Perspective from my 67 year old step-father

[jmunjr]

My step-dad has always been a big conservative/republican. He's loved Reagan and was a big Bush supporter. oh, he HATES liberals.

In recent months he has admitted Bush isn't the guy he voted for and doesn't support him the same.

On that note, knowing he'd be reluctant I have tried to get him hooked on Ron Paul, and while he says he admires Paul and what he stands for he maintains that Paul is "unelectable". This is understandable yet something I mostly disagree with.

I sent out the emails and such and my step-dad saw Paul's debate performance last night. For now this info is from my brother but apparently my step-dad left his media room saying that Paul had basically blown any chance of doing well in the elections with his performance last night.

Now while I thoroughly enjoyed watching Paul last night and agreed with most of what he said in the back of my mind I was worried that others, especially those who had little knowledge of Paul, would interpret his performance as not being very good and possibly a bit extreme.

My step-dad is only one person of course but I think it is important for us to see things from a different point of view(not the media and not others around here).

So what did Paul do wrong? I'll have to ask my step-dad and get back to everyone..

[maxmerkel]

don't know, i liked his performance :confused:

[nullvalu]

Yeah, I'd be interested to see what he thinks Paul did wrong.. You probably just have to ween him off Vanity & Friends.

[kylejack]

Maybe a little too adversarial with the Fox News mouthpieces conservatives have come to respect, maybe not enough focus on the fact that eliminating departments is a very conservative position, something Reagan wanted...it could have been better. It was fantastic for the converted, but it might have alienated the average conservative who is already uncomfortable enough with how far conservatism has drifted.

[ctb619]

he probably disagrees with Ron Paul's foreign policy....it wasn't anything RP did wrong

[maxmerkel]

people who fall for huckabees "blah, god, blah honor, blah united" have been watching/listening the msm for too long.

you can only convince these people with a long (1h) interview on some late night show - a 30 second answer is certainly not enough for paul to explain his position and why he believes in it.

[njandrewg]

does he support the Iraq illegal wasteful occupation?

[kylejack]

You could ask him if he's going to vote for another "conservative" who will double the size of the Department of Education, and then you can tell him that there's only about 1 candidate that he can trust not to. That type of stuff seems to resonate with fiscal conservatives.

[Dojo]

My mother (70) would say it's the GEEK factor, hope that isn't too harsh, she likes everything he stands for, but I think she would like it better if he had that rough and tough "cowboy" walk.. I understand some what, after a while his message resonates and sending her videos other than the debate ones..which he seems to have more confidence,,,, she is coming around...

[Spirit of '76]

Explain to him all the little ways that Faux Noise set Ron up for failure. Point out the laughing, the strawman questions, the mischaracterizations of his positions, the fact that they didn't allow him to address a single issue regarding his domestic agenda...

Then point out that despite all that, Ron Paul won the text vote, which definitely could NOT be spammed, no matter what lies Hannity might tell.

[kylejack]

My mother (70) would say it's the GEEK factor, hope that isn't too harsh, she likes everything he stands for, but I think she would like it better if he had that rough and tough "cowboy" walk.. I understand some what, after a while his message resonates and sending her videos other than the debate ones..which he seems to have more confidence,,,, she is coming around...

She needs that video of Ron pointing the pen at Chris Wallace and saying "NO!" with a stern look on his face.

[PAforRP]

My mother (70) would say it's the GEEK factor, hope that isn't too harsh, she likes everything he stands for, but I think she would like it better if he had that rough and tough "cowboy" walk.. I understand some what, after a while his message resonates and sending her videos other than the debate ones..which he seems to have more confidence,,,, she is coming around...
Yeah... I see where she is coming from. A bit Ross Perot ish at first look.

[kylejack]

Yeah... I see where she is coming from. A bit Ross Perot ish at first look.
If he would just not stutter through his answers, it would be better. He just needs to slow down a bit, pause for a second, and design excellent sentences.

[Syren123]

First of all, Bush is EXACTLY the person he voted for. Anyone who voted for Bush and is now disappointed was negligent in his due diligence.


people who fall for huckabees "blah, god, blah honor, blah united" have been watching/listening the msm for too long.
Exactly. But this is the same yokel vote that fell for Bush and will now do the same zero research and vote for this platitude spewing huckster.

