Reason Magazine
- reason.com
- reason.tv
- reason.org
- Donate
- Site Search:
Reason on Facebook
Reason on Twitter
Reason on YouTube
Reason RSSGet Reason E-mail Updates!
Manage your Reason e-mail list subscriptionsadvertisements
March of the Paulites
I'd missed this news from a few days ago: Ron Paul supporters staged a democratic coup at Minnesota Republican district meetings and left the party's leaders sputtering. Well, sputtering and dismissive.
Over the weekend, they captured six of a dozen GOP national convention delegates elected at congressional district meetings. The rebellion has left local party officials crying foul, even as state leaders downplay the importance of the unexpected result.
"They'll be national delegates, but at the end of the day, that doesn't change anything because John McCain is going to be our nominee," said party spokesman Mark Drake.
Well, they should have seen it coming. Ron Paul supporters nabbed 16 percent of the vote and four counties on the Feb. 5 caucuses, and as the organizers kept pointing out to me, they were ready to win delegates in the next stage of the process. McCain has a number of built-in advantages for the fall, but "a well-organized and motivated party" is not on his list.
This little victory raises a question: What is the Ron Paul campaign actually up to? What's the rEVOLution up to? The answers are "not much" and "a little more." Paul is doing a campaign swing in Pennsylvania on Friday, but he's turned down requests from local organizers (very, very active ones, whose Liberty Bell t-shirts were spotted many times in New Hampshire) to go and stump in their areas. He might go to Duke before the North Carolina primary, but his campaign is leaving the grunt work of the campaign to local organizers.
The minor-league rEVOLutionaries are doing a little better. There are no less than six "Ron Paul Republicans" running for office in Virginia and Maryland, and the four from Maryland have already won their primaries. On Friday I stopped by a fundraiser for Amit Singh, a 33-year old first-time candidate in the uber-Democratic suburbs in Virginia across the river from D.C. He's closing in on $40,000 in funds after less than a month of campaigning. Last night the Maryland GOP had a dinner for its congressional challengers, and Ron Paul Republicans got tips on how to campaign.
One thing I've heard from a number of Ron Paul-inspired candidates is speculation about what Ron Paul will do for them. Is he going to endorse? Is he going to share his donor list? So far he's only endorsed two non-incumbent candidates, Murray Sabrin for New Jersey's Senate seat and Jim Forsythe for New Hampshire's first congressional district. The New Jersey GOP is trying desparately to find a candidate to crush Sabrin, and it's coming up short. But Forsythe, running against a former congressman who lost the seat in the 2006 rout, is about to drop out of the race. The Paul campaign suggests that the candidate might start endorsing other candidates soon. "Ron will review them after staff vet them first," said a spokesman. "The criteria will be a combination of viability and commitment to limited government principles."
Colin|4.9.08 @ 2:28PM|#
"We knew they were coming and they were willing to lie, cheat and steal -- maybe not steal, but they were willing to say anything."
javier|4.9.08 @ 2:28PM|#
don't forget murray sabrin in the senate. He'll win the republican nomination and piss off the leadership in the process. He is actually good at debating.
Taktix®|4.9.08 @ 2:39PM|#
Despite all the missteps and wrangling about Paultards, it's still pretty depressing that limited government is so unpopular.
|4.9.08 @ 2:50PM|#
Sorry, Warren. Sometimes happens when I'm writing a post, have to run and do something else, and return to it a bit later.
|4.9.08 @ 2:53PM|#
The best thing any of us can do for any of the candidates who
are running as Ron Paul Republicans, is get Eric Dondero to endorse
their opponents.
-jcr
Edward|4.9.08 @ 3:00PM|#
"The criteria will be a combination of viability and commitment
to limited government principles."
Membership in the John Birch Society or the 9/11 truther movment
won't hurt. Neither will the ability rake in a little Nazi money.
