Sunday, August 18, 2013

Political Paulians Getting Swept Up Into Republican Party

As Ron Paul distances himself from politics and takes on projects that spread the libertarian message via the private sector, some of his former supporters have moved in the direction of politics---not to use politics to spread the libertarian message and lose, but to gain power.

Politico reports:
The acrimony between the Republican establishment and Ron Paul supporters who took control of state parties in 2012 has begun to fade as a new period of détente - even cooperation - starts to shape their often-fraught relationship. 
And both sides say the togetherness - a behind-the-scenes priority for Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus - could be an important key to GOP success in the midterms and perhaps 2016.[...]
So national party brass are seeking cooperation, even friendship, in most of the states where libertarians made the deepest inroads. They’ve decided that it is easier to win with honey than the hardball tactics of the past.

How does the RNC plan to ingratiate itself with political Paulians? Oh that's easy,  get rid of principled libertarians and help move power seekers into key libertarian slots. Politico explains how it went down in Nevada:
 The peacemaking bid starts with Nevada. Seeking a second term as RNC chairman in January, Priebus flew to Las Vegas to mend fences. Most major donors, including Sheldon Adelson, had stopped funding the party when the Paul forces took over.
“He has helped eliminate some of the barriers that we had with some of the casino owners,” said Nevada national committeeman James Smack, wearing a “Stand with Rand” button Friday here at the party’s three-day summer meeting.
Some of the more hardcore Paul supporters have been pushed out of leadership positions at the local level. The Clark County Republican Party, for instance, censured Priebus last year for supporting Romney before he officially beat Paul at the summer convention. But last month, the party voted to replace the county chair who pushed that resolution with David McKeon, an unapologetic establishmentarian and the son of California Rep. Buck McKeon.
The pro-Paul forces are now working with party officials to make a bid for Vegas to host the Republican National Convention in 2016. And Smack got appointed this week to an important subcommittee that will influence the nominating calendar.
The establishment is even taking political Paulians on junkets--never a good sign:
 Ron Paul’s 2012 presidential campaign co-chair in Iowa, A.J. Spiker, got elected state GOP chairman shortly after the caucuses.
Priebus invited Spiker to go on a junket to Taiwan last month with nine other RNC members, an opportunity he enjoyed.
There are perennial reports in Iowa of tension between Spiker and Republican Gov. Terry Branstad, who is up for reelection next year, but Spiker said it is overstated. He said he has “a great relationship” with Priebus and “a good working relationship” with Branstad.
“We’re in good shape, but there will be plenty of spin,” said Spiker. “I will tell you there were people who attempted to have us bypassed, but I just don’t think I’ve been difficult. Otherwise they would be bypassing me.”
Politics is corrupting. The political Paulians are in the process of getting corrupted. They are fooling themselves if they think that the establishment is going to yield on any important points. The establishment is about power, war and theft. Ron Paul taught us that the important thing wasn't political victory, but getting the message out. He launched a movement by doing such and yet the political Paulians want to cast aside this incredibly successful model and, instead, take junkets with the establishment. Be careful,don't get sucked in.

6 comments:

  1. "But ... we need to work within the system."

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  2. All successful movements split. Now the libertarians and libertarian sympathizers have enough people to be able to engage inside the establishment and through an enhanced presence on the internet at the same time.

    Even if the "establishment" libertarians have limited success in changing the government, they are providing cover for the more logically consistent libertarians that only use private sector means.

    As the libertarian movement continues to grow, the opinions about what to do and what to think will become more varied.

    This is a good thing and should be embraced.

    Marion McCoskey

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  3. Beware those with Poli-Sci degrees. The R3volution is just their vehicle for advancement!

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  4. If the young activists think they can get in there in Washington and remove the accumulated powers the executive branch has already been given, they are dupes. It's an uphill battle for liberty, but those younger people will really have to overcome their indoctrination and perversions by our sick pop culture, the government-run schools, the vaccines, the meds and so forth.

    But let the young activists - libertarian or otherwise - get corrupted and join the Union of Gangsters a.k.a. U.S. Congress. It's nothing but a criminal racket, as we have been seeing more and more now.

    But sadly, as they are luring those libertarian activists away from liberty and toward the State, those GOP leaders are no better than drug dealers on the street corner, in my opinion.

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  5. Ron Paul was not running "to get the message out." He was running to promote himself, raise his public profile, and cash in. If he was about getting the message out rather than making money, he would not have Ron Paul channel youtube videos pulled. There are certainly enough honest members of the liberty movement to support this channel. He is pulling videos because it eats into his profits.

    ReplyDelete