There is one problem with Dr Paul in these debates. The answers he gives to these inane, loaded questions don't have enough detail for the average American to understand the larger issue Dr. Paul is addressing. As my socialist sister said, "it's too much reading." While you and I know what he means, most people have ZERO knowledge of what's really going on and therefore don't get his answers.

That's my biggest fear. People dismiss him because they don't have any idea what he's talking about. They'd rather hear Huckabee praise the Lord and pass the ammunition as a united country unwaveringly backing its president.

Gag me.

[blazin_it_alwyz]

You have to go through the process..... it's painful but you have to

Why do you think Ron Paul did bad last night?

and then when he says what he didn't like, explain your case, and then ask him about all the bias going on.

Old people (sorry) are very set in their ways, especially with my family. A lot of people grew up watching the Old Media, and just have been taught to believe that whatever they say is correct, so that is a realistic problem that you would have to conquer before you could even slightly sway him in the direction of RP.

And you need to address him voting for Bush kind of thing. Kind of like a "You voted for Bush, look what is happening, isn't it time you change your views a little" kind of thing, you can smooth that over much better than I did, but that is the message that your going to want to get across. The fact that he already voted for Bush, he is doing bad, and why exactly Ron Paul is the complete opposite of Bush. It might be tough with an older person, but you can do it. Good luck.

[Paulitician]

Eeek! More of a cowboy walk? So sad. There was a poll on PBS and it wanted to know what you look most for in a (Democratic) president. I think looks and personality were the top two. People don't understand how false these images the candidates are trying to display (e.g. Fred Thompson with his red truck). This is so pathetic.

[themanhere]

Well he is 67 years old i dont think we have many supporters for Paul over 60. The majority of his voters are the types you see on this forum.

The older generations wont decide this election.

[Hurricane Bruiser]

It's the foreign policy. That is why Ron Paul gets questions on foreign policy but nothing on domestic issues where he would really shine with the GOP faithful.

[Paulitician]

It's the foreign policy. That is why Ron Paul gets questions on foreign policy but nothing on domestic issues where he would really shine with the GOP faithful.
Shouldn't the older folk actually know about history and how right Ron Paul is? Man, what's happening? This country has gone nutty :(

[Syren123]

Well he is 67 years old i dont think we have many supporters for Paul over 60. The majority of his voters are the types you see on this forum.
The older generations wont decide this election.

Thank God. Anyway, they've had their thirty years to muck things up.

[Bean]

I really hope that he gets more time to explain his positions to the American people. As has been said, ignoring a candidate for a half hour, and then feeding him all of these bogus questions and only giving him a minute to answer- it would make anyone look bad (although granted, i thought RP was thunderous last night and def. feel it was his best debate yet).

Most american people would find they agree with RP on almost everything, but HE NEEDS TO BE GIVEN A FAIR SHAKE TO EXPLAIN HIS POINTS. The problem is that RP isn't spewing the same rhetoric as the rest of the candidates: The debate last night was like 7 stepford wives and 1 lone voice of truth. ANYTHING he says is going to appear to be radical to the american people, because many of them forget what traditional conservatism is.

I'm completely confident that if Ron Paul was given a fair amount of time to explain his positions, then the election is ours.

[maggiebott]

I'm in my late 50's and support Ron Paul everyday. If you want to know who the diehard warmongering republicans are, I know two of them. My father the selfish bastard and a friend of more than 30 years who I never speak with any longer. They are both in their early 80's WWII vets and don't give a shit if we slaughter millions.

[NPursuit357]

I understand your step father's stance on last night's debate. I am a huge Ron Paul supporter, but I feel he wasn't given enough time to dive into the issues deep enough to make his point not look too radical to the general uneducated public. I thought Ron had done a great job in past debates, but he was lacking somewhat last night. I believe the way the questions were given to him, the moderators cutting his time, and giuliani laughing at him certainly didn't help.

[katao]

I have been a conservative most of my life and live in one of the most conservative states in the country, Utah. Their biggest downfall is their reluctance to "rock the boat", even when it means going against their own principles. The philosophy is built into their core, and takes a long time to overcome.

