IMPORTANT! Why Ron Paul Must NEVER Run as an Independent.

[nbhadja]

Which tells me that you are NOT involved with your local GOP.

So you imagine that they are all some BIG, BAD, BOGEYMEN.


Most of the GOP -- like in my state of Wisconsin -- do NOT want or like McCain, really don't like Romney or Huckabee either -- they ONLY reason they do not support Ron Paul is because many of them are still "attached" to Bush and their insane Iraq War -- they rest just don't know WHAT to think.

THE "support" for that war WILL CHANGE -- as soon as a DEMOCRAT takes power and "owns" the Iraq War. If they are true Neo-cons they will leave the party and go for HRC (like Ann Coulter is doing) or they will stay home (like Rush Limbaugh).


The only local Republicans I have met who actually SUPPORT John McCain are essentially the really OLD folks who were (strangely enough) in the MINORITY back in 2000 in supporting McCain against the BUSHCO machine. Within a few years they will be either inactive, or quite frankly, dead.


Currently the rest of the party feels like they are having McCain "shoved" down their throats by the MEDIA and subsequently a few people in positions of power (who themselves do not LIKE McCain but feel they HAVE TO push for members to support "whoever" the primaries "choose") -- and the REASON they are pushing that is because otherwise -- like you, they will NOT vote for the Republican candidate. (And as a minority party losing ground every day, they need EVERY VOTE).

We CAN take over the Republican Party... but only if we stay ACTIVE ALL ALONG THE WAY to the next election.

You can't play "groundhog" and just stick your head up once every four (or worse eight) years and expect to make any solid difference. (That is one of the MAIN problems with all 3rd parties -- since they have few or no elected officials, they "disappear" between election cycles, lose every inch of ground they gained, and have to work hard to reclaim it again.)

I normally went for the GOP before RP showed me the truth. I hated the democrats, and still do hate those communists. And I still would go for the GOP vs the illegal, welfare loving commucrats.

But RP running independent is far more productive than him not running at all (If he doesn't get the republican nomination).

And most of the GOP here in Florida would take Mitt over Ron Paul anyday. Sadly many have become brainwashed to think that preemptive war is effective and a good thing.

 

[VoteForRonPaul]

I have no problem with an independent run, or those who are promoting it. My only question for you folks is what will you do after this election is over? Randy, through all his fire spitting wording, is absolutely right. A third party solution in this country will not work, and Ron Paul knows this. ] for the future.

Well, I have to disagree here
First, who said that Ron Paul knows that a third party would not work? Ron Paul himself when he first ran for president in this election he has never thought that his message would get such a massive following. He never thought in it. But now he knows it! and he knows how serious this movement is and how sincere the followers are.
The situation now is 180 degree different from 20 years ago when he ran as a 3rd party before.
The Republican party has only one chance right now to restore their party and they know it. Ron Paul is the only Republican who can win this election without fraud or diebold and they better gain it or they would lose it forever.

The only reason he would consider doing it is to try to expand the base of freedom fighters

I have to agree here. And that is the main point. I myself so willing to donate for this 3rd party every month in case the republican party decides to sacrifice Ron Paul in this election. You cannot tell the Democrats and the independents who came over "keep fighting within a corrupt party" this would be a joke.
We all need to start a new pure start and enough of the junk of two parties and as you have said "expand the base of freedom fighters" I do not think RP would win if he runs as a third party but I do not care, what I care for is that this movement has to turn into something. And if Ron Paul does not unite us into something, very soon we will all banish and we will be forgotten and most likely we will be scattered between Republicans or Democrats and independents, which is the same old story. I really cannot take the moment to think that any of those jerks who are working for the MSM would be laughing at us or at our forgotten memory I just cannot think of it, that would bring me a heart attack, common guys. Together we can shake those big dirty heads! If we support the 3rd party with the same effort we have been doing for so long, within two years this small party would be a major party. All what I am saying is an assumption of what should be done if the Republican party would turn us down this time. It is all in their hands right now (they gain it or they lose it).

 

[1000-points-of-fright]

I have a question for all you GOP haters. If Ron Paul gets the nomination and wins the presidency he will be the head of the Republican party and his platform will be the GOP platform. Will you still hate the GOP and refuse to support it? If so, then you are no better than those who will only vote for a Republican.

If not, then your problem is not with the Republican party but with the current leadership and membership of the party. Change that and there's no problem.

Personally, I don't care. Both the GOP take-over and the independent run work for me.

 

[nullvalu]

I have a question for all you GOP haters. If Ron Paul gets the nomination and wins the presidency he will be the head of the Republican party and his platform will be the GOP platform. Will you still hate the GOP and refuse to support it? If so, then you are no better than those who will only vote for a Republican.

If not, then your problem is not with the Republican party but with the current leadership and membership of the party. Change that and there's no problem.

Personally, I don't care. Both the GOP take-over and the independent run work for me.

I agree with you except for your last statement. These are 2 separate things, the independent run I have no problem with because it keeps him in the race and his message front & center.

But we also have to think about what we'll do after the race. If you don't like the idea of taking over the GOP then fine, don't do that. But for god sake, DO NOT DO NOTHING.

 

[1000-points-of-fright]

But we also have to think about what we'll do after the race. If you don't like the idea of taking over the GOP then fine, don't do that. But for god sake, DO NOT DO NOTHING.

Obviously. I was implying that there's no reason why we shouldn't do both.

 

[John P Slevin]

absolutely

Can't believe some of you GOP lovers won't vote outside of your party.

Look if RP doesn't get the republican nomination, it will be better for him to run as an independent/3rd party than for him to not run at all. It's that simple.

Absolutely.

 

[nullvalu]

Absolutely.

I'm not disagreeing with that. But I'm more concerned about what the GOP haters are going to do after the election, this is my only point. I hate the GOP as much as the next person, I voted for Badnarick in '04. But at the end of the day, Ron Paul will still be a Republican, and I just happen to think our best chances for progress are to take over the GOP. Become a part of the Republican Liberty Caucus, as another person pointed out in a separate thread.

My only point is that if the above plan is not for you, that's completely fine - just don't be idle. Come up with your own plans to promote liberty and follow through.

 

[sb10]

This is a tough call. If Romney and McCain remain neck to neck after Tuesday, with RP a respectable #3, gambling on a brokered GOP convention might be the way to go.

On the other hand, the Republican label turns off some Independents.

Is it easier to clean out the Augean stables or build a new clean stable from scratch?

 

[Ball]

I have a question for all you GOP haters....

Let me stop you right there...

I have no principled position against supporting any party, including the Communist Party. It's a matter of WHAT THEY DO and WHY!

Now, let's look at how the GOP has treated Ron Paul...

(forums reels in shock, horror, disgust, etc.)

and WHY do they treat him like this? Because the GOP are a bunch of FASCIST WAR MONGERS who want to KEEP IN IRAQ and TRAMPLE ON YOUR RIGHTS. Hell, it's not even that principled! They just want MONEY (including yours).

But hey, I'm still giving them a chance, eh? I don't buy the whole kill them with kindness approach though. Ron Paul supporters in DC tried this, and they got spat in the face. As the party shrinks, they will want to close the ranks even more.

The GOP gets what they deserve. You can create a voting block without attaching yourself to a political party, then vie for attention. If you want to run for office, the party you choose ought to be based on local conditions, not the fact that the Ron's a Republican (who is kicked in the shins routinely).