Is anyone else nervous about Ron Paul supporters?

[lookingfortruth]

Normally I consider libertarians to be Jerks (and that is the nicest word I can use.)

I think their view points on how we should treat our fellow man would make Darwin regret his whole Survival of the fittest theory.


Now the reason why I bring this up is because of this article I found on Talking Points Memo.

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/05/nevada-officials-resign-after-ron-paul-takeover.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

This article talks about how GOP members are resigning post after dispute with Ron Paul supports that overwhelmed this years convention.

Now normally I would think Hey, let the GOP self destruct but this seems to be a pattern with Ron Paul supports this year. It seems they are more aggressive than ever before.

Articles I've been noticing:

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/alaska-gops-new-chair-god-prevailed-victory-ron-paul-supporters
Alaska GOP's new chair: 'God prevailed' in victory by Ron Paul supporters

http://bangordailynews.com/2012/05/05/politics/as-predicted-ron-paul-backers-take-over-maine-gop-convention/
As predicted, Ron Paul backers take over Maine GOP convention

http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/05/05/committee-nominates-13-iowa-republicans-for-national-convention/
Ron Paul backers dominate Iowa GOP nominees for national convention


Could we actually see the stage being set for some sort of Romney overthrow at the convention? And I know a lot of people are going to say if I am a liberal why should I care what happens to the GOP etc. BUT I do worry because what if we see of mutiny at the GOP convention and Ron Paul does become the Nominee how does the presidential race shape up?

Does our strategy change.

[PoliticAverse]

1. Like Johnson/Goldwater ? n/t

[Politicalboi]

2. I'm thinking it would be a

3 way. Paul may move to Libertarian ticket and be on the ballot, if that's possible, I don't know. I hope Paul does ruin everything GOP this fall. Either way, he's the pain in the ass for Rmoney.

[kentuck]

3. Why?

Ron Paul will get mostly Republican votes if he runs as a Third Party. The Republican convention will not vote for him as the candidate. His only option is as a Third Party. And that only helps the Democrats. Go Ron Paul !!

[Politicalboi]

4. Go Paul Go!

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. He won't

Movement building, Gary Johnson is the candidate, and needs to protect Rand's future in the GOP.

[ingotnews]

5. Independent Overlap Possibility

Ron Paul does overlap with Obama among many independents, so if he does somehow capture the GOP nomination (or if he runs independent) he could siphon off a large amount of independents that would otherwise vote for Obama (ones that wouldn't go for Romney).

[Spike89]

6. Will not happen

First, Paul doesn't have the numbers to seriously challenge, he's shooting for enough to force being heard. Even if he had enough delegates to keep Romney out, there is no way that he'd get the nod. Rather, it would be a "new" face. Even Gingrich, Santorum, et al. would be very unlikely in the nearly impossible scenario of a brokered convention.
Paul and Libertarians in general simply don't have real broad support. They are extremely vocal and true believers, but they lack the ability to get the broader support needed to win a national election in large part because they are so ideological and unable to lie/hedge to fool people.
Remember "compassionate conservatism" that was the rethugs lie/hedge to fool people in 2000. Although the Democratic party platform requires considerably less lie/hedge work to appeal to a majority, there are ample examples of candidates "shading" their stands to make it easier for independants to vote for them.
One of the reasons the libertarian fanatics seem to be so powerful a force is that they are "pure". Ron Paul can afford to be because he isn't running to win. The second he actually adopts a platform that specifies all the compromises a legitimate campaign must adopt to win a majority, he'd become even more irrelevent.
In short, his staunch craziness is exactly what makes him popular among a vocal minority and at the same time makes him toxic to most of the electorate.

[ingotnews]

10. Probably not, but...

But in the case of getting a party nomination (Republican in this case), having "extremely vocal and true believers" could lead somebody to the nomination with good enough organization, even without broad support. This is because the Republican nominee is chosen based on the results of a vote by a small group of delegates (2,286 delegates). If a candidate, say candidate A, could get enough of these delegates to support them, and either vote for them, if they are bound to candidate A, or abstain from voting (if they are bound to anyone else) until they are unbound, then they could stage an "upset", even though they did not necessarily have broader support other than these delegates.

The bottom line is, if one candidate could get more than half of the 2,286 delegates at the convention to support them, they will win the nomination.

