What's wrong with Republicans???? I'm stumped?

[AuH20]

It's not the republicans' entire fault. Ron Paul isn't exactly the flashiest candidate and doesn't project strength. I clearly understand why most Republicans don't support him and it's not only relegated to the foreign policy. I think if you created someone younger and more magnetic, with a streamlined platform nearly identical to Ron's they would blow away Gingrich and Romney in a head-to-head race. Ron is really a flawed candidate with a fantastic message. Too bad that his flaws overshadow the message he is trying to communicate.

 

[mosquitobite]

It's not the republicans' entire fault. Ron Paul isn't exactly the flashiest candidate and doesn't project strength. I clearly understand why most Republicans don't support him and it's not only relegated to the foreign policy. I think if you created someone younger and more magnetic, with a streamlined platform nearly identical to Ron's they would blow away Gingrich and Romney in a head-to-head race. Ron is really a flawed candidate with a fantastic message. Too bad that his flaws overshadow the message he is trying to communicate.

Agree.

FDR wouldn't have won if it were the television era.

This is why I liked Sanford so much!

 

[Brett85]

It's not the republicans' entire fault. Ron Paul isn't exactly the flashiest candidate and doesn't project strength. I clearly understand why most Republicans don't support him and it's not only relegated to the foreign policy. I think if you created someone younger and more magnetic, with a streamlined platform nearly identical to Ron's they would blow away Gingrich and Romney in a head-to-head race. Ron is really a flawed candidate with a fantastic message. Too bad that his flaws overshadow the message he is trying to communicate.

I agree. That's an unpopular thing to say here, but it's the truth. A lot more people agree with Ron's message than actually vote for him. But the truth is that Ron is 76 years old, only a Congressman, and doesn't usually come across as being Presidential. That has more to do with Ron losing in all these states then any disagreement with his actual views.

 

[Flugel89]

*sigh*

Yeah, this whole idea of people who vote for a party like its their football team or something just disgusts me.

I have a friend who shares most every position Ron Paul does, but every time I discuss politics with him, he just pulls out the unelectable meme. He says he'll vote for whoever gets the nomination to get Obama out.

I just don't understand how someone as informed as he in his positions doesn't realize most of the GOP candidates are exactly the same as Obama.

 

[AuH20]

I agree. That's an unpopular thing to say here, but it's the truth. A lot more people agree with Ron's message than actually vote for him. But the truth is that Ron is 76 years old, only a Congressman, and doesn't usually come across as being Presidential. That has more to do with Ron losing in all these states then any disagreement with his actual views.

To many Republicans, Ron is a fringe congressman that has been cashing checks from Washington D.C for 30 years. For someone who isn't intimately in tune with his ideas, it is incredibly easy to marginalize him based on his withered appearence and some of his poorly worded statements. He's incredibly easy to stereotype.

 

[Brett85]

*sigh*

Yeah, this whole idea of people who vote for a party like its their football team or something just disgusts me.

I have a friend who shares most every position Ron Paul does, but every time I discuss politics with him, he just pulls out the unelectable meme. He says he'll vote for whoever gets the nomination to get Obama out.

I just don't understand how someone as informed as he in his positions doesn't realize most of the GOP candidates are exactly the same as Obama.

I wouldn't say that the other GOP candidates are "exactly the same as Obama." It's just that it's basically just the opposite side of the coin. Instead of spending trillions of dollars on new social welfare programs, then want to spend trillions of dollars on new foreign wars overseas. The amount of money spent is the same, but they just want to spend the money in different areas.

 

[Brett85]

To many Republicans, Ron is a fringe congressman that has been cashing checks from Washington D.C for 30 years. For someone who isn't intimately in tune with his ideas, it is incredibly easy to marginalize him based on his withered appearence and some of his poorly worded statements. He's incredibly easy to stereotype.

Yeah, and that's why Rand will be a far better candidate for President when he eventually runs.

 

[jolynna]

After McGovern, I became a registered Republican because being fiscally conservative has always made more sense to me.

It took reading Boomerang, by Michael Lewis to make me question the wisdom of my votes for Bush and after Bush for McCain. I started researching to see if there was ANY truth behind what Michael Lewis wrote.

What an eye-opener. And how disillusioning to learn BOTH parties ultimately promote the same agenda. They just package them differently to appeal to the public sentiment of the election era.

I think the BEST ways to open peoples eyes is to get information into their hands that is non-partisan, but that reveals the world as it is, not the one we've been lead to believe in. Let people research from there on their own. And offer to share, if they'd like, video or writings from Dr. Paul.

 

[affa]

In the 1960's and early 1970's we UTILIZED mob mentality.