I believe the key to winning them over is to not push too hard yet - they are NOT early adopters. We need to focus on target segments such as Gun Owners, etc. that ARE early adopters. Eventually, when conservatives see that so many others are accepting Ron Paul, they'll come around. But it does take time!

In the end, if you don't push too hard, they'll see the light. After all, they likely voted for Ronald Reagan with a very similar message "Government is not the solution to the problem, it is the problem". And Reagan was seen as "unelectable" until very, very late in the election cycle.

[fj45lvr]

Most american people would find they agree with RP on almost everything, but HE NEEDS TO BE GIVEN A FAIR SHAKE TO EXPLAIN HIS POINTS. The problem is that RP isn't spewing the same rhetoric as the rest of the candidates: The debate last night was like 7 stepford wives and 1 lone voice of truth. ANYTHING he says is going to appear to be radical to the american people, because many of them forget what traditional conservatism is.

I'm completely confident that if Ron Paul was given a fair amount of time to explain his positions, then the election is ours.

That moment won't come unfortunately unless it is possible to buy tv time like perot did....

It doesn't seem like Paul has any "allies" either out there in High places to help him out (where are other conressmen or press people???).

He is a lone voice and being made into a "crackpot".....I agree that he's finished with the republicans UNLESS they didn't watch this or read about it OR unless the vote is split and enough new voters actually register and vote.

[Sematary]

My step-dad has always been a big conservative/republican. He's loved Reagan and was a big Bush supporter. oh, he HATES liberals.

In recent months he has admitted Bush isn't the guy he voted for and doesn't support him the same.

On that note, knowing he'd be reluctant I have tried to get him hooked on Ron Paul, and while he says he admires Paul and what he stands for he maintains that Paul is "unelectable". This is understandable yet something I mostly disagree with.

I sent out the emails and such and my step-dad saw Paul's debate performance last night. For now this info is from my brother but apparently my step-dad left his media room saying that Paul had basically blown any chance of doing well in the elections with his performance last night.

Now while I thoroughly enjoyed watching Paul last night and agreed with most of what he said in the back of my mind I was worried that others, especially those who had little knowledge of Paul, would interpret his performance as not being very good and possibly a bit extreme.

My step-dad is only one person of course but I think it is important for us to see things from a different point of view(not the media and not others around here).

So what did Paul do wrong? I'll have to ask my step-dad and get back to everyone..

On the bright side, those who are against the war (most everyone) love him.

[Syren123]

I'm in my late 50's and support Ron Paul everyday. If you want to know who the diehard warmongering republicans are, I know two of them. My father the selfish bastard and a friend of more than 30 years who I never speak with any longer. They are both in their early 80's WWII vets and don't give a shit if we slaughter millions.

Maggiebott I feel your pain. I hear similar things from my mom's staunch old skool Republican friends who still think John McCain is the guy to beat.

I want to tell them that we don't really CARE who or what they want because they're going to be dead. It's the NEXT generation - or two or ten - that have to live with the mess YOU MADE because of your blind laziness. But I don't.

[thehittgirl]

My dh's friend thought last night was bad for Ron Paul because he was comic relief for the machinery and laughing at him made it worse.

I respectfully disagree. If he hadn't won, I might see where he is coming from.

[speciallyblend]

My step-dad has always been a big conservative/republican. He's loved Reagan and was a big Bush supporter. oh, he HATES liberals.

In recent months he has admitted Bush isn't the guy he voted for and doesn't support him the same.

On that note, knowing he'd be reluctant I have tried to get him hooked on Ron Paul, and while he says he admires Paul and what he stands for he maintains that Paul is "unelectable". This is understandable yet something I mostly disagree with.

I sent out the emails and such and my step-dad saw Paul's debate performance last night. For now this info is from my brother but apparently my step-dad left his media room saying that Paul had basically blown any chance of doing well in the elections with his performance last night.

Now while I thoroughly enjoyed watching Paul last night and agreed with most of what he said in the back of my mind I was worried that others, especially those who had little knowledge of Paul, would interpret his performance as not being very good and possibly a bit extreme.

My step-dad is only one person of course but I think it is important for us to see things from a different point of view(not the media and not others around here).

So what did Paul do wrong? I'll have to ask my step-dad and get back to everyone..

