Perry
10-03-2007, 02:17 AM
GOP Veteran Dr. Drew Ivers to Chair Ron Paul's Iowa Campaign (http://www.iowaindependent.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1203)
by: T.M. Lindsey (http://www.iowaindependent.com/userDiary.do?personId=8)
Tuesday (10/02) at 10:54 AM
The Ron Paul Revolution will have a new face on its campaign in Iowa as veteran GOP activist Dr. Drew Ivers assumes the reins as Iowa's campaign chairman. Ivers replaced Deputy Campaign Manager Joe Seehusen, who returned to Arlington to ramp up Ron Paul's national campaign effort. The campaign raised $1 million last week in the final push before the end of the fund-raising quarter. Ivers brings a wealth of veteran experience to the Iowa campaign front, not only as a Republican activist but also as a Vietnam veteran who received the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in combat. Since Ron Paul is the only GOP candidate against the war in Iraq by way of non-intervention, Ivers' military experience should serve as an asset to the campaign's outreach efforts to veterans and military members who share the same sentiment. Moreover, Ivers' son is currently in the military and has served one tour in Iraq, which provides a new perspective on the current war.
Ivers also has sustained battle wounds from working in the political trenches while campaigning for Ronald Reagan in 1980 and serving as Iowa state campaign chairman for Pat Robertson in 1988 and Pat Buchanan in 1996 and 2000. Ivers, who helped lead Reagan to a victory in his district, touts his role as a campaign district coordinator as his first major steppingstone in his career as a political activist. Drawing comparisons to what he called the Reagan Revolution during the 1980 campaign, Ivers sees the same thing happening with the Ron Paul Revolution and wanted to take an active role in the cause.
"The cause for me is a sovereign, free, independent, prosperous people governing themselves and dictating their future through their actions and through the actions of the leaders in restoring the Republic," Ivers told the Iowa Independent during a telephone interview. "We've now become absorbed in socialism, so much so that it's becoming culture. The young and not-so-young don't have a solid grasp of our heritage, so trying to revive that heritage and spirit of non-dependence on government control is why I've joined Dr. Paul's campaign. I'm committed to helping Ron Paul steer us back to a government that inspires individual responsibility."
(Read below the fold for rest of the article and exclusive interview with Dr. Ivers)
T.M. Lindsey (http://www.iowaindependent.com/userDiary.do?personId=8) :: GOP Veteran Dr. Drew Ivers to Chair Ron Paul's Iowa Campaign (http://www.iowaindependent.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1203) Ivers believes the GOP began losing sight of its ideology and conservative tradition after Reagan's departure, beginning with President George H.W. Bush, who, during his inaugural address promoted a new world order. "I believe the planet can work better with a number of sovereign nations working together in peace, in lieu in the current amalgamation of nations," Ivers said. "Right now, the globalization culture is being dictated by national finance dictates such as the World Bank, NAFTA and the WTO. Bush Jr. called this nation building, and I've heard some of the Republican presidential candidates use this as well, including Rudy Giuliani." The Iowa Independent discussed the Ron Paul candidacy with Dr. Ivers during a telephone interview Sept. 24:
Iowa Independent: How would you respond to Ron Paul's GOP rivals' arguments that we need to engage and maintain global alliances or that otherwise unstable countries will become breeding grounds for terrorism, and the war will come to the United States?
Dr. Ivers: We've been on this globalization pathway for the past 50 years, long before 9/11 happened. In essence, 9/11 has become a good rallying point for the globalists. We see some exploitation of a national tragedy that is now being used by the international mentality to expand their agenda. It's an exploitation of circumstances that's heavily embedded in the Republican, and even more so the Democratic, culture of our country.
Iowa Independent: By their agenda, who are you specifically speaking about? Who are the they, or the them?
Dr. Ivers: The they is the two-party bipartisan system, mostly at the federal level, but it has a natural trickle-down effect as the states end up following suit.
Iowa Independent: Where would you place the neoconservatives in this spectrum?
Dr. Ivers: From my perspective as an Iowa citizen and as an observer from within the Republican party, I see the neoconservatives as a bridge from the traditional conservative viewpoints on issues to those conservatives leaning toward a globalistic stance. They're somewhere in between.
Iowa Independent: Most of the Republican candidates are touting themselves as the true, real or authentic conservative? Where does Ron Paul fit into the conservative label scheme?
Dr. Ivers: Limited government. Look at Ron Paul's record and you'll find that he's been incredibly consistent on limited government. Less taxes, less bureaucracy, and more accountability at the individual level. If you try to distinguish Ron Paul from all the other candidates, Republican and Democrats, all you have to do is ask them if they voted for proposals that would limit government, and they're going to back off. They'll try and wriggle around it and feed you some rhetorical clichés, but I'm willing to bet most of them would not identify themselves as a limited-government candidate.