Absolutely. We must not let MSM define the narrative. We must define it at all points.

We need to be masters of jujitsu, turning their attempts around and defeating them on their own talking points.

They ask 'Will you run third party?', implying he will cost the GOP the election if he does. We take that power, and we turn it around: We will be voting for Paul, regardless. No One But Paul. He wants to legalize heroin? No, he wants to legalize freedom. He wants to cut defense? No, he wants to cut offense, and spend that money on defense. He wants to end social security? No, he is the only one with a plan to save social security.

He has the youth vote? Yes. And they are the ones that will represent the future of the GOP, whether you like it or not.

 

[AuH20]

Yeah, and that's why Rand will be a far better candidate for President when he eventually runs.

For example, Ron Paul only got 3% of all seniors in the Florida primary. That is an atrocious number and illustrates his fundamental electability problems, when he can't even get a respectable portion of his own peer group!

 

[jolynna]

I wouldn't say that the other GOP candidates are "exactly the same as Obama." It's just that it's basically just the opposite side of the coin. Instead of spending trillions of dollars on new social welfare programs, then want to spend trillions of dollars on new foreign wars overseas. The amount of money spent is the same, but they just want to spend the money in different areas.

Actually Obama hasn't been a slouch at spending trillions on foreign wars.Or the military. He's killed lots of people.

"Ending the wars" was what Obama had to SAY to get elected. Not what he intended to DO.

We are still fighting on many fronts.

Obama hasn't put forth SINGLE progressive program. Even when he had control of ALL OF CONGRESS. Obamacare was taken in whole from proposals written entirely by Romney and Newt (aided by their pharmaceutical and insurance lobbyists). It isn't progressive and will make the drug companies and insurance agencies RICHER than now, while making health care less affordable OR accessible and it is a MANDATE so we lose liberty too.

The socialist versus capitalist positions are slogans politicians use to rally "their" teams so they will be SCARED of the other side and vote as instructed. Once elected the "slogans" are useful to get the populace behind unpopular agendas like war or more taxes.

Democrats, Republicans...no differences. The corporates doing the "buying" appropriately tailor the message (and the candidate) to whatever they think will result in the outcome they want. None of it is more real than an episode of The Real Housewives. Or Jerry Springer.

 

[affa]

For example, Ron Paul only got 3% of all seniors in the Florida primary. That is an atrocious number and illustrates his fundamental electability problems, when he can't even get a respectable portion of his own peer group!

The youth are Ron Paul's peer group. Age is measured in ideas, not in wrinkles.

 

[RockEnds]

It's not the republicans' entire fault. Ron Paul isn't exactly the flashiest candidate and doesn't project strength. I clearly understand why most Republicans don't support him and it's not only relegated to the foreign policy. I think if you created someone younger and more magnetic, with a streamlined platform nearly identical to Ron's they would blow away Gingrich and Romney in a head-to-head race. Ron is really a flawed candidate with a fantastic message. Too bad that his flaws overshadow the message he is trying to communicate.

I must disagree here. Ron Paul projects incredible strength. Back up just a bit and remember where this candidacy was when it began. Personally, I have never seen a candidate project more strength than that displayed by Dr Paul. Did anyone go to Minnesota four years ago? That was flippin' incredible. Who does that? Who organizes a successful counter-convention? Does anyone seriously think that establishment-type people are not scared out of their wits at the thought of Ron Paul?

Ron Paul is not just a garden-variety Republican. The product here isn't just one candidate over another candidate. The product is a political philosophy so foreign to the status quo that people won't get it in msm debate format. Ron Paul's candidacy has done more to advance that message and bring it to the average American than any other effort I've ever seen. He didn't accomplish that without projecting strength.

Is he perfect? No. But maybe instead of lamenting over what he's not, it would be more prudent to remember what he is.

 

[Disconsolate]

You have to understand that politics is not about electing the most consistent, rational, or principled candidate. Successful politicians are demagogues. It's about amassing a majority by promising a bunch of incompatible demands. Sure you may have to tow a certain line when you make your lies, but this election cycle (for Repubs) has everything to do with beating Obama.

Hannity/Limbaugh/Boortz/Erickson etc etc all talk about getting Obama out of the whitehouse at practically any cost. It's purely "I want the red team to win!", not, "Hmm, which one is the best principled and honest candidate?".

The dialogue in this country has successfully convinced voters thus far that RP can not beat Obama. Whether this is true or not is irrelevant, it's what people believe. Primary results are showing that.

I'm all for a RP presidency and I will write him in if need be, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking political elections are about finding consistent and principled candidates.