No harm meant,but your step dad seems to part of the problem,not the solution.Maybe he needs to read more and pay attention,or like you said he did vote for bush enuff said. maybe some group meet ups or a group hug:)

[JenHarris]

Two things to add
1. My dad, 66 years old, also felt that Ron didn't come across as well as some of the others. He likes Ron Paul, but isn't sure if he agrees about the war. He also isn't sure that Ron Paul can win this election. He will vote for him, but I think it's more for me than because he thinks voting for Ron Paul will make a difference. His only real critique was that Ron seemed too aggressive and too far separated from the party to get the vote.

2. Someone else mentioned that we don't have a lot of elderly people here, and it's probably because they don't use the internet much. One of my meetup group members wrote a letter to the editor in our local paper. In the letter he mentioned our weekly meeting location and time...we had 4 new people turn up, two of them an elderly couple who love Ron Paul. We did a booth at our county fair and I found that the senior citizens were extremely receptive to hearing about him, and liked what they were hearing. We need to find a way to reach out to people of all walks of life and not rely just on the internet because there are TONS of people who wouldn't touch a computer with a 10ft poll.

[noxagol]

I have the same problem though it is slightly different. When I talk to my parents they refuse to listen because I let the cat out of the bag that he is a Republican and they think all Republicans must die. They always vote straight Democrat. I'm still hard at work though.

[LibertyEagle]

I think it's hard for people to admit that they've been snowed. That going into Iraq and killing so many innocent people, not to mention so many of our brave soldiers, had nothing whatsoever to do with 9-11 or our national security. It's kind of like when some people buy a car that sucks. When someone asks them if they like it, they usually say.. oh yes.

The seed has been planted. Let it grow. They won't wake up overnight, but more than a few will have a few sleepless nights. What WE have to do is back Ron up with getting more detailed information on his views distributed to the public. We have to get out there and meet and greet real human beings to do that. Many of these people are not on the internet, so they have no clue about Ron Paul. We can't forget about all these people.

It's time for us to do our magic. We have the ammo. Lord Xar just posted a great new 2-sided grassroots campaign flyer.
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?p=167877

Someone recently posted a 2nd amendment slim-jim.
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=15067&highlight=2nd+amendment

We can order official campaign slim jims and bumper stickers from the campaign. (at no charge)

We can print off Issue Statements and tri-folds from the campaign.
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/get-involved/

We can print off a few select speeches from www.ronpaullibrary.org

We've got what we need. All we have to do is use our legs.

[speciallyblend]

Let him know,if he doesnt support RON PAUL,the gop will lose then liberals will own him from the democrats and republicans remember all the candidates except RON PAUL are just hillary clinton on steriods. A Vote for thompson/romney/rudolf/huckabee/mccain/hunter/ are a vote for hillary clinton;) if that doesnt wake him,let him know he can join the democrats.


IT WILL BE RON PAUL FOR THE GOP OR NO GOP ,the gop is dead in the water unless they nominate RON PAUL end of story.

[katao]

Someone else mentioned that we don't have a lot of elderly people here, and it's probably because they don't use the internet much. One of my meetup group members wrote a letter to the editor in our local paper. In the letter he mentioned our weekly meeting location and time...we had 4 new people turn up, two of them an elderly couple who love Ron Paul. We did a booth at our county fair and I found that the senior citizens were extremely receptive to hearing about him, and liked what they were hearing. We need to find a way to reach out to people of all walks of life and not rely just on the internet because there are TONS of people who wouldn't touch a computer with a 10ft poll.

Great point. They also typically have a nest egg built up from years of labor that they often contribute to causes they believe in. Again, go slow, find out what they are concerned about politically, and help them see how solutions based on Freedom are not only morally correct, they are more effective.

[bbachtung]

A lot of people in the Republican Party are like Huckabee (who thinks, apparently, that the war was a "mistake," but thinks that we have to "fix" it). The interesting thing about those people is that they are behaving the way that compulsive gamblers do -- I've lost X number of dollars playing the slots, if I just play a little bit more, then I'm sure to win it all back. It is ironic that a Southern Baptist like Huckabee displays the signs of a compulsive gambler, but the signs are all there.

