freshjiva
03-25-2011, 11:09 AM
I know I will draw some heat from this board on my thoughts, but I will share them to get a discussion going.
1) In my opinion, if Ron Paul centers his (potential) 2012 bid for the GOP nomination on things that negatively affect entitlements, he will lose. Millions of people are simply too dependent on the system and will not vote for a candidate who wants austerity in entitlements.
SOLUTION: Focus on the transition and not the end game. Ideas in this area include initiatives to introduce market forces into healthcare and education. Stress the need for FDA reform, and sending Education back to the States. Stress a plan to transition Social Security to make it solvent and sustainable going forward. Stress the fact that he does NOT plan on throwing the elderly and the poor out on the streets, but to provide a clear path towards getting the system solvent and by enabling the youth of America to be more self-reliant so that they never become dependent on the system.
Give specifics. The clearer the plan he presents, the more the Electorate will support you.
AVOID: "Conspiratorial" theories like the destruction of civil liberties by a sinister State. Yes, we all within the Liberty movement understand that this is the truth and not a conspiracy, but we need to sell this message to the public at large, not just to those of us who already are aware of it.
2) Foreign policy. Folks in the Liberty movement are often characterized as being "anti-American" or genuinely critical of America as a nation. This only ostracizes us from the GOP base. To us, its not the case at all, because we all admire the Constitution and the likes of Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin, but we need to understand why we don't appeal to the GOP Electorate, and adjust accordingly.
The Tea Party is indeed marginally different from the hardcore Neoconservatives in foreign policy. They're much less hawkish, and I think most of the GOP Electorate does not wish to engage in new wars and would like to see our roles in the Middle East wind down.
Run wild with this. Stress his consistency in his position to end the wars and bring our troops home, but at the same time, acknowledge that there is a dangerous threat of fundamentalism that is fundamentally anti-liberty. Nothing wrong with saying that, because its the truth. Osama bin Laden isn't exactly a bastion of freedom, and neither was Saddam Hussein and Qaddafi, but Ron Paul can actually twist the tone of the discussion here. Instead of criticizing American foreign policy, turn the tables and say, "We have fought hard to preserve and promote freedom and democracy, and look at the result? The world spews nothing but hatred for America, and has the audacity to label *us* as the oppressor. People in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya have shown no appreciation for our efforts, and we've lost thousands of our servicemen in battle, with no end in sight. We cannot uproot ignorance, no matter how great our military might. It's time we brought our troops home."
Completely different tone, yes, but the end result is the same: ending the wars and bringing our troops home.
Also, focus on supporting Israel. Yes, we hate the Israel worship, but let's face it, we must if we want to win. Instead of presenting our ideas of nonintervention in a negative way with respect to Israel, Ron needs to come out in full force and say things like "Israel and the United States share a long standing friendship, and I intend on doing nothing but honoring this relationship. I fully support Israel's decisions to defend herself, and as President, will never hinder their efforts to secure their nation." Talking like this appeals to the GOP base and at the same time does not violate our principle of nonintervention.
Attack foreign aid by using the same description he used at his CPAC speech: "Foreign aid is taking money from poor people of rich countries and giving it to rich people of poor countries." Attack the very basis of foreign aid by saying, "If we as conservatives do not believe in welfare and wealth redistribution, foreign aid should also be off our Republican platform as it once was. Foreign aid is nothing more than welfare for puppet dictators and corrupt governments."
Focus how ending the wars, bringing our troops home, and ending foreign aid would save $500 billion a year in federal spending, which would alone balance our budget over 4 years even if we kept all other entitlements untouched. This will resonate with the Electorate.
3) Attack Obamacare. This should be easy, but we know Ron Paul is not a politician, so he's not one to play political hardball and oppose or endorse something just because its politically advantageous, but stress the unconstitutionality of the mandate. Stress how he has been consistent in identifying bills that appear to be "regulatory" but in fact prop up the corporations.
