We need to capitalize on the Economy issue

[McMaster]

The economy keeps coming up as a top issue, what is the campaign going to do to take advantage of this?

The money is there now, make some ads showing Dr. Paul's stance on the economy. It would be so easy to make a few 30 second commercials. One could show charts of the declining dollar, and Ron Paul calling out Bernake on "how do you stop inflation with more inflation?". Debt as money is such a stupidly simple concept that you could easily show it's basic flaws in a 30 second commercial. Another could emphasize how closely our current "trends" mirror those of other world nations that have fallen in the last century.

This is a golden opportunity here. Spend the millions and drop some hard hitting issues ads in every super Tuesday and prior state.

I'd like to hear other thoughts of how the economic issue could be used to our advantage.

 

[Meiun]

Yes. We do!

Refocusing everyone on "Hey, it's the DOLLAR, Stupid!", is what I'll be doing.

Glenn Beck had Dave Walker (Comptroller General of the US GAO) on again tonight showing how truly and totally BROKE this country is because of our entitlement mess. Glenn Beck said, "NO one, no candidate besides RON PAUL is speaking about these issues."

This Country needs to wake the hell up!

 

[Lars]

absolutely! The economy is broke and a lot of people will suffer. The problem is that the other candidates will steel our message and most people just don't understand the issue well enough to see that Ron Paul is the only one who gets it.

 

[sillvergirl]

I agree !!! SO I sent the RP campaign HQ this video, and I suggested to them that they should use it to make an ad to explain the futility of the current (and all other candidates
running)approach to our crumbling national financial position.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=as3AYVzWmOI

 

[Nicketas]

I like cookies.

 

[chilledfresh]

By the end of 2008, our nation's economic problems will be the single most important domestic issue of this decade. All of the conditions for an unprecedented economic collapse are falling into place, and Ron Paul is the only person who understands the true nature of the problem. Consider these issues, which no presidential candidate (except for Ron Paul) dares to address:

• Increased instability in the Middle East is causing oil prices to rise, leading to increased transportation costs.
• Increased transportation costs and global food shortages is causing the price of food to increase.
• Increased food and gas prices make it harder for the average American to get by, especially the elderly, since many are on a fixed income such as social security.
• Inflation caused by bad monetary policies on behalf of the Fed is reducing the value of the dollar, so not only do people have to pay more to maintain their lifestyle, they also get less for their money.
• Personal and national debts to creditors and foreign nations are increasing, yet because inflation is rising faster than our economy is growing, the debts are impossible to pay off.

Let's face it: we aren't going to win the Republican nomination by focusing on the war issue. Republicans on a whole are too biased to give Ron Paul's non-interventionist foreign policy platform serious thought.

However, we can really shake up the population if we focus mainly on the economic issues. Ron Paul can beat every other candidate in a debate simply because he can deny their ability to come through on their promises – they simply can't afford to do what they say! There's no way McCain can afford to prolong the war. There's no way Hillary can afford socialized health care. There' no way to do anything because there's no money! Cutting spending is the only realistic option left, and if Ron Paul just got more people to understand that, I think our movement would receive much more support.

 

[Churchill2004]

No, no, no. The simple fact is that we lost the one voting block that should have been ours by default- the anti-war voters. Why? Because HQ focused on everything except the issues that make Paul stand out, like the war. Ron Paul's different on the Federal Reserve, but as for the rest of the economy anything that can fit into an ad is going to sound just like everyone else (anti-taxes, anti-spending, anti-big government...)

We lost because we stupidly didn't focus on the one issue that makes Paul stand out from all the rest. And it wasn't the economy.

 

[Churchill2004]

Let's face it: we aren't going to win the Republican nomination by focusing on the war issue. Republicans on a whole are too biased to give Ron Paul's non-interventionist foreign policy platform serious thought.

Tell that to 36% of voters today who said they're anti-war. Nearly half of them voted for McCain. We got less than a fifth of them.

 

[chilledfresh]

Tell that to 36% of voters today who said they're anti-war. Nearly half of them voted for McCain. We got less than a fifth of them.

True, but I personally think this is an impossible paradox, and those voters actually support the war. Either that, or they are incredibly ignorant. At least it's pretty clear to us that John McCain is a war-mongering neo-con...

I guess the best thing we can do right now is simply get Ron Paul more name recognition, and make sure that people at least know he exists before we debate policy with them.

 

[KookfromChicago]

The economy keeps coming up as a top issue, what is the campaign going to do to take advantage of this?

The issue needs to be dumbed down. People need to know how much of THEIR money is being spent on this country's Foreign Policy. People need to see how much gas prices have risen since we invaded Iraq. People need to understand what caused the housing bubble.

There is a very good chance the economy turns into THE issue of the next election. The campaign should be spending a lot of time looking at the messages Ronald Reagan or Barry Goldwater used regarding the economy.

 

[godawgs]

The economy is his strength in the Republican Primary. All the talk about warmongering, neocons, 9/11 blowback doesn't make for good short soundbites in a debate when your cut off and shouted down / laughed at.

 

[chilledfresh]

The economy is his strength in the Republican Primary. All the talk about warmongering, neocons, 9/11 blowback doesn't make for good short soundbites in a debate when your cut off and shouted down / laughed at.

Exactly. We could use those issues to convert Democrats, but it's anathema for convincing the average Republican.

 

[Lars]

As the saying goes: It's the economy (stupid). Unfortunately it will hand this election to the democrats on a plate as it gets worse during 2008. The silver lining is that they will only make it worse and we will win in 2008, but first a lot of financial pain for the people.

This pain is necessary but unexpected for most. It will not be pretty.

 

[stevedasbach]

It is the Economy stupid.

The economy is what people are most concerned about.

Ron Paul really understands economics. It is his strength.

Paul's message on the economy can be reduced to a few key, understandable concepts.

The falling dollar ties directly to economic woes, debt to China, trade deficits, the war, overseas spending, goverment spending, fears over retirement and Social Security, etc. It is the one issue that ties together almost everything Paul has been talking about. Several of these issues are traditional GOP issues that have appeal to the base, while others reach out to the independents Paul has been attracting.

All the other GOP candidates are jumping on the "change" bandwagon". We can own the economy as an issue if we jump on it now.

Paul predicts that the dollar will continue to decline, explains why, and tells exactly what we need to do to fix it. When Paul is proven right, he gets a big boost.

The other issues Paul has been hitting aren't working. Anti-war voters are flocking to Obama, McCain owns the military "support the troops" issue, several Republicans are considered ok on immigration, most voters don't vote on the Constitution and civil liberty issues (those that do are likely already Paul supporters). The Economy is our only real opening.

And yes, he should come out swinging on this issue.