Sometimes a few crazy people can make an entire group look
bad. Maybe that is what has happened with Ron Paul supporters. We see some
crazy Ron Paul people on the news and we paint the entire group as being crazy.
It is like these bad cops who think they are above the law and they break the
law and do things like and beat people up on video. That is why some people
hate cops when, in fact, most cops are doing a great job and risking their
lives for us. The problem is that the few bad cops you see on TV unfairly make
all cops look bad.
At the 2012 Texas State Republican
Convention this past weekend in Fort Worth, TX, I got a chance to meet a group
of Ron Paul supporters
I am friends with many Ron Paul supports but I am not part
of any Ron Paul groups so I did not know what to expect. I had seen internet
articles telling people to watch out for Ron Paul people trying to take over
conventions so I was interested to see what would happen.
The group that I got
to meet did not have signs to stage a protest and they did not walk around
asking people to legalize marijuana. In fact, you probably would have never
known that they were even Ron Paul supporters. They came off as just very passionate
conservatives. You might have known them for years and you might have thought
they were probably just members of the tea party. There are many young people
in the Ron Paul groups but there are also a surprising number of older people
and minorities too. They are a very diverse group.
I had great conversations with a Ron Paul group about the
Federal Reserve and how printing more money with nothing to back it is destroying
our economy by devaluating the dollar and not allowing the market to fix
itself. Being in the military myself, I don’t entirely agree with some of Ron
Paul’s war policy, but I had a great conversation about war policies and there
are actually many things that I do agree with Ron Paul on. The President must
not be allowed to start a war without getting congress to approve it. There are
checks and balances that must be followed. We are sending money to help terrorist
countries. It is especially frustrating now that President Obama is using the
military as pawns and taking out bad governments, like Egypt, just to hand the
government over to the Muslim Brotherhood.
One gentleman that I talked to has run Christian charities
and one of the reasons he stands with Ron Paul is because the government is slowly
taking away our religious liberty. As the head of a Christian charity, he saw
firsthand how the rights of Christians to freely practice and express their
religious beliefs were being taken away. As a Christian, I know that he is
right and this must be stopped.
These people were not crazy. In fact, I agreed with most of
what these Ron Paul supporters believe, as most conservatives probably do. No, I
don’t agree with everything and I have no problem expressing where I do not
agree. No one agrees with each other 100% of the time, but the many issues that
I do agree with Ron Paul on, Ron Paul is 100% dead on right.
I even got a chance to explain to these Ron Paul supporters
why I was not in favor of Texas being proportional. Earlier this year, the RNC
forced Texas to be proportional. Texas had always been winner take all by
congressional district. This is what the Republican in Texas voted to have
because it gives Texas more of a say in the Presidential race and makes us more
relevant (we have been completely irrelevant in recent Republican Presidential
races unfortunately because the race is over before we even vote!) Well, the
RNC comes along and tells us we have to be proportional. I stood up the RNC and
told them that they should not bully us and advocated that we stay winner take
all by congressional district, which is what we already were before the
Republican National Committee forced us to change. I was standing for Texas and
what the grassroots in Texas wanted. I was standing for Texas to have a bigger
voice instead of being pushed around. Well, I had some Ron Paul supporters
upset with me because they thought that the reason I did not want to be proportional
was so that I could keep Ron Paul from getting delegates under a proportional
system. That is NOT the reason I did not want to be proportional. Hurting or
helping Ron Paul was not even a factor in why I was saying NO to the RNC’s
proportional system. In fact, I was able to explain that if Texas had gone back
to winner take all by congressional district back when there were still four
candidates in the race, it was very likely that Romney would not have won Texas
and would not have received many of our delegates. This would possibly have
forced a brokered convention which would have actually benefited the Ron Paul
supporters. So we had a good conversation about that little misunderstanding
and cleared some things up.
Ron Paul Supporters were elected to
be National Delegates at Texas GOP Convention
Did these Ron Paul supporters try to get fellow Ron Paul
supporters elected as national delegates? Sure they did. But who didn’t? The establishment
passed out papers telling their people to vote for their establishment
candidates. Just about every county Republican group nominated a candidate from
their county who they know and are friends with. You had entire counties voting
for the candidate from their county vs. candidates from other counties. Every
group at the convention tried to put up a candidate to try to be elected to
something, so why can’t the Ron Paul supporters do that to? They have every
right to put up someone from their group to run.
The Ron Paul supporters I got a chance to meet this past
weekend were respectful of the process and did not try to take over anything.