Limited government isn't everything. Goofball conspiracies and cash
also help.
|4.9.08 @ 3:00PM|#
It really is pathetic what they're doing in NJ to try to stop Sabrin. The newspapers are helping out (not Sabrin) too. The repub's are TERRIFIED that Sabrin might get the nod. God forbid an actual tax cutting, small gov't libertarian/conservative type got a chance to run as a major party candidate.
Taktix®|4.9.08 @ 3:01PM|#
Speaking of ol' Dondy, did he go on a tequila and hooker binge
after all his favorites dropped out?
(psst. by "hookers" he meant goats.)
|4.9.08 @ 3:04PM|#
Weigel: The New Jersey GOP is trying desparately to find a
candidate to crush Sabrin, and it's coming up short.
Murray Sabrin isn't a threat to the NJ GOP. What they're looking
for is a candidate who (1) has the ability to raise/self-fund
enough money to take on Lautenberg and (2) might actually beat
Lautenberg.
They are failing at doing so, but Sabrin isn't going to win the
nomination. His "Sabrin Promise" is a horrible move, and he is
running a horribly negative campaign that has come off as childish
and gives Sabrin an attack-dog persona that just doesn't work.
WhyMurray|4.9.08 @ 3:12PM|#
The Sabrin Promise: I, Muray Sabrin, a candidate for the
United States Senate from New Jersey promise to resign from office
if all combat troops are not removed from Iraq by September
2010.
Translation: Unless a huge number of politicians either change
their mind or are not re-elected, I'm going to resign. This will
leave the voters who asked me to represent them for a six year term
hanging, and allow the NJ state government to replace me with a
political appointee after I've only served one year in office.
Frankly, I'm not that interested in this stuff, and want to get
back to my cushy tenured faculty position at a state
university.
Edward|4.9.08 @ 3:13PM|#
Here's the kind of stuff Ron Paul candidates can use to raise
cash. Learn from the Master.
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=e2f15397-a3c7-4720-ac15-4532a7da84ca
In an undated solicitation letter for The Ron Paul Investment
Letter and the Ron Paul Political Report, Paul writes: "I've been
told not to talk, but these stooges don't scare me. Threats or no
threats, I've laid bare the coming race war in our big cities. The
federal-homosexual cover-up on AIDS (my training as a physician
helps me see through this one.) The Bohemian Grove--perverted,
pagan playground of the powerful. Skull & Bones: the demonic
fraternity that includes George Bush and leftist Senator John
Kerry, Congress's Mr. New Money. The Israeli lobby, which plays
Congress like a cheap harmonica."
Edward|4.9.08 @ 3:21PM|#
The January 1995 issue of Ron Paul's Survival Report--released
just three months before the Oklahoma City bombing--cites an
anti-government militia's advice to other militias, including,
"Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let
it begin here."
The October 1992 issue of Ron Paul's Political Report paraphrases
an "ex-cop" who offers this strategy for protecting against "urban
youth": "If you have to use a gun on a youth, you should leave the
scene immediately, disposing of the wiped off gun as soon as
possible. Such a gun cannot, of course, be registered to you, but
one bought privately (through the classifieds, for example)."
Brandybuck|4.9.08 @ 3:23PM|#
In California, a group of Ron Paul supporters is trying to take
over the GOP. The "planning" for this came from the former state
coordinators. We were supposed to secretly gather sigatures for
petitions to force county central committee appointments to be
public elections.
They of course, succeeded. GOP central committee elections are now
going to be on the ballot. That's where the planning started to
fail. The also succeeded in pissing off a lot of Republicans. The
chairman of my county GOP is friendly towards Paulites, but he
still called me asking, "what the hell are you doing?!" We managed
to smooth out some ruffled feathers, but it was still a tactless
move by the ex-campaign leaders. Then the second shoe dropped. We
had no one to run! The vast majority of us switched to Republican
from other parties, and no one interested in serving is qualified
to be on the central committees. So all we ended up doing was
opening the committees to big government neocons, who are now going
to running their own candidates to fill the slots. They called our
bluff and we have no cards to show.
Sigh.
The Republican Party is not the enemy. It is instead a necessary
vehicle we need to use. But we can't use it when we are outsiders.
