About Me

Name: Likkerish
Loading...

Create Your Own Blog Find Other Townhall Blogs

Comments

Blog Roll

 

Townhall Citizens: Are You a Hardcore "Townie?"

Posted by Likkerish on Monday, October 15, 2007 3:38:11 AM

As the lyrics of the old Frank Sinatra, ballad, “Downtown,” go:

When you're alone and life is making you lonely,
You can always go...downtown.
When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry
Seems to help, I know...downtown....

The lights are much brighter there.
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares.
So go downtown, things'll be great when you're
Downtown...no finer place, for sure
Downtown...everything's waiting for you....

And, you may find somebody kind to help and understand you,
Someone who is just like you and needs a gentle hand to
Guide them along.

So maybe I'll see you there.
We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares.
So go downtown, things'll be great when you're
Downtown....

Many of the contributors to the Townhall site, I think, are like the individual to which Sinatra’s lyrics speak.  More and more, with the Republican Party in self-destruct mode, “conservative," particularly, “neo-conservative,” Americans are finding themselves outside the mainstream of American political thought.  Republicans have abandoned the party in droves.  The membership has shrunk enormously.  Over 70% of the country wants the War in Iraq to end, whereas all of the Republican Presidential candidates, save one, Congressman Ron Paul, are calling for staying the course until we achieve clear victory.

Given the current state of affairs, how any of the current Republican Party members can believe that they can defeat the Democrats in 2008 is mind boggling.  There is a need for new thinking to offset the disaster that the current Administration has wrought.  Congressman Paul is providing that new way, which is not so new, in that he is an old-time Constitutional Republican who values freedom and liberty.  But, at the same time, it is new in that his message is attracting disenchanted people back into the party, as well as new converts from Independents and even Liberal Democrats.  It is this new blood that will enable the Republicans to win in 2008, because Ron Paul is the only candidate who can defeat Hillary Clinton. 

So, Republicans coming to Townhall have become “downtownies” in that they are looking for support for their views that are verging on becoming irrelevant.  It is a little like the risks of inbreeding.  Everything looks fine until the “downtownies” realize that they have been giving birth to “bleeders.”  The Republican Party is bleeding to death and the "downtownie" Republicans simply divert attention from this internal bloodletting by discussing terror, the threat of Islamofascism, and the purported blood bath that will ensue should we leave Iraq, while they are mutually swabbing the blood off each other before it becomes noticeable.

Before I go too far, I should say that this post is my response to a comment to my previous blog posting, “Ron Paul: Color Him Left...Right...Or Just Flat Wrong?” which was posted by shrugged0106.  My reply grew much too long and thus found its way here, instead.  I entitled my comment:  To Be Or Not To Be--A Hardcore "Townie?”   It began this way.

As the Great Bill (not Billary) wrote:

"To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them....?

“For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong...."

Regarding any discussion of Ron Paul, shrugged0106 mused as to whether "hardcore 'townies' (might)...move beyond the tried and true...'but, but, but, he's a kook' lines."  He was obviously doubtful that they could.  However, I am more interested in reaching the softcore "townies." 

The way I see things, hardcore "townies" don't question their prized beliefs, because they are on the DOWN side of the UP-DOWN continuum that I discussed in the preceding post, and, of course, to the RIGHT, thus tending toward authoritarianism.  Perhaps, this is a result of growing up with parents who bent them in that direction and/or, perhaps, as Shakespeare wrote, because of "suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune."  In contrast, Ron Paul and his supporters are on the UP side of the vertical continuum and may be anywhere on the horizontal continuum from LEFT to RIGHT.

The problem on Townhall is that many hardcore "townies" ("downtownies" takes on a new meaning now, doesn't it?) take up their verbal "arms" against their lifelong "sea of troubles," not in an effort to end them at their sources, which they might do, if they stopped to question the cherished dogma that they espouse, but by mounting vicious and persistent attacks on those whom them perceive as thinking differently from themselves or whom they perceive as weak.  What they don't realize is that such behavior only perpetuates the conditions that were responsible for turning them and many of their political opponents into angry, aggressive combatants.  It does nothing to change the conditions in this country that breed hatred, violence, and polarization.