They nominated fellow Ron Paul supporters and these nominees then got to stand
in front of the entire group of Republicans and explain what they believe and
explain why people should vote for them. Some of the Ron Paul supporters got
elected by the group and some didn’t.
These Ron Paul supporters are not stupid either. From what I
got to hear from them, they understand that Romney probably already has the
nomination. They understand that the chance of a brokered convention is slim to
none unless there is a change of the current rules of how presidential delegates can vote. They
understand all that and they are not unrealistic. They were more focused on
getting people involved in the process who will go to the national convention
and stand for less government and stand for the constitution. They know that,
even though they might not prevail, you cannot give up and you still have to
speak up and let your beliefs be heard. There is no chance of America ever
going back to follow the Constitution if everyone just accepts that the
Constitution is gone and stops speaking up about it. They are simply not giving
up.
To Defeat Obama, the Republican Party
MUST Embrace Ron Paul Supporters
Also, If Romney is
Smart, he will Appoint Ron Paul to his Cabinet, Maybe as Head of the Treasury
Whether you agree with Ron Paul supporters or not, the
Republican Party is going to need all hands on deck if we are going to defeat
Obama. We will especially need Ron Paul supporters. Obama has the upper hand
when it comes to young votes. Ron Paul groups are filled with young voters. Ron
Paul groups are also filled with a ton of passion and dedication. By casting
out these groups, not only are we losing those young voters, but we are also
losing out on the passion and dedication they bring to the table.
The Republican Party must embrace Ron Paul Supporters. It
was said to me this weekend that, maybe the reason some of the Ron Paul supporters
act a little bit crazy is due to the fact that acting crazy is the only way
they can be heard. They don’t act crazy because they are crazy. They act crazy
as a way to be heard because they have been rejected from the Republican Party
and are having to fend for themselves and have to create their own
unconventional platforms to speak from to get their message out.
Maybe if Ron Paul supporters were embraced by the Republican
Party, we could all sit down together and have a conversation about how we can
work together to promote the things that we agree on, like more states rights,
less federal government, following the constitution, etc. We can work together
to defeat Obama. The establishment in Republican Party might not agree on
everything that Ron Paul supporters believe, but there is probably agreement on
at least 80% of the issues. The Republican Party could greatly benefit from Ron
Paul supports in order to accomplish the many things that both sides agree on.
WE especially need Ron Paul supports is we are going to defeat Obama.
After this weekend, I have a new respect for and
understanding of Ron Paul supporters and I fully believe that the Republican
Party should embrace them and work with them instead of trying to ignore them.
We need them. We might not all agree
100% on everything, but overall, Ron Paul
is GOOD for the conservative cause and his supporters can help the
Republican Party and help defeat Obama.
I am sure my little brother in high school will love me for
writing this article. He is a big Ron Paul fan. I am not sure how he became one
or how he even got to know anything about Ron Paul, but it happened. It is
happening with youth all across America. It is something that we cannot ignore
and we could greatly benefit from if we embrace the youth, passion and of these
Ron Paul supporters.
Sincerely,
David Bellow
Sincerely,
David Bellow
Well it looks like some1 finally took notice and understands. But sad to say its to late. Ron Paul supporters are the most consistent of any people and will not compromise on their moral beliefs. Many of them also rightly see romney as a republican bagged obama. Everybody wants obama out (except for the extremely dimwitted) but the fact of the matter is, it doesn't help when you make your entire platform to be able to defeat obama, and then make your nominee just like him.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I'm concerned Ron Paul is the only conservative that has run for president in the last century. I discovered him about 30 years ago when I learned of the fraud that is our US 'dollar'; in that entire time I have never caught him in a lie! Most politicians cannot go an HOUR with lying...
ReplyDeleteThe establishment is scared of Ron Paul because he would obey the Constitution, which give them nothing to 'sell' to their donors and would expose the farce that has become our federal government.
You are right, Republicans best tread respectfully with the Ron Paul voters, because many will just write his name in if they are disrespected by the party 'faithful'...
Hey, I just wanted to let you know I appreciate your fair article and defense of Ron Paul supporters. :) I'm one of the more "extreme" libertarians that would probably grate on you more than others (though extreme may be a misnomer: http://www.fff.org/freedom/0890b.asp), but it's deeply refreshing to see someone on the outside show us so much respect and courtesy.
