Is Ron Paul playing to win?

[RonPaulFever]

I mentioned that I went to the Nashville rally to one of my political science professors and he asked why RP is spending time in odd places like Tennessee and Utah. He said that it looks like Ron isn't trying to win, and I have to admit that the campaign's strategy thus far has seemed a little unorthodox at times.

I think we can all agree that the original strategy wasn't to win, but to spread a message. And of course that message has caught on in a big way, but I wonder if Ron is genuinely playing to win now or if he's still in "wait and see" mode. We all think (with a reasonable amount of healthy skepticism) that he can get the nomination, but does he think so?

I'll still support his candidacy to the end, because the freedom message endures and will grow over time. It's just that I sometimes wonder if Ron Paul's expectations are as high as those of his supporters.

[BarryDonegan]

nashville is a short drive from 70% of the US population, and utah was part of a 4 day sweep of the west. you gotta spread it around when you dont have the MSM

[0zzy]

No, he's running to win. But he doesn't get tv time, so what does he have to do to raise money? Go to places that already have 1500 people rooting for him!

[ronpaulyourmom]

The man needs to boost himself in the polls in IA/NH...the question is whether or not that's even possible. It's a huge gamble but he might have to start spending more time there soon.

[Corydoras]

I don't know if he's going for the win. We'll just have to donate, wait, and see how HQ plays it.

But I do think he is fundraising aggressively, calling potential big donors himself. He needs more $2300 donors, that's a fact.

[Taco John]

I think we can all agree that the original strategy wasn't to win, but to spread a message.


I don't agree with that at all.

[davidhperry]

he asked why RP is spending time in odd places like Tennessee and Utah.

He came to Nashville because we asked him to come and it was convenient since he was on his way to the gun rally in Kentucky that night. The biggest reason he came though was because we had the fundraiser.

[davidhperry]

Now that he has more money, I think we'll see him run ads in some of the key states at some point.

[theseus51]

Well, this is what he told Alex Jones a few days ago:

Alex Jones: Did you think this would be an educational process, or did you think you can win from the start?

Ron Paul: I always think you can't predict the future, so I never say "oh you can't win" or "I will win". I sort of avoid the two extremes. But I will say it's doing much better than I had anticipated.

--

As for the going to non-early primary states, if you look at the campaign schedules of all the other candidates, they criss-cross the country for rallies and fund-raisers. Just cause Ron Paul isn't spending 95% of his time in Iowa and New Hampshire, I wouldn't question his strategy.

[Thom1776]

Ron Paul originally entered the race like the thousands who enter the World Series of Poker. They know the odds are long, but what the hell, they give it a fling.

But look at what's happened. Ron Paul has won a few pots and now he has a nice stack of chips. Now he's thinking that he has a legitimate shot at winning it all.

There are four types of playing styles in poker: Loose/Passive, Loose/Aggressive, Tight/Passive and Tight/Aggressive.

Ron Paul is Tight/Aggressive. For those of you who don't understand poker lingo, that means he doesn't play a lot of hands, but when he does, he does so with good cards and he comes out firing. This is the preferred style of play because it is the most successful. It takes great discipline to play with this style, but it almost always pays off.

In a poker tournament, you can go for a very long time with unplayable cards, but your time will eventually come. Ron Paul is sitting back and waiting for the opportune moment. He knows when and where, and when it happens, he's gonna come out firing big time!

Don't worry. He knows what he's doing. He keeps building his chip stack and he's going to use it in December and January to take the first really huge pot in New Hampshire.

[SouthernGuy15]

Ron Paul is NOT a liar.

He has said he is in this to WIN and you better believe he is telling the TRUTH!

[Paulitician]

That is a great analogy. I agree, except Ron Paul already has all the cards on hand, and he doesn't play tight because he wants to or for strategic reasons, but because he's forced to. The end result would probably be the same though admittedly, he will come out "firing" as you say.

[theseus51]

Ron Paul originally entered the race like the thousands who enter the World Series of Poker. They know the odds are long, but what the hell, they give it a fling.

But look at what's happened. Ron Paul has won a few pots and now he has a nice stack of chips. Now he's thinking that he has a legitimate shot at winning it all.

There are four types of playing styles in poker: Loose/Passive, Loose/Aggressive, Tight/Passive and Tight/Aggressive.

Ron Paul is Tight/Aggressive. For those of you who don't understand poker lingo, that means he doesn't play a lot of hands, but when he does, he does so with good cards and he comes out firing. This is the preferred style of play because it is the most successful. It takes great discipline to play with this style, but it almost always pays off.

In a poker tournament, you can go for a very long time with unplayable cards, but your time will eventually come. Ron Paul is sitting back and waiting for the opportune moment. He knows when and where, and when it happens, he's gonna come out firing big time!

Don't worry. He knows what he's doing. He keeps building his chip stack and he's going to use it in December and January to take the first really huge pot in New Hampshire.

Hahaha, that is so cool. As I said in an earlier thread, http://ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=22906

Supporting Ron Paul is +EV

[Corydoras]

I seem to recall reading that in his congressional campaigns, he did a lot of his most active mass media right before the election, like that screaming girl ad the actual morning of one election.

He's not one to waste money months and months ahead like Romney.

[Drknows]

Ron Paul originally entered the race like the thousands who enter the World Series of Poker. They know the odds are long, but what the hell, they give it a fling.