[Fire Walk With Me]

7. It is quite possible Romney will not be the "final" candidate against Obama. n/t

[FarPoint]

8. Ron Paul supporters are like the village children who followed the pied piper.

They are irrelevant in this tight political click....they just don't know how small they really are. I have no concerns, just pity for people who are ignorant of politics yet try to voice their weak voice.

[kctim]

9. I wouldn't worry about it much

Libertarians are the liberals/progressives of the Republican Party. Loud, ideological, my way or the highway minority.

[lookingfortruth]

11. I consider myself a Liberal and I don't think most liberals act that way.

[kctim]

36. Of course you don't

Libertarians don't think of themselves acting that way either.

If you look at both groups though, you see people very passionate about their OWN beliefs, people shouting why they are right and everybody else is wrong, people labeling others in order to silence them, people who even though they make up only about 20 some percent of the party, demand everybody else follows them in lock-step.

Funny thing about it though, is that they condemn others for doing the very same thing to them.

[frylock]

32. yes, much like centrists are the know-it-all assholes of the democratic party

[kctim]

37. Aw shucks

I would say we just favor the facts and are more tolerant of others and their rights, not that we "know it all," but thanks.

[frylock]

42. mix in a few more right wing slogans..

don't forget use some of the classics. references to dirty hippies are a plus.

[spanone]

12. not one bit. they will hurt romney, not the President.

[GoneOffShore]

13. He's no Ralph Nader.

And if the convention goes all Paulite on Romoney then that's a good thing. It will sow confusion and distress among the Republics.

[NoPasaran]

14. I think they'll make some noise at the convention

But their fantasy of replacing Romney with The Ron, not gonna happen.

[Bolo Boffin]

15. I don't think this is about getting Ron Paul the presidential nod.

At least, it's not about that for Ron Paul. It's about getting Rand Paul the vice-presidential nod.

[abelenkpe]

16. Yes

For all the reasons you state.

Not many others are so worried though. Not that that comforts me.

Ron Paul and his supporters are frightening.

[lookingfortruth]

17. Thank you all for letting me voice this concern. I am sure I am reading too much into this

I just became nervous because I'm seeing Obama's strategy to take out Romney unfolding and it kind of freak me out at the idea that you have this plan unfolding to find that GUESS WHAT you have to deal with this person and create a new strategy.

I was concerned how that would hinder Obama's campaign.

[cyberswede]

20. I don't think Obama would have trouble at all running against Ron Paul.

RP is a nutbar.

[freshwest]

23. I agree it's a problem for Obama, since a huge circus will distract voters from progressive issues.

The M$M will be all over it and it will overshadow the points Democrats need to make to win the election. The cable news pundits will be orgasmic over the floor flight.

People who have not made their minds up will think there is a difference between the two candidates. They will be swayed by the arguments between them, but Paul is just as in favor of predatory capitalism as Mittens.

This is the argument that Obama is making about how the country should be run, but they'll muddy the issues. Paul and Mitt are just two brands of the authoritarian, neo-fascist GOP.

[ingotnews]

25. Libertarian vs. Authoritarian

You seem confused, Ron Paul is libertarian, not authoritarian. They are complete opposites*.

Ron Paul does share the anti-war sentiment of many left-wingers, as well as the free-market economic sentiment of many right-wingers.

I would be interested to see a Barack Obama - Ron Paul debate, I think some interesting points would be made.

*http://www.la-articles.org.uk/pc.htm|

[bluerum]

27. Paul would be used to mop up the droppings of his followers.

[freshwest]

29. No, you're confused. Your third post for Ron Paul. Fuck Ron Paul.

Freedoms would lead to an authoritarian theocracy, his followers have no problem with relegating women to the level of brood mares. He's as in favor of profit over people as Mittens and just as irresponsible. Read George Monbiot's critique of libertarianism, which fits the Ron Paul movement to a' T' with his Tea Party patriots, Alex Jones and all of his followers:

How Freedom Became Tyranny

Right wing libertarians have turned “freedom” into an excuse for greed and exploitation.

http://www.monbiot.com/2011/12/19/how-freedom-became-tyranny/

Then come back in your next re-incarnation as a Paul bot. We aren't buying this here at DU, per the TOS:

Democratic Underground is an online community for politically liberal people who understand the importance of working within the system to elect more Democrats and fewer Republicans to all levels of political office.