With no offense intended to anyone who is a compulsive gambler, I offer the following from the Gamblers Anonymous website (http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/qna.html):



[T]here never seems to be a big enough winning to make even the smallest dream come true. When compulsive gamblers succeed, they gamble to dream still greater dreams. When failing, they gamble in reckless desperation and the depths of their misery are fathomless as their dream world comes crashing down. Sadly, they will struggle back, dream more dreams, and of course suffer more misery. No one can convince them that their great schemes will not someday come true. They believe they will, for without this dream world, life for them would not be tolerable


That is exactly the mentality of the neo-cons, even those who have admitted that they have a problem (like Huckabee).

[krott5333]

did you tell your step-father that Paul only needs to win the primary and its a done deal?

[SeanEdwards]

I thought Paul was great in the debate, with by far the best one-liner, possibly the best one-liner of the campaign season so far when he declared that he took his marching orders from our Constitution.

That said, somebody needs to take Paul aside and tell him to not fiddle with the microphone stand when he is in these debates. It makes him look nervous.

[NPursuit357]

I think it's hard for people to admit that they've been snowed.

I agree! I believe there are two groups of people out there. The ones that want to believe America tries to do good by getting caught up in these wars, and the other group that doesn't have the knowledge to see things for what they really are. Americans are far too concerned with who is getting voted off American Idol, or what features the new Iphone has, that they leave the important stuff up to the government and hope for the best.

It's time to wake up America!!!

[max]

My step-dad has always been a big conservative/republican. He's loved Reagan and was a big Bush supporter. oh, he HATES liberals.

In recent months he has admitted Bush isn't the guy he voted for and doesn't support him the same.

On that note, knowing he'd be reluctant I have tried to get him hooked on Ron Paul, and while he says he admires Paul and what he stands for he maintains that Paul is "unelectable". This is understandable yet something I mostly disagree with.

I sent out the emails and such and my step-dad saw Paul's debate performance last night. For now this info is from my brother but apparently my step-dad left his media room saying that Paul had basically blown any chance of doing well in the elections with his performance last night.

Now while I thoroughly enjoyed watching Paul last night and agreed with most of what he said in the back of my mind I was worried that others, especially those who had little knowledge of Paul, would interpret his performance as not being very good and possibly a bit extreme.

My step-dad is only one person of course but I think it is important for us to see things from a different point of view(not the media and not others around here).

So what did Paul do wrong? I'll have to ask my step-dad and get back to everyone..


Paul did nothing wrong....it was the way that FOX manipulated your step dad

[Cowlesy]

people who fall for huckabees "blah, god, blah honor, blah united" have been watching/listening the msm for too long.

you can only convince these people with a long (1h) interview on some late night show - a 30 second answer is certainly not enough for paul to explain his position and why he believes in it.

RIGHT --- but the problem is they go to the polls. Our salvation will be Huckabee's Q3 fundraising.

[ChristopherJ]

Guess I'm lucky when it comes to this stuff. Both my parents and their significant others were convinced the first time I talked to them (or at least shortly after) and are all big RP supporters now. They "think" I'm smart :) :eek: :D

[Broadlighter]

I have the same problem with my father.

I think where your 67-year-old stepfather is coming from is that Ron Paul takes an adversarial position with the GOP's leadership. The only way I see Ron Paul winning is if he draws more people into the GOP membership and his supporters garner enough control of the party to credibly demand him to be the Nominee. The old guard is going to fight like hell to prevent that from happening.

The GOP standbys want to see a unified Party, no matter how ill-conceived its platform is. Huckabee's statement about honor and unity was very telling. They appeal to traditional Republicans, but really no one else. What we have to do is bring in more people who think like we do.

This has to be an insurgent campaign. We can't wait around for the GOP old-guard to see things our way. We have to take over the ship, because their way of doing things is and will continue to work against freedom and the principles they purport to claim as theirs.

This is a revolution. The older people are collecting their social security, but it's the younger generations that are paying for it with no guarantee that there will be anything left for their efforts.

So let your stepfather go on believing Ron Paul can't win. It's not up to him or my father. It's not their future we are fighting for.

[maxmerkel]

RIGHT --- but the problem is they go to the polls. Our salvation will be Huckabee's Q3 fundraising.

don't be so sure about that, given the media coverage he got lately i'm sure he raised more than mc cain and paul ! maybe he'l even top one of the guiliani/thompson/romneys...

just saying, don't expect paul to do better than huckabee, huckabee is a msm pushed 1st tier now...