We need a radical change in the governmental policies of this country to change economic and psychological conditions.  Government has grown monolithic and uncontrollable, even bigger under the Republicans during the past six years than in the Clinton years.  And, Ron Paul is the only candidate with the courage to attempt such change.  The monetary system is not only destroying the poor and middle class economically, but it is also destroying them psychologically and emotionally as well.

I recently read an interesting article in Playboy magazine (May, 2007) by Mark Ames, the author of Going Postal, a book about the rash of workplace massacres that began in the mid-1980s.  Yes, I do read it for the articles! (GRIN.)  Ames pointed out that "workplace shootings aren't nuts at all.  They're logical!" 

The killings started in post offices, and "by the time that Congress started figuring out what was wrong with the USPS, workplace shootings had jumped from post offices to the wider private sector."

Profiling killers turned up zilch, nada, nothing.  Ames pointed out that "The murderers aren't the ones who should be profiled....Instead, workplaces need profiling."

The well-being of the American worker has deteriorated immensely as the Federal Reserve continues to inflate the currency, and in so doing, to impose a hidden tax on the poor and middle class workers, who have to work longer hours for less buying power.  Thus, they become subject to dehumanizing control, i.e., they have become more and more slaves to corporate America.

Meanwhile, back at Townhall and the discussion of hardcore "townies," I would say that, short of being hit with a lightning bolt that rewires some brain circuitry, I don't see them as changing.   Softcore "Townies," on the other hand are individuals like a fellow whose user name is NoLongerNeoCon'd, and who wrote several early comments to my blog.  Look for his initial comment to my first blog entry, "Green Eggs and Townhall Ham." He signed his comment with the name, Ryan.   You will find it at the following link.  Scroll down through the comments.

http://tinyurl.com/2gzxwd

Ryan reported that he woke up one  day and took an honest look at what he had been believing uncritically.  He said that he finally realized that he was being intellectually dishonest. And, he suggested that there are many others here on Townhall, who have been deceived for years, just like he was.  He stated:

"People who are 'neo-cons' aren't bad people, they aren't warmongers. They are people like me, who just have not been honest with themselves and spent time taking a critical look at history."

The Ron Paul Freedom Movement is comprised of people like Ryan, as well as many others from all walks of life and all political persuasions, who are coming together en masse "to take up arms against a sea of troubles, and, by opposing” them, we are acting to “end them."  What are these arms?  They are political arms, intellectual arms, and humanistic arms that derive their impact from truth and principle.

Will we succeed?  Only the tide will tell....and that tide is causing the ranks of the Republican Party to swell with the classical liberal philosophy of Founding Fathers like Thomas Jefferson.  It is no wonder that Judge Andrew Napolitano has called Congressman Ron Paul, "The Thomas Jefferson of Our Day."  Judge Napolitano is Senior Judicial Analyst for Fox News since 1998, and earlier in his career, he became the youngest, life-tenured Superior Court Judge in the history of the State of New Jersey.

Check out the following video link to hear what Judge Napolitano has to say:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8QwTKKSvR8

His tribute to Ron Paul begins at 2:30 (minutes, seconds) into the video.

Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (1) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive

Ron Paul: Color Him Left...Right...Or Just Flat Wrong?

Posted by Likkerish on Saturday, October 13, 2007 5:48:36 PM

Ron Paul Claims To Be A Republican?

Many people cannot figure out what to think about Ron Paul and his exponentially growing support.  How can he be so different from Bush and all of the other Republican candidates and still call himself a Republican?  Is he really one of those damned RINO's (Republican In Name Only)? He doesn't seem to be from the political RIGHT, because he differs from his peers in the Republican Party on the war issue and the danger of so-called Islamofascist extremists.

So, is he really a "lefty" in conservative clothing?  After all, he shares the views of most Democrats on the war.  He wants to "cut and run," right?  Okay, then, where should one put Ron Paul...on the LEFT...on the RIGHT...or perhaps smack dab in the wishy-washy-I can't-make-up-my-mind CENTER? 

