Why Rand Paul needs to be attacked by (some) libertarians

[Nirvikalpa]

I edited VA's (sorry VA) first post in the thread to reflect your OP. Best it could be...

 

[kcchiefs6465]

Great video. Not that it isn't particularly pessimistic but that is how I find myself often thinking. [as the man in the video is, not necessarily pessimistically] As Bastiat stated, Rand Paul has a great opportunity if he becomes president to teach. They can't ignore the president (the MSM) and the people will understand if he breaks it down into laymans terms. So that is where I draw my hope from. Hopefully he gets the presidency and shows the system for what it is, corrupt. Now, my brain starts to wonder how that could possibly happen, or basically whether it would ever be allowed to happen and I become despaired again. Ignorance is bliss. And I wish the Daily Show was still funny.

 

[alucard13mmfmj]

Consider Rand as a TRUE lesser of three evils... in the worse case scenario.

Best case scenario, our savior =P.. haha.

 

[opinionatedfool]

While I may disagree with Rand on some issues, I'm behind him 100% for the next presidential election.

 

[HigherVision]

Look, Rand had Ron as his FATHER.... do you really think he doesn't get it? He is just better at playing the game. At least a freakin' hope so....

Yeah but he might have had a more privileged life than he had. Ron is from that generation who 'wanted their kids to have a better life than they did' and provided that for them, but in turn it created a generation more entitled than the last. I don't think Rand sees through the b.s. of politics as much as his dad does.

 

[VoluntaryAmerican]

I edited VA's (sorry VA) first post in the thread to reflect your OP. Best it could be...

No problem.

 

[Indy Vidual]

Rand needs to learn about principles, he should be ashamed of himself.
Keep up the good work Rand.

 

[Natural Citizen]

If Rand were ever "attacked" with nuts and bolts big boy issues instead of the same tired narratives you folks' head would spin. Be thankful that nobody does. Seriously.

 

[acptulsa]

If Rand were ever "attacked" with nuts and bolts big boy issues instead of the same tired narratives you folks' head would spin. Be thankful that nobody does. Seriously.

I don't know. On the one hand, he might scare the mundanes. On the other hand, I think they don't hit him with that stuff for fear that he, like his father, would make entirely too much sense.

I want us to get him the nomination just to see if he takes the gloves off during his acceptance speech at the Republican Convention. If he does, that would be great. But I hope they have plenty of nitroglycerine capsules on hand if he does...

 

[BlackJack]

He never physically "bowed down" to Mitt.

You should learn to spot sarcasm.

Yes, he did endorse Mitt, but he said he'd endorse the Republican presidential nominee back in 2010.

Doesn't matter, he's a phony.

Is there really any better alternative to Rand for President in the US Congress? Massie is the only guy with a perfectly clean record so far but he only just joined.

Typical compromiser statement. Giving in to the "lesser evil."

 

[BlackJack]

You know what? I don't blame you. We needed that arrogant, posturing, Obamacare-inventing, Big Digging, tax hiking, domestic spying, drone loving asshole as leader of the free world like we needed to retain the hopeless, changeless, Monsanto-loving, citizen-assassinating asshole we've got and give him a second election and an excuse to wander around saying he has a 'mandate' to screw up.

Putting words in my mouth does not change the fact that Rand has endorsed a buffoon.

Now, tell me from a realistic perspective--what the hell was he supposed to do? Endorse the 'third party candidate of your choice' like Ron Paul did four years earlier? How well did that work out? Fact is, he probably got Johnson more votes using reverse psychology than he ever could have with a straight-faced, unqualified endorsement! You know how disgusted many people are with the powers that be. And to say that half-hearted, mealy-mouthed 'endorsement' was 'bowing down' is straight up hyperbole and you damned well know it.

Once Rupert Murdoch sicked his sheep dogs on the Republican rank and file herd and made them afraid to nominate the only candidate they had who could win, the 2012 election was a write-off. We tried to destroy the 'lesser evil' myth and we failed. We tried to destroy the myth that thirty million votes could possibly be 'thrown away' and we failed. The deadline came and we were only halfway to the tipping point. Get over it already! The best thing we could hope for at that point was that our man would take the opportunity to 'position himself well', and that's just what the man did. It's sad. But it's also true.

They've been playing their divide and conquer game for decades. It's just not realistic to expect that we can overcome it in six years. We need to give Rand some credit, and we need to give ourselves some credit. When you can't get the touchdown, you have to go for a first down.

Neither is it realistic to think a sellout is going to do you any favors. I don't need to give him any credit whatsoever. He lost that credit due to his own greed. And you're continuing to put your trust in a politician instead of working on the local and state level.

So, Rand Paul is playing for the nomination. He's not running an educational campaign. The road to the White House leads through a major party convention. That's the conventional wisdom (excuse the unavoidable pun). Now, do we want the White House, or do we want to sit astride our beautiful big white horse and stand atop the moral high ground until that white horse starves to death under us?

Rand's job is to get to the goal of the GOP nomination. He's doing a fine job so far. His father was criticized for being so principled that he couldn't get anything done. Well, guess what? He was so principled that he didn't get anything done. It was all very admirable, but other than educated, what did it get us? It's sad. But it's true.

Now, if we love our liberty and we love what this nation once was, what we need to do is to move under the Republican Rank and File's radar and get Rand Paul into a position to win the general election just a few painfully short weeks after the GOP convention. This won't be easy. The divide and conquer tactics, and Dubya's infamous crimes, have turned the capital R into The Scarlet Letter. Worse, just as soon as we wear down the resistance of independent voters to Rand Paul, the powers that be will notice and the Mainstream Mafia will suddenly turn on the man and take every opportunity they can find to rip him. But we don't have a more likely path to peace and prosperity in our time than this! You don't know for sure if you trust Rand Paul? Fair enough. Do you trust Rubio more? Do you trust Hillary more? Who do you trust more? Will you at least entertain the possibility that Rand Paul is his father's son?

