What is YOUR goal?

[realtonygoodwin]

Why do you support Ron Paul, Rand Paul, Justin Amash, Gary Johnson, or any other candidate for office? Why do you register and spend time on this forum? What do you hope to accomplish?
Do you want Ron Paul to win the GOP nomination for President?
Do you want him to win the general election?
Do you want to win people’s hearts and minds, and turn them toward liberty?
Do you want the USA to be turned toward liberty, regardless of what the people want?
Do you [insert YOUR goal here]?

What are YOU doing to help make your goal come true?

For me, I love America. I want what is best for my country. I think the government that governs best tends to be the government that governs least. I think that having people like the Drs. Paul in the conversation has the potential to help stir the populations hearts toward things like freedom, liberty, and respect and adherence to the US Constitution.

I get frustrated when I hear of hecklers at CPAC, or see people cluttering up comments threads in news articles. I think any candidate that moves the country toward liberty is a good thing. I will choose to support the candidate who moves us the closest to the ideal I want. I hate to see so many of us be susceptible to the "no true scotsman" ploy. Oh, so-and-so doesn't agree 100% with Dr. Paul (or whoever), so I will not support them, and instead bash them every chance I get. I will probably get some of this with this post, I am sure.

Gandhi said about Christianity : "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

I fear this is the problem with making Dr. Paul (or any Constitutionalist/liberty candidate) palatable to the people who actually show up and vote on election day. His supporters (or activists, if you prefer) often leave a sour taste in their mouths. Focusing on things like conspiracy theories and whining about the lack of MSM attention, focusing on winning straw polls instead of primaries…

Anyway, just trying to start a discussion and figure out what YOU want out of all this. Because if you want to convert a couple people to our side, turn a couple away, all while simultaneously preventing Dr Paul from winning a national election, keep doing what you are doing. If you are serious about winning elections and stocking the halls of Congress and Governors mansions throughout the country with free-market, conservative Constitutionalists, let me know.

-Tony

[Bman]

Welcome to the forum Tony.

Feeling a bit frustrated? I've definitely felt frustration at times. The question is how to you tell young people to properly behave? Or tell other people to maintain a proper focus? In a group that doesn't believe in central planning there indeed is no central planning.

Some people represent Ron Paul at events some people represent themselves at Ron Paul events. How do you get the ones out of the light that have absolutely nothing to do with Ron getting elected? We put merit in the ideas that free market cream rises to the top. A free market solution is certainly not always the solution for getting from point A to point B in the fastest amount of time. I have to believe that this group will evolve and become better represented as time goes on. We got some good people elected in 2010 and if we keep it up we will get more in 2012. The good this movement can do will not be achieved over night. Far too late to get Ron Paul to President.

[realtonygoodwin]

Thanks for the welcome!

I think I agree with what you are saying. I see a lot of people trying to convince college students, anarchists and libertarians to vote for Dr. Paul. We need to be convincing the elderly, Republicans, and moderates to vote for him as well. Look at who actually votes, those need to be our target audience. And you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Focus on the issues that matter to your average voter...like jobs, cutting spending, etc. Focusing on non-interventionism is a losing argument for the people we need to convince. I am far more non-interventionist now than I was when I first heard of and got interested in Dr. Paul. But it took time. Focusing on things like the Federal Reserve, the gold standard, and sound monetary policy are great, but they don't matter to most voters. We have to draw them in, then educate them afterwards on the lesser* subjects.

*Less important in THEIR minds. These subjects may be the most important to you, and they obviously are to Dr. Paul, but they aren't to Joe Voter.

[Austin]

Gandhi said about Christianity : "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

I fear this is the problem with making Dr. Paul (or any Constitutionalist/liberty candidate) palatable to the people who actually show up and vote on election day. His supporters (or activists, if you prefer) often leave a sour taste in their mouths.


I completely agree with this. In fact, I was having a discussion with my friend on the way back from the RPF dinner at Asylum, and I used that same analogy.

[dbill27]

My goal is in my day to day life regarding politics is to try and sow seeds of thought in my friends, co workers etc. I'm shocked how many people my age don't know the difference in philosophy between the two main parties. If someone brings up bush and the wars in a negative manner I say something like "I agree with you and I'm a republican, did you know that the real conservative philosophy is about smaller govt and being anti-war?" If someone talks about how conservatives hate poor people I try to tell them that giving people govt money is often paid for by inflation that hurts poor people even more. I try to be non confrontational and throw in a "have you heard about ron paul?, I'd love to let you borrow some of his books I have" my goal is to spread liberty and ultimately get rp elected

[realtonygoodwin]

I think that will be the best way to win, but it will take a long time. More people will be converted through relationship evangelism than by reading

RON PAUL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111


at the bottom of a news article.

[Travlyr]

My goal for posting here on RPF is to promote the awesomeness of liberty, peace, and prosperity through dealing with each other honestly. A study of history proves that liberty is much more rewarding than tyranny.

Ron Paul often talks, and writes, about the fundamental principle of liberty as trading with each other using an honest sound monetary system. Indeed, he wrote the books, it is our job to read them, learn from them, and promote the principles of liberty.

[Elwar]

We are all serving our country right now by trying to get Ron Paul elected.

What we do now is as important as those who fought in the American Revolution.

[realtonygoodwin]

Second part of the question:

What are YOU specifically doing to reach your goal?

[muzzled dogg]

Iowa straw poll