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

[parocks]

A lot of people know the name Karl Rove.

A lot of people know the name James Carville.

A lot of people know the name Lee Atwater.

Really? Exactly how many of Ron's 2M supporters even know the name of the guy who ran the campaign? Very few.

How many are going to know that Benton ran Ron's and Mitches campaign? Even fewer

How many out there that aren't living and breathing politics can name one campaign manager from ANY race over the past 50 years? Even fewer

The only people that even give a rats arse about this is the diehards and those absorbed in politics.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

The only people who would be able to put up any strong challenge to Mitch in 2014 would be Rand and Benton, and Mitch just hired Benton. Mitch hired the biggest potential threat.

Rand already has a Senate seat. How would Rand be a threat to Mitch?

 

[Feeding the Abscess]

Rand already has a Senate seat. How would Rand be a threat to Mitch?

By endorsing a potential challenger.

He wasn't going to, anyway, since he's already been fundraising for Mitch.

 

[sailingaway]

Doesn't matter if he created it. He's tapped into it. So, he can deliver it, right? It's all about the network, not the principle. Coundn't be about the principle, right? That's just silly.

That's the way McConnell's thinking.

I think he's thinking Ron won't endorse against his grandson in law's campaign regardless of how good the other candidate is, particularly if Rand is backing McConnell every step of the way. Ron will just decide to stay out of that race.

Fortunately, Ron taught us well, and we are self starters.

However, I am only speaking with regards to my impression of the national movement. I don't know if folks in KY who are tied into RAND more than RON would support a challenge with Rand working with and endorsing McConnell. It actually could have impact in that sense.

Forget what McConnell SAID was the reason, he knows Benton's relationship with grass roots, but he has also carefully cultivated his connections with Rand whom I expect to see on better committees soon, and knows the Pauls are a close family. McConnell's POLITICAL instincts are really exceptional.

 

[parocks]

Well as I see it from reading this site and others, there are two divergent paths that are taking place. We see Rand and the rest building bridges with others within the GOP, and then we see folks who prefer to take an absolutist position and only want to work with those whom they agree with 100%. As time goes on, and with each new news story that comes out I think you will see that Rand and company are moving further away from the strategy that is promoted here by most. As I mentioned earlier, it seems that every thing that has taken place outside of the Ron Paul campaign this year has been harshly criticized by folks on here. Which I why I concluded that maybe a place like the LP or CP might be better suited for some people, so that you can take a more dogmatic approach to things.

accurate analysis.

 

[The Gold Standard]

Believe it or not there are many within the Liberty Movement that feel it has been co-opted by the left-libertarians, anarcho-capitalists and conspiracy crowd.

LOL. Yeah, we need to keep the Liberty Movement free of the scum that actually want liberty. This is about defeating Barack Obama and making the world safe for democracy.

 

[TCE]

McConnell definitely knows what he's doing. This kills our already slim chances of taking down McConnell. Our record primarying incumbents is absolutely terrible anyway. We have gotten in Kerry and Mike Lee, but both had some major things break their way. With Benton in tow, we can't do it. For anyone saying Massie should primary him, well, they aren't seeing the bigger picture. Massie would have to give up his U.S. House seat to do it and McConnell would probably destroy any freshman Congressman. Let it go. In 2020, if the country still exists, Massie can move into McConnell's seat since McConnell will retire.

 

[BenIsForRon]

This is shocking. I don't know what good can come of this.

 

[parocks]

Why do I feel like I'm being brainwashed, just a few years ago we saw MM as the worst of them, now we are going to be asked to support him?

This is straight out of 1984, lol, "We've always been at war with Eastasia".

Do you live in Kentucky?

 

[Q11Q]

Is this a thread about Jane Fonda?

 

[parocks]

NO, the mistakes were all the fault of the fringe grassroots!

Mostly, yes. I can't find too much fault with what Benton did, but the grassroots sucked this time. 2007 was different, but the grassroots really sucked this year.

