Mitch McConnell hires Jesse Benton to run his 2014 re-election bid

[Brett85]

This is so bogus. I don't even agree with Ron Paul 100%, but I support him. People like McConnell are basically anathema.

Then I guess McConnell gets no credit at all for voting in favor of Rand's budget.

 

[ninepointfive]

Anyone consider the possibility that RP had the shits of Benton's treatment of the grassroots and asked him to resign and this is a big FU right back to Ron? Stranger things have happened. Can't wait for Doug Wead and Tom Woods' take on this...

The writing was on the wall and I think everyone knew that C4L would go nowhere with its base with Jesse working there.

 

[specsaregood]

I disagree. Donations, canvassing, phone banking, advertising, etc., all factor into GOTV efforts. Every candidate must reach more voters with these efforts than his/her opposition to be effective.

And why is all that effort put into GOTV and reaching the voters? Because voters are the ONLY reason one is elected. You can argue with that all you want, but its a fact.

 

[ninepointfive]

One question for all of you - why even argue about this?
Is it a question of what happens next?

 

[kathy88]

And why is all that effort put into GOTV and reaching the voters? Because voters are the ONLY reason one is elected. You can argue with that all you want, but its a fact.

Yes, this election season has shown us that every vote matters. Especially in the GOP. Are you serious?

 

[CaptLouAlbano]

Hmmm those numbers still don't make any sense IMO, I would bet money that the liberty movement got a lot more than a 1to10 ratio of existing activists vs. 2007 activists that are going to stick around for the rest of their lives just in 2007 alone.

I am not seeing that here in my county, my son seeing it in his and from others I have talked to I am getting the same feedback. There are some new people coming out and getting involved, but the numbers are not all that large. Granted all it takes is a few new people getting elected to committee and linking up with the existing libertarians to make a majority - but we need a lot more people getting out from behind the computers and out to meetings. So far from my observations, it seems like a lot were on board for the Paul campaign primarily, if not exclusively. We had committee elections here this year and I think only one or two people that ran were newcomers - and honestly I am not sure if they were RP people or not.

 

[orenbus]

No one said we had to go with Jesse, heck I doubt he's ballsy enough to even ask us to come with. His days with C4L were numbered.

Yea it's already apparent though that some here seem to think that we should not even consider running a liberty candidate against MM, basically giving him a pass because he hired Jesse or has been seen around town taking photo ops with Rand.

 

[Carlybee]

You are taking far too much credit for yourself. One of the main reasons a lot of the folks that have been elected over the last 4 years got into Congress is because there were people involved at the local level for many years. You think Tom Davis is going to win a Senate seat because of some folks that came on board in the last few years, or maybe it is because Davis has worked his ass off in local, county and state politics for the past decade and then some.

For ever person that has come into this in the last 4 years there were 10 people that had already been laying the groundwork at the local, county and state level. Who the hell do you think encouraged Paul to run in the first place? It sure as heck wasn't the people who found out about after he started his candidacy.

Yes and I was an original petitioner to try and get him to run as well as a county delegate in 08 as well as on our platform committee in 08 so I didn't just come into this in the last 4 years. I became aware of Ron Paul a decade ago so stop with the assumptions.

 

[kylejack]

You lie down with dogs and you get up with fleas. Benton's not one of us anymore and it is time to bid him farewell. McConnell should be primaried, but the cost would probably be astronomical.

 

[orenbus]

But..but...but we need to have extrajudicial drone strike assassinations so we can work with the GOP and make them our friends...c'mon man, just play along; extrajudicial drone strike assassinations aren't all that bad, I'm sure McCain supports them and we all know he is an excellent American

LOL

 

[specsaregood]

Yea it's already apparent though that some here seem to think that we should not even consider running a liberty candidate against MM, basically giving him a pass because he hired Jesse or has been seen around town taking photo ops with Rand.

Oh yeah? Which posts said we shouldn't challenge MM because he hired jesse and is taking photo ops with Rand. Thanks in advance.

 

[The Gold Standard]

either Jesse goes and sinks MM's campaign based on his results and past performance with RP, or he's the one who will work in the pit of vipers with the rest of the egotistical political types and help Rand's chances and issues in the future (since they're kinda allies). Not that Jesse could give a crap about Liberty, whatever that means to him.

Or Benton deliberately sabotaged Ron's campaign, but does good work for McConnell and even corrupts some of the Liberty Movement's less principled and/or intelligent members.

 

[specsaregood]

Yes, this election season has shown us that every vote matters. Especially in the GOP. Are you serious?

Fact is Ron didn't win enough votes. What happened to our delegates sucked but if we had won the majority of votes they wouldn't have been able to pull it off. So yes, I'm serious.

 

[JK/SEA]

its all part of the plan.

 

[July]

//

 

[twomp]

Benton proved his loyalty to the "establishment", it's time to get paid now. ALL ABOARD THE Mitch McConnell Revolution???

 

[CaptLouAlbano]

Yes and I was an original petitioner to try and get him to run as well as a county delegate in 08 as well as on our platform committee in 08 so I didn't just come into this in the last 4 years. I became aware of Ron Paul a decade ago so stop with the assumptions.

But if I recall, weren't you one of the folks who said they were done working within the GOP?

 

[orenbus]

One question for all of you - why even argue about this?
Is it a question of what happens next?

Yes I want to know who is going to stand up to this rubbish and run against MM in 2014.

 

[The Gold Standard]

Then I guess McConnell gets no credit at all for voting in favor of Rand's budget.

No. First, Rand's budget wasn't all that great, even if it was the best we are going to get. Second, McConnell knew it had no chance of passing. He voted for it for leverage with people like you. Looking at his record no one really believes he would support real spending cuts anywhere, especially overseas.

 

[CaptLouAlbano]

Yes I want to know who is going to stand up to this rubbish and run against MM in 2014.

Typically, it will need to be a sitting House member, State Senator or someone that has been elected (or come close to being elected) at the state level. Senate races are tough ones as they require a ton of votes to win, even in a primary. I do not know KY all that well to know who would potentially be a viable candidate, but as I said before it is an extremely difficult thing to do (unseat a high ranking incumbent) so I doubt many would even step forward to do so, unless it was solely for them to start getting state wide name recognition for a future race.