Well, he does describe himself as the most conservative member of Congress, so that would seem to push him to the RIGHT, correct?  After all, he is pro life and pro second amendment.  He has never voted to raise taxes and has never voted for an unbalanced budget.  He was also one of Ronald Reagan's strongest supporters.

BUT...he is attracting support from all across the political spectrum. How can he be a true conservative, if Liberals support him?  Something is WRONG here, RIGHT?   If the LEFT is supporting him, how can he be called RIGHT?  Hang in there....I'm getting to the answer.

Does Ron Paul Know Right From Left?

Is Ron Paul's campaign politically challenged?  Do he and his supporters know RIGHT from LEFT?    Or, are they all just WRONG headed?  Is Paul's campaign a case of the politically blind leading the blind?

We don't live in a one-dimensional world (political or otherwise), as much as some people would like to think that we do.  Though our brain seems often to have a penchant for single dimensional thinking, the world is, nonetheless, multi-dimensional.  And, an ever increasing number of citizens are concluding that the LEFT-RIGHT dimension is not even the most important political dimension to consider. They are finding that it is not so critical whether their candidate agrees with them on the abortion issue, or the gay marriage issue, or the immigration issue, or whatever other pet issue happens to grab them.  It has become apparent that there is one crucially important, political dimension to consider in this upcoming election, and one only.  Wanna know what it is? Well, it's coming to a Townhall Blog near you very soon....

Ron Paul's Campaign Goes Vertical

HERE IS THE ANSWER THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!

Ron Paul appears to many folks, especially here on Townhall, to be flat WRONG in his politics.  In fact, many are not so kind as to simply say that he's not a true RIGHT wing conservative. They say, instead, that he's "wacko" or that he's a "nut."  But, Ron Paul's politics only seem WRONG  to those who don't recognize that his popularity and support derive from the fact that he appeals to those whose thinking follows a VERTICAL dimension, not a HORIZONTAL one.  It is only those who have one-dimensional (LEFT-RIGHT) minds who don't comprehend Ron Paul's appeal and that his supporters are growing exponentially, precisely because his message calls attention to this important VERTICAL dimension.

"Huh," you say, "that's it?"

Hold on now. I haven't described the dimension to you yet.

THE ANSWER...THE EXPLANATION OF THE RON PAUL PHENOMENON...was suggested over forty years ago in the comment of a very famous American during the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

Are you ready for this?

This very conservative person said something that explains why Ron Paul, today, is turning on people of all political persuasions, including Liberals!  Speaking at the Republican National Convention in 1964, this individual, who would later rise to national prominence, called attention to the VERTICAL political dimension that accounts for the broad base of support which has mobilized behind Ron Paul.  He said:

"You and I are told increasingly that we have to choose between a LEFT or a RIGHT. There is only an UP or DOWN: Up to man's age-old dream--the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order--or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. And regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would trade our freedom for security have embarked on this downward course." (Bold emphasis added.)

So, there you have it, another dimension orthogonal to the LEFT-RIGHT axis, the UP-Down axis.  And, this is the simplest explanation that you could imagine for the full spectrum support that a 72 year-old, ten-term Congressman is getting.  Ron Paul is an liberty-enhancing UPPER candidate in contrast to his liberty-diminishing DOWNER opponents.  Not only does he draw his support from across the political spectrum, but from all age groups and all economic levels as well.  Dr. Paul's support from young people is, in itself, really quite phenomenal, for he is drawing crowds that one might expect to collect around a young rock star.  At the University of Michigan recently, the crowd that gathered to hear him speak was estimated to be in excess of 2,000 people. 

But, older people, too, who had given up on the political process, as well as Republicans who had become disenchanted by the unconscionable shenanigans in their party have all flocked to him in droves.  Moms and Pops are being recruited by their children and grandchildren.  This is clearly because, as Dr. Paul has said:

"FREEDOM IS POPULAR!" 

Ron Paul's message speaks to people who want to be identified as UP, not LEFT or RIGHT.  They want a President who will take them UP to the exhilarating heights of FREEDOM, not DOWN to the hellish pits of TOTALITARIANISM and loss of their personal and economic Liberty.  Those, who do not understand Ron Paul's appeal and who also actively try to marginalize and diminish him in the Republican Party, doubtless will be found on the DOWN side of the UP-DOWN continuum. 