Attack, attack, attack Obamacare. In fact, be bold with it and say it would be the first thing on his agenda as President: to repeal Obamacare. Focus on specifics on what he'd do in place of Obamacare. Focus on how he'd introduce market forces into medicine and encourage competition. Attack the FDA. This is popular among the GOP base.
4) Federal Reserve transparency. Although ending the Fed is our ideal, focus the campaign on Federal Reserve transparency. Continue what you have been doing here, alerting the People about the Fed's central role in our out of control inflation. It is popular to criticize spending, so here's your chance to do it: stress how the Fed can and has been monetizing our federal debt from this fiscally irresponsible Obama Administration. Continue to educate the people about the Fed's central role in debasing our currency, and how its the enemy of the middle class by debasing the purchasing power of savings.
Stress the importance of gold/silver as historical mediums of exchange that do not lose value. Stress competition in currency as an immediate solution, not ending the Fed entirely.
5) Spend all remaining energies on Pro-Growth Initiatives.
Yes, while it seems fiscal austerity is the hot topic, I think that when push comes to shove, the American Electorate is not willing to part ways with their entitlements. It is political suicide to advocate cutting social security, Medicare/Medicaid, and welfare programs. As much as the true libertarian would do away with all these, do not advocate abolition.
Instead, focus on how to create jobs and grow the private sector with the following 3 things:
a) Tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts! No one (or very few) are talking about tax cuts right now. All the GOP talking heads are talking about austerity, and they don't even name specifics of what they want to cut. Put aside spending cuts, and become synonomous with tax cuts! Nothing is more pro-growth than tax cuts. Also, complete abolition of income taxes is not a palatable solution, either. Talk about cutting taxes (but not eliminating) ACROSS the board: personal, corporate, and capital gains taxes.
b) Simplify the tax code. Present specifics on what honest, immediate simplifications can be made to the United States Tax Code. Perhaps be bold here and introduce a Flat/Fair Tax substitute to income taxes, and campaign on allowing the People to decide which they'd prefer.
b) Repeal excess regulations. Focus on repealing certain parts of Sarbanes-Oxley, Dodd-Frank, Obamacare, EPA, and FDA. Focus on reducing prohibitive and/or coercive regulations that make economic growth virtually impossible.
So there we have it. Foreign policy, Federal Reserve, Obamacare, and Pro-growth policies are the winning combination of campaign themes. I know, we are all dedicated to the Constitution and want to ideally do away with ALL welfare, warfare, taxation, fiat currency, and State surveillance, and replace them with a true free market, no taxes, and sound money, but we have to understand one thing: people cannot stomach such a dramatic change. That is why my solution to win is to focus on the transition, and not the endgame. This is how Rand Paul won in Kentucky, and is how Ron Paul can sweep the GOP nomination if he does the same.
1) In my opinion, if Ron Paul centers his (potential) 2012 bid for the GOP nomination on things that negatively affect entitlements, he will lose. Millions of people are simply too dependent on the system and will not vote for a candidate who wants austerity in entitlements.
SOLUTION: Focus on the transition and not the end game. Ideas in this area include initiatives to introduce market forces into healthcare and education. Stress the need for FDA reform, and sending Education back to the States. Stress a plan to transition Social Security to make it solvent and sustainable going forward. Stress the fact that he does NOT plan on throwing the elderly and the poor out on the streets, but to provide a clear path towards getting the system solvent and by enabling the youth of America to be more self-reliant so that they never become dependent on the system.
Give specifics. The clearer the plan he presents, the more the Electorate will support you.
AVOID: "Conspiratorial" theories like the destruction of civil liberties by a sinister State. Yes, we all within the Liberty movement understand that this is the truth and not a conspiracy, but we need to sell this message to the public at large, not just to those of us who already are aware of it.
