Friday, September 2, 2011

Who Should Ron Paul Pick as His VP Running Mate?

Walter Block and Steve Berger consider a number of possibilities. From Herman Cain to Rick Perry.

From their long list, these are my favorites:

Tom Woods

and

Peter Schiff

The full Block-Beger list is here.

31 comments:

  1. Though it would take the spotlight off the boss, the only political ad that would need to be run is "peter schiff was right 2008" to gain a ton of support to that ticket.

    "NO ONE SAW THIS COMING! IT WAS A BLACK SWAN."

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  2. Woods would be a great press secretary. He would swat down reporters stupid questions with haste.

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  3. Tom Woods!

    What about the Judge? that would be fun. But Tom Woods would rock the VP debate.

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  4. Ken Ivory or his kid Rand. Both have charisma,Rand comes across as a little arrogant, Ron is too humble. Neither matter to me, but in a world of "American Idol"......

    http://kingworldnews.com/kingworldnews/KWN_DailyWeb/Entries/2011/8/22_Utah_Rep_Leads_11_US_States_to_Recognize_Gold_as_Money.html

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  5. I vote for Tom Woods or The Judge!

    Play to the male Baby Boomers' vote: have Ron Paul and Napolitano campaign from a bright orange '69 GTO Judge.

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  6. Woods is defintely VP material in my book for several reasons. Two big thumbs up!

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  7. I love Schiff and Woods as VP but the Judge would also be good...

    ~Matthew M.

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  8. Ron Paul's first priority needs to be a Vice-President who believes what he believes not only because of Ron Paul's age but also because the VP is the most likely to succeed him in any case.

    His second priority should be to find someone who will help him to get elected. The second priority conflicts with the first.

    The most common VP selection is a party unity candidate. McCain's choice of Sarah Palin was in this category as was Ronald Reagan's choice of George H.W. Bush. Someone who can appeal to the other wing of the party. The other option would be someone who can appeal to an ethnic, religious, or sexual minority. Ron Paul doesn't like that kind of group identity politics and it probably wouldn't help much anyway, and it could hurt.

    Is there someone who is solidly in the Ron Paul camp who also has appeal to more mainstream Republicans? Of course there is. His name happens to be Rand Paul! Alas, the nepotism charge would probably be too great a barrier to overcome. The next closest thing to Rand Paul would probably be Senator Mike Lee of Utah. Lee would help among Mormon voters, but if Ron Paul can't carry the West in any event, he's not going to win. He also doesn't have a whole lot of Washington experience which means he doesn't know a lot of people in Washington. Meanwhile, his Mormonism could hurt among some Christian Evangelicals.

    So I suggest that we need to look away from the libertarian wing to the paleo-conservatives and here the name that comes to mind is former Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. His domestic views are more generically free market than specifically Austrian, but that doesn't require a major shift in thinking, and he's solid on foreign policy. As a long-time member of the Foreign Relations Committee, he has expertise in that field. He's not going to have to ask if Africa is a continent. He could probably defend Ron Paul's foreign policy positions with more expertise and articualtion than just about anyone else. His Catholic religion is less controversial for evangelicals than Lee's Mormonism.

    Most important, from a party unity point of view, is that Washington establishment types know him. They might not have always agreed with him, but he would give them an ear in Washington. If you can't have power, a Washington insider at least wants access to power. Hagel would make some establishment Republicans more comfortable with the ticket because they would feel that at least they could have some input even if they weren't always heeded.

    But Hagel is no George H.W. Bush either. Although he usually followed party discipline, he was willing to risk his career over the Iraq War. He's not my idea of the perfect choice, but he's the best choice to promote party unity (and make no mistake about it, the party will be seriously divided if Ron Paul is nominated), while still giving the Paul campaign access the party's paleo-conservative base.

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  9. A Tom Woods speech or essay is like protein for the brain.

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  10. While I rarely get involved in politics or political discussions, I don't think that Tom Woods, Peter Schiff, or the Judge could help Ron Paul get elected.

    However, Karen Kwiatkowski has plenty of military "credentials" and experience, and conservative views, and brings Virginia with her in that election. So, she would give Dr. Paul a great boost.

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  11. Any like-minded VP candidate will rollover Biden (or Hillary). But Hillary will want to avoid getting on-board a sinking ship. An experienced female candidate will outshine the current slate of female Presidential candidates, declared or not.

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  12. Walter Williams.. hands down winner..

    Woods and Murphy as economic advisers... I hate the word Czar.

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  13. I agree that Woods and Schiff would be great, but so would Kwiatkowski. She is one very smart, principled lady who shares Ron Paul's radical libertarian views, and her military experience would play well to the Republican base.

    Ideal administration:

    Paul as President
    Woods as VP
    Schiff as Treasury Secretary
    Napolitano as Attorney General
    Kwiatkowski as Secretary of Defense

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  14. Love Schiff and Woods. But, The Judge is the guy. I know Paul is in great shape, but he's old, and people will think he might die and The Judge would be someone you could see as president. Not Schiff or Woods.

    Look, who am I kidding. If Paul got elected, he'd be assassinated. If The Judge took over, he'd get it too. Look at Kennedy. He issues Exec. Order 11110 (not sure how many "1"s) allowing the govt to issue notes redeemable in silver and blamo - 3 weeks later he's dead (not to mention the exec. order that was pulling us out of Vietnam that Johnson made his first order to reverse). Paul, with his support of the Constitution, come on, he'd be gone. You don't mess with the establishment. Paul would have a heart attack sometime between the election and the oath of office.

