What I think Ron Paul needs

[slamhead]

I shot of whiskey before the debates to mellow him out and not let his mind get ahead of his mouth. We all have seen how well he does when he is calm and collected. I think that Manuel rattled Paul and pissed him off by continuing to interrupt his train of thought.

 

[RonPaul101.com]

Hazek, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Ron Paul is Ron Paul precisely BECAUSE of this stubbornness. Otherwise, he would have succumbed to compromise a long time ago. It is a flaw to an extent, but must be considered in the grand scheme of things.

Actually, I think Hazek has it down pretty clear. Stubbornness is never an endearing quality. A lot of folks needs to really take a good long look in the mirror and ask themselves if they support Ron Paul because they actually want to elect a President who will change this country, or if they are fans of Ron Paul, much akin to liking a baseball player or musician.

The "fans" out here erk me from time to time and this being one of those times. Paul needs to know his audience and adapt or he'll never win. His approach to Pakistan/OBL should have been, "We send them billions a year in support and then we don't trust them to deliver Bin Laden? Either break ties with them, or trust them to do the job, but stop wasting taxpayer money on foreign aid when we don't even trust them as an ally." That same message has more red meat in it for the audience and yet stays true to his message.

Even the best message is worthless if it is never implemented. Sadly, politics is a results oriented business and I get that. I only hope Ron Paul and his "fans" get that before too long, because we supporters are running out of time and money.

 

[Esoteric]

A time machine.

 

[toast]

Thanks much for this post, Original_Intent. You've expressed thoughts and feelings similar to the ones I have had several times when reflecting on the state of things in the world, and wondering how Ron feels.

 

[jsem]

Well the average IQ is around 100. And if you think that is scary then remember that 50% of the population is lower than that.

In fact, the average IQ is exactly 100. It's because, that's what IQ is. The average is supposed to be 100, that's the intent. One's IQ level is only used to measure against others in the population, not some general smartness level.

 

[btwilli1]

Ron Paul wasn't just laying in bed thinking about the debate he was excising his freedoms!

Plus I think he did good in the debate. Upon listening to his comments without a crying baby he really makes sense as usual. He went a little round a bout but he makes sense. The boos were Newt fans anyway. Great job last night Dr. Paul.

 

[blamx8]

Having read posts from original_intent over the course of the last 5 years, I am sure that he is in no way promoting the man over the message. Isn't part of the message shared by this revolution, love? When O_I says love and unwavering support he means for the message and those who promote it. That means for you, and me, and Ron Paul. We know Ron Paul has faults. We know he makes decisions in some things that show he has individual values. That's the essence of liberty. That's what we're fighting for. Hopefully we can give the same love and unwavering support that Dr. Paul has to the message and those who share it.
Knee jerk, emotional reactions are a huge reason we get so frustrated with the neocons, so take a minute to think about the message before you fight it. Original_Intent's statement isn't one of hero worship. It's one of unity and support. When you take a little time to think, those are rather important principles in any group effort, particularly one as essential as ours.
+ rep for the OP

 

[Mini-Me]

I totally agree with Original Intent here. Ron Paul is certainly not the most effective debater on the planet, and he could use continued constructive criticism and work in that department...but he has nevertheless been the most effective at popularizing the message of liberty. He has done more to spread the cause of liberty than anyone alive, because he and he alone had the courage to go straight into the heart of darkness and stand tall against a corrupt establishment for over thirty years, all by himself. I couldn't imagine how soul-draining that must have been. His credibility was hard-earned, and no matter his flaws, he deserves to know that we respect and appreciate what he has done.

This is not "hero worship" or cultlike; it's quite the opposite. Ron Paul is not a god but a human being with feelings, and it probably greatly boosts his morale to see his friends standing by him and lending him courage and support during a time of need. Should he take some cues from Doug Wead? Of course he should, but I think it's a mistake to think he's been stubbornly ignoring advice. Rather, he has shown in many appearances that he's gradually improving on average. Perhaps he isn't improving as much as we'd like, but we have to expect occasional setbacks from a 76-year-old man who is just now trying to adapt his debate tactics. It's hard to consistently apply all of your practice when you're up on stage and hit with an attack question, and the debate moderator starts interrupting you every time you really start to hammer the point home, and the audience is booing the hell out of you and distracting you from your thoughts. Constructive criticism is great, but tone is important. Let's not crap all over someone from the comfort of our office chairs when he's the one in the lion's den, and let's not crap all over everyone who just doesn't want him to get discouraged. If you think you can do better than Ron Paul, great! Dedicate your life to it and get it done, and hopefully, we'll support you too!