Responses to The Nation

Thank you JakobiFabian01 and H2O  for your responses. JakobFabian01, I think you have misunderstood or misread my statement so let me try to clarify. i do not believe that our political system works well. I was trying to say that this is the reality of how our political system functions when I said the following: "What you and other progressives against Paul do not seem to be able to take into account is how our political system, like it or not, actually works." I agree with you that proportional representation is a great idea that would make our government more responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people.

I am also glad that you correctly identify what I am proposing as tactical and wish that the nation would give the tactic serious consideration. Here is it is in greater detail if anyone is interested: http://progressivesforronpaul.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-is-green-republican-coalition.html

I am not so much interested in an entertaining GOP convention in Tampa Bay as I am  in causing well deserved, permanent and disabling division in America's proto-fascist party. 

I also agree that Ron Paul is not moving an inch ideologically but that is different from governing in a way that advances one's ideology. The evidence for Ron Paul being willing to make pragmatic accommodations is found in his transition plan: http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul647.html  I suggest that Ron Paul's opt out proposal should get  a hearing and when it fails, Ron Paul ought to allow the money designated to fund it be shifted to block grants to the states.  A minor tweak which could free up hundreds of billions of  dollars for the states to use as they please. Not ideal but one of several possible deals that could be cut between principled progressives and principled libertarians if both sides would only see that they have to do something together or continue to take separate whippings from the corporate bosses in charge of both parties.

H20, i think Jill Stein or Rocky Anderson would make excellent presidents. I just think that we need a coalition if we are going to take on the two headed Goliath. Maybe she and Gary Johnson could get together and form a coalition ticket should Paul and Kucinich not see fit to do it.

I know this is all long shot stuff but we need something big and way outside of the box if we are going to avert a global disaster.

I also do not expect that anything positive would come of a Paul candidacy except a big ruckus in the GOP. While I agree with "cfbrantley" that that would be highly entertaining, I see no evidence that Ron Paul himself will move ideologically one fraction of an inch toward the progressives who were generous enough to lend their support to him. After all, there's a financial side to winning every election, and Paul's financiers will be pulling him in exactly the opposite direction.