fatdumb
03-14-2008, 12:37 AM
In Minnesota it has been a rather quiet revolution, but a revolution nonetheless. Ron Paul's followers show up regularly on radio call-in shows. But their real impact may be percolating just below the surface of MN grassroots politics. Wright County's delegation to CD6 consists of an estimated 81% Ron Paul devotees. Wright County's delegation to the State Convention consists of an estimated 60% Ron Paul devotees. That's a recipe for a dramatic impact no matter how you look at it.
The apparent Ron Paul strategy is to force a brokered republican national convention. That will take some serious choreography. It is possible that there are a lot more Ron Paul supporters out there that we don't know about. They very well could hold high numbers in the ranks of the delegations from other states. By design the incredible grassroots Ron Paul revolution is keeping a pretty low profile. The question is, how effective will they be? And once this election cycle is over, how dedicated will they be to the future success of the republican party?
There is an argument that the people are no longer wooed by the idea of being labelled republican or democrat. Even the liberal or conservative flags seem a tad lifeless and lacking in magnetism. People are clearly animated by issues. Issues that have not been adequately territorialized by any of the traditional political labels. That's subject for a later post on the life of the political brands.
I expect we will have a pretty good clue as to the extent of the Ron Paul effect once we conclude our CD6 convention. There may well be a significant impact on the platform resolutions. And the delegation we elect to the state and national GOP conventions may contain an unexpectedly high percentage of Ron Paul devotees.
The good news for long-time party loyalists is that the vast majority of the Ron Paul philosophy is grounded in solid conservative principles. Therefore, any platform impact could prove to be a win for both the Ron Paul folks and those whose presidential candidate loyalties lie elsewhere.
At the root of the massive shift bubbling up from the grassroots in Minnesota is the indelible mark of the Ron Paul campaign. It's far more than a cult of personality. It may well define an important chapter in the renaissance of the republican party. That is if our friends from the Ron Paul camp stay involved with our cause long after Ron Paul's presidential bid passes. Party loyalists are frankly a little freaked out about the possibility of the entire GOP leadership structure being retooled with a Ron Paul base blueprint. But that's the beauty of our process. Those who show up decide what is going on.
Posted on the wright County Republican blog
http://wrightrepublican.blogspot.com/2008/03/ron-paul-factor.html
The apparent Ron Paul strategy is to force a brokered republican national convention. That will take some serious choreography. It is possible that there are a lot more Ron Paul supporters out there that we don't know about. They very well could hold high numbers in the ranks of the delegations from other states. By design the incredible grassroots Ron Paul revolution is keeping a pretty low profile. The question is, how effective will they be? And once this election cycle is over, how dedicated will they be to the future success of the republican party?
There is an argument that the people are no longer wooed by the idea of being labelled republican or democrat. Even the liberal or conservative flags seem a tad lifeless and lacking in magnetism. People are clearly animated by issues. Issues that have not been adequately territorialized by any of the traditional political labels. That's subject for a later post on the life of the political brands.
I expect we will have a pretty good clue as to the extent of the Ron Paul effect once we conclude our CD6 convention. There may well be a significant impact on the platform resolutions. And the delegation we elect to the state and national GOP conventions may contain an unexpectedly high percentage of Ron Paul devotees.
The good news for long-time party loyalists is that the vast majority of the Ron Paul philosophy is grounded in solid conservative principles. Therefore, any platform impact could prove to be a win for both the Ron Paul folks and those whose presidential candidate loyalties lie elsewhere.
At the root of the massive shift bubbling up from the grassroots in Minnesota is the indelible mark of the Ron Paul campaign. It's far more than a cult of personality. It may well define an important chapter in the renaissance of the republican party. That is if our friends from the Ron Paul camp stay involved with our cause long after Ron Paul's presidential bid passes. Party loyalists are frankly a little freaked out about the possibility of the entire GOP leadership structure being retooled with a Ron Paul base blueprint. But that's the beauty of our process. Those who show up decide what is going on.
Posted on the wright County Republican blog
http://wrightrepublican.blogspot.com/2008/03/ron-paul-factor.html