If the federal government is running your local fire department, and it isn't performing as it should, you have to convince thirty million voters that your local fire department is more important than abortion, gay marriage, and their own local fire departments combined. That is the face of This New Federal Tyranny. If states regulate things, and corporations want everything their own way, they have to buy off fifty state legislatures. If Washington runs everything, the corporations can go to Washington for One Stop Shopping. This is the face of This New Federal Fascism. We, the People are going to have to take a gamble because we have nothing left to lose. Nothing.

The people have spoken. They want the Lesser Evil. I'm not convinced Rand Paul is evil at all. Not even convinced. But let's suppose you are. Is or is not Rand Paul enough less evil than all those other evil bastards to make a real, appreciable, and vital difference in our lives?

Now, can we lay off the distractions and figure out how to deal with the challenge that will face us early in November of 2016 yet? Or will we continue to chase our tails and eat our own until this nation goes right down the crapper?



The general election requires more than 'core supporters'. I don't care who you are. If We, the People are to throw off the chains of our conquerers, we are going to have to learn all over again how to stand united. And that means We, the Enlightened Libertarians are going to have to get brilliant enough to figure out how to look past the media's definition of who makes up the Core Supporters and learn how to create core supporters.

It's that or lose again. And while we're fiddling around with that, Rome is already burning...

Spare me the rhetoric. It won't change my mind. Rand endorsed a well known neocon while his own father was still running. No matter how much filler you recite it does not refute that permanent fact. If you wish to remain blind to that and put your trust in a politician who's compromising his values to get a higher seat in Washington be my guest, but everyone isn't going to go down the path of ignorance. You're putting your trust in someone who you think is only playing by the masses just to get in the Oval Office for us and history has proven this tactic is a false sense of hope.

 

[acptulsa]

Putting words in my mouth does not change the fact that Rand has endorsed a buffoon.

Neither is it realistic to think a sellout is going to do you any favors. I don't need to give him any credit whatsoever. He lost that credit due to his own greed. And you're continuing to put your trust in a politician instead of working on the local and state level.

I did not put words in your mouth, and you have no idea whatsoever what my liberty resume is. You're assuming, and (not coincidentally) making an ass of yourself.

That said, keep up the good work. The more you adapt an unrealistic attitude, the more you carp and be as divisive as you can be, and the more you refuse to bend on the stuff that means nothing, the more attention independent voters will pay to those who look at Rand's voting record and give it honest critiques. Just as Mr. Drake pointed out in the OP.

To my mind, the absoute worst thing about politicians is that it's just about impossible to get anyone else into a position where he or she can do us some good. Our policies look real nice on the drawing board, but I would actually like to see some of them implemented before I die.

Enjoy your insular little world.

 

[georgiaboy]

Trojan Horse FTW.

And yes, let the purist libertarians scream traitor all they want. It'll get Rand more votes for the primaries, not less.

 

[BlackJack]

I did not put words in your mouth,
You know what? I don't blame you. We needed that arrogant, posturing, Obamacare-inventing, Big Digging, tax hiking, domestic spying, drone loving asshole as leader of the free world like we needed to retain the hopeless, changeless, Monsanto-loving, citizen-assassinating asshole we've got and give him a second election and an excuse to wander around saying he has a 'mandate' to screw up.

You're foolishly assuming I said this bullsh*t just because I'm not on board on the Rand Train.

and you have no idea whatsoever what my liberty resume is.

Considering your previous statements I already know, but I won't lose sleep over it.

You're assuming, and (not coincidentally) making an ass of yourself.

Your lame comebacks and ad hominem fallacies should be used elsewhere.

That said, keep up the good work. The more you adapt an unrealistic attitude, the more you carp and be as divisive as you can be, and the more you refuse to bend on the stuff that means nothing, the more attention independent voters will pay to those who look at Rand's voting record and give it honest critiques.

Thank you. I'm campaigning and speaking out against the police brutality in my state. What are you doing with your life besides getting butt hurt over someone refusing to be a compromising doormat like yourself? The more you embrace to your delusions, the more you suck up to politicians who care nothing about your whining, instead of getting off your ass and spending your time wisely, the easier it will be when the govt decides to lock your ass up for a crime you did not commit. Independent voters will continue to be independent voters regardless of who's in office. Your "critiques" of your favored sellout are about as valuable as a stray dog.

Enjoy your insular little world.

Bitter, much? I think you need to take off those shit-stained glasses. The world I live in is reality. Hardly the same can be said for you.

 

[acptulsa]

You're foolishly assuming I said this bullsh*t just because I'm not on board on the Rand Train.

You didn't say it. I said it in response to what you did say. Happy now? It was clear to everyone else. Now is it clear enough for you?

Your lame comebacks and ad hominem fallacies should be used elsewhere.

Bitter, much? I think you need to take off those shit-stained glasses. The world I live in is reality. Hardly the same can be said for you.

If irony could be bottled and sold, you'd be a wealthy person.

 

[BlackJack]

You didn't say it. I said it in response to what you did say. Happy now? It was clear to everyone else. Now is it clear enough for you?

Your futile attempt at sarcasm fell on deaf ears.

If irony could be bottled and sold, you'd be a wealthy person.

Yet you thrive in a bottle full of cow dung. How's that for irony?