By the way, the famous American was none other than fifty-three year-old Ronald Reagan.
Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (5) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive

Ron Paul Raises $1 Million Online in Less Than 6 Days!

Posted by Likkerish on Sunday, September 30, 2007 12:23:32 AM
Supporters Blast Ron Paul into the Republican Top Tier

The Ron Paul campaign is shifting into high gear!  After setting a goal of raising $500,000 in the last week of the quarter, supporters blew past this benchmark in less than three days.  A new goal of raising $1 Million by midnight September 30 was then set.  Supporters have continued to "spam" the Ron Paul site and have succeeded in blasting that goal away at 10:31 pm, EDT, September 29, less than six days since the goal was set!

At 11:04 pm, EDT, the total money raised since September 24 stood at $1,012,378 and counting.

Today, Sportsbook.com revised their odds on Ron Paul's winning the Republican Nomination from 8-1 to 4-1.  In March 2007, he was rated at 200-1.

Wake up,Townhall people!  Smell the new coffee!  Ron Paul is a top tier candidate and represents the future of the Republican Party, if it is to have a future!  It would not surprise me at all, if this revolution eventually destroys the old party structures and creates the kind of situation that existed at the time of the founding of this country, when the prevailing political view was that of classical liberalism.  Political parties didn't exist.  Why do we need them, now?  What good have they served, anyway?  Democrats and Republicans have become Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum...not a dime's worth of difference between them, both big government spenders with no respect for individual freedom.  Why have people not voted in the past?  No choice!  They have refused to vote for the lesser of two evils.  That will change in this election.  Count on it!  People now have a real choice.

Look at the energy and financial support coming in from all across the nation.  If one watches the individuals donating, one sees people from every nook and cranny of the U.S.A, from Portland, Maine to Honolulu, Hawaii, from Miami to Seattle, from Austin, Texas to Minneapolis-St. Paul.  They range over the entire political spectrum--liberals, conservatives, Libertarians, Greens, Constitutionalists, former Democrats, disenchanted Republicans, as well as former neoconservative Republicans who are no longer being neoconned!  These donors are an eclectic group representing the diversity of this nation.  And, the money being raised is not the ordinary "special interest money."  It comes from from ordinary people who have a special interest in Freedom and Peace and in restoring our Republic to what it once was and can be again.

The great majority of the people in this country do not want any more war, any more killing.  They are of the opinion that if YOU want it, or if you think that you will feel safer having our troops dying and killing others for no purpose other than some misguided sense of preserving honor (saving face) and of fulfilling a commitment to the Iraqi people, then have the courage to put your butt where your mouth is.  Volunteer for service, or encourage your family members to go into the combat zone.

The rest of us want to live our lives in freedom from having our toothpaste thrown away at the airport or having to pour out our infant's apple juice before going through security, while illegal aliens pour across our borders.  Which is more of a threat?  Who is more likely to do damage to others, a mother who carries her baby onto a plane or a terrorist who carries a bomb across the border?  The Ron Paul supporters say in a loud chorus.  "Stop fearing terrorists."  Fear is what they seek. Let's come to our senses. You are more likely to die in an auto accident than to die from an act of terrorism!  Ron Paul is speaking sense.  That is why so many are opening their wallets and purses and voting with their money.

The so-called "War on Terror" is the biggest, most tragic sham that has been perpetrated on the American people since Vietnam, and there are those who continue to fall for the sleight of hand, even though over 70% of the population wants no more of it.  Even three-quarters of the Iraqi people want us to leave. The Bush administration is even now covering up the corruption in the Maliki government, so that their reason for staying the course in Iraq is not undermined.  See the report of the efforts of Rep. Henry Waxman to get information from the Bush Administration.

http://tinyurl.com/39xubc

Ron Paul is a Top Tier Republican Candidate and Possibly the Secret Front Runner

Lest you doubt the foregoing statement, let me remind you of the recent invitation by the Republican National Committee Presidential Trust.

