How to get mainstream Repubs to believe?

[dagnytaggart]

I am a Libertarian, but also a huge supporter of Dr. Paul. The problem is everyone in my family and most of my friends think I'm nuts and that he is "out there". The running joke is that I am for Rue Paul-ha, ha. I was listening to NPR's coverage of the debates and they spoke w/two people in the audience, a woman and man. At the end of the debate the woman said she liked Dr. Paul and that he had some good ideas; the man said he and Dennis Kucinich should run together "since they are both from another planet".
This really seems to be the general attitude. Most Republicans still back the war, and most liberals (myself included) don't want to hear how pro-life Dr. Paul is, even though he doesn't believe in federal funding for any aspect of it.
What to do?
Shannon

[JoshLowry]

His ideas are different from the normal politician, but he does represent classic conservative values.

Tell your friends to check out his issues on his website, I encourage you to do the same if you have not yet: http://www.ronpaul2008.com/html/Issues_fx.html


If you would like to memorize a few things, here are a few good talking points:
He's never voted to raise taxes.
He's never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He promises to never abuse Habeas Corpus
He is pro-privacy.
He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war (NOTE: Paul is the ONLY Republican candidate to vote against Iraq.)You may want to remind them Ron Paul wants to:
Bring our troops home from Iraq & end the war
Secure our borders from terrorism
Stop illegal immigration & no amnesty for illegal immigrants (Unlike Bush who wants to reward the law breakers.)
Get rid of the IRS for fairer taxes for you
Limit big government in your private affairs & lives
Trusts the internet over the mainstream mediaI don't know how they can think those things are "nuts", I think they are not educated on his issues yet and with the mainstream media not covering him, that is going to be your part. :)

[Sparx]

I had some similar problems as well when getting the word out, even the whole "Wait, who? Rue Paul?" ha-ha thing. Much of my family and friends consider themselves Republicans and resisted for only a short period with the usual jokes and cracks. The media has made them skeptical of this "outsider." However, once they learned more about his message of true liberty, humble foreign policy, and after I had made them sit down at the computer to read his stances on the various issues they became more receptive and open to the idea of having him as our president. It's all about getting the information out there and like Josh said, start with some of those talking points and show them that he has the voting record to back it all up.

The media chooses to expose only certain situations and individuals to us and it's natural for so many to end up with a skewed perception of how things are and should be. Bring up questions with your friends and family about that as well, get it all out in the open to be discussed. The more you talk, the more they will listen! Good luck. :)

Now, the real question is how do I get mainstream Dems to believe? My grandma is a tough cookie. :D

[giskard]

Good thread. Should we start a separate thread on convincing mainstream Dems though?

Watching the Republcan debate, I can see how, because he was so different than the others, that some of the issues Ron Paul brought up would seem "out there" to the average Joe Sixpack who has no idea what he's talking about. Such as printing money and the resulting inflation....

[JoshLowry]

Go for it giskard, that would be great if you shared some ideas on how to tell Democrats about Ron Paul.

[giskard]

For the types who enjoy documentaries, this one is a pretty even-keeled 42-min docu about the history of money, banking, gold, and the Fed:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=iYZM58dulPE

It's not a "conspiracy" - it's just big business.

The docu is good for those who don't know what RP is talking about when he talks about "sound money" and returning to the gold standard.

[Michael Wilson]

I tell everyone on my ship about Ron Paul, and most of the time people laugh at me, but this other day a guy came into work and he told me he had looked up Ron Paul, and he had become as obsessed as I am. This caused everyone to start asking me more questions. Now about 15 people in my division have converted, and they came from across the spetrum of Dems, Repubs, and independents.

[MsDoodahs]

That video was in my first batch of purchases from The Mises Institue.

I did not realize it was available via youtube (I'm not techno skilled).

THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS!

I will be sharing that all around now...:D

[Bryan]

Michael, that's excellent news. Keep up the great work, we're doing the same over here-- it's making a difference!


Shannon, great question, one of my methods is to take a more philosophical approach to freedom. If you query most anyone in the country they will definitively state that they support freedom which can then allow you to dig into some of their perceptions of what freedom really means and find any contradictory views they may have.

As an example ask someone "If we're fighting to spread freedom in Iraq then why don't I have the freedom to choose if I want to fund the war or not?" This reframes the debate away from the typical divide-and-conquer pro-con views that the mainstream media pushes and puts the issue in the light of liberty. Debating against the war generally leads to fruitless discussions on WMDs, the "war on terror", OBL and the like. Not that this question will yield instant results but it does cut closer to the core of a logical contradiction someone holds. Typically the rest of the conversation goes like this:

Person: If we had a choice then no one would fund it.
Me: If no one wants to fund it then it sounds like a bad idea, don't you think?
Person: Well, it can't work that way.
Me: Why not? Isn't freedom what we as a society support?
Person: Sure, but not like this, we have a civic duty to uphold.
Me: Says who? Who decides what this "civic duty" is?

It goes on, but the point is to dig into the core of their views which can later help lead them to a new outlook. It's easy to want to see instant results but that seems very rare, its best to go for small victories, plant a seed and let them know that you stand up for their liberty just as your own.

