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

[cajuncocoa]

Maybe some here need to listen to this again:

 

[Feeding the Abscess]

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.

Gee, I wonder why, since Ron's been reading books from that viewpoint since the 60s, uses the arguments those thinkers put forward (occasionally even mentioning names like Lysander Spooner on national TV), and recommends their books in his writings.

 

[sailingaway]

Jesse Benton? Or the grassroots?

My question was, how did the grassroots suck?

parocks wanted the grass roots delegates to potentially trash their positions by acting out in ways he thought wouldn't blow back on Ron because they would be pretending to be Romney folks. He also thought Paul fest should have been different and we should have done other projects he wanted done. On a couple of those projects I agree they might have been a good idea, but people all had their own ideas. I believe that is why he thinks grass roots sucked but maybe I have that wrong.

I WILL say, I think a lot of grass roots from 2007 didn't want to work with the campaign. This was a really sad development from my point of view since I had just lurked near the end of that, and hoped with all the new people who woke up during that campaign added in, it would be even stronger than it was. It did have better results, but I think a lot of the old activists didn't really show up, this time. At least that is what a bunch of people said during the campaign who said 'good luck' at some point but that they weren't going to get involved after the way it was handled before.

 

[specsaregood]

//

 

[TCE]

McConnell doesn't need our money, he needs us to stay out of his race. He's already got over $6 million on hand. http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00003389&cycle=2012

 

[cajuncocoa]

parocks wanted the grass roots delegates to potentially trash their positions by acting out in ways he thought wouldn't blow back on Ron because they would be pretending to be Romney folks. He also thought Paul fest should have been different and we should have done other projects he wanted done. On a couple of those projects I agree they might have been a good idea, but people all had their own ideas. I believe that is why he thinks grass roots sucked but maybe I have that wrong.

I WILL say, I think a lot of grass roots from 2007 didn't want to work with the campaign. This was a really sad development from my point of view since I had just lurked near the end of that, and hoped with all the new people who woke up during that campaign added in, it would be even stronger than it was. It did have better results, but I think a lot of the old activists didn't really show up, this time. At least that is what a bunch of people said during the campaign who said 'good luck' at some point but that they weren't going to get involved after the way it was handled before.

Sorry, I had forgotten about that suggestion...but now I remember.

 

[FSP-Rebel]

While I don't have a glowing impression of Mitch, he doesn't top my list of Senators that need to go. Graham-SC, Collins-ME, Snowe-ME, McCain-AZ, Hatch-UT are my top 5. I think with Rand as the hot shot coming from KY, Mitch isn't going to become an outright enemy of ours because of Benton and because DeMint is also prime for the Majority Leader position. Not to mention the direction the country is taking, it will be hard for Mitch to backstab his conservative base while Obama is still in office.

 

[georgiaboy]

Rand can endorse & fundraise for Mitch all he wants, just like he can endorse Romney all he wants.

Does not mean that awake conservatives will vote for Mitch.

Pulling Benton in this early tells me that Mitch fears for his job.

If, as has been stated earlier, tea party is growing in KY, then I hope they send Mitch packing, or get him to change his legislative agenda in a big way. Leverage is only leverage if it's used to get results.

 

[tsai3904]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...he-pauls-a-political-marriage-made-in-heaven/

“That’s exactly what he’s doing this time — hire the best guy for the job,” [Trey] Grayson told The Fix. “In Kentucky, a divided Republican Party usually results in a losing candidate.”

Benton isn’t the first operative to bridge the gap between Paul World and the establishment. Before him, there was Trygve Olson, an establishment-connected former National Republican Senatorial Committee aide who joined up with Rand Paul after the primary in 2010 and then worked for Ron Paul’s presidential campaign this year.

Olson said Benton’s hire is big.

“This is like LeBron to the Heat,” Olson said. “The best player is now on the best team, and there is no limit to how good the McConnell campaign can be.”

 

[sailingaway]

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.

Believe it or not, May 2012 join date, this movement was built on principles and in taking the GOP back to those principles not washing out the principles for political advancement. That is the OLD game. Those of us who believe otherwise do not 'belong in a different party' we need to merely continue our path as Ron set it out and keep our eyes on the principles, not the personalities.

And my comment on the join date isn't that new members aren't good, many are spectacular. But coming here AFTER the campaign said it wasn't going to have delegates to win and after the campaign, if never the delegates, changed focus and trying to speak for the movement is kind of rich. Your at that late date appearing and trying to suggest you have the better pulse of where people are, telling everyone to work in the party the 'endorse McConnell way' and for everyone else to leave the party and immolate themselves in a third party seems contrary to many of our goals. Ron wanted us in the party to show what adherence to principles and requirement of character in politicians could do.

 

[cavalier973]

Must be because Benton did such a good job getting Ron Paul nominated.


:6

 

[thehungarian]

I assumed it would be a gig with Romney, but this is... wow. McConnell is one of the worst, man.

 

[Sola_Fide]

Rand can endorse & fundraise for Mitch all he wants, just like he can endorse Romney all he wants.

Does not mean that awake conservatives will vote for Mitch.

If, as has been stated earlier, tea party is growing in KY, then I hope they send Mitch packing, or get him to change his legislative agenda in a big way. Leverage is only leverage if it's used to get results.

It's going to be difficult now....really difficult. If the Rand machine is backing McConnell, you can take it to the bank. The Rand machine is unstoppable in Kentucky now.

 

[Romulus]

This is a slap in our face. No wonder he felt the need to wear a bullet proof vest.... you dont see Ron needed to wear a vest.

We've all been scammed.

 

[Feeding the Abscess]

It's going to be difficult now....really difficult. If the Rand machine is backing McConnell, you can take it to the bank. The Rand machine is unstoppable in Kentucky now.

Should make you wonder, "why even bother being a part of that machine, if it's going to be protecting the establishment of the establishment?"

 

[georgiaboy]

It's going to be difficult now....really difficult. If the Rand machine is backing McConnell, you can take it to the bank. The Rand machine is unstoppable in Kentucky now.

Then this better result in a real change in Mitch's legislative agenda. Otherwise, Rand is being played.

 

[libertyjam]

Well WE care what Benton says and does. Thread after thread after thread all about Benton.

Exactly, and WE haven't been the Tea Party for quite some time, now WE can stop caring about the traitor inside. And yes I agree it was pretty smart of weasel McConnell to be the one to give the cronyism payback position.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

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

Time for the "glass is half-full" side? Benton gets a job with McConnell. He makes a lot of friends and contacts, especially if Mitch becomes the Majority Leader. He is then in a position to help a liberty candidate for President in the future.

 

[Sola_Fide]

Then this better result in a real change in Mitch's legislative agenda. Otherwise, Rand is being played.

I agree.

 

[ninepointfive]

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.

How is Benton the pivot point here? The email list?
The grassroots has done all the heavy lifting. Please explain why you think Benton prevents anyone from primarying McConnel?