Teabaggers, Neo-cons, Dittoheads, Paulites, Freepers, Birthers, and right-wingers in general are not welcome here. Neither are certain extreme-fringe left-wingers, including advocates of violent political/social change, hard-line communists, terrorist-apologists, America-haters, kooks, crackpots, LaRouchies, and the like.

Have a nice day.

[TBF]

18. Fuck Ron Paul. nt

[JoePhilly]

19. Our strategy does change .... we DANCE in the streets!!!!!

Ron Paul running against Obama gets DESTROYED!!!!

And I'm serious ... there are maybe three states insane enough to vote for Ron Paul over Obama.

Obama would win in the largest landslide in history. Election coverage would end at about 7:01 EST.

GO RON PAUL!!!!!

[JNelson6563]

41. +1

[NightWatcher]

21. I'm scared to park next to them

I constantly laugh my ass of at the piece of shit autos that are adorned with bumperstickers advocating a Survival of the Fittest idea. A "Save the Rich White Guy" sticker on an '87 Ford Aerostar often leaves my scratching my head why this obvious poor person wants rich people to get a free ride.

[AverageJoe90]

22. Back in '08 I definitely was. Now, however......

Not even close. Many of the progressives who might have once admired him have turned on him, not just because of the antics of the Tea Party but because of the exposure of certain of his past dealings as well.

[bluerum]

26. I am worried

that people take them and thier leader seriously. They are seriously deluded.

[CK_John]

28. Ron's delegates will be lucky to get into a free speech zone at least mile from the convention.

[cthulu2016]

30. This is the very rare Concern Two-fer

[sadbear]

31. There really aren't that many RP supporters in this country

They just light a bunch of fires on the internets to make it appear that way.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

33. This is bad.....how?

Let their party crash and burn.

[Jamaal510]

34. Strangely enough, I saw someone with a Ron Paul bumpersticker on the freeway a few days ago

here in Oakland. I doubt he'll even make it past the GOP convention, but I admit RP does concern me a little. Like someone stated above, he could fool low-info voters into thinking there is a stark contrast between him and Willard Robme if he were to pull off an upset, even though they both favor vulture capitalism. He could also siphon single-issue voters from PBO on issues like marijuana.

Another thing I would like to add is that Paulites are indeed very vocal and infest the Internet like nobody's business. If a person were to go by only what they see on the Internet, they'd think that everybody in this entire country is in love with him, and that he's a saint compared to every other politician. But for a while, he was leading in donations among armed forces. Also, he can draw respectable crowds at his rallies.

[freshwest]

35. The problem I see in the Pacific northwest is that they are just as vocal in real life.

It really is a religion to them, they won't listen to anything. They are undermining our progressive governments and are as rude and aggressive as the most hidebound Republican. They won't take no for an answer with their evangelical zeal.

If you make reasoned arguments as to why their solutions, which hearken back in some cases to before the Revolution, definitely before the Civil War or the progressive era, they have a list of names for you: Statist, socialist, communist, big government, union, sheeple, nanny stater, etc. When they open up it's like talking to Alex Jones.

They refuse to accept that a government is required to make a level playing field and when you dis-empower democratic governments, you invite corporations to rule everything for lack of regulation. Which means you're under the thumb of the robber barons. They demonize public health care, public schools and anyone who disagrees with them on pro-life. Libertarianism is the road to corporatism and fascism. When the dust is settled, the people live under the rule of the rich and churches in every aspect of their lives, they are not free.

There is more than one kind of authoritarian rule, such as religions and corporations but they blame government solely for that social condition. Their fall back is survival-ism and the nuclear family or clan, and if you aren't in theirs, they can do anything to you for their own.

I could rant farther but after years of arguing with them after being open to listening to their alleged anti-war talk, I found they have no objection to the greatest war of all, the war within this country to impoverish others and enslave many. That's where their free market leads. We've had that in this country, it was called the Gilded Age and the masses of people were so desperate they wanted communism.

[Iggo]

38. Fuck Ron Paul.

[WilliamPitt]

39. No.

[MadHound]

40. I think that there are going to be some major fireworks at the 'Pug convention this year.

This is Ron Paul's last hurrah, and I think that he's going to go out with a bang, and take down as many as he can. If he can prevent Romney from a first ballot victory, whether by hook or by crook, that opens up the entire convention and frees the delegates. That's when the real fun begins.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

43. On the list of worries, it ranks up there with the danger of blizzards in the Sahara.