GOP PRESIDENTIAL TRUST DINNER
October 16, 2007
7:00pm

National Building Museum
401 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20003

Join your fellow Republicans on October 16, 2007 for a special dinner to benefit the RNC Presidential Trust, featuring our 2008 Presidential candidates. Under federal election law, the RNC is able to spend up to $17 million to support our Republican nominee next year, and the RNC is the only source of such contributions available to our nominee. The RNC's Presidential Trust will play a critical role in determining who our next President is.

This Dinner is a tremendous opportunity to see many of the major figures in the 2008 Presidential race, united to ensure our Party has the resources necessary to take back control of Congress and retain the White House next year. For more details about the event, please call
202-863-8720.

Featuring the 2008 GOP Presidential Candidates

The Honorable Rudy Giuliani
The Honorable John McCain
The Honorable Ron Paul
The Honorable Mitt Romney
The Honorable Fred Thompson

Ron Paul, one of only five candidates listed.  Q.E.D.

I rest my case.
Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (14) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive

Will Ron Paul "Paulinate" the Republican Party?

Posted by Likkerish on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 7:11:44 AM
Ron Paul and "Paulination"

Honey bees do it.  Wasps do it.  Birds do it.  Even rodents, possums, and monkeys do it.  So, regardless of our political persuasions, why should we not expect Ron Paulians to do it, when it comes to having an influence on the Republican Party?  Why should we not, in fact, expect fertilization of the Party by the followers of Ron Paul, a ten-term traditionally conservative Republican congressman, who have generated a whirlwind of grassroots activism supporting Dr Paul, which is gusting ever more strongly across America, yes even across the globe, and can be ignored only at our political peril?

Out of 835 Ron Paul Meetup Groups (the highest relating to any topic on the planet) with a membership of 40,056 in 685 cities, there are currently 16 Meetups in foreign countries, including one with 27 members in the International Zone of Baghdad, Iraq.  If Republicans do not welcome this "paulinating" energy, it will go elsewhere and take expression independently.  It will oppose the co-option of the Republican and Democratic parties by the utopian, Machiavellian, neo-conservatives and neo-liberals who have been neo-conning everyone to ignore their true roots, which are not in traditional Republican or Democratic values, but in big government, socialist ideals, which masquerade in truly conservative or truly liberal (in the classical sense) clothing.  And, in so doing, it will weaken the Republican Party's ability to stand up to the Democratic neo-liberals, who no doubt will choose Hillary Clinton as their standard bearer.

Will the Ron Paul Revolution Alienate or "Paulinate" Republicans?

So many Republicans recoil in seeming horror at the influx of the Ron Paulians into their comfortable midst, perhaps for good reason.  For, this coalition of individuals from across the political spectrum ranges from those who have never been involved in politics, to conservative independents of the old school, to disaffected liberals who have more in common with the "Classical Liberalism" of the Founders than they do with the big government focus of the Democratic Party Machine, even to those who will only be old enough to vote at election time in November 2008.  But, it also includes the true conservatives, the so-called paleoconservatives, who advocate for limited government and noninvolvement in unnecessary, imperial wars and military-industrial-based, big government spending founded on the utopian, Machiavellian principles that goad the neo-conservatives into globalist action.  This unity in diversity can provide the fertilization that the Republican Party needs at this critical juncture, even the country needs, to slough off all the malformed fruit, which has resulted from our being turned into emotional bonsai plants by our neo-conservative caretakers, and to produce new blooms that can create true abundance for all of us.

It seems to me that most Republicans, Libertarians, Conservative Classical Liberals of the Jeffersonian variety (which includes Ron Paul), and Constitutionalists would likely agree that preventing a take-over by Hillarycrats is a major priority, if not the #1 priority.  Focusing on what we have in common prevents our getting caught up in divisive, mudslinging argument.

So, the question for all of anti-Hillarycrats is:  How do we accomplish this?  I suggest that a first step is that we all must avoid, like the plague, the divisiveness of ridiculing or patronizing remarks.  Let's have no more "ronniepauls," no more "bimbos," no more "nut cases," no more "deluded Libertarians," no more "retards," no more "paulbots," or "troofers," no more "fools" or "idiots, no more “wackos, “conspiracy theorists," “anti-Semites” or “warmongers.” We can't afford this kind of dialogue, not if we want to defeat Hillary.  It only serves to derail serious discussion. 

