Ron Paul Campaign Reality Check

   Feeling a little froggy over there in Dr. Paul ville?  You have a few straw polls under your belt, the meetup groups are burgeoning, and he just had a birthday.  Let me put you in touch with some numbers you need to know.

The first one is you have not more than 6 months until this is over.  Since I’d rather not listen to you snivel about how you were robbed I’d also like to point out these numbers.  These a re the numbers it took to win each state in 2000.  Many of them of course are skewed because everyone drops out once its obvious who the winner is going to be, but these are still big numbers.

   Internet support is solid…you are still looking for that magic million, but even if you get to it, that’s only 20,000 per state on average.  Your meetup groups are tracking maybe as high as 50,000 members nation wide.  Thats 1000 per state on average.  Most states will require at least 100,000 votes to win. 

  In other words, you aren’t even close, and based on what I can see your numbers aren’t climbing fast enough to get you anywhere close.  You need more money, more advertising, more phone calls, and more reason if you hope to compete.

So get out of that armchair, put down the mac-10 and hit the streets.  You still have a lot of work to do.

How Ron Paul Votes

  I found a pretty good page while I was looking for financial disclosure information.  It’s available at the same place as his voting history.  What I like about the page is it is a major news source, so likely accurate, and it gives you a day by day accounting of Ron Paul’s, or any other congressional members, votes on whatever votes were held in the House that day.  It also has a lot of historic voting data, and is a great place for you to go learn about Ron Paul.  Due to the increased interest I have to assume some of you don’t know much about him. 

    I was a little surprised to see that he has missed 20% of the votes this year.  I’m going to assume that’s a result of the campaign schedule.

   The more I talk about him in everyday life, the more I hear the words “I’ve never heard of him.”  This is particularly interesting in that most of the people I talk to like what he has to say once enlightened.  I’m not so much a fan as a crap stirrer.  I like to start balls rolling and see what happens when they run into things.

Ron Pauls base revisitied

    I keep reading these articles that tell me how many groups with how many members Ron Paul’s Grassroots campaign has.  They are fairly formidable when you think about it.  Trying to get from 20,000 to 30,000 people to voluntarily get together to do anything usually requires a major sporting event or an attack on a third world country.  The problem is, that no matter how you slice it, they are running out of time.

    6 months.  In 6 months who vs. who will be decided.  By the middle of February it will all be over but the crying for the rest of the candidates, and I fear, Dr. Paul.  He has a rabid online fan base, but they aren’t reaching beyonf their own inner circle.  Bottom line, if you don’t want to read about Ron you don’t have to because his base isn’t making any concerted effort to change the hearts and minds so to speak.  They talk to each other a lot, and they go slam ant-paulers, but they aren’t doing anything to reach that 98% of the voters that just are not interested in the Ron Paul movement.

   Whether this is a part of the natural individualist nature of people who would support a small government libertarian, or simply because the internet isn’t a great way to create political change isn’t apparent to me. What is apparent is that Ron is simply going to run out of time.  His ideals are to big for most people to wrap their minds around.  Small government sounds good until you see a bridge collapse in Minnesota, or until you have to decide that being a loser in a war we should win isn’t so bad.  American’s do not like to lose, and while their is a vocal minority screaming to get out of Iraq, far more people would like to see us win and get out of Iraq.

    Without a concerted effort by his base to change their approach to the issue of spreading the word about Ron Paul he has no chance.  You can spam every internet poll from now until doomsday, and he will still be a minor congressman from Texas.   Use your voice.  I’m not a supporter, but just by talking to people I see how easy it is to get them to at least contemplate the idea of small government.  To ponder the idea of an America that doesn’t spread its message through gunboat diplomacy.  Change is not unwelcome, but with the media steadfastly sticking to it’s “he’s not a legitimate candidate” rhetoric, his followers need to make the adjustment.  They aren’t, and by the time they do, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, or Rudy will be challenging Hillary for the presidency of the United States.  Wake up Pauliacs.  You are running out of time.  Quit waiting for that big win to change things, when what is needed is hard work and communication.