ReplyDeleteThere's been so much slander and character assassination going around about both Ron Paul and his supporters (we're a motley crew) for years, and I think a lot of people who dislike or misunderstand our views have a tendency to want to believe the worst and do whatever it takes to alienate or grief us. A lot of more mainstream conservatives in the GOP base have been increasingly receptive and friendly, but the atmosphere is emotionally charged, and GOP leaders and conservative pundits remain among the worst offenders. In this kind of climate and with all the recent altercations at conventions, it takes uncommon character for someone like yourself to write such a supportive article and risk taking heat for it from others in your own camp.
Many of us used to be misguided liberals, and many of us used to be more mainstream conservatives unwittingly following neoconservative thought, but most of us are so far removed from our old viewpoints that it's not always easy to gauge where most actual conservatives outside the DC Beltway and media world really stand relative to us. For some of us, the pundits and narcissistic party leaders are the only barometers we have for typical Republican sentiment and worldviews, but they obviously give a pessimistic reading. ;) If more conservatives continue to adopt your cordial and thoughtful attitude toward our disagreements, then maybe we'll all manage to save this country from collapse and tyranny after all.
Anyway, thanks.
Mr. Bellow,
ReplyDeleteThank you.
d_c
No Problem:-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mr. Bellow. I can assure you that it has been as difficult to get many of the Ron Paul supporters to see mainstream Republicans and even Tea Party Republicans as valuable allies who believe in much of what we do as it has been to get people such as yourself to see Ron Paul Republicans the same way. Part of the problem was that some of our old leadership at the state level played a game of divide and conquer by emphasizing the difference between the different groups within the party instead of bringing the party together to work for common goals. I believe the new leadership provided by Steve Munisteri to be a big part of what's changed. Surely, he has his own rather passionate beliefs, yet notice how deftly he supports all the different factions within the party without showing partiality to any of them.
ReplyDeleteThere are many areas in which we agree and can work together; I look forward to working with you on those issues in the future.
Yes, Steve has done a great job working with everyone
DeleteIt is truly unfortunate that the GOP has played so unfairly with Ron Paul, it was a wake up call for me, that the GOP does not really support the conservative principals that I support, as a lifelong republican I can`t tell you what a disapointment they have been, while I find some sollice in your article, the damage has been done, I will be supporting the constitutional or libretarian party hereafter. Good luck with your candidate in the general election.
ReplyDeleteGreat article, sir. I am encouraged by this sentiment and applaud you for it. I am a firm believer in forming coalitions with like minded folks and finding the common ground we can all agree on without sacrificing our principles. It is unfortunate that we are painted with a wide brush, but as you stated, the movement has a wide cross section of races, ages, and professions. We represented ourselves well and the discussion was civil and fair from my perspective. A lot was accomplished this past weekend to promote freedom and liberty for all.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that people need to understand is that the primary reason the Texas Convention went the way it did, as opposed to the way the Louisiana or Oklahoma convention went, is Steve Munisteri. Mr. Munisteri, the Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas went out of his way to ensure that the Texas Convention was run fairly and that the rules were followed. I have a very good friend that was a delegate to the Louisiana Convention. In Louisiana, some of the Party regulars that were in a position of authority at the convention, tried to silence a group of delegates that made up well over 1/2 of the total number of delegates to the convention (maybe as high as 2/3 of the total). They did it by completely ignoring State Law, Party Rules and generally accepted rule of Parliamentary Procedure. Liberty supporters, as I like to call Ron Paul supporters, are like any other group (Conservatives, Liberals, Tea Party, Environmentalist, etc.). A small percentage of them tend to be disruptive, no matter what. The vast majority of them are not, as long as the rules are followed. The big difference is that Liberty supports tend to know the rules and tend to be a bit sticky about the rules being followed.
ReplyDeleterbmcdonald
A wonderful and truthful exchange! My view: If more 'non-Ron Paul' Republicans were as fair minded and above board as David Bellow is, we'd not only remove Obama from the White House in a landslide, but we'd take back America from the shadow "establishment" that owns both parties, Washington, the Federal Reserve, and the IRS.
ReplyDeleteYes but,I'll vote for no one but Ron Paul!
