It looks to me he is being stealthy and doing what it takes to get elected, his donations clearly show that he is a hardcore Ron Paul supporter. When the general public is so misguided it might take some guerrilla warfare to take the country back.
Don't throw ridiculous and intellectually dishonest straw man arguments in people's faces. This is not about a cult of personality, and everyone with reservations has their own reasons. I don't doubt that Massie supports Paul; his donations prove that, and he's donated far more than I can. However, educating people is extremely important to me, and courage is extremely important for me. Massie looks like a good guy, but I can't get excited about someone who is afraid to own his viewpoints and publicly support the same people he supports in private. We are finally making massive inroads with the public thanks to more and more people gaining the courage to openly stand up for liberty. "Social proof" is largely working, which is precisely why the media is doing everything they can to fight against the rising tide. Meanwhile, Massie is backpedaling and publicly treating Ron Paul like some kind of political leper, that he still has to distance himself from? Exactly how is that supposed to spread the message of liberty? How does that say, "Liberty is popular?" How does that help us intellectually defend Constitutional and/or libertarian positions?
On a more emotional level, I've have my own life experiences with fair-weather friends willing to throw me under the bus to maintain their social status. Ron has been fearlessly fighting this battle for 35 years, most of the time totally alone, and he has been ignored, mocked, scorned, dragged through the mud, and called every name under the sun for standing up for his principles. This movement is not about him, but he deserves some open respect and recognition. It is no fun to be a pariah and abandoned by your friends, and I have far more respect for true friends who publicly stick around even when it's socially/politically inconvenient for them. In short, courage and integrity are extremely important to me. Yes, I understand that sometimes liberty candidates will need to play politics if they want to influence their colleagues within the system...but there's a sliding scale here, and the further you go down that road, the less enthusiastic I become. I can accept that Rand wants to pick his battles instead of casting lone ineffectual "no" votes...but I will not pretend it doesn't sadden me. However, throwing someone under the bus, who has already suffered far more undeserved abuse than any person should have to put up with? Sorry, but count me out.
Thomas, if you're reading this, I'm not trying to crap on you. You're doing your part in your own way, and you're doing far more than I am. I know that you're running a tough race in a tough district, and I know you don't want to become a pariah yourself...but you must understand that you are competing for limited funds and support with other liberty candidates who ARE willing to stick their necks out and put their own reputations on the line. You're competing for limited funds and support with other liberty candidates who are not afraid to openly and fearlessly represent the liberty movement, and who intellectually challenge the totally monstrous status quo instead of trying to plead and reason with it. I wish you all the luck in the world...but if you want us to fully stand by you, you really need to fully stand by us.
I'm not posting in this thread to crap on his candidacy or divide. If you're happy to support him, I'm happy for you, and I have no intention of dissuading you. I'm posting in this thread to offer constructive criticism and say what it will take for Thomas to earn my support, and the support of others who think like me.
I would rather see money siphoned off to these candidates than going to the Super Brochure.
Well yeah, but you don't have to bring those up. That's like saying you'd rather the sky is blue and the grass is green.
No, it isn't Glen Bradley (aka GunnyFreedom).This isn't Gunny is it?
No, it isn't Glen Bradley (aka GunnyFreedom).
It's Thomas Massie (aka thomas-in-ky).
Hey, I'm giving him slack. Just keep bringing out his record, posting more evidence. The video Bama posted was good and does make me like him a lot more. It's the record that counts, though (I see he's not actually a judge at all). What has he done and voted for and against (hopefully most against) as Executive?
He met my purity test (Which doesn't contain the test that a candidate must mention Ron Paul's name)
Thank you for your generous donation!
Amount: $50.00
Transaction ID: EWMP3D55C057
Transaction date/time: 2012-01-21 10:30:10