Limited government supporters need to stop treating the GOP as an
evil, and start working WITH Republicans to change things. Not the
national leaders, who are a bunch of big government goons, but with
the local rank and file who still believe the rhetoric of small
government. There are only two parties that matter, and the
Republican Party is the better hope for limited government. But why
the hell should the local and state GOP give us any national
delegates, when we won't even help them with a local school board
race?
GILMORE|4.9.08 @ 3:26PM|#
What is the Ron Paul campaign actually up to? What's the
rEVOLution up to? The answers are "not much" and "a little
more."
DEAR GOD GIVE THIS STUPID THING UP
You keep asking these rhetorical questions when you (and most here)
already know the answer is "it doesnt amount to a fart in Kansas
during tornado season"
How about WHEN RP endorses someone, THEN you cover it? Like, when
something HAPPENS that may actually MATTER.
Edward|4.9.08 @ 3:30PM|#
Given all the racist, homophobic shit that was published under Ron Paul's name, his endorsement should be the kiss of death. Either Weigel can't fucking read or he thinks racist, homophobic diatribes are just fine. Which is it, asshole?
ed|4.9.08 @ 3:32PM|#
I was going to suggest that a better title for this post would have been March of the Dwarves but that would be snarky and so insulting to Grieg.
PC|4.9.08 @ 3:40PM|#
I have liked Ron for years now, but he is no longer running.
Candidates like Amit are their own people, they are not Ron clones.
Also they don't have Ron's cash and could use some help on the
national level and since I have seen plenty of commenters lately
stating that they have cancelled their Reason subscriptions many
would appear to have some extra funds to give.
The congressional races is where its going to happen if at all.
Edward|4.9.08 @ 3:45PM|#
PC
You've liked Ron paul for years, have you? Are you one of the slimy
Nazi pricks who subscribed to his newsletters? Just wondering.
svf|4.9.08 @ 3:48PM|#
since I have seen plenty of commenters lately stating that they have cancelled their Reason subscriptions many would appear to have some extra funds to give.
you just made my day. cheers.
PC|4.9.08 @ 3:54PM|#
Edward | April 9, 2008, 3:45pm | #
By years I meant about three, many of the Paul supporters I talked
to in my area haven't heard of him until last year. I was going to
write him in before he ever hinted at running. I knew nothing of
the newsletters before April last year, but that was the single LA
Riots article. I didn't know about the other letters until I heard
and saw it from Kirchick and TNR when everyone else did. Ron is
cited in libertarian books from time to time, I learned of him from
Vin Suprynowicz's writings, who is Jewish by the way.
Edward|4.9.08 @ 4:04PM|#
PC
If the newsletters don't sink Ron Paul's career, it's only because
he matters so little that nobody cares. Anyone who supports him
despite the newsletters is either a Nazi, a moron or both, Jewish
or not.
|4.9.08 @ 4:11PM|#
If the Ron Paul supporters are a pimple within the Republican
Party then what is all the Republican fuss about. We are 30-year
voting Republican supporters fed up with the poor quality of
candidates made poster boys for us to support.
Not this year, we were delegates in Minnesota as part of the
congressional group voting to send Ron Paul delegates to national.
I have always been open of my support for Ron Paul and have
received support from the local party leaders.
I ask why is the National Republican leadership trying to
marginalize, dismiss, name call as kooks and nuts regular
republicans like us. What happened to the big tent of the
Republican Party? New folks are welcome if they have
lobotomies.
Doug Mataconis|4.9.08 @ 4:22PM|#
The New Jersey GOP is trying desparately to find a candidate
to crush Sabrin, and it's coming up short.
Are ya kidding me ?
First of all, the New Jersey GOP isn't going to nominate
Sabrin.
Second, if they did, he'd get crushed in the General Election even
if the Democrats go with semi-comatose Lautenberg.
Trust me, I lived in New Jersey for nearly 30 years.
