"He makes sense but he is unelectable, I don't want to waste my vote on a candidate that can't win".
I get this from so many people over and over and over. The only rebuttal that I have seen work (somewhat) is if the person is a die hard republican and would be disgusted if a democrat got the white house. The rebuttal to them is this:
"How is a republican, who is for the war, going to compete with a democrat who against the war, when the majority of America is also against the war?"
But, for people who are not die hard republicans, this simply doesn't work with them. Any suggestions as to what would?
Tell them this:
In Iowa, Barack Obama got more raw votes than Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, and Rudy Giuliani
combined. The simple fact is that Barack Obama is drawing on a voting pool larger than the entire GOP, and the only way we can possibly beat him is to compete with him on that stage. You can elect a republican who is not Ron Paul for the nomination, but that person is destined to lose very badly.
Barack Obama brought out record numbers of young voters, independents, women, and first time voters, almost all of whom hated Bush and hated the War. Ron Paul, with only 10% of the Iowa votes, got more Independents than ANY other GOP candidate, and he also got most of his support from the young votes. If you throw Ron Paul into the general election with Obama, you become a player in the bigger race.
If Barack Obama, with only 38% of the vote, can out-pace the entire GOP base in Iowa just by himself, does your friend really honestly believe that anybody other than Ron Paul even has a chance? Republicans need to set the war issue aside and embrace a change candidate who is fiscally and socially conservative.
Ron Paul can out-flank Obama on every issue in a general election bid. He's better on the war, he's better on the economy (which is becoming a huge issue), he's got a better record, he has more experience, he is considered as authentic and honest as Obama is, and then to bring in the republicans and the Christian right he is also pro-life and fiscally conservative. He can win the independent votes that no other republican can touch. He is, quite simply, the only man who stands even a slight chance next November.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/epolls/#val=IAREP
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/epolls/#val=IADEM