ReplyDeleteKudos to Mr. Bellow! I, for a while, did not "see" Ron Paul, because of the smokescreen and emphasis on the "crazies" in the Ron Paul camp in the MSM. But, in Jan, watching results of primaries, it really was obvious they were ignoring Dr.Paul. I thought, hey, he's come in close to winning, why ignore him? Who is this Ron Paul guy, anyway? Well, after researching him online, I found out! Now an "official" Paulbot! Other Paulistas I've met have been normal enough...respect & kindness are not always easy to show, but they will get you farther than the opposite. Just as in race and other differences that divide people, generally, if you look at people as individuals, instead of pre-judging them, and treat them respectfully, you will be surprised at how much you can agree on.
ReplyDeleteIf the tea partiers and Ron Paul supporters can come together and run the neoconservatives out of the party, the Republicans will be a solidly limited government party moving forward in the future. This is what I hope happens.
ReplyDeleteOnly a few people were walking around with Ron Paul stickers but most were libertarians dressed in Republican's clothing, walking the walk and talking the talk until they won their National delegate seats. They were subversive and scurried into groups around the Caucus to compare notes and identify each other in order to push through their delegates. It's too bad that Ron Paul couldn't direct his mob to funnel their energy into something that will actually help the Republican Party and the nation such as uniting to kick Obama out of the White House.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the write-up and kind words David. I just wanted to point out that you might actually agree with Paul supporters on military/war policy more than you know. There's a popular misconception in the republican party that we're all pacifists and naive concerning foreign policy abroad. This couldn't be further than the truth. Many Paul supporters have delved into foreign policy and researched the matter as closely as they have the Federal Reserve. We've come to the conclusion that our foreign policy is deeply flawed.
ReplyDeleteI understand your passion for wanting to keep America safe, I think we all share that sentiment, but we must understand history and origin of this conflict. I suggest you look into Michael Scheuer and read his writings on the subject, he is the former Chief of the CIA bin Laden unit, he was in charge of understanding, tracking, and killing the enemy better than anyone.
For his part, Ron Paul was only reiterating exactly what comes from the CIA intelligence and what CIA veteran Michael Scheuer writes and speaks about. CIA counter-terrorism expert Michael Scheuer would likely have been Ron Paul's choice for Secretary of State. Watch the video and ask yourself if you'd rather have Michael Scheuer or Hillary Clinton at the helm. I for one would feel much safer with Scheuer.
Michael Scheuer on C-SPAN 5/6/2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jixt6F_lGCg
Michael Scheuer Foreign Policy Discussion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEQviZPyeXk
REALLY???????????? WOULD SOMEONE INFORM THE "PAUL" CAMPAIGN HE HASN'T AND HAS NEVER WON A PRIMARY. SINCE HE CANT WIN ON THE GOP TICKET,WHATS NEXT STEP "INDEPENDENT"? TICKET. RON PAUL NEEDS TO GET IT... HE DOESN'T WIN. A VOTE FOR "PAUL" IS A VOTE FOR OBAMA. ITS NOT THAT HARD TO FIGURE OUT. HE IS NO DIFFERENT THAN ROSS PEROT. AND YES THE "PAUL" PEOPLE WERE HATEFUL, MEAN, AND RUDE @ THE CONVENTION. SAW IT, HEARD IT,WITNESSED IT YOU ARE LIKE SPOILED BRATS WHEN YOU DON'T GET YOUR WAY.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe you neocons are the spoiled brats when you have to completely change the rules in the middle of the damn convention because you don't get your way. Learn to think before post ignorance on the internet. Plus ron paul has won a primary and several caucuses. Over 5 states he has one a majority in giving him a spot on the RNC ballot and over 200 bound delegates. He already has several hundred unbound and alternate delegates. When it is all said and done he will have over 20% of the delegates. So please if you would go back to your idiot box and soak up some more bs.
Deletethanks for proving my point.
DeleteIsn't a vote for Romney kind of a vote for Obama? If he gets elected let's see how conservative he really is.
DeleteThank you for the considerate post. I find it interesting that the GOP isn't more behind Dr. Paul. His positions are constitutional and hold with the vision of our Founding Fathers. Unfortunately, decades of indoctrination and propaganda have led Americans to the loss of their own liberty. Apparently, it is too much trouble for people to learn about our founding or to read Dr. Paul's books. Doing so would do a lot to correct the misconceptions and media spin.
ReplyDeleteThe really funny thing about Ron Paul supporters? They turned off their TV's and picked up books. Because Paul will never be President, his supporters must now form new alliances. Those alliances can never be with the "establishment"...we now have one party with two heads, both going in the same direction. Dr. Paul has created a movement. This movement seeks to restore America to a land of free people where government is chained by the constitution again. I, for one, don't see anything wrong with that.