PC|4.9.08 @ 4:23PM|#
If the Ron Paul supporters are a pimple within the Republican
Party then what is all the Republican fuss about.
tim, minnesota | April 9, 2008, 4:11pm | #
Because non establishment Democrats make paper mache puppets and
throw rocks through Starbucks windows, libertarians and Republicans
become delegates.
|4.9.08 @ 4:24PM|#
Ron Paul is awesome. His people are awesome. They actually do stuff. You people just stew. Live with that.
|4.9.08 @ 4:26PM|#
Edward, you poor little shill, you make me feel so sad for you that you have to resort to such pathetic & self-humiliating means....
|4.9.08 @ 4:29PM|#
Get with the program, Edward. Don't you know Reason is a cosmotarian cabal that has done everything in its power to torpedo the Paul campaign?
|4.9.08 @ 4:33PM|#
Oh, wait. Reason is a racist and homophobic front group shilling
for that neo-Nazi Paul.
Oh, wait. Reason is a floor wax AND a desert topping!
|4.9.08 @ 4:33PM|#
Although Gravel supports a version of the Fair Tax and is a subscriber to Reason magazine, he is usually thought of as a liberal rather than a libertarian. In fact, Libertarian party presidential candidate Wayne Allyn Root has argued: "Gravel is in no way, shape or form a Libertarian. He's just a big government, big-spending, redistribute the wealth liberal - big difference."
|4.9.08 @ 4:45PM|#
I encourage Joe and Gravel to start a democrat liberty caucus. I'd certainly vote for a Joe-Gravel ticket over any of the big three out there now. Nevertheless, they are not libertarians.
|4.9.08 @ 5:05PM|#
EDWARD
I sincerely want to congratulate you for making the superior minds
on this forum realize that the undereducated outspoken morons of
America really control the way the country is going. It's people
like you who validate the 'stupid American' phrase that is
sopopular today. You are a genuine moron. :)
|4.9.08 @ 5:33PM|#
I can't believe I'm seeing all of these news letter comments
without one person citing what is well known to be the truth: Ron
Paul never wrote them and doesn't harbor those thoughts.
Outside editors selected volunteers for the investment newsletters
and doubtless they were vetted on their investment views, but a
crazy (or two?) got in during one period and wrote several nasty
newsletter pieces. Ron Paul in 20 years of public life spread over
30 years has never once been quoted as saying anything in even the
spirit of those newsletters, and in fact has sponsored and pushed a
number of bills which would greatly benefit minorities. If you go
onto youtube and put in 'ron paul naacp' you will see some radio
shows from 15 years ago as well as a more recent video a 20+ year
close friend who happens to be an NAACP division chief did saying
that Ron Paul is not only not racist but is one of the least racist
people you could know.
I suspect most of those who wrote about the newsletters in these
posts are fully aware of that. Character assassination, much?
What is it about him that worries you, actually?
Colonel_Angus|4.9.08 @ 6:08PM|#
I think Edward might be some kind of conspiracy schizoid. He keeps coming up with all kinds of half baked retarded shit and he reads the New Republic. What a douche.
Colonel_Angus|4.9.08 @ 6:11PM|#
And everyone please stop calling dondero "Dondi". This is
Dondi:
www.subwayoutlaws.com/Burners/00__%20000%20__%20dondi%20cia.jpg
|4.9.08 @ 6:44PM|#
What is Paul doing? Laughing all the way to the bank. He continues to raise funds but for what? He accumulated cash under the guise of a campaign and when all this is over he's free to donate those millions to his own "non-profit" outfit. A bit of slight of hand, a few well time libertarian sounding sentiments along with scores of xenophobic, bigoted positions on immigration and loads of socially conservative viewpoints to keep the Bible-thumpers on board, was all that was necessary. Now anyone can be a libertarian and they don't even have to actually hold libertarian viewpoints to do it.
|4.9.08 @ 8:36PM|#
David Weigel, I your article was pretty good but I don't think it is accurate of you to make it seem like the Ron Paul campaign is just sputtering along like an old beat up car. I don't know where you got you data to make that claim, i hope it wasn't from fox or any other mainstream media. He's makeing like 4 or so appearnces at universities this month, check out his webstite, and you must understand once a person such as my self truly understands what ron Paul is talking about, then you will relize that the movement can only get bigger and stronger becasue there is no other choice, it's like forcing someone to watch someone else kick a baby and then expecting the person who is being forced to watch to not care as much or get used to it, not possible, currupt goverment is like kicked babies you just never get used to it or accepts it.