The Republican ranks have shrunken considerably because of the hijacking of the party by the neo-con, utopian Machiavellians.  The big money is clearly being raised by the Democrats.  We need to look at the realities, not our fantasized versions of such.  It is important to welcome the Ron Paulians into the ranks of the party faithful and not to disparage or ridicule them.  There are a number who have articulated well their concerns in discussions in many different forums and have come under vicious attack to which they have on relatively counterattacked equally viciously at times.  But, there are many among the Paulites, who do not attack, who remained focused on keeping the discussion centered on rational issues and not on attempts to divert discussion into emotional rants. 

It is important to address these Paulian concerns, for the Paulites are growing in numbers that only they are fully recognizing.  They represent a groundswell of dissatisfaction with both parties, with voting for either Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dum.  This groundswell is not subsiding, but mounting.

Ron Paul and Rattlesnake Republicanism

Again, it bears repeating that we can all be best served by trying to focus on issues upon which we can agree.  If it is the issue of national defense, it is important not to view the Paulites’ position as weak on defense, naïve, or anti-defensive in nature.  The position of Ron Paul and the Paulites, as I understand it, is the defensive posture of the rattlesnake that served as our country’s first symbol, long before the eagle, and appeared on the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag.  The rattlesnake does not defend by aggressive or offensive action.  But, if it appears that you may be about to step on it, then its attack will be swift and deadly.  This is symbolic of the foreign policy position that Ron Paul has advocated.  However, instead of the rattlesnake’s quick reaction to imminent threat, some of us have become convinced of the effectiveness of the pit bull policy of preemptive attack that masquerades for national defense in the service of Machiavellian imperialism.  The bottom line is that we are all interested in being safe and secure in our country.  Only a fool would not be.  So, it makes no sense for either side to call the other fools. 

So, will Ron Paul "paulinate" the Republican Party?  I suppose it depends upon how much people decide to  remain committed to being "right," rather than to working  cooperatively to support values which they hold in common, regardless of their differences.  I have heard people actually say that if Ron Paul were to gain the Republican nomination, they would vote for Hillary.  If this is really true, then one is compelled to wonder if these folks are true conservatives at all.  They would appear to be actually neo-conservatives, who feel more in common with a big government, neo-liberal imperialist than they do with a true conservative who would avoid taking us into unnecessary wars under the guise of protecting our security through preemptive aggression.

Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (12) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive

Green Eggs and Townhall HAM

Posted by Likkerish on Sunday, September 02, 2007 4:53:59 AM
RON PAUL--IN DEFIANCE OF LOGIC

In this first installment of my blog, I cannot resist addressing a recent blog entry by Mary Katharine Ham, as well as some of the ensuing comments, all of which cry out for rational discussion.  Self-serving ad hominem attacks or insinuations do not intelligent political discussion make.  This goes for people on both sides of the issue of Dr. Ron Paul's candidacy.

One respondent to Ms. Ham's post, "Duncan Hunter Runs Away With Texas Straw Poll," who writes under the name, purplestater, muses, "...my one big concern about Ron Paul is this: His defenders...say he is not a racist, even though there is evidence that he *may* be. But if he's not a racist, why is it that the White power folks at places like Stormfront.org like this guy so much?"

Ron Paul and Pseudo-Logically Derived Racism

My response to purplestater is simply this: Your "logic," sir or madam, defies logic.  Your reasoning appears to be:  White supremacists are racists; some white supremacists support Ron Paul; therefore Ron Paul is a racist.  Do you want a "do-over?"  Quite frankly, I tire of such faulty logic that ignores the whole spectrum of evidence and focuses on building a pseudo-logical argument from one minuscule item gleaned from a Goggle search.

Anyone who looks at the constitutional principles and personal values, evident in Dr. Paul's speeches and voluminous writings, which have guided his behavior during 20 years in Congress, will instantly discard racist allegations and certainly would not use them as a basis for argument.  The purported “racist” statements written by a campaign worker years ago have been disowned by Dr. Paul and his record in Congress supports this disavowal.  So do his many statements about freedom as an individual right and not a group right.

