The passion that you are all showing is amazing, I share it. I've been an avid supporter of Ron Paul here in California for almost 10 years (a third of my life), and to see 10% of the Republican party in the first primary election choose him to lead them is amazing. I can name six people that I've already recruited to both donate and vote for RP in our primary, and I'm working on more.
It's a good thing that I had to wait a bit before I was allowed to make my first post, or it would have probably been moderated. As I checked into these forums while the Iowa tallies were being revealed, I saw what amounted to mass hysteria. It was embarrassing to read. Ron Paul supporters have a stigma that until tonight I've always thought was unfair - of being the crazed, reactionary, paranoid and laughable. I also saw reasonable, mature people trying to calm them down, but as always, the screaming people seem to overwhelm the measured ones. I will definitely not be referring any new recruits to the cause to this forum.
To see an 11 page thread giving this an "F" and 6 page thread calling for a new campaign manager, is exactly the stereotype we've been given. The worst, however, are the countless IT WAZ RIGGED threads and comments, reminiscent of the very worst of the Al Gore election hysteria, X Files type crap - and equally laughable. What played out is, within a few percentage points almost down the line, what each candidate was expected to do.
I am going to cry a little bit inside every time I have to read some comment on some article somewhere tomorrow saying that this is a rigged vote. You are embarrassing yourself, all of us, and Ron Paul himself when you say this to others and do irreparable damage to the campaign. TAKE YOUR TINFOIL HATS OFF.
Huckabee won the Bible thumper vote here, something we all knew if we were paying attention was going to happen. Hardly anybody that wins this state becomes president. Romney spent millions of his personal fortune here for months and could not even beat Huck, a candidate most of the core of the party really dislikes. Thompson, McCain and RP all came within 3% of tying each other for third place. And I just came back because I forgot to mention Rudy at all in this - the LA Times political bloggers are already laughing at him for trying to beat on Ron so early in the debates and now getting stomped by him.
Now get a grip on yourselves, honestly. Nobody needs to be fired, I'm thrilled that Ron Paul is a serious contender coming out of this thing. There was no rigging going on, there is not an Illuminati presence in freaking Iowa that is trying to enslave you. I promise.
Please, find a way to stop wailing and screaming about what is a very reasonable outcome to this Iowa caucus - the only mild surprise is that Fred did better than expected, largely because people who can't stand the Rev. Huck, waffle Romney, lib Rudy, etc. see nowhere else to go - those people went to Fred. There is going to be a lot more fluidity in the next few weeks between the candidates, and a strong, confident, rational, consistent message from the RP camp is vital to picking up the people who leave the other candidates. Voters see stability, calmness, and reassurance in Fred - yes, largely because of his acting roles that have these qualities. But guess what, it attracts them, and this kind of conspiracy hysteria repels them. Ignore this at our peril. RPs positions and beliefs are sound and rational, and we need to act in a manner that matches and represents that.
RP and his message are on the upswing, steadily and swiftly, not wildly fluctuating like everyone else. This is good. Huck will not be a factor in this race in a few weeks, and RP still can be.
Also, I've accepted already life after this election if RP doesn't win. What we are building, with measured, consistent, mature intellect and sound reason, is a new voting bloc in America that puts personal liberty and accountability first and foremost in the qualities it values both in a party and in a leader. That would have seemed too good a dream to me even a couple years ago.
I fear for this movement when it shows itself to be so fickle, paranoid, ready to blame aliens from Mars, hacked machines, and God knows what else for every little thing. Our movement is young, but it's time we grow up, because if we do that, regardless of any outcome here, we will be paving the way for a great future for the US.
Prove to me, the MSM, the critics, and yourselves that you are not a bunch of lunatics. We were 3% from third place, and the order we saw tonight is assuredly not going to be the order things end in. Take our very strong showing and use it as a springboard, not a noose. Please, for my sanity if nothing else.
Our passion is our greatest asset and our greatest weakness, it needs to be channeled correctly. Let the nutiness I saw here tonight be an abberation, not the norm.
It's a good thing that I had to wait a bit before I was allowed to make my first post, or it would have probably been moderated. As I checked into these forums while the Iowa tallies were being revealed, I saw what amounted to mass hysteria. It was embarrassing to read. Ron Paul supporters have a stigma that until tonight I've always thought was unfair - of being the crazed, reactionary, paranoid and laughable. I also saw reasonable, mature people trying to calm them down, but as always, the screaming people seem to overwhelm the measured ones. I will definitely not be referring any new recruits to the cause to this forum.
To see an 11 page thread giving this an "F" and 6 page thread calling for a new campaign manager, is exactly the stereotype we've been given. The worst, however, are the countless IT WAZ RIGGED threads and comments, reminiscent of the very worst of the Al Gore election hysteria, X Files type crap - and equally laughable. What played out is, within a few percentage points almost down the line, what each candidate was expected to do.
I am going to cry a little bit inside every time I have to read some comment on some article somewhere tomorrow saying that this is a rigged vote. You are embarrassing yourself, all of us, and Ron Paul himself when you say this to others and do irreparable damage to the campaign. TAKE YOUR TINFOIL HATS OFF.
Huckabee won the Bible thumper vote here, something we all knew if we were paying attention was going to happen. Hardly anybody that wins this state becomes president. Romney spent millions of his personal fortune here for months and could not even beat Huck, a candidate most of the core of the party really dislikes. Thompson, McCain and RP all came within 3% of tying each other for third place. And I just came back because I forgot to mention Rudy at all in this - the LA Times political bloggers are already laughing at him for trying to beat on Ron so early in the debates and now getting stomped by him.
Now get a grip on yourselves, honestly. Nobody needs to be fired, I'm thrilled that Ron Paul is a serious contender coming out of this thing. There was no rigging going on, there is not an Illuminati presence in freaking Iowa that is trying to enslave you. I promise.
Please, find a way to stop wailing and screaming about what is a very reasonable outcome to this Iowa caucus - the only mild surprise is that Fred did better than expected, largely because people who can't stand the Rev. Huck, waffle Romney, lib Rudy, etc. see nowhere else to go - those people went to Fred. There is going to be a lot more fluidity in the next few weeks between the candidates, and a strong, confident, rational, consistent message from the RP camp is vital to picking up the people who leave the other candidates. Voters see stability, calmness, and reassurance in Fred - yes, largely because of his acting roles that have these qualities. But guess what, it attracts them, and this kind of conspiracy hysteria repels them. Ignore this at our peril. RPs positions and beliefs are sound and rational, and we need to act in a manner that matches and represents that.
RP and his message are on the upswing, steadily and swiftly, not wildly fluctuating like everyone else. This is good. Huck will not be a factor in this race in a few weeks, and RP still can be.
Also, I've accepted already life after this election if RP doesn't win. What we are building, with measured, consistent, mature intellect and sound reason, is a new voting bloc in America that puts personal liberty and accountability first and foremost in the qualities it values both in a party and in a leader. That would have seemed too good a dream to me even a couple years ago.
I fear for this movement when it shows itself to be so fickle, paranoid, ready to blame aliens from Mars, hacked machines, and God knows what else for every little thing. Our movement is young, but it's time we grow up, because if we do that, regardless of any outcome here, we will be paving the way for a great future for the US.
Prove to me, the MSM, the critics, and yourselves that you are not a bunch of lunatics. We were 3% from third place, and the order we saw tonight is assuredly not going to be the order things end in. Take our very strong showing and use it as a springboard, not a noose. Please, for my sanity if nothing else.
Our passion is our greatest asset and our greatest weakness, it needs to be channeled correctly. Let the nutiness I saw here tonight be an abberation, not the norm.
