking in front of crowds. I'll never be a great orator, but I can speak up for freedom in a large room full of people.

I keep saying over and over again: this can't be a one man revolution, if Ron doesn't get the nomination, he should run as a Libertarian and have 400+ Ron Paul Libertarians running for Congress with him. Turn this into a national revolution where people will be forced to choose between freedom and socialism. Now that he has the publicity, it will be hard for the media to ignore him if he runs as a third party candidate. And don't say he won't, he has said that he hasn't completely ruled it out.

 

[Minuteman2008]

If you think Iowa was bad, wait till we get to the states that people could not switch parties. At New Years Party I met 4 other people, out of a crowd of 20 that were Ron Paul supporters....to fucking bad they are NOT registered Republicans....and in New York you had to be by mid Aug! They set this up in a manner so someone like Paul cannot win the nomination. Our hope will be a 3rd party run.....

That's just more evidence that to get the Republican nomination you have to appeal to Republicans. Folks who would normally not vote for a Republican should be the ones to put him over the top, not his whole base. If he were running as an independent that would be different.

 

[ecliptic]

globalist facilitators

I don't agree with any of this. First off, Huckabee had Rollins, AND the GOP AND the mainstream media. Big difference there. Further, Iowa is fertile ground for overtly christian candidates.

Second, guys like Rollins wouldn't touch Ron Paul's candidacy for a million dollars. It would be career and social suicide. Guys like Rollins are deeply embedded within the Globalist movement. I think you have more deprogramming to do.

Third, Ron Paul is so far from a one-issue candidate that I don't want to exert the effort to explain it. Do your homework before you say something so patently false.

Ron Paul knows better than any of us who he can trust and it's a really short list. The campaign advisers who attach themselves to various mainstream candidates are likely all "globalist facilitators" and I trust none of them. They do not have the magical power that some folks seem to think they have. They do have connections to other tentacles of the evil octopus. We do not want those tentacles "helping" us. We are completely alone in this fight. It's just the 100,000 grassroots warriors ( that's all ) and our alternative media friends against Goliath and all his corporate giant-pals...

We face an uphill battle against formidable odds. Those who were looking to waltz into the white house on a sea of enlightened voters ... well perhaps you should just back one of the globalists and resume watching television and drinking flouride-tainted soda pop... much easier. Those who are in this for the very long haul should take what we can from this battle and prepare quickly for the next... and the next ... and the one after that...

 

[joenaab]

As I said in my post Paul isn't a one issue candidate. But he comes across like that in the debates and many of his commercials.

My whole point is that this paranoid they're out to get us status quo is a loser in the long run. I think the deprogramming needed is among those who think they can win without getting Republicans to vote for Paul.

I wouldn't want Rollins specifically, but used that as an example of an accomplished campaign manager. With Paul's money, I would think he could do better on that front. But again, part of the problem here concerning connecting with Republicans is the paranoia and outright disdain for the Republican base, and if the two can't connect somehow there is no way in hell he's getting the votes he needs.

As for Huckabee, talk radio despises the guy. Not just Hannity and Limbaugh, but even lesser known rightwing radio hosts like Roger Hedgecock, John and Ken on KRLA, and others. I'm not buying the whole media choice crap anymore. It's a loser, and continuing down that path leads to nothing. Huckabee connected with the voters on key issues and performed well in the debates. I don't believe he'll last by any means, but at this stage the Paul campaign could learn a thing or two from him about how to talk to voters about issues they care about instead of beating the same drum.

Or maybe I just need more reprogramming.

Okay, I take back the deprogramming comment (note that I said "deprogramming" and not "reprogramming". There is a huge difference)...:o

I agree with the spirit of what you are saying and know it comes from a good place. I, personally, don't like to read so much negativity. I have turned dozens of people onto Ron Paul (remember, it's tough to do this from an island in Brazil) who have gone on to be very active campaigners. Never once has any said that Ron Paul is a one issue candidate, or even erroneously perceived such a thing. Even in the media, he speaks to so many issues I can't even imagine what one issue you are referring to.

