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

[doctor jones]

Thank god for Jesse Benton. We have a bunch of Tom Woods in our movement... and not nearly enough people willing to get their hands deep into politics. Getting the leader of your party in your corner for a Presidential run would be priceless.

 

[Aratus]

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.

i can even namedrop mark hanna

 

[cajuncocoa]

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.

The more I think about this comment, the more it pisses me off.

You DO know, don't you, that Dr. Paul first ran for President under the banner of the Libertarian Party in 1988...right? Who do you think it was supporting him then? Yep, left-libertarians, anarcho-capitalists, and the conspiracy crowd.

So almost 20 years later he decides to make another run as a Republican and those of us who consider ourselves small-l libertarians are suddenly personae non gratae among a bunch of GOP opportunists? I've got some choice words for that: fuck all of you who seek to discredit those of us who knew Ron Paul "when".

I wonder who it was that gave him the advice to run GOP and to try to reform the Republican Party? It wasn't very good advice as far as I can see, and I've felt that way all along. These "advances" that some here speak of in the liberty movement...I wonder how that will play out 1, 2, 3 years down the road when these candidates also sell themselves out to the highest GOP bidder.

Dr. Paul has one major fault that I can see: he's too damned trusting of those advising him.

 

[parocks]

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

Oh, I wanted 100 different options. Whatever could wreck the convention (until the Wead interview that revealed that the official campaign were basically afraid
to attack Romney, at which time simply lying down was the best approach) At the convention we got exactly Ron Paul boilerplate - marching and chanting, and
minor disurbances.

But it doesn't matter, because what did happen, did suck and was ineffective. The official campaign got the things done that were done. Maine, Minnesota, Iowa, all had official campaign people there.

 

[orenbus]

fuck all of you who seek to discredit those of us who knew Ron Paul "when".

 

[parocks]

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

The Liberty Wing of the Republican Party is either stronger or weaker at any given time. You can trace it to Goldwater, you can trace it to Robert Taft. You can probably trace it back even further. But that's what Ron Paul is, the leader of the Liberty Wing of the Republican Party.

 

[Brett85]

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.

Then I guess he would've been better off just voting against it. He should probably realize that he can't please people like you no matter what he does.

 

[puppetmaster]

If this doesn't piss on Ron Paul I don't know what would. This is disgusting....but expected by many.

 

[sailingaway]

The more I think about this comment, the more it pisses me off.

You DO know, don't you, that Dr. Paul first ran for President under the banner of the Libertarian Party in 1988...right? Who do you think it was supporting him then? Yep, left-libertarians, anarcho-capitalists, and the conspiracy crowd.

So almost 20 years later he decides to make another run as a Republican and those of us who consider ourselves small-l libertarians are suddenly personae non gratae among a bunch of GOP opportunists? I've got some choice words for that: fuck all of you who seek to discredit those of us who knew Ron Paul "when".

I wonder who it was that gave him the advice to run GOP and to try to reform the Republican Party? It wasn't very good advice as far as I can see, and I've felt that way all along. These "advances" that some here speak of in the liberty movement...I wonder how that will play out 1, 2, 3 years down the road when these candidates also sell themselves out to the highest GOP bidder.

Dr. Paul has one major fault that I can see: he's too damned trusting of those advising him.

I do not believe CaptLouAlbano entirely approves of Ron.

 

[parocks]

Jesse Benton? Or the grassroots?

My question was, how did the grassroots suck?

I wanted Romney hurt at the convention until I heard the offical Ron Paul campaign was afraid of Romney.

I answered "why did the grassroots suck" on another post.

 

[sailingaway]

The Liberty Wing of the Republican Party is either stronger or weaker at any given time. You can trace it to Goldwater, you can trace it to Robert Taft. You can probably trace it back even further. But that's what Ron Paul is, the leader of the Liberty Wing of the Republican Party.

I agree with that, personally.

But he is supported by people inside and OUTSIDE the GOP. That is Ron's huge value, independents and crossovers who don't feel represented by either of the main parties feel represented by Ron. Some will become GOP and work within it, some won't, but will be there in general elections, for volunteer work and funding, or will support his legislative proposals such as end the fed, or some of those.

No one else has a tie to these people. This is Ron's UNIQUE VALUE beyond organization. We sure don't want to throw it away.

 

[parocks]

Maybe some here need to listen to this again:

Right, this is the Fringe Kokesh trashing Ron Paul for no good reason at all. If Kokesh didn't do this, and other Fringe things, Benton wouldn't have told Schiff to stay away from Paulfest.

 

[cajuncocoa]

The Liberty Wing of the Republican Party is either stronger or weaker at any given time. You can trace it to Goldwater, you can trace it to Robert Taft. You can probably trace it back even further. But that's what Ron Paul is, the leader of the Liberty Wing of the Republican Party.

That's not how I first heard of him:

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...election-bid&p=4643059&viewfull=1#post4643059

 

[CaptLouAlbano]

I do not believe CaptLouAlbano entirely approves of Ron.

Depends on what you mean by "entirely approves"? Do I think every word Paul speaks is infallible gospel? No. But I respect him as a principled leader, and felt he was by far the most conservative candidate in the race and is continuing the legacy of the Old Right.

 

[orenbus]

But he is supported by people inside and OUTSIDE the GOP. That is Ron's huge value, independents and crossovers who don't feel represented by either of the main parties feel represented by Ron.

Truth

 

[The Gold Standard]

Then I guess he would've been better off just voting against it. He should probably realize that he can't please people like you no matter what he does.

He knows he can't please people like me. He didn't vote for it to get me. He voted for it to get you. And he did.

 

[Aratus]

LOL. Two possibilities (at least). 1) Jesse Benton is a sellout. 2) Ron and Rand have cleverly led Mitch McConnell into a trap where he is guaranteed to lose his seat to a liberty candidate thanks to our new "inside man" Jesse Benton. Which conspiracy is it?

good one! seriously though, its too difficult to get more lucidly paranoid.
odds are mitch mcconnell's people screen people and poor jesse won't
make the same mistake about sacha baron cohen he did when around
bob barr and ron paul. mitch mcconnell is a sly one, even though it looks
like he's hired a campaign guy who had five I.Q points less than trey but
is 5 degrees more to the right than he. i wish jesse the best of luck. i am
frugal when i reuse my teabags in real life. this has been highly memorable.
even if there is a third character sorta like borat or bruno who tries to do
an interview with majority leader mitch down the road, i only presume new
footage will only bobble senator mcconnell a half a point in the KY pollings.
i think if we all try to sorta help jesse spot that sacha character even if we
back someone like our own thomas massie in the primary, we can sorta help
along jesse's career. i'm wishing him the best of luck, and feel he has a big
learning curve. if i wait a year and a half, i think i will be able to lay a very
done deal bet at InTrade on the re-election chances of the minority leader.
i also think any bet on mcconnell in 2014 at Intrade would be a total winner.

 

[sailingaway]

Right, this is the Fringe Kokesh trashing Ron Paul for no good reason at all. If Kokesh didn't do this, and other Fringe things, Benton wouldn't have told Schiff to stay away from Paulfest.

Kokesh went about things in what I consider to be a terribly destructive and self destructive way. However, people know where his feelings are coming from and many identify with that, over concern about his methods. Calling someone people identify with fringe is not a persuasive tactic, imho.

 

[Brett85]

He knows he can't please people like me. He didn't vote for it to get me. He voted for it to get you. And he did.

Well, he didn't "get" me. It's not like I'm going to send money to his re-election campaign or anything. But I don't really see a problem with Jesse Benton working for McConnell and effectively stepping up the ladder in his career.

 

[orenbus]