Ron Paul, on the other hand, has been incredibly consistent with his voting record in D.C., where he's been nicknamed "Dr. No," because he sticks to the Constitution. Too much government inevitably becomes suppressive and eventually oppressive, once bureaucracy, inefficiency and apathy sets in.
Iowa Independent: Do you think Ron Paul's positions stemming from limited government pose a threat to his GOP rivals?
Dr. Ivers: Oh yeah, the notion of limited government is clearly a threat. Ron Paul is the Lone Ranger, and it's embarrassing that some of these guys would actually endorse a limited government, because their political careers have been a part of the status quo, whereas Ron Paul is counterculture.
Iowa Independent: As Rudy Giuliani demonstrated in the debate, do you think Ron Paul's GOP rivals will continue to go after him, because he does pose an underlying threat to their political ideals?
Dr. Ivers: Without a doubt, because Ron Paul's a thorn in their sides. He makes them uncomfortable, because he's advocating less government, not more, and they've spent their lives on the other end of the spectrum. Besides, they'll have to eat a lot of crow if they begin agreeing with Ron Paul. Plus, you have to look at the gang-mentality factor, which they take comfort in, because they think that if it's nine to one, then they have to be right and Ron Paul must be wrong. Ron Paul is a teacher, and while his opponents deal in sound bites, he delivers substance.
Iowa Independent: How did your experiences in the Vietnam War influence your political ideology?
Dr. Ivers: This was probably one of the main triggers that got me into politics, helped shape my political philosophy and why I support candidates like Ron Paul. I was drafted into the Army Dec. 3, 1968, right out of graduate school, and the military decided I need to be an infantry soldier. I ended up choosing the rough route and went in as a PFC "grunt" and got shot up. I spent a year in military and VA hospitals, and six operations later they ended up saving my leg.
That year spent in a hospital time gave me the opportunity to read and to think, and it was then that it dawned upon me that something wasn't right, which triggered my political interests. Now, ironically, those leaders who didn't serve in combat are the ones who got us into this mess over in Iraq.
Iowa Independent: Last quarter's FEC reports indicated that of all the GOP candidates, Ron Paul received the most support from active military members. Given Ron Paul is the only one of the candidates opposed to the war in Iraq, why do you think this may have been the case?
Dr. Ivers: I have a son who is in the military and stationed in San Diego, who has already served one tour in Iraq. He went over gung-ho, but when he came back, he had a different viewpoint. He said there's so much corruption at all levels in Iraq that he felt it was an impossible situation in Iraq. I think the bulk of the military is questioning why we are bleeding and dying for people who don't want us there. The soldiers on the ground are seeing through the futility of Bush's plan, and they're looking for something different to help get them home. I've heard Bush argue that if we leave, then there will be a blood bath, but this was already happening before we got there. I heard the same arguments while serving in Vietnam, but his did not deter us from eventually leaving.
No parent or loved one wants to think their son or daughter died in vain. Bush's feet are in concrete, but this is no reason to keep risking the lives of our sons and daughters. Wars are very profitable enterprises. There are big returns on your war investment. Bankers profit and so does the Military Industrial Complex, but it's the banking industry that really profits from all the money shifting around.
Iowa Independent: What role would limited government play in regard to funding the veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially those coming back with lifelong disabilities?
Dr. Ivers: Ron Paul has already addressed this. We are already in the war, and he will not skimp on the veterans. The limited government application is designed for future entanglements. First of all, you don't have a war until we've had Congressional approval.
Iowa Independent: Ron Paul hasn't had much of a literal presence in Iowa thus far; do you expect that to change in the coming months?
Dr. Ivers: We are trying to schedule more events for Dr. Paul in Iowa, but we don't know for certain whether he'll be able to make as many stops due to some of the financial concerns. We plan on working a traditional grass-roots campaign, and that's where I come in.
Iowa Independent: Ron Paul has a huge internet following; how are you going to transfer some of this energy into your organizational efforts? In particular, how do you plan on getting the younger voters to the caucuses?
Dr. Ivers: (Laughing) There are a lot of mustangs out there, and my job is to get them corralled. This is a new precedent for us, and my job is to figure out how to convert all of this energy. The key is to motivate that energy, and we have some strategies that we will implement. One of the biggest challenges with the internet community is that a lot of these folks are more vocal than active. The internet is a great tool to get the message out, but we need to get the messengers to the Iowa caucuses on a cold January night.
Iowa Independent: How will Ron Paul's Iowa campaign change, now that you've taken over?