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  15. My dream Paul admin is as follows:

    Williams as VP
    Peter Schiff as Treasury Secretary
    Michael Shoyer as Sec State
    Tom Woods as Press Secretary
    Judge Napolitano as Attorney General

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  16. My choice: Patrick Byrne.

    Brainy, businessman with a national profile, has conservative/libertarian credentials, has done work on the financial crisis second to none, has international interests (development).

    Balances Paul's conservative and meek persona with a more combative and flamboyant one. Street cred on the crisis is outstanding and would dispel any perception that Austrians are a synarchist front for NWO financiers.

    Articulate. Well-connected.
    Brings his own funding with him.
    Would put entire financial media into an uproar.
    That alone would be worth it.

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  17. Speaking of Peter Schiff, you all might enjoy this article he wrote today over at IBTimes.

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  18. I would also go with Woods or the Judge.

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  19. The judge. Definitely. Tom and Peter would be great support staff.

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  20. Scott Lazarowitz,

    I concur.

    Believe it or not I was going to choose Karen Kwiatkowski as my first pick then opted for Tom Woods. I believe she would be an excellent choice. She is no fool.

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  21. i bitched to walter at the first installment of the list that peter schiff was not listed.... as "punishment" i sent him a you tube video of the barry sisters singing "yidl mit a fidl" ... but that being said either peter schiff or jesse ventura

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  22. Ventura would be great, but his "Conspiracy" show (not that he's wrong, it's just that the US isn't ready to admit he's right) would give the press ammo to attack Paul as "fringe". Maybe as Sec of FEMA until they shut it down?

    Stiff is great, too, but not as well-known and a little too "radical" for the MSM.

    Kwiatowski is a GREAT idea- I actually corresponded with her a few years ago and encouraged her, shortly after she started writing for LRC. She's brilliant, tough, worldly, attractive- she would be great.

    The Judge is another awesome choice. He's my first choice, and I actually think he should consider a prez run if RP doesn't win 2012.

    Woods, Kucinich, Williams...the makeup of a Paul cabinet would be a dream come true.

    Kucinich as Sec of State is a no- brainer. I know he's a leftist, but he's perfect as a peacemaker with other nations.

    Woods as press secretary or chief of staff.

    Kwiatowski as Sec of Defense.

    The Judge as Sec of Justice.

    Williams as Sec of Ed.

    Schiff as Sec of Treasury.

    Sowell as Sec of Dept of Labor.

    I think a good strategy would be for Paul to start naming (or publicly discussing) members of BOTH parties, ones that agree with him on specific issues, to cabinet posts before the primaries.

    Dale Fitz

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  23. My ideal VP choices would be:

    Jim Rickards, Jim Grant or Jim Rogers. They are all brilliant and I believe pretty much in-line with Ron Paul's thinking.

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  24. It would just be such sheer pleasure to listen to Woods delivering speeches to the public. He's quietly and humbly devastating.

    However, the Judge is really the man!!!

    Judge for Attorney General would be excellent.

    Jesse Ventura, although he differs with some of his views, definitely has his heart in the right place, and has some star power, but his outspokenness on conspiracies might weigh down the ticket.

    I think that if he were to choose Rick Perry (the thought disgusts me), he would lose a lot of the swing vote; young independents, strictly anti-war democrats, etc. There are a ton of people out there who can only cringe every time we have to listen to Rick Perry speak. He is the anti-Paul. The absolute last thing we need is another braindead swaggering cowboy RINO.

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  25. "Can you imagine the magnificent thrashing Karen will give Hillary in a Vice-Presidential debate!?!"

    Yes I can!!! War Priestess Hilary's bark would just wither under Kwiatkowski. I don't know if I'd be able to stay seated watching that debate.

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  26. I like all those candidates. But Byrne would be credible with a larger audience in my view.

    Here he is endorsing Ron Paul:

    http://ronpaulflix.com/2011/06/overstock-ceo-patrick-byrne-endorses-ron-paul-for-president-june-2011/

    Don't know if he'd be interested, but he should be in a Ron Paul cabinet. He knows the details of what happened in the markets like few people in public life.

    You need that to reassure people. And you need a businessman. Too few of them at the highest levels of government. Too many lawyers, career politicians, financiers, and mandarins.

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  27. Ron Paul forums hearts Byrne endorsement and Overstock.


    http://www.dailypaul.com/166993/patrick-byrne-endorses-ron-paul

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  28. Lila, thanks for the Byrne/o.co info!

    I'm familiar with Overstock.com (now O.co) but didn't know the CEO was so...forward thinking. Great interview- I noticed the interviewer had a "gotcha" (ah ha, I didn't know where you were coming from before, aka you'll never be on Fox News again) and it just shows how biased the MSM is towards RP.

    When someone like that, who has billions on the line, explicitly says Great Depression 2.0 is coming then it scares the hell out me.

    I think I'll send him a resume.

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  29. The more important selection is who will Ron Paul pick for his chief of staff? Lew Rockwell?

    Tom Woods for press secretary would be an inspired choice for a historian. I can't wait for his fly on the wall accounts after he leaves after Ron Paul's second term.

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  30. Appoint Schiff to run the fed. Woods the treasury. Mr. Potato head could be VP.

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  31. If RP wins (pleasaepleasepleaslease) then I have a feeling Rockwell will have a major post within his cabinet. Chief of staff, with Woods as Press Secretary would be perfect!

    We've got a dozen+ cabinet posts to name, so let's brainstorm.

    Selecting Democrats who are in line with Paul's thinking on certain issues (like Kucinich for Sec of State, or Barney Frank as head of the DEA) would be beneficial- if he can develop support from them for reluctant-to-vote-republican Democrats then it will help the campaign.

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