Yes, he needs help with his campaign. We can accept the hand we are dealt and learn to play it to our advantage, which is exactly what we've been doing all year. Ron Paul will never win over 100% of Republicans. He has a message, the message is getting out there, clumsily as it may be at times, and 50-80% of the people who hear it resonate with it in a powerful way and get involved.

We are here to shore up the weaknesses of the campaign and to serve as a mirror to reflect back to them their own weaknesses and we are, have been, and will continue to do so. Negatively begets negativity. Always has, always will. This is a fundamental and immovable law of Nature.

Sorry to have gone on the attack. I respect what you are trying to do.

 

[Minuteman]

I agree with most of what was said here. Here is what is my take.

Ron needs to package his message better. We all agree, when given the time Ron is pretty good at getting his message across. The problem is 99% of the time that explanation time is not allowed. We need to hire a professional PR person that can help Ron package that message for the average voter to swallow.

I truly believe Ron gives Americans to much credit for actually knowing the issues and understanding them. Unfortunately, most Americans just want to be told what to do and that doing so will make their lives better. Im pretty sure the majority of Americans have absolutely no clue what the Patriot Act is and why its a bad thing.

Here is a lesson learned from the Bush/Kerry battle. Now I want all the not so hard core republicans to not take this personally, this isnt a slam against you. What was Kerry's message? Well, Kerry's message was all over the place. He had to many talking points for the average person to digest. Democrats like to run on the issue platform alot, and the message sometimes gets very diluted.

Ok, what was Bushs message? Well Bush only had ONE message packed 8 different ways. The message was Bush was strong and Kerry was weak. Thats it, that was his whole message. His whole campaign was centered around that ideal. Bush knew what his strong point was at the time and used it to his advantage. He also knew he could get Kerry to flop around on issues trying to stave off the weak image.

So, what is ROns strong point? To me its consistancy. We need to be beating consistancy into the heads of Americans and showing that the other candidates are all over the place. Now, i know some people do not want to run any type of negative campaign. But remember, Even Reagan ran negative adds against Mondale, anyone remember the reagan tax ads?


So to sum it all up.
-hire a professional PR person or business
-Streamline the message for the masses
-Push our strong point such as constancy
-Show how all the other candidates fall short of our strong point

 

[politicsNproverbs]

He needs to get these answers into sound bite forms.

Great idea! How about a few mini-TV-commercials, one for each point, nothing else, just explain one position in 30-seconds or less.

 

[politicsNproverbs]

Today we woke up supporting a 1st Tier candidate! ... We are no longer fringe. We are mainstream...

When they start talking about RP all the time on the regular non-cable networks (ABC-NBC-CBS-FOX), then I'll know we've made it. I forgot to check... are they talking about him on any of the "Morning Shows"?

-------------

I enjoyed your full post, really. I've appreciated all the well-thought-out comments from both sides of the fence in this thread, the super-positives and the negative ones. It's all good.... good to consider, good for the soul.

 

[joenaab]

If there was one thing he could do right away it would be to hire a speech writer and to practice, practice, practice???

All of us need to practice as if we are the soldiers for freedom on the front line of battle.

10 years ago I was in Toastmasters, getting rid of my fear of speaking in front of crowds. I'll never be a great orator, but I can speak up for freedom in a large room full of people.

I keep saying over and over again: this can't be a one man revolution, if Ron doesn't get the nomination, he should run as a Libertarian and have 400+ Ron Paul Libertarians running for Congress with him. Turn this into a national revolution where people will be forced to choose between freedom and socialism. Now that he has the publicity, it will be hard for the media to ignore him if he runs as a third party candidate. And don't say he won't, he has said that he hasn't completely ruled it out.