GILMORE|4.9.08 @ 9:14PM|#
mike | April 9, 2008, 8:36pm | #
David Weigel, I your article was pretty good but I don't think it
is accurate of you to make it seem like the Ron Paul campaign is
just sputtering along like an old beat up car...
Right.
It's got all 4 tires blown out, the engine is kaput, and he's
standing on the side of the road trying to flag someone down, but
98% of the world ignores him
The ones who pull do over are weirdo kidnappers. Or really, really
lonely
currupt goverment is like kicked babies you just never get used
to it or accepts it.
We accepts it, yessssss, the precious, we acceptss it
Kidding man. People can agree with Paul's themes and also think
he's a has-been who doesnt matter much at this point,
newswise.
Acceptsss it...
|4.9.08 @ 9:19PM|#
BJ Lawson is definitely a Ron Paul Republican.
He is running in the R primary in my Orange/Wake/Durham/Chatham
district of North Carolina, challenging Orange Co. GOP leader
Augustus Cho for the opportunity to lose to longtime D incumbent
David Price.
http://www.lawsonforcongress.com/
Well worth supporting for you North Carolinians.
|4.9.08 @ 9:24PM|#
I'm sure Ron Paul will regret for the rest of his life not
giving more oversight to his newsletter and the advertising
distributed in his name.
In a sense, he franchised his name to a bunch of promoters who
tried to maximize distribution without regard for the possible
consequences. This is not an unusual attitude for a newsletter
copywriter and would never have caused a ripple had Ron Paul not
run for president.
I have been a Ron Paul supporter for nearly as long as he has been
in congress and never knew he had a newsletter. I formed my opinion
based upon the speeches he gave in congress, his published position
papers and the bills he has introduced. That tells me what the man
will do if elected.
Try to figure out what the other candidates will do if elected.
Those speeches are stirring but practically content free ...
terribly smart|4.9.08 @ 9:57PM|#
Gilmore,
if only your penis weren't so small,
your gut so fat;
you could lick you own balls,
autofellatio would be a snap.
paul_in_08|4.9.08 @ 10:16PM|#
As a MN Ron Paul supporter, gettting him into office was a fun
possibility, but the more important issue is taking back the local
GOP. Sure the republican platform isn't perfect, but it's a hell of
a lot better than the democratic platform which makes it a perfect
jumping off point for promoting liberty in this two party
system.
I learned something incredibly important by supporting Paul and
meeting other Paul supporters, and that is the revelation that I
can actually make a difference in something. By devoting some time
to the local GOP instead of spending it complaining on blogs I can
actually help change something. Ron Paul was far more popular than
McCain in my local caucus and he brought out a ton of supporters
who had never even considered going to a caucus.
Almost 40% of the 200 delegates at my congressional district
convention were supporters of Ron Paul and his libertarian ideas.
They didn't get those delegate spots by cheating, they got there by
agreeing with most of the Republican platform and enthusiastically
trying to be involved with the party. What's more important is that
most of us weren't there only to support Paul, we are dedicated to
staying involved in the GOP, fixing it's platform and endorsing
candidates who will fight for liberty at state, local and national
levels.
Try going to some Republican events and I think you'll see that
it's not as bad as you think. Once you can get past a few of their
dumb cultural views, you'll see that they want government out of
their lives just as badly as you do. In my experience, the people
who actually run the local pieces of the party are smart fiscal
conservatives who only disagree with libertarians on a handful of
issues.
|4.9.08 @ 11:13PM|#
I hesitate to throw my words into the cesspool majority here,
but just wanted to ask the Ron Paul-haters -- who is YOUR
candidate? Do you even have one?