[blazin_it_alwyz]

Two things to add
1. My dad, 66 years old, also felt that Ron didn't come across as well as some of the others. He likes Ron Paul, but isn't sure if he agrees about the war. He also isn't sure that Ron Paul can win this election. He will vote for him, but I think it's more for me than because he thinks voting for Ron Paul will make a difference. His only real critique was that Ron seemed too aggressive and too far separated from the party to get the vote.

33% of the people seemed to think otherwise. Remind him that voting twice on cellphones was blocked, and 33% of people also legitimately disagree with Chris Mathews, and all the pawns there that said Ron Paul lost.


2. Someone else mentioned that we don't have a lot of elderly people here, and it's probably because they don't use the internet much. One of my meetup group members wrote a letter to the editor in our local paper. In the letter he mentioned our weekly meeting location and time...we had 4 new people turn up, two of them an elderly couple who love Ron Paul. We did a booth at our county fair and I found that the senior citizens were extremely receptive to hearing about him, and liked what they were hearing. We need to find a way to reach out to people of all walks of life and not rely just on the internet because there are TONS of people who wouldn't touch a computer with a 10ft poll.

There is no way to do that other than the old media, because that is all they are pretty interested in, is the old media. It is sad indeed, but old people are set in their ways, they will probably just vote for whoever gives them the biggest benefits. We have to try to touch at least some of that demographic, but there is not much you can do for people that have been living longer than you, and are too proud to listen to a "youngster". Sad truths.

[Bean]

Most people who are of the age to collect social security remember the old conservative values of non intervention; hence why conservatives were elected to end Korea/Vietnam. I think its IMPERATIVE that we turn people on to some of Ron Paul's ideas, but I do agree that we won't be able to hit as much of this group as is needed though.

[phixonpolitics]

I'm just wondering if some of these people who are older and resistant to Ron Paul are suffering from displaced feelings of disgust of how Viet Nam vets were treated when they returned and can't believe that it wouldn't be the same today toward Iraq veterans. Just a thought. Or maybe they don't like the idea of the system changing now that they've learned how to live with the one they've got-too much uncertainty.
Remember, in the 1700s there were many more loyalists than rebels. It's the loyalist mentality. Maybe these people would also conclude that Patrick Henry totally lost any hope of support after his Liberty speech.

I just can't agree that Ron Paul came off adversarial, especially when he was asked if he was taking marching orders from al Qaeda. I mean, come on, that's a question that deserves a livid response, instead of the cooler response RP gave. There is nothing wrong with a firm "No."

[American]

I think Dr. Paul did pretty good considering he was in a very hostile environment, the candidates, the mediators both were against him. Personally I would show them the bias that FIXED news has towards him, that shouldnt be to hard to do they do it all the time. I also talk about issues that none of the other candidates talk about like the North American Union, the huge deficits we are now facing, or the monetary system and the soon to collapse dollar or inflation. Tax cuts are one thing but most Reagan conservatives also want small Govt and less spending. i dont think I have heard anything along those lines like Dr. Paul has gone into.

[Broadlighter]

Looking at the debate from the perspective of a 67+ year old, Paul abrases the notions of loyalty to the Party that people of this generation are accustomed to.

Ron Paul stated in the first debate that he wasn't in the race to win the Republican Nomination, he's in it to win the presidency. The problem with these pre-primary debates is that you have all these guys sucking up to the Party. No one has anything of value to offer and along comes Ron Paul who tells the truth. for that he gets ridiculed and attacked.

BTW, RP did say "NO!" very firmly, but there was a lot of noise going on in the background. The neocons want to equate following the Constitution to appeasing terrorists. That's going to cost them, IMO.

[voytechs]

I bet you what your step dad was not happy about was the fact that RP was so hard on the party. He reminded everyone there, that they have drifted away from traditional republican values. And yes, that was a very radical statement to make to a conservative group, who had already made up its mind about the front runner candidates, and was just blown back at what they were seeing. I don't know any people that could have pulled off what RP did, under that pressure, with that amount of candidacy to that group of people.