Yes, of course, and in defense of myself, I spend half my days responding to e-mails of friends who ask me to write short answers to RP's confusing positions so they can send them to friends they are trying to win over. I have a queue of them to attend to this morning! I am always happy to do this and believe that we can't change the good doctor overnight and we are hear to clarify and propagate the message of the campaign as well. For those of us who have strengths in these areas, we are called to service to use them.

 

[politicsNproverbs]

Still, we are rolling and Rudy is curled up in fetal position on the floor of his office sucking his thumb and refusing to come out. God I wish I were a fly on the wall of Rudy's office this morning!

Make that two of us. Is it that he was SO OVER-CONFIDENT re: Iowa that he decided "not to bother" campaigning there? The News says he decided to spend his time putting all his eggs into Florida's basket.

Is there some unknown strategy going on with that? Or did he just bet on a supposed sure-thing and it backfired in his JulieAnnie face?

 

[joenaab]

Ron Paul knows better than any of us who he can trust and it's a really short list. The campaign advisers who attach themselves to various mainstream candidates are likely all "globalist facilitators" and I trust none of them. They do not have the magical power that some folks seem to think they have. They do have connections to other tentacles of the evil octopus. We do not want those tentacles "helping" us. We are completely alone in this fight. It's just the 100,000 grassroots warriors ( that's all ) and our alternative media friends against Goliath and all his corporate giant-pals...

We face an uphill battle against formidable odds. Those who were looking to waltz into the white house on a sea of enlightened voters ... well perhaps you should just back one of the globalists and resume watching television and drinking flouride-tainted soda pop... much easier. Those who are in this for the very long haul should take what we can from this battle and prepare quickly for the next... and the next ... and the one after that...

thank you for that post. we are of the same ilk. there would be a high risk of sabotage if he were to employ high profile campaign help. there are many who believe that a shift in campaign staff would suddenly result in wide, mainstream media acceptance of his message and campaign. to believe that is folly. Further, it serves to perpetuate the notion that we elect our representatives on glitz and polish. i prefer spit and elbow grease.

 

[politicsNproverbs]

I am somewhat wishing Ron Paul never walked into my life...

I know what you mean... I'm wondering how to fit in a year of campaigning that was not planned on...

...Apathetic ignorance is much more STRESS-FREE.

How true... until the DHS Clearing House jackboots show up at your door with balloons and flowers and a first-prize one-way ticket to their "vacation getaways"...

 

[joenaab]

When they start talking about RP all the time on the regular non-cable networks (ABC-NBC-CBS-FOX), then I'll know we've made it. I forgot to check... are they talking about him on any of the "Morning Shows"?

-------------

I enjoyed your full post, really. I've appreciated all the well-thought-out comments from both sides of the fence in this thread, the super-positives and the negative ones. It's all good.... good to consider, good for the soul.

If you see that as the definition of a mainstream candidate, you will forever be disappointed. Those networks work for the globalizing forces of banking and finance, war profiteering, Big Pharma, and others (including themselves!). A Ron Paul presidency would clearly harm all of them. They exist to beat down guys like Ron Paul. What support they show will always be a clever form of deception.

 

[politicsNproverbs]

NEED A WEBSITE FOR YOUR RON PAUL PROJECT?- Send me a PM- I'll make one for free.

Well, there's that idea of a website for the Grassroots Advisory Board mentioned a page or two back...

 

[bnyles]

I got news for you.
McDonald's hamburgers suck.
But, they sell billions of them.

The goal is to get Ron Paul ELECTED.
Anyone -- with any message -- can get elected with the proper packaging and marketing.

The fact that Ron Paul's message turns off many people is PRECISELY why he needs a professional campaign team.

This is where You are wrong. Ron Paul's message is about spontaneity and truth. It is impossible to manufacture those things. Their very definition of spontaneity and truth means the opposite of "manufacturing". Truth and spontaneity ARE, they are not made.

The radio and tv ads the official campain has put out are soulless and hardly convince anyone. That is their problem. They have no fire burning inside. We, at the grasslevel, have so much more conviction and passion than the official campaign does. Unless the official campaign starts echoing the real sentiment of the grassroots level, Ron Paul will not get elected. So far they have tried phony-looking tv and radio ads -- it obviously does not work.