Dr. Ivers: Joe Seehusen and I talked about this, and the main difference between our strategies is that Joe used a traditional media campaign, whereas I intend to use more of a grass-roots, on-the-ground strategy.
http://www.iowaindependent.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1203
by: T.M. Lindsey (http://www.iowaindependent.com/userDiary.do?personId=8)
Tuesday (10/02) at 10:54 AM
The Ron Paul Revolution will have a new face on its campaign in Iowa as veteran GOP activist Dr. Drew Ivers assumes the reins as Iowa's campaign chairman. Ivers replaced Deputy Campaign Manager Joe Seehusen, who returned to Arlington to ramp up Ron Paul's national campaign effort. The campaign raised $1 million last week in the final push before the end of the fund-raising quarter. Ivers brings a wealth of veteran experience to the Iowa campaign front, not only as a Republican activist but also as a Vietnam veteran who received the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in combat. Since Ron Paul is the only GOP candidate against the war in Iraq by way of non-intervention, Ivers' military experience should serve as an asset to the campaign's outreach efforts to veterans and military members who share the same sentiment. Moreover, Ivers' son is currently in the military and has served one tour in Iraq, which provides a new perspective on the current war.
Ivers also has sustained battle wounds from working in the political trenches while campaigning for Ronald Reagan in 1980 and serving as Iowa state campaign chairman for Pat Robertson in 1988 and Pat Buchanan in 1996 and 2000. Ivers, who helped lead Reagan to a victory in his district, touts his role as a campaign district coordinator as his first major steppingstone in his career as a political activist. Drawing comparisons to what he called the Reagan Revolution during the 1980 campaign, Ivers sees the same thing happening with the Ron Paul Revolution and wanted to take an active role in the cause.
"The cause for me is a sovereign, free, independent, prosperous people governing themselves and dictating their future through their actions and through the actions of the leaders in restoring the Republic," Ivers told the Iowa Independent during a telephone interview. "We've now become absorbed in socialism, so much so that it's becoming culture. The young and not-so-young don't have a solid grasp of our heritage, so trying to revive that heritage and spirit of non-dependence on government control is why I've joined Dr. Paul's campaign. I'm committed to helping Ron Paul steer us back to a government that inspires individual responsibility."
(Read below the fold for rest of the article and exclusive interview with Dr. Ivers)
T.M. Lindsey (http://www.iowaindependent.com/userDiary.do?personId=8) :: GOP Veteran Dr. Drew Ivers to Chair Ron Paul's Iowa Campaign (http://www.iowaindependent.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1203) Ivers believes the GOP began losing sight of its ideology and conservative tradition after Reagan's departure, beginning with President George H.W. Bush, who, during his inaugural address promoted a new world order. "I believe the planet can work better with a number of sovereign nations working together in peace, in lieu in the current amalgamation of nations," Ivers said. "Right now, the globalization culture is being dictated by national finance dictates such as the World Bank, NAFTA and the WTO. Bush Jr. called this nation building, and I've heard some of the Republican presidential candidates use this as well, including Rudy Giuliani." The Iowa Independent discussed the Ron Paul candidacy with Dr. Ivers during a telephone interview Sept. 24:
Iowa Independent: How would you respond to Ron Paul's GOP rivals' arguments that we need to engage and maintain global alliances or that otherwise unstable countries will become breeding grounds for terrorism, and the war will come to the United States?
Dr. Ivers: We've been on this globalization pathway for the past 50 years, long before 9/11 happened. In essence, 9/11 has become a good rallying point for the globalists. We see some exploitation of a national tragedy that is now being used by the international mentality to expand their agenda. It's an exploitation of circumstances that's heavily embedded in the Republican, and even more so the Democratic, culture of our country.
Iowa Independent: By their agenda, who are you specifically speaking about? Who are the they, or the them?
Dr. Ivers: The they is the two-party bipartisan system, mostly at the federal level, but it has a natural trickle-down effect as the states end up following suit.
Iowa Independent: Where would you place the neoconservatives in this spectrum?
Dr. Ivers: From my perspective as an Iowa citizen and as an observer from within the Republican party, I see the neoconservatives as a bridge from the traditional conservative viewpoints on issues to those conservatives leaning toward a globalistic stance. They're somewhere in between.
Iowa Independent: Most of the Republican candidates are touting themselves as the true, real or authentic conservative? Where does Ron Paul fit into the conservative label scheme?
Dr. Ivers: Limited government. Look at Ron Paul's record and you'll find that he's been incredibly consistent on limited government. Less taxes, less bureaucracy, and more accountability at the individual level. If you try to distinguish Ron Paul from all the other candidates, Republican and Democrats, all you have to do is ask them if they voted for proposals that would limit government, and they're going to back off. They'll try and wriggle around it and feed you some rhetorical clichés, but I'm willing to bet most of them would not identify themselves as a limited-government candidate.