I find it quite pathetic that the only "dirt" you can find on the
good, kind and wise Ron Paul is something he didn't even do, say or
think, from nearly 20 years ago! There's no one less prejudiced and
more devoted to equal rights for all American citizens than Dr.
Paul, and he proves it by his words and actions every day.
I suggest you take a good look in the mirror. One day you'll
realize that the enemy you so despise is your own self.
Ron Paul is still here.
We are Ron Paul.
RON PAUL or BUST 2008
|4.9.08 @ 11:32PM|#
Edward, thanks for quoting some of those RP newsletters. I didn't realise he was into the Bohemian Grove conspiracy bullshit also. I still think the calling of MLK a "gay pediphile" still takes the cake .Why Paul allowed Lew Rockwell and/or that mysterious "former staff writer" to publish such crap under his name is beyond me.
LevStrauss|4.10.08 @ 12:09AM|#
Anybody who is in touch with reality knows Ron is full of shit on his newsletter explanation and at least is covering up for Lew. He didn't expect the campaign to take off like it did but he was at least realistic with his chances. The media treated him like shit so why should he fall on the sword for a campaign he was never going to win, this is the American public we are talking about. He has already been distorted and marginalized by the mainstream on so many other things, why should he screw up his future writing books and supplying other services such as speaking events and other media ventures? But some people have to realize the campaign is basically over, he is just visiting the people who donated money in the remaining states, they paid for it. It is all about statewide and local races for the time being. If people think taking back the Republican or at least pushing it in our direction is not the way to go you need to get in touch with reality. Until you solve ballot access and debate access issues you don't really have a third party, just a symbolic act. Ballot access can only be solved from within the two party system.
Akston|4.10.08 @ 4:06AM|#
To: paul_in_08 | April 9, 2008, 10:16pm
Thank you for your excellent post. Working within the Republican
Party has been very rewarding for me as well. I'm surprised at how
much common ground I have with most Republicans, having come from
Libertarian beginnings.
Most importantly, I'm now far more connected to a process where
things actually get done. Debate on the internet is good for an
exchange of ideas (though I think the only people who might
actually modify their views based on internet debate are the ones
who don't post). But any sense of accomplishment I feel writing
what I think is a good post pales in comparison to concrete,
real-world accomplishment. When I work with those same people I
agreed with online - but in a real forum where the course of a
party, its candidates, and government can change -internet
discussions fade in importance.
I write this post partly for recreation. In a larger part, I write
it for the people who read more than post. I suggest that if you
value smaller government, fiscal restraint, personal
responsibility, and liberty, you may want to consider participating
even in a modest way. All the government you see around you now was
implemented by people who decided at some point to participate.
You'll be surprised that all the people in the process are much
like yourself, not some special caste of illuminati.
Over that past four months, I've moved from a party newcomer to
State Delegate. Surprisingly, it's as nearly easy to actually do
something about an issue as it is to complain about it. And whether
you succeed or fail at each step along the way, a real journey
beats the hell out of watching a slide show about one.
|4.10.08 @ 11:04AM|#
RP couldn't be bothered to come to Phila. for a major fundraising banquet to support the Penna. primary delegates who gathered more than 200,000 signatures during a three week winter campaign to put his name and 60+ delegate names on the ballot. His supporters soldier on alone towards April 22.
|4.10.08 @ 1:55PM|#
Libertarians are a bunch of petulant children. No wonder Ron Paul left this organization. Look at yourselves, how do you not vomit when looking at a mirror?
|4.10.08 @ 3:19PM|#
"I encourage Joe and Gravel to start a democrat liberty caucus.
I'd certainly vote for a Joe-Gravel ticket over any of the big
three out there now. Nevertheless, they are not
libertarians."
Ditto.
http://www.takimag.com/blogs/article/ron_paul_the_birchers_and_the_delicate_sensibilities_of_david_weigel/
Site comments/questions:
Media Inquiries and Reprint Permissions:
(310) 367-6109
Editorial & Production Offices:
3415 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 391-2245