 

[CaptLouAlbano]

WTF do you believe the Liberty movement IS? The people you described are who I think of when I think of "liberty"....do you think of Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint, and Glenn Beck??

Jim DeMint is my Senator and I think he is a good guy. I don't always agree with him, but then again I don't always agree with Rand, Ron or anyone else all the time. Palin and Beck and more on the fiscal/social conservative side of things. There are areas of agreement and others of major disagreement.

My point was that the liberty movement in the GOP for many years, dating all the way back to the Goldwater era, was a mixture of libertarian thought and conservative principles (aka paleo-libertarianism or paleo-conservatism). Ron Paul is sort of a mix between paleolibertarian and paleoconservative. There is a viewpoint that feels that many of the newcomers hold to a left libertarian and/or anarcho-capitalist view.

 

[cajuncocoa]

Mostly, yes. I can't find too much fault with what Benton did, but the grassroots sucked this time. 2007 was different, but the grassroots really sucked this year.

In what way? Be specific, please.

 

[sailingaway]

accurate analysis.

actually, it is laden with judgmental terms showing bias to which is the right path.

At what point do you think we are coopted? Because our ability to mount insurgent primary attacks is a big weapon in our arsenal.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

What is completely ironic is the apparent impression by an establishment DC insider that anyone in the Tea Party would give any care to anything that Benton says or does. The whole thing is just pathetically hilarious.

Not entirely. Ron Paul supporters who read forums about Ron Paul religiously are in the minority. There are many Ron Paul supporters that would hear that a former Ron Paul person was Mitch's campaign manager, and think "wow, Mitch is really coming over to our side". The establishment is well aware of the level of knowledge (or ignorance) in the voting public. I know several Ron Paul supporters (and donors) who would not know the name Jesse Benton, but if a MSM report said that McConnell had hired a Ron Paul person, they would take it as a good thing.

If LPAC sends Mitch money I'm done sending them money. Thats for darn sure.

The writing was on the wall that Benton's days with the Liberty movment were over. He's ducking and running to the nearest thing he can find to a job.
...

Yep, Jesse's job with Ron Paul (and C4L) was over. He found a new job that pays more, and with room for advancement. He will be a wealthy guy.

 

[sailingaway]

In what way? Be specific, please.

He wanted people carrying bullhorns into convention and pretending to be Romney racists and things, as I recall.

 

[cajuncocoa]

Jim DeMint is my Senator and I think he is a good guy. I don't always agree with him, but then again I don't always agree with Rand, Ron or anyone else all the time. Palin and Beck and more on the fiscal/social conservative side of things. There are areas of agreement and others of major disagreement.

My point was that the liberty movement in the GOP for many years, dating all the way back to the Goldwater era, was a mixture of libertarian thought and conservative principles (aka paleo-libertarianism or paleo-conservatism). Ron Paul is sort of a mix between paleolibertarian and paleoconservative. There is a viewpoint that feels that many of the newcomers hold to a left libertarian and/or anarcho-capitalist view.

Yeah, I fell for that too....but then I woke up. How long is it going to take YOU?

 

[parocks]

This pretty much confirms to me that Benton was a saboteur all along. McConnell is about as non-Ron Paul a candidate as you can get.

Hope Benton enjoys the taste of his 30 pieces of silver.

Benton has been attacked by our side so harshly that it became difficult for him to work with us. So, he's using a different method to achieve goals. This all helps Rand.

 

[cajuncocoa]

He wanted people carrying bullhorns into convention and pretending to be Romney racists and things, as I recall.

Jesse Benton? Or the grassroots?

My question was, how did the grassroots suck?

 

[sailingaway]

Do you live in Kentucky?

We have donated, many of us, to Kentucky races. But in McConnell's case I agree no one will expect us to donate nor will we need to. Few are more tapped into wall street money than he.