Ron Paul, on the other hand, has been incredibly consistent with his voting record in D.C., where he's been nicknamed "Dr. No," because he sticks to the Constitution. Too much government inevitably becomes suppressive and eventually oppressive, once bureaucracy, inefficiency and apathy sets in.
Iowa Independent: Do you think Ron Paul's positions stemming from limited government pose a threat to his GOP rivals?
Dr. Ivers: Oh yeah, the notion of limited government is clearly a threat. Ron Paul is the Lone Ranger, and it's embarrassing that some of these guys would actually endorse a limited government, because their political careers have been a part of the status quo, whereas Ron Paul is counterculture.
Iowa Independent: As Rudy Giuliani demonstrated in the debate, do you think Ron Paul's GOP rivals will continue to go after him, because he does pose an underlying threat to their political ideals?
Dr. Ivers: Without a doubt, because Ron Paul's a thorn in their sides. He makes them uncomfortable, because he's advocating less government, not more, and they've spent their lives on the other end of the spectrum. Besides, they'll have to eat a lot of crow if they begin agreeing with Ron Paul. Plus, you have to look at the gang-mentality factor, which they take comfort in, because they think that if it's nine to one, then they have to be right and Ron Paul must be wrong. Ron Paul is a teacher, and while his opponents deal in sound bites, he delivers substance.
Iowa Independent: How did your experiences in the Vietnam War influence your political ideology?
Dr. Ivers: This was probably one of the main triggers that got me into politics, helped shape my political philosophy and why I support candidates like Ron Paul. I was drafted into the Army Dec. 3, 1968, right out of graduate school, and the military decided I need to be an infantry soldier. I ended up choosing the rough route and went in as a PFC "grunt" and got shot up. I spent a year in military and VA hospitals, and six operations later they ended up saving my leg.
That year spent in a hospital time gave me the opportunity to read and to think, and it was then that it dawned upon me that something wasn't right, which triggered my political interests. Now, ironically, those leaders who didn't serve in combat are the ones who got us into this mess over in Iraq.
Iowa Independent: Last quarter's FEC reports indicated that of all the GOP candidates, Ron Paul received the most support from active military members. Given Ron Paul is the only one of the candidates opposed to the war in Iraq, why do you think this may have been the case?
Dr. Ivers: I have a son who is in the military and stationed in San Diego, who has already served one tour in Iraq. He went over gung-ho, but when he came back, he had a different viewpoint. He said there's so much corruption at all levels in Iraq that he felt it was an impossible situation in Iraq. I think the bulk of the military is questioning why we are bleeding and dying for people who don't want us there. The soldiers on the ground are seeing through the futility of Bush's plan, and they're looking for something different to help get them home. I've heard Bush argue that if we leave, then there will be a blood bath, but this was already happening before we got there. I heard the same arguments while serving in Vietnam, but his did not deter us from eventually leaving.
No parent or loved one wants to think their son or daughter died in vain. Bush's feet are in concrete, but this is no reason to keep risking the lives of our sons and daughters. Wars are very profitable enterprises. There are big returns on your war investment. Bankers profit and so does the Military Industrial Complex, but it's the banking industry that really profits from all the money shifting around.
Iowa Independent: What role would limited government play in regard to funding the veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially those coming back with lifelong disabilities?
Dr. Ivers: Ron Paul has already addressed this. We are already in the war, and he will not skimp on the veterans. The limited government application is designed for future entanglements. First of all, you don't have a war until we've had Congressional approval.
Iowa Independent: Ron Paul hasn't had much of a literal presence in Iowa thus far; do you expect that to change in the coming months?
Dr. Ivers: We are trying to schedule more events for Dr. Paul in Iowa, but we don't know for certain whether he'll be able to make as many stops due to some of the financial concerns. We plan on working a traditional grass-roots campaign, and that's where I come in.
Iowa Independent: Ron Paul has a huge internet following; how are you going to transfer some of this energy into your organizational efforts? In particular, how do you plan on getting the younger voters to the caucuses?
Dr. Ivers: (Laughing) There are a lot of mustangs out there, and my job is to get them corralled. This is a new precedent for us, and my job is to figure out how to convert all of this energy. The key is to motivate that energy, and we have some strategies that we will implement. One of the biggest challenges with the internet community is that a lot of these folks are more vocal than active. The internet is a great tool to get the message out, but we need to get the messengers to the Iowa caucuses on a cold January night.
Iowa Independent: How will Ron Paul's Iowa campaign change, now that you've taken over?
Dr. Ivers: Joe Seehusen and I talked about this, and the main difference between our strategies is that Joe used a traditional media campaign, whereas I intend to use more of a grass-roots, on-the-ground strategy.
http://www.iowaindependent.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1203