But I think its good that this kind of somewhat painful message is getting out early, I think most will realize that its true, but it takes time. As time goes on and RP picks up steam and more debates and straw polls, I think a lot of those folks will start to wonder if he can actually pull this off. The painful message will also have time to sink in by then.

As RP's campaign goes into high gear and they start to acknowledge him more, allowing him the benefit of explaining his positions throughly on abortion, the 2nd, that closing "department of education" doesn't mean closing schools, getting rid of Medicare and medicate will take lots of time etc, etc... All these things that he didn't get to explain in that very unfavorable environment, I think things will turn very quickly, even for your stepfather.

These are ideas haven't been broadly accepted since no one can remeber.

As to the broader voters, its simple, the government scares most people today, our national debt is on front pages and face insolvency with the baby boomer's. US comptroller is campaigning on his own and letting people know we need drastic change. All the ingredient's are coming together to make one hell of a recipe for the primaries.

[Original_Intent]

My step-dad has always been a big conservative/republican. He's loved Reagan and was a big Bush supporter. oh, he HATES liberals.

In recent months he has admitted Bush isn't the guy he voted for and doesn't support him the same.

On that note, knowing he'd be reluctant I have tried to get him hooked on Ron Paul, and while he says he admires Paul and what he stands for he maintains that Paul is "unelectable". This is understandable yet something I mostly disagree with.

I sent out the emails and such and my step-dad saw Paul's debate performance last night. For now this info is from my brother but apparently my step-dad left his media room saying that Paul had basically blown any chance of doing well in the elections with his performance last night.

Now while I thoroughly enjoyed watching Paul last night and agreed with most of what he said in the back of my mind I was worried that others, especially those who had little knowledge of Paul, would interpret his performance as not being very good and possibly a bit extreme.

My step-dad is only one person of course but I think it is important for us to see things from a different point of view(not the media and not others around here).

So what did Paul do wrong? I'll have to ask my step-dad and get back to everyone..

Ya know, I had the same sick feeling when Giuliani and Paul went at it. I knew RP was right, but I was afraid it would be over most people's head and tey would just assume tRudy won because the media told them he did.

It's all good. Right now the problem is the lie has been repeated so much that many people believe. As Ron Paul continues to repeat the truth, people are waking up.

[Mortikhi]

My mother (70) would say it's the GEEK factor, hope that isn't too harsh, she likes everything he stands for, but I think she would like it better if he had that rough and tough "cowboy" walk.. I understand some what, after a while his message resonates and sending her videos other than the debate ones..which he seems to have more confidence,,,, she is coming around...

What does your Mom say about George Washington?
"Oh, he wears a wig and pantaloons! What a FAAAGGGG!"

Or Abraham Lincoln?
"Oh he has one of those Amish beards! Does he not have a razor?! That is not very Presidential looking"

[Mortikhi]

My step-dad has always been a big conservative/republican. He's loved Reagan and was a big Bush supporter. oh, he HATES liberals.

In recent months he has admitted Bush isn't the guy he voted for and doesn't support him the same.

On that note, knowing he'd be reluctant I have tried to get him hooked on Ron Paul, and while he says he admires Paul and what he stands for he maintains that Paul is "unelectable". This is understandable yet something I mostly disagree with.

I sent out the emails and such and my step-dad saw Paul's debate performance last night. For now this info is from my brother but apparently my step-dad left his media room saying that Paul had basically blown any chance of doing well in the elections with his performance last night.

Now while I thoroughly enjoyed watching Paul last night and agreed with most of what he said in the back of my mind I was worried that others, especially those who had little knowledge of Paul, would interpret his performance as not being very good and possibly a bit extreme.

My step-dad is only one person of course but I think it is important for us to see things from a different point of view(not the media and not others around here).

So what did Paul do wrong? I'll have to ask my step-dad and get back to everyone..
I always thought Americans liked the underdog.

Do old farts bet on football games in the 4th quarter and only for the team that is ahead by enough to be "winable"?

God I hate baby boomers. How the Greatest Generation gave birth to the Worst Generation is hard to fathom.

[Original_Intent]

So true. I have a friend that thinks Hannity is the Shiznit. Makes me want to kick him in the nuts sometime - so clueless. He thinks Paul is a joke. We are in Utah and he thinks Romney is all that and a bag of chips, I swear if he moved to New York he wouldn't be able to decide whether to support Hitlery or the Ghoul.

