What does Ron have that Peroutka and Badnarik lacked?

[kylejack]

He's a good guy and fine libertarian activist, but he was hardly presidential ( or even Congressional) material. This describes a lot of LP activists. They want to go straight int the POTUS, even if they can't even get 2% for State rep or cant even get elected to LNC,etc.

That argument's commonly used against the LP, but I don't think its valid. Significant effort is put into having an L candidate running in as many districts as possible. Also, while local, state, and Congressional elections are a good starting point, nothing provides a bully pulpit like a Presidential campaign to help build a base of steady nation-wide supporters. While the no driver's license thing was a turnoff, Badnarik had a great manner of speaking, and got a good deal of people interested in learning about the Constitution.

LP presidential candidates have always been more instructive than viable, of course, and frankly that seems like the best role for them to try and take. You can't storm the castle in a day, after all.

Still, the LP's been an utter failure over the past 30 years.

 

[winston84]

An "R" next to his name.

Exactly, that is the only difference. Its something I wish people who won't change party affiliation would realize!

 

[JMann]

I believe this. Many are still too sleepy to take an interest in a 3rd party. Hubby voted for Buchanan and sleepy me, was not interested in voting for a 3rd party candidate. I learned my lesson.

For some reason the third party's don't even nominate a candidate until early summer of the general election. After months of Republican and Democratic campaigning and primaries there is no way a Badnarik raise the money and build name recognition in 3 or 4 months to even compete. I follow politics pretty closely and had never even hear of a Badnarik (regardless that he was utterly unqualified to be President) until May or June of aught four. I've been saying since 2000 that the 3rd parties need to have their nominating conventions the year prior to the general election. This way the Libertarians and Greens would already have a presidential candidate out there building support.

 

[mconder]

I also forgot to mention that fact that RP already had a cult following of true believers before he announced his presidential bid. For instance, Ron Paul has been listed at the top of the John Birch Societies Conservative Index for many years. Ron Paul running for president has been an unfulfilled and unspoken wish of many people way before it's time.

 

[Bradley in DC]

No offense

but Badnarik was a joke. I've voted LP for Dr. Paul in '88 and Harry Browne twice.

 

[kylejack]

but Badnarik was a joke. I've voted LP for Dr. Paul in '88 and Harry Browne twice.

We could have had better, but I would have been really disappointed with Russo and slightly disappointed at Nolan. Badnarik was our best choice of the three.

 

[V4Vendetta]

Running as a Republican

ALEX JONES

youtube

Google

Most people have broadband and internet now

 

[quickmike]

5 million dollars!

He wouldnt have the 5 million without being able to be in the debates and be able to get on the ballots in all 50 states. They screw libertarians and other 3rd parties so they cant make any headway. Badnarik could have done VERY well if he ran as a republican and got the exposure. Hes very well spoken, and pretty much has the same message Ron does. Ron comes off as more friendly though, thats about it, and hes not as strict on libertarian principals as Badnarik is.

 

[Jared Callanan]

There are a lot of things that Ron Paul has that Peroutka and Badnarik didn't.

Ron Paul might be considered an unknown but he is much more well known than Badnarik and Peroutka combined. He is a congressman; an elected official of one of the two major partys - which right away gives him an edge because a voter will be more likely to give him a look as compared to Badnarik and or Peroutka who were totally unknown and ran for third partys that are considered fringe.

More then anything has been the fact that he has been in the debates and has been able to seperate himself from the rest of the field. The debates have given Ron Paul more television time then all of the third party candidates in 2004 combined. The debates mean so much especially in the general election and the rules to get into the debates during the general election are stacked against all third party candidates, its one of the reasons I think its the republican nomination or nothing for our campaign.

 

[paulitics]

The timing and running as an R where he can debate nationally.

 

[JMann]

The Libertarian Party could also start having primaries and let voters pick their nominee as opposed to the extremist that make up their convention.

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

That argument's commonly used against the LP, but I don't think its valid. Significant effort is put into having an L candidate running in as many districts as possible. Also, while local, state, and Congressional elections are a good starting point, nothing provides a bully pulpit like a Presidential campaign to help build a base of steady nation-wide supporters. While the no driver's license thing was a turnoff, Badnarik had a great manner of speaking, and got a good deal of people interested in learning about the Constitution.

LP presidential candidates have always been more instructive than viable, of course, and frankly that seems like the best role for them to try and take. You can't storm the castle in a day, after all.

Still, the LP's been an utter failure over the past 30 years.

No driver's license thing is a turn off? I'd vote on that alone!

 

[sunghoko]

a good campaign manager......


badnarik would have chopped up kerry bush in the debates. America would have asked who is this guy and why is he making so much sense.

 

[dircha]

Is it because Ron did the smart thing and ran as a Republican?

No, it's because those others guys have, to my recollection, never been elected to a national political office, not even a statewide political office.

Ron Paul was doing the people's work when those guys were teenagers.

How about a showing a little respect here, huh?

 

[Matt Collins]

badnarik is a billionaire right?

HA! Hardly. But he is a great guy for sure!

 

[USPatriot36]

What does Ron have that Peroutka and Badnarik lacked?

The loss of Freedom based upon the Patriot Act and suspension of Habeus Corpus.
The War
The Internet for several reasons: No need to rely on MSM. The feedback that showed us that there were thousands of others who shared our views.
His character and record. We trust him.

The main thing though is that his MESSAGE appeals to a broader audience than the libertarian message. Advocating that we move goverment activities to the state and local governments has wider appeal than totally eliminating them from government. Basing his solutions on adherence to the Constitution appeals to the Patriot in all of us. The libertarian parties' advocacy of open boarders and pro-abortion have no differentation from the Democratic party.

 

[mport1]

Badnarik was awesome, but Ron Paul is WAY better.

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Badnarik could never get away with running Republican lol

 

[BuddyRey]

I personally never would have voted for Peroutka, because he's too much of an authoritarian theocrat for my taste. I was thinking of voting for Badnarik in '04, but the "don't waste your vote" crowd got into my head, and I ended up voting for Kerry.

The fact that RP is running in one of the two "accepted" parties has increased his chances a hundredfold, which is both good and bad. Good in that he has a real shot, bad in that he had to compromise himself to attain it.