I am trying not to criticize Ron Paul's campaign staff. I would like to increase the dialogue on what coalition policy could look like. I don't know who is responsible for the present strategy, but I am going to try to make this clear and concise:
Ron Paul is a candidate of the grassroots. Bottom up is the way the Ron Paul crowd works. This does not translate well with the quest for delegates. I understand the need to focus on states which are not winner take all. I understand the advantage Ron Paul has in caucus states. This strategy is not without merit but it needs to be supplemented with an earnest appeal to progressives.
Without progressives Ron Paul will find it extremely difficult to get above a 25% ceiling. This blog has pointed out several areas for potential issue oriented appeals to both libertarians and progressives. I have been extremely critical of progressives not already all in for Paul in the primary; however, it should be evident by now that anti-war, anti-prohibition, anti big bank bailouts and pro civil liberties have not been enough to woo enough progressives. Again, I agree it should be, at least for the primary. No excuses for progressives on this score.
However, progressives are not in charge. It is up to Ron Paul's campaign to initiate. Calling on progressive leaders to abandon the Democratic party, even if temporarily, is not going to be easy. The question is: has Ron Paul asked anyone? Bernie Sanders is not tied to the Democratic party. Kucinich is in a primary contest with another progressive but withdrawing and supporting Marcy Kaptur and campaigning with Ron Paul would be costly but where does he go in congress? Did the Air Force 1 ride yield him a cabinet post? His friend Ron Paul could convince him that he has peaked in his party.
The point is there are hundreds of ways to ignite this coalition fire. It's risky but what has Paul to loose? A prime time speech at the convention? Some reference to the gold standard and auditing the fed in the party platform? Is his campaign willing to settle for this token vapor? What is the goal? It can't be winning the nomination. So RP staff tell us, what do you expect to accomplish once all 50 states have caucused or caste ballots? Does anyone know?
Ron Paul is a candidate of the grassroots. Bottom up is the way the Ron Paul crowd works. This does not translate well with the quest for delegates. I understand the need to focus on states which are not winner take all. I understand the advantage Ron Paul has in caucus states. This strategy is not without merit but it needs to be supplemented with an earnest appeal to progressives.
Without progressives Ron Paul will find it extremely difficult to get above a 25% ceiling. This blog has pointed out several areas for potential issue oriented appeals to both libertarians and progressives. I have been extremely critical of progressives not already all in for Paul in the primary; however, it should be evident by now that anti-war, anti-prohibition, anti big bank bailouts and pro civil liberties have not been enough to woo enough progressives. Again, I agree it should be, at least for the primary. No excuses for progressives on this score.
However, progressives are not in charge. It is up to Ron Paul's campaign to initiate. Calling on progressive leaders to abandon the Democratic party, even if temporarily, is not going to be easy. The question is: has Ron Paul asked anyone? Bernie Sanders is not tied to the Democratic party. Kucinich is in a primary contest with another progressive but withdrawing and supporting Marcy Kaptur and campaigning with Ron Paul would be costly but where does he go in congress? Did the Air Force 1 ride yield him a cabinet post? His friend Ron Paul could convince him that he has peaked in his party.
The point is there are hundreds of ways to ignite this coalition fire. It's risky but what has Paul to loose? A prime time speech at the convention? Some reference to the gold standard and auditing the fed in the party platform? Is his campaign willing to settle for this token vapor? What is the goal? It can't be winning the nomination. So RP staff tell us, what do you expect to accomplish once all 50 states have caucused or caste ballots? Does anyone know?
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