[Lesgov]

Just be patient with them old people, most don't have computers, give them DVD's.
I think you'll see a lot of old people come on board. Don't forget that that generation is a rebellious bunch. They saw a problem with the system way back in the 60's. Not having any guidance, they went to sex,drugs, and rock and roll.
They are still rebellious, I think many will jump on board and do it right this time.

[DeadheadForPaul]

I'm very critical of people who I like, so I will say this as criticism of Dr. Paul. When I watch him, I try to put myself in the place of my aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc if they were watching him for the first time

1.) Dr. Paul makes very awkward motions and gestures like holding that thin microphone, waving his arms around, and pointing

2.) He sometimes does not fully explain his positions. He did a good job of addressing the incorrect "Paul wants passengers to have guns" thing but he did not answer the eliminating the FBI/CIA thing well, which scares 99% of America

3.) He said that America broke international law when we invaded Iraq. That's something that strikes a nerve with almost every conservative and moderate including myself

[nayjevin]

First of all, Bush is EXACTLY the person he voted for. Anyone who voted for Bush and is now disappointed was negligent in his due diligence.

Quote:
people who fall for huckabees "blah, god, blah honor, blah united" have been watching/listening the msm for too long.
Exactly. But this is the same yokel vote that fell for Bush and will now do the same zero research and vote for this platitude spewing huckster.

There is one problem with Dr Paul in these debates. The answers he gives to these inane, loaded questions don't have enough detail for the average American to understand the larger issue Dr. Paul is addressing. As my socialist sister said, "it's too much reading." While you and I know what he means, most people have ZERO knowledge of what's really going on and therefore don't get his answers.

That's my biggest fear. People dismiss him because they don't have any idea what he's talking about. They'd rather hear Huckabee praise the Lord and pass the ammunition as a united country unwaveringly backing its president.

Syren: you should write articles. that lit a fire under my ass.

[JosephTheLibertarian]

I think Reagan sucked... I don't know why people have to keep mentioning him. Nixon ended the Vietnam War, he didn't get any props there. The "Cold War" got warmer with Reagan and now he's like some kind of demigod. He made a lot of promises... yet did nothing. What's his legacy? the war on drugs? lol cmon now.

ohh my god, how dare people take drugs when they want to! let's arrest them! Actually, that was pretty communistic of Reagan. He was definitely trying to look out for the collective ;)

[Corydoras]

The problem is that instead of thinking of themselves as "we the people" and wanting to roll up their sleeves and make this country work, people want the president to be Soother-in-Chief. "There, there, everything will be all right, I'll look after the scary stuff." The question is how to deal with this unpleasant fact of people wanting to be soothed. And it's a fact, as undesirable as it may be.

Ron Paul has not been soothing. Of course his message isn't soothing, nor should it be. But I've always been puzzled about his campaigning demeanor, because when you actually watch lots of his videos you see that he is a very charming, warm, caring person with a wonderful smile and the capacity to inspire hope... but that doesn't come through when he is debating. It doesn't come through in much (well, any) of the grassroots campaign material I've seen, either. There isn't a whole lot of can-do cheerleading for America. (Nor is there much about the guy who loves his wife's chocolate chip cookies and growing his own tomatoes and going out for bicycle rides... I really think that video ought to get a LOT more publicity, oughta be on every darn DVD anybody gives away.)

I think a more pragmatic campaigning method would showcase more of his great personality. Yes, I actually think there ought to be more gauze and fluff, I really do, but there's nothing wrong with pointing to something that really is a fact, which is that Ron is a great guy and not just a great brain.

We've already persuaded many of the people who CAN be persuaded on the issues, so I think we should start winning over a lot of people who don't yet know that he is a genuinely good, tough, canny, trustworthy, truly likeable human being. He isn't a grinning fraud like the others. I think we have to start going after people who would vote on the basis of personality, people who don't have the time and/or energy to research the issues. These are people who don't need persuading so much as being sold on him. I do not think this is cynical; it's just plain fact that not every voter has the time and/or energy to research things the way we Paulites do. JMHO.

There's that story about Adlai Stevenson... when a supporter called him "the thinking man's candidate," he replied, "Not good enough, I need a majority."