Paul exhorts 1,500 Mo supporters to hold fast, fight for liberty
BRANSON — Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, who continues to be a thorn in the side of his party and presumptive nominee John McCain, said Friday night that he won’t endorse McCain or campaign for him.
“I can’t support anybody who supports the war,” Paul said, in a brief interview while he signed hundreds of copies of his book brought to Friday night’s “Freedom Rally” by some of his supporters.
Paul reaffirmed, however, that he won’t conduct a third-party candidacy.
About 1,500 turned out Friday night to hear Paul for an hour at the Tri-Lakes Center. (The estimate came from the building manager; yours truly counted at least 1,000.)
“We need to lead the Republican Party kicking and screaming back to its senses,” he said, in remarks that prompted repeated standing ovations.
Many of those ovations came as Paul laid out his key views:
End the war in Iraq;
Repeal the Patriot Act;
Get rid of the federal income tax;
Eliminate the Federal Reserve Bank;
Get the U.S. out of the UN;
Get the U.S. out of the World Bank, the IMF and other international bodies;
Slash federal spending;
Paul blasted the Bush administration for the way it has attacked terrorism. The U.S. either gives money to countries, or attacks them, he said. The U.S. rarely just talks to nations, Paul added.
The Bush administration seems to focus on bombing countries “incapable of attacking us,” he said, using Iraq as Exhibit A.
Referring to former Iraq leader Saddam Hussein, Paul said, “As bad as he was, he wasn’t a threat to us.”
Paul accused the administration of using terrorists and the war as an excuse to eliminate personal rights.
“…We don’t need secret courts and secret prisons,” he said. “…They say we’re being attacked because we’re free and rich. Their thinking seems to be ‘if we’re less free, they won’t attack us…’ “
Paul also called for a return to habeas corpus (The guaranteed right for a person to go before a judge when charged with a crime.)
Several hundred of the Paul supporters in Branson are to be delegates Saturday morning at the state Republican Party’s once-every-four-years convention.
The delegates and alternates had a private meeting with Paul and his state leaders late Friday night, presumably to discuss how to proceed. About half of the pro-Paul delegates have been challenged by state GOP leaders, so it’s up to the convention to decide if any of them get seated.
In his address, Paul blamed the rise in gasoline prices and the shipping of jobs overseas, in part, to monetary problems that have weakened the U.S. dollar.
“We owe $13 trillion to foreigners,” he said.
He blasted what he called a “flawed monetary system, a flawed economic system…a flawed foreign policy that has to be changed.”
Before the rally, state Treasurer Sarah Steelman stopped by to talk to Paul supporters milling in the lobby as they waited for the doors to open to the auditorium where the rally was held.
Steelman, a Republican running for governor, said later that she did so to appeal for their votes.
Ron has his reasons for not wanting to run third party and he is entitled to them. It is unlikely he will endorse either Barr or Baldwin as he is friends with both of them. He has made statements that he generally wishes them both well.
Therefore, what should Paul supporters do in November if a miracle does not occur in St. Paul. Both Barr and Baldwin are good candidates. They probably differ most in style and hot buttons. But Barr will be on the ballot in at least 48 states, hopefully 50. Baldwin will be on many fewer. By all means if both of them are on your state’s ballot, vote your conscience; vote for whomever you would truly like to see sitting in the oval office. But don’t write-in Ron Paul UNLESS he has filed as a certified write-in in your state.
Write-in votes are only counted for certified candidates. We don’t know yet if Ron will file for such status but my guess is that he won’t. PLEASE vote for someone on the ballot if you want your vote to have any impact.
While I have nothing against Chuck Baldwin, I will vote for Barr on a strategic basis. A strong Barr showing can get the LP status as a ballot qualified party in a number of new states. That will require between 5 and 10% in most cases. I think Barr can do that. Although the same argument holds true for Baldwin and the Constitution party, I think that the is less likely to achieve that high a vote because of lower name recognition and less press coverage.
And don’t forget about polling. It will take 15% in at least one “popular” poll to get either of them into the debate. If you are personally polled keep the above criteria in mind as well.
I am very proud to have attended both the rally, (of which I have over an hour of video!!) and as a delegate to the Missouri Convention where the Ron Paul republicans represented 40% of the delegation. We were treated cordually, kinda like an anoying nephew that you can’t smack even though you really wish you could. Unfortunately, we were never able to get the central party off of their script. Every speech from Kit Bond on down was dripping with FEAR and WAR. I had to leave at the break with my head spinning due to the proximately to such insanity.