 

[roderik]

Things the average voter considers to be presidential:

- have good hair and/or a self-loving smirk (mitt, reagan, clinton, bush, kennedy, carter, etc.)
- have mystical one-liners that the young people can chant (obama wins this contest hands down)
- utter big, empty phrases that seem politically important on the surface (simply all of them)
- need to say "i love america", "i believe in america" and/or "god bless the unit. states of america" everytime he steps away from the microphone (no comment)

 

[liveandletlive]

You have to understand that politics is not about electing the most consistent, rational, or principled candidate. Successful politicians are demagogues. It's about amassing a majority by promising a bunch of incompatible demands. Sure you may have to tow a certain line when you make your lies, but this election cycle (for Repubs) has everything to do with beating Obama.

Hannity/Limbaugh/Boortz/Erickson etc etc all talk about getting Obama out of the whitehouse at practically any cost. It's purely "I want the red team to win!", not, "Hmm, which one is the best principled and honest candidate?".

The dialogue in this country has successfully convinced voters thus far that RP can not beat Obama. Whether this is true or not is irrelevant, it's what people believe. Primary results are showing that.

I'm all for a RP presidency and I will write him in if need be, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking political elections are about finding consistent and principled candidates.

if Mitt wins, its purely based on his looks IMO, hows he any different than Grinch

 

[liveandletlive]

-delete double post-

 

[MaxPower]

Okay, I'm ALL for Ron Paul, let me make that clear.

I don't think the rest of your post would have called that into question for a second.

But Mitt is an obvious liar, flip flopper, and supported abortion at one time.

Not only abortion, but also gay marriage, gun control, government health-insurance mandates... virtually the entire liberal Democrat platform. He takes whatever positions are electorally-convenient to him at a given moment. Politically-speaking, I can't really think of anything in particular that he seems to genuinely care about, aside from his own electoral advancement.

Gingrich leaves wives and is embedded in corporations.

Leaves wives while they have cancer, after cheating on them for years, while leading the charge to sack Clinton for cheating on his wife, has been the subject of dozens of ethics-violations complaints while in public office, is embedded in the same corrupt corporations he has simultaneously been working to prop up with government money...

ABOVE ALL - THEY BOTH WERE FOR THE BAIL OUT!!!!! I can't freaking believe that Republicans are so freaking naive to this fact. I remember how so many were pissed about the bail out then they are going to elect somebody who was for it!!! I'm STUMPED.

This truly is unspeakably exasperating.

At least if they could not grasp the genius of Ron Paul, I could see them (and the neocons) going for Santorum. But what the heck Gingrich & Romney?

I think elections are really jokes... I can't believe the Republican party.

I do think it is true that Santorum, at the least, harbors genuine convictions, warped and bigoted though they may be; Romney and Gingrich are such transparent frauds as to render their continued support utterly baffling.

 

[Highstreet]

We aren't the ones on the WRONG (actually evil) side.

Ending wars and imperialism will save the U.S.A. trillions. It will allow grandparents keep their social security. The money not spent on war could go to the states and counties for roads and infrastructure. Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! And we wouldn't have to print fiat money and go into debt for generations to pay for them.

Well said. We need to be on the attack. These guys are weak, and there is blood in the water.

 

[jolynna]

For example, Ron Paul only got 3% of all seniors in the Florida primary. That is an atrocious number and illustrates his fundamental electability problems, when he can't even get a respectable portion of his own peer group!

Whoa...Dr. Paul's peer group, for the most part, DOESN'T tweet, watch youtube videos and hasn't joined a Ron Paul forum.

The extremely technically advanced sectarians who have e-mail or a facebook account to get recent pictures of the grandkids are probably in the minority.

Who WOULD support Dr. Paul, if they never went online?

Older people who rely on Fox News and maybe the Today Show plus NBC Nightly News are the ones that consider themselves "news and political junkies". They are the ones who care. Lots of people don't get past Soaps and Judge shows during the day and American Idol or Dancing with the Stars at night. Men watch sports on the weekends. Their wives watch Lifetime movies.

Fox News and NBC News are 100% nauseatingly disgusting infomercials for Romney and Obama.

Unfortunately it isn't just seniors who are missing out. The U.S. ranks 47th for straightforward unbiased reporting. We are ON THE SAME level as Bosnia. (Finland, by the way, ranks 1st). (I tweeted that link about a week ago...I'll look for it and put it on the thread after I find it).

What I am finding JUST as disillusioning as discovering Republicans and Democrats are the same animal is the discovery of JUST HOW BIASED AND PATHETIC our news reporting is. That was the greatest shocker of this election so far, for me.