Fascinating argument. I guess we will know after SC what strategy is working and what is not. I'm an amateur so I'll not pretend to be an authority but it seems to me that Ron Paul will have to compete against a cultural conservative and a neo-con/establishment candidate. I think if the party sees him finishing 2nd or better in 2 of the 3 first states, there will be an incredible surge to demonize him in the slickest commercials ever run in a primary. Gigantic wads of money will get pushed in the pocket of the establishment candidate and the cultural conservative will be sweet talked and ne're a discouraging word will be said against her in any situation or ad. Given this scenario, Ron Paul will need every Republican he can get but I doubt very seriously that a conventional strategy will work. There has to be a significant wave of progressives to come on board. I do mean progressives because the moderate Dems and independents are less likely than progressives to embrace Paul.
On the other hand the Blue Republican Facebook page is I suspect a libertarian created page and mostly liked by life time libertarians or supporters of Paul who were converted during the last election. The strategy of trying to convert progressives to libertarians so they will vote for Ron Paul will not work. Imagine if Romney were president now and Kucinich supporters were telling libertarians come vote for our candidate and he will end the war and restore civil liberties. There's not enough bait on the hook. However, if Kucinich said that he would devote 50% of the money saved on drawing down the empire to debt reduction so that we have a net reduction in the overall size of government, libertarians would begin to at least listen. Let's then say that Kucinich offered a pledge to reduce taxes for 98 percent of the population beyond the current Bush rates. The listening then starts turning to movement. Then Kucinich says I promise that all revenue gained from increasing taxes on the top 2% will go exclusively to debt reduction. Now we have a candidate who wants to end the empire building and maintenance, restore civil liberties, lower taxes, reduce the size of government and significantly pay down our national debt. Now the Libertarian is faced with this opportunity to support a candidate who is endorsing a great deal more of the libertarian agenda than the incumbent and certain party nominee. Looking down the primary ballot she sees no competitive races involving a libertarian Republican... what is she going to do?
The man himself has got to clarify just how sweet the pot is if he is going to get the extra numbers he needs to win a nomination which will be fought in a way that makes Rove look like a dove. If you really want to know how to talk to a progressive about switching parties here's how:http://progressivesforronpaul.blogspot.com/
On the other hand the Blue Republican Facebook page is I suspect a libertarian created page and mostly liked by life time libertarians or supporters of Paul who were converted during the last election. The strategy of trying to convert progressives to libertarians so they will vote for Ron Paul will not work. Imagine if Romney were president now and Kucinich supporters were telling libertarians come vote for our candidate and he will end the war and restore civil liberties. There's not enough bait on the hook. However, if Kucinich said that he would devote 50% of the money saved on drawing down the empire to debt reduction so that we have a net reduction in the overall size of government, libertarians would begin to at least listen. Let's then say that Kucinich offered a pledge to reduce taxes for 98 percent of the population beyond the current Bush rates. The listening then starts turning to movement. Then Kucinich says I promise that all revenue gained from increasing taxes on the top 2% will go exclusively to debt reduction. Now we have a candidate who wants to end the empire building and maintenance, restore civil liberties, lower taxes, reduce the size of government and significantly pay down our national debt. Now the Libertarian is faced with this opportunity to support a candidate who is endorsing a great deal more of the libertarian agenda than the incumbent and certain party nominee. Looking down the primary ballot she sees no competitive races involving a libertarian Republican... what is she going to do?
The man himself has got to clarify just how sweet the pot is if he is going to get the extra numbers he needs to win a nomination which will be fought in a way that makes Rove look like a dove. If you really want to know how to talk to a progressive about switching parties here's how:http://progressivesforronpaul.blogspot.com/
Ron Paul allready won a big victory when his son Rand won a seat in the Senat. Polling data shows that he can no longer be considered a fringe candidate. People like Jim DeMint take him very serious. His campaign manager Drew Ivers has his roots all over Iowa. Bachmann's campaign is built on quicksand and Tim Pawlenty doesn't have a clue weather he should run as a neocon or a cultural conservative. In my opinion Huckabee's 2008 voters in Iowa will eventually come around to Ron Paul. It's just a matter of time. And when that happens Mitt Romney's status as frontrunner is over. This crossover appeal to democrats and independents is the common denominator between Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee's campaign.
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