A couple of observations:
1. All attempts to get the crowd excited about John McCain failed miserably. The enthusiasm was luke warm at best for thier chosen candidate.
2. Some Ron Paul supporters need to learn when you are not in the majority, shouting and caterwalling just makes you look stupid. Please recognize most of the central party are not far from our views. They are afraid of change and used to taking orders. Your courage to talk about the issues is very foreign to them. They are still mezmerized buy their trusted leaders telling them “we are at war” “we must kill them all!!”
Make friends one at a time, talk about Goldwater and Reagan.
I attended (as a delegate) my County and District MO GOP caucuses for Ron Paul and today the State GOP convention (and last night’s rally, which was wonderful). Last weekend I was a delegate at the Libertarian National Convention. One thing I can say is that if I ever wondered that I might be a Republican instead of a Libertarian, I don’t need to wonder anymore. Bob Barr stated it well at the Libertarian Convention - that in one weekend with LP, more real issues had been discussed than in his 30 years with that “other party”. The GOP Convention was disgusting. Had it not been for the Ron Paul folks (in the minority), nothing of any substance would have been discussed, and even as it was, very little discussion was allowed. It was basically a dog and pony for the sheep - everything of any substance was decided well in advance. Dissent was basically disallowed. Barr/Root may not be perfect, but both are getting better by the minute as they become more educated in the principles of liberty, and they are already so much better than what I saw today, that there is no comparison whatsoever. It was interesting that some of the Republicans, Kit Bond notably excepted, paid some rhetorical homage to liberty and smaller government, but their actions don’t reflect that rhetoric in the slightest.
What time will tell, is that the People getting involved because of Ron Paul’s ability to focus their energy in one direction will not fade in December. Too many voters in this great Country take an American Idol approach to elections. More pay attention when there are less candidates. Unfortunately, by the time the count is two, there is no recourse but to buy a paper and a Big Mac, and make your choice. The influx into the Republican Party by supporters of Ron Paul will not dissipate. The ‘presumptive Republicans’ are about to find out a simple truth; when you FIRST feel a headache coming on, you have no idea how long it is going to last. And you can only pray that it isn’t a migraine.
In two years, in four years, we will be able to look back at these days as the beginning of a new approach. Men and women will address crowds, telling them that there is someone better than the present government to solve their problems. And when the attentive eyes are told that “It is you!”, they will stand and receive the mantle of personal responsibility. “There is no free lunch” will resonate again, and neighborhoods and townships will absorb the local power for their own good, rather than delegate it to elected representatives who swell on dual citizenship.
Republicans need to ask themselves why the First Congressional District is unrepresented. No, I’m not going to make that case, I could. But you already know why. Because we are not, now, “Of the People, By the People, For the People”. Third World environments are source material only (land banks). North St. Louis had it’s Charter BEFORE the City of St. Louis. Someone should look at that aspect. We exercise this same condescending secrecy of State Worldwide, and THAT is why ‘they’ hate us. The present administration has done wonders in unifying America. Now, foreigners, more than ever, lump us all together. “America” is a hungry machine, headed their way.
We are on the brink of reckoning. Every natural and unnatural resource is reaching scarcity, coupled with patent protection. At any moment, decisions guaranteeing survival of the chosen will be made. And those not chosen will be abolished in a fervor of the strongest instinct on Earth, self-preservation. Allowing this to happen is as irresponsible as actually designing it. The loophole you crawl through in this life, is the noose for you, in the next. There are no small votes.
I am, what might be called, “An Inconvenient Republican”. I’m not quitting. There is no way out, only in. If other parties are perceptive, there will be a parallel faction started very soon. The days of endless road are over. Now, with resources numbered like the hairs on our head, conservatism returns to its original definition. LESS IS MORE.
NUTJOBNUTJOBNUTJOBNUTJOBNUTJOBNUTJOB…….
The Federal Reserve is part of the problem not the solution!
Sign and forward the Ron Paul Is Right: Abolish the Federal Reserve Petition at
http://www.petitiononline.com/fed/petition.html to all your pro-freedom friends and associates.
The collapsing dollar, falling housing market, the subprime mortgage and growing credit crisis and stock market weakness are all a result of earlier Federal Reserve actions designed to maximize Wall Street and banking profits at the expense of productive, working Americans.
Ron Holland, The Swiss Confederation Institute, Wolf Laurel, NC
Check out the July Las Vegas FreedomFest Conference http://www.freedomfest.com