But look at what's happened. Ron Paul has won a few pots and now he has a nice stack of chips. Now he's thinking that he has a legitimate shot at winning it all.

There are four types of playing styles in poker: Loose/Passive, Loose/Aggressive, Tight/Passive and Tight/Aggressive.

Ron Paul is Tight/Aggressive. For those of you who don't understand poker lingo, that means he doesn't play a lot of hands, but when he does, he does so with good cards and he comes out firing. This is the preferred style of play because it is the most successful. It takes great discipline to play with this style, but it almost always pays off.

In a poker tournament, you can go for a very long time with unplayable cards, but your time will eventually come. Ron Paul is sitting back and waiting for the opportune moment. He knows when and where, and when it happens, he's gonna come out firing big time!

Don't worry. He knows what he's doing. He keeps building his chip stack and he's going to use it in December and January to take the first really huge pot in New Hampshire.


Right on Thom1776 i play the same style of poker haha! i have a feeling this time around he will flop nuts and move all in.

[Santana28]

California, New York, and Illinois alone will not win the nomination. There are 47 more states to consider here.

If Ron wins all the rest and leaves the Big 3 states to the others... well... i think we'll have made our point :)

Although i personally think Illinois/Chicago would be Ron Paul country 100% if we really started coordinating our efforts towards the multitude of lazy Obama supporters that plague this area. And Ron seems to have a good amount of California love.

[MicroBalrog]

I seem to recall reading that in his congressional campaigns, he did a lot of his most active mass media right before the election, like that screaming girl ad the actual morning of one election.

He's not one to waste money months and months ahead like Romney.

Screaming girl ad?

[Corydoras]

Screaming girl ad?

Yeah, there was an article this week or last that said that in one of his congressional campaigns, he ran a new radio ad the morning of the election with a little girl screaming that the incumbent wanted to let rapists and murderers go free and Ron Paul wanted them in prison where they belonged. Wish I could find the link. Mind you, this is what his opponent claimed. Who knows what the ad really said.
:rolleyes:

[Nash]

Screaming girl ad?

He swiftboated his Democratic opponent the night before the election in 1976. He knows how to run an attack ad. Don't underestimate him.

The poker analogy is correct. He's building his coffers right now by campaigning anywhere he can get donations. I expect a full assault on New Hampshire, both on the ground and on TV and radio the month before the primary.

Polls really mean nothing right now and money means everything. Granted, polls beget money, but for whatever reason this campaign is doing it backwards and getting money before poll strength and it appears to be working out.

[Ron Paul Fan]

Herm Edwards once said, "YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!! YOU DON'T PLAY IT TO JUST PLAY IT!!!!" And I think that applies here too. So of course Ron Paul is playing to win and shame on anyone who thinks otherwise! He can't be in New Hampshire and Iowa 24/7! He has to do some fundraisers around the country so he can compete in New Hampshire and Iowa. When we get closer to the primaries, yes he will be in those states more often. Going out to Utah was part of his west coast trip which netted a big wad of cash. He hadn't been to Tennessee and 1500 people showed up so it was worth it. What's wrong with dropping in on a state or two every now and then? Ron Paul wants to be President of the United States, not President of New Hampshire!!!!!!

[MicroBalrog]

Yeah, there was an article this week or last that said that in one of his congressional campaigns, he ran a new radio ad the morning of the election with a little girl screaming that the incumbent wanted to let rapists and murderers go free and Ron Paul wanted them in prison where they belonged.

Epic win.

[Electrostatic]

I mentioned that I went to the Nashville rally to one of my political science professors and he asked why RP is spending time in odd places like Tennessee and Utah. He said that it looks like Ron isn't trying to win, and I have to admit that the campaign's strategy thus far has seemed a little unorthodox at times.

I think we can all agree that the original strategy wasn't to win, but to spread a message. And of course that message has caught on in a big way, but I wonder if Ron is genuinely playing to win now or if he's still in "wait and see" mode. We all think (with a reasonable amount of healthy skepticism) that he can get the nomination, but does he think so?

I'll still support his candidacy to the end, because the freedom message endures and will grow over time. It's just that I sometimes wonder if Ron Paul's expectations are as high as those of his supporters.

He did that for a reason... He got huge money and "LOCAL MEDIA" coverage in all of the places he's had rallys.... Pasedena, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Nashville, etc, etc.. It's how he gets past the natioanl media and raises the big bucks.

[theseus51]

Girl screaming ad

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15016924

[trispear]

I think we can all agree that the original strategy wasn't to win, but to spread a message..... I'll still support his candidacy to the end, because the freedom message endures and will grow over time.A message is worthless if there is no messenger to deliver it or prophet to evangelize it.

What makes Paul special is that he's credible: he's walked the walk his entire life and uncorrupted by politics (a rarity).

While I can understand the idea of spreading a message, the general public is inundated with different messages out there all the time and without the message being drummed into their heads all the time, they will soon forget. We need to play to win, I don't forsee another opportunity to come for a long time, and at such a crossroads in our history.

[Chrispy]

Man that makes me wonder if RP is planing on swift boating NH and Iowa. Really i guess all he would have to do is run ads that say "Hilary Clinton, Barak Obama, Rudy Guliani and Mitt Romney will not get us out of Iraq, If you don't vote for me the war will not end, I am the only anti-war candidate running for office"

[MicroBalrog]

Girl screaming ad

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15016924

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