Ron Paul should switch parties, and other schmoozed news

it was a long day.  It was a brutal day.  It had a lot of downs, and only one up.  I was not here when this happened.  I have however crossed that bridge hundreds of times, and it kind of bothers me that the end of this article is all about how there is no known link to terrorism.  Is that really where we are?  Any catastrophic incident has to be looked at in light of a possible terrorist connection?  They are now saying up to 50 cars in the river.

   Some new exercise guidlelines are out.  Basically it says if you have sex five days a week for a half hour, and sprinkle in a little weight lifting you’re good to go.  It also says physical activity is about as bad as smoking in regards to morbidity and mortality, so get your lazy asses up and go do some boinking.

   In the 70’s I remember this big deal being made about glasses from McDonalds that were made in China had to be thrown away because the paint had to much lead in it.  Well, it’s 2007, and  American companies are still putting you at risk by merchandising dangerous products bought from Chinese Vendors,  Almost a million fisher price toys.  Have your kids been putting any of them in their mouths?  Isn’t it time free trade with this country be reexamined based on risk to our population. 

here’s a good one on health insurance.  Did you know that in many states  you can make as much as 82K plus a year, and still receive federally funded health insurance?  Bet that pisses off those of you making 50K a year and paying for your own.  This includes adults with no children, but the program is called SCHIP and is intended for children.  I pay for my won and my kids, but I think I’ll go get me some poor people money from the government.  what the hell.

Britney Spears is now making death threats.  She threatened to kill two photographers.  That she intended to do it by making them smell her thong is only a rumor, but I’m pretty sure that would work.  Dumb young women are becoming an infestation in the entertainment world.  Isn’t there some way we can keep them from procreating?

so now we need more secret wiretapping?  The democrats are balking, but how much you bet it goes through, even though their base is dead set against it.  Get a clue on the left, you are as marginalized by the people you elected as are the people on the right.

Either Obama has caught a serious case of dumbass disease, or he has decided to move way the hell to the right.  Somewhere right of Dick Cheney, actually.  He is now threatening to invade Pakistan.  Someone needs to tell him to shutup and fast.

Less people get their political news from you tube, myspace, AND blogs than from any other source.  Over 60% of Republicans and Democrats say they would consider voting for an Independent candidate, and over 50% of each think an independent would be good for the country.  Are you listening Ron Paul?  Maybe its time to take down those faded and fake republican colors and run as a libertarian?  You say you are one, and the country seems to be ready.  Yeah right.

and thats it… i lugged 458 X 80 = 36,640 lbs during todays little 12 hour stint of hell, and my shoulders just now cried nuff.

Yesterdays Ron Paul post… pro/con

  I am posting this link to yesterdays post because Stanky was kind enough to come over and add explanations of Ron Paul’s issue stance.  He has a decidedly different view than I do, and I think it adds to the informational value of the post.

I do not agree with his position on several of these, but have to admit that his opinion on them is every bit as sensible as mine, even if we have a divergence of the minds on what Ron Pauls intentions are.   I’m not going to go through and repost this, so to get his take read his comments.  They are well formulated, thoughtful, and illuminating.

Thanks again stanky

https://criminyjicket.wordpress.com/2007/07/25/ron-pauls-issuesfrom-his-campaign-site-in-his-own-words/ 

Ron Paul…for once…right on the money

  I seldom agree with Mr. Paul’s stance on anything.  Mainly because I think he is a coward that hides behind the constitution rather than do what’s right for America.  He will then of course leap out and do what’s right for the gulf coast of texas, for oil industries, gold corporations etc.

   This time though I have to agree with him.  His face has been placed on the liberty dollar.  A non U.S. mint coin being minted right here in Indiana.  Mr. Paul’s campaign spokesman says that they would rather continue to get the worthless federal reserve notes that the other candidates are collecting than these precious metal coins that are worth their weight in silver.  His spokesman also says that federal reserve notes should compete legally with specie currency, by allowing people to make purchases with gold and silver.  Yes, Lets make life a little harder on the minimum wage workers of America.  Good Plan Ron.  “We would greatly prefer that folks would just donate rather than buy a Ron Paul dollar,” he says. “We think that’s the best way to help out Ron Paul.”  http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2007/07/16/cq_3089.html

Interesting that he only wants to use gold and silver if everyone else is.  Guess our “phony money” is stable, legal tender to Ron after all.