Another example is on domestic spying, rather than the normal approach of arguing about privacy ask "How is it freedom when I am forced to fund other people to spy on me?" I have yet to receive any sort of reasonable counter to this question since there isn't one.

[Michael Wilson]

I also like to appeal to reason, but if a person is set against it they will continue to argue without logic, or they just stop talking.

[JoshLowry]

The nice thing about supporting Ron Paul is you just have to present his issues and there shouldn't be much convincing needed. That's how it has worked for me with the people I have talked to. Although, almost all of them are conservatives as I am in Texas...

[Bryan]

Josh, you're right- that's should always be the first step. Unfortunately it's not always effective.

[mesler]

I am a Libertarian, but also a huge supporter of Dr. Paul. The problem is everyone in my family and most of my friends think I'm nuts and that he is "out there". The running joke is that I am for Rue Paul-ha, ha. I was listening to NPR's coverage of the debates and they spoke w/two people in the audience, a woman and man. At the end of the debate the woman said she liked Dr. Paul and that he had some good ideas; the man said he and Dennis Kucinich should run together "since they are both from another planet".
This really seems to be the general attitude. Most Republicans still back the war, and most liberals (myself included) don't want to hear how pro-life Dr. Paul is, even though he doesn't believe in federal funding for any aspect of it.
What to do?
Shannon

The guy probably still thinks the war was the only option too, so don't be discouraged. There will always be a percentage of the population who, regardless of what happens, support the status quo. There are going to be plenty of people who tell you he's crazy. People I've talked to have been fairly receptive, but none of them liked him right away. He grows on you. I work with a mix of conservatives and liberals, and I've had mixed reactions from them. Of the people I'm able to speak at length with, the ones who actually go out and read his speeches like him. His problem is that he isn't a smooth-talking car salesman type that Americans tend towards.

I think it's really up to Dr. Paul to perform in the debates. He's got to give us some good YouTube footage we can mail around. :) I think his biggest obstacle right now is that the issues he wants to address are somewhat complex or seemingly obscure, and there isn't much time to get his message out. He also needs to relax a bit more, and find a way to deliver his messages in a way that people understand, which I think he will.

Even if he doesn't win the nomination, I'd vote for him as a 3rd party candidate. If he could sap away 5+% of the vote, that would be very telling, and could be the catalyst that causes reform within the Republican party, or perhaps the rise of a 3rd party. That too is a long shot, however, I'm quite hopeful. :)

[mesler]

Here is a way to get through to conservatives:

http://www.cato.org/homepage_item.php?id=554

Make CDs of the mp3s and hand them out. Cato speakers discuss how Republicans are not really for smaller government, how the party has lost its' way, and why this cost Republicans elections in 2006. There are 4 talks.

(The best one is the one about Leviathan on the Right")

[ricefreeman]

Every elected federal politician takes an oath to uphold and protect the constitution. The only politician that votes along constitutional lines is Ron Paul. With an administration that holds the constitution in contempt, is it any wonder that Ron Paul seems strange to most citizens? Add to the fact that most people have never bothered to read and understand the constitution, is it any wonder that politicians just ignore it? We the people are to blame for this for not holding our elected officials to the letter of the law. The most effective way for us to show congress we are fed up is to spread the word that Ron Paul believes in the constitution and that it is the constitution that gives us the power to curtail our present bloated runaway government. Having said that, it is a tall order as the constitution does not cover the originating of social programs or the funding of them by confiscating from the productive members of society. People just have to decide which they value more, freedom or governmental largesse. With Ron Paul we at least have a shot at freedom.

[zMtLlC]

I think the main thing we can bring up is that Ron Paul is against the War, and so is the overwhelming majority of American people. If we want any Republican to be elected in 08, we're going to need to appeal to that, otherwise it will be another 06. Also, it would be good to point out that he is solidly pro-life and has delivered over 4000 babies. I told my mom this second one, and she was a lot more receptive of him.

Like everyone else has pointed out, the voting record is definitely a plus. Not only does he have the rhetoric, he "practices what he preaches."

[Korey Kaczynski]

Giuliani supporter? Show them his drag queen past.

McCain supporter? Show them the video on youtube of him sleeping, or simply just tell them he's going to have us go to war in Iran, and that he's nuts.

Romney supporter? Uh... he's a flip flopper.

[libertygrl]

Hi - I'm a new here. We could always use "scare tactics" against the conservatives. I read somewhere that Ron Paul is the only candidate would could actually beat Hillary because he will get votes from Dems and Independents as well. If another GOP candidate gets the nomination instead, he will have no chance against Hillary because people are afraid of putting in another neo-con type Republican. And, you know how conservatives feel about Hillary! We should make up flyers and show both Hillary and Ron Paul's faces with a clever caption. Just a thought...

[sidsquidrick]

I think both directions are best. It is important to say and say often what Ron Paul stands for.

It is also very important to tell people that it is vital that the GOP nominate someone like Ron Paul who has a record that can't be beat. Anyone else and the GOP won't have a chance.