The official campaign has to become the mouthpiece for the People. The official campaign has to become a pure and amplifying channel for the Revolution of Love, not some sort of half-dead professionally manufactured BS-machine.

Remember, the Revolution is about us and what we believe is right.

By speaking from his heart and staying true to his beliefs no matter what, Ron Paul reminded of something really important I had forgotten -- that standing up for truth and acting from it feels AWESOME!

 

[politicsNproverbs]

If you think Iowa was bad, wait till we get to the states that people could not switch parties. At New Years Party I met 4 other people, out of a crowd of 20 that were Ron Paul supporters....to fucking bad they are NOT registered Republicans....and in New York you had to be by mid Aug! They set this up in a manner so someone like Paul cannot win the nomination. Our hope will be a 3rd party run.....

Thank you for that report; 'cuz you know, why all the sudden (last year out of the blue) all these states changed all their rules w/early primaries, etc.? Seems very strange. Surely some knucklehead at the top somewhere has a REASON for doing these things?

I think FLA should change its "closed state" rule. Anybody should be able to vote for anybody, any time, w/o all these stupid restrictions on parties. Skew the parties deal, I want to vote for a PERSON, not a "party."

 

[bnyles]

This is deadly serious business we are in: war, taxes, big business subsidized with our tax money, the economy, civil rights.

Ron needs a competent campaign staff. If they can't do better in New Hampshire, fire some people and get someone who can get better results. It happens all the time in campaigns.

But I am afraid Ron is too loyal to his friends, even the ones who can't do a good job for him.

I applause to Your conviction, Sir!

 

[ecliptic]

restore the constitution

The official campaign has to become the mouthpiece for the People. The official campaign has to become a pure and amplifying channel for the Revolution of Love, not some sort of half-dead professionally manufactured BS-machine.

Remember, the Revolution is about us and what we believe is right.

By speaking from his heart and staying true to his beliefs no matter what, Ron Paul reminded of something really important I had forgotten -- that standing up for truth and acting from it feels AWESOME!

YES!!!!!!!!!

We do NOT need some slick "packaging" - making us just as bad as all the rest. We need only to better communicate our message:

Restore the Constitution

 

[apropos]

Look, if Ron Paul doesn't win it won't be because the grass roots or the campaign screwed up. It will be because his message of limited government is NOT POPULAR. I know that is really hard for some of you to understand but why do you think there are so few people like him in elected positions? Why do you think that he is the lone dissenting vote on so many pieces of legislation?

I am not trying to be negative here. I'm just really tired of people trying to find someone to blame for everything that goes wrong when the real problem is the message.

Why is Ron Paul's message unpopular? Well, it's a number of things. Many people are apathetic and fear change. Many people just don't agree with him for a number of reasons. When it comes right down to it the only people you can blame is the voters. As the saying goes, "I have seen the enemy and it is us".

+1

Well said and true.

 

[politicsNproverbs]

Ron Paul knows better than any of us who he can trust and it's a really short list. The campaign advisers who attach themselves to various mainstream candidates are likely all "globalist facilitators" and I trust none of them. They do not have the magical power that some folks seem to think they have. They do have connections to other tentacles of the evil octopus. We do not want those tentacles "helping" us. We are completely alone in this fight. It's just the 100,000 grassroots warriors ( that's all ) and our alternative media friends against Goliath and all his corporate giant-pals...

We face an uphill battle against formidable odds. Those who were looking to waltz into the white house on a sea of enlightened voters ... well perhaps you should just back one of the globalists and resume watching television and drinking flouride-tainted soda pop... much easier. Those who are in this for the very long haul should take what we can from this battle and prepare quickly for the next... and the next ... and the one after that...

All painfully true. Thanks for the reminder about the facilitators, the infiltrators, the agents provacateurs, ad nauseum... they are out there...