According to Dr. Paul, we don't get our rights by virtue of being black, brown, yellow, white, or purple.  We get our rights, Paul says, from our Creator.  These rights are not given to us by any government.  Government can only give us Liberty to exercise these human rights or it can constrain them, but it can never take them from us, regardless of our skin color, gender, national origin, or even sexual preference.  Paul supports Liberty for all people, regardless of their identification as a member of a minority or other group which has suffered discrimination.   And, he says that to support Liberty, you must support Life--all of Life!  These are not the positions of a racist, so I urge purplestater, and all others of similar disposition, to do some research and thinking before tossing off such logically ludicrous and factual deficient statements.

Ron Paul's Poll Results Defy Logical Expectations

Regarding Ron Paul's third place showing in the Texas Straw Poll, Ms. Ham notes glibly that he was "unable to convert all that strange enthusiasm into a conventional win in his home state," referring, of course, to the conspicuous presence of large numbers of Ron Paul supporters in the vicinity of the poll.

Well now, I have to admit that Ms. Ham's pronouncement sounds either a bit lacking in intellectual acumen or just flat out disingenuous, given that the poll was open only to core members of the Republican Party, as defined by participation in previous elections as a delegate.  So, duh--is it any wonder that "all that strange enthusiasm" did not make it inside to cast votes for Ron Paul, especially when so much of the enthusiasm was being generated by new voters, disenchanted Republicans, Independents, and even former registered Democrats?

In my opinion, the outcome of the poll represents the tip of the iceberg, which is about to sink the "Neoconservative Titanic."  It would appear that this vessel is steaming full speed ahead into unwelcoming North Atlantic waters, its officers blithely convinced, so to speak, of its "unsinkable" reputation,   No doubt, their purpose is to compete aggressively with the Russians for mineral deposits in the Arctic.

Paul's garnering of 16.7% of the delegate count in the Texas poll (not 16.1% as reported by Jonathan Garthwaite in his blog and apparently based on a total vote count of 1,300 and not "approximately 1,400 votes," as Ms. Ham calculated) is a huge step up from the 3% figure of the most recent Gallup Poll on August 20 and his previous 9.1% of the Iowa Straw Poll voters.  This suggests that he has the support of sizable contingent of the core Republican establishment in Texas, i.e., those who think like, and may be influenced by, individuals like Donald Huffines, a prominent Dallas real estate developer, who hosted a recent fundraiser at his home that brought in $102,000 for the Paul campaign in one evening.  Those ain’t just crumbs, folks, as "Ms. Mary Green Eggs and Townhall HAM" would have you believe are the sustenance of Ron Paulians.

Another respondent to Ms. Ham's blog, Darvin Dowdy, advocated for Duncan Hunter saying, “He'll get us out of Iraq sooner because he'll fight to win.”  Win what, Darvin?   What are we fighting for?  For democracy, as the good colonel maintains?  Who is our opponent?  Who do we have to defeat?  Where do we find them?  Just in Iraq?  Dr. Paul voted for our going after Osama in Afghanistan.  He called for the issuing of a “letter of marque” to allow mercenaries, like we already employ in Iraq, to have free rein to go after him. What has happened with this pursuit?  There were NO Al Qaeda in Iraq.  Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11.  This is abundantly documented.  Why did we “cut and run” from pursuit of Bin Laden and his cronies?   I agree with LibertyLadyFL, “I’ll take liberty over democracy any day.”  Democracy throws people to the wolves, i.e., to “mobocracy,” which is precisely what we see happening in Iraq today.

Paul's 16.7% delegate strength represented exactly one-third of the 651 votes that would have been required to have a majority of the Texas Straw Poll delegates supporting true freedom and a republican form of government.  Can you imagine how the grassroots energy that is very conspicuous now all across the nation (see the recent Yahoo front page article on this support in New York City) may well translate into a new batch of Texas delegates of the type represented by Donald Huffines?

No, Miss Mary Katharine Ham...the Paulies have nothing at all to weep about.  The poll results are the vanguard, a harbinger, of much more to come.  I think it is you who may eventually be reduced to tears.  I hope you have some in reserve.

Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (9) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive
« Previous1Next »