2) Foreign policy. Folks in the Liberty movement are often characterized as being "anti-American" or genuinely critical of America as a nation. This only ostracizes us from the GOP base. To us, its not the case at all, because we all admire the Constitution and the likes of Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin, but we need to understand why we don't appeal to the GOP Electorate, and adjust accordingly.
The Tea Party is indeed marginally different from the hardcore Neoconservatives in foreign policy. They're much less hawkish, and I think most of the GOP Electorate does not wish to engage in new wars and would like to see our roles in the Middle East wind down.
Run wild with this. Stress his consistency in his position to end the wars and bring our troops home, but at the same time, acknowledge that there is a dangerous threat of fundamentalism that is fundamentally anti-liberty. Nothing wrong with saying that, because its the truth. Osama bin Laden isn't exactly a bastion of freedom, and neither was Saddam Hussein and Qaddafi, but Ron Paul can actually twist the tone of the discussion here. Instead of criticizing American foreign policy, turn the tables and say, "We have fought hard to preserve and promote freedom and democracy, and look at the result? The world spews nothing but hatred for America, and has the audacity to label *us* as the oppressor. People in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya have shown no appreciation for our efforts, and we've lost thousands of our servicemen in battle, with no end in sight. We cannot uproot ignorance, no matter how great our military might. It's time we brought our troops home."
Completely different tone, yes, but the end result is the same: ending the wars and bringing our troops home.
Also, focus on supporting Israel. Yes, we hate the Israel worship, but let's face it, we must if we want to win. Instead of presenting our ideas of nonintervention in a negative way with respect to Israel, Ron needs to come out in full force and say things like "Israel and the United States share a long standing friendship, and I intend on doing nothing but honoring this relationship. I fully support Israel's decisions to defend herself, and as President, will never hinder their efforts to secure their nation." Talking like this appeals to the GOP base and at the same time does not violate our principle of nonintervention.
Attack foreign aid by using the same description he used at his CPAC speech: "Foreign aid is taking money from poor people of rich countries and giving it to rich people of poor countries." Attack the very basis of foreign aid by saying, "If we as conservatives do not believe in welfare and wealth redistribution, foreign aid should also be off our Republican platform as it once was. Foreign aid is nothing more than welfare for puppet dictators and corrupt governments."
Focus how ending the wars, bringing our troops home, and ending foreign aid would save $500 billion a year in federal spending, which would alone balance our budget over 4 years even if we kept all other entitlements untouched. This will resonate with the Electorate.
3) Attack Obamacare. This should be easy, but we know Ron Paul is not a politician, so he's not one to play political hardball and oppose or endorse something just because its politically advantageous, but stress the unconstitutionality of the mandate. Stress how he has been consistent in identifying bills that appear to be "regulatory" but in fact prop up the corporations.
Attack, attack, attack Obamacare. In fact, be bold with it and say it would be the first thing on his agenda as President: to repeal Obamacare. Focus on specifics on what he'd do in place of Obamacare. Focus on how he'd introduce market forces into medicine and encourage competition. Attack the FDA. This is popular among the GOP base.
4) Federal Reserve transparency. Although ending the Fed is our ideal, focus the campaign on Federal Reserve transparency. Continue what you have been doing here, alerting the People about the Fed's central role in our out of control inflation. It is popular to criticize spending, so here's your chance to do it: stress how the Fed can and has been monetizing our federal debt from this fiscally irresponsible Obama Administration. Continue to educate the people about the Fed's central role in debasing our currency, and how its the enemy of the middle class by debasing the purchasing power of savings.
Stress the importance of gold/silver as historical mediums of exchange that do not lose value. Stress competition in currency as an immediate solution, not ending the Fed entirely.
5) Spend all remaining energies on Pro-Growth Initiatives.
Yes, while it seems fiscal austerity is the hot topic, I think that when push comes to shove, the American Electorate is not willing to part ways with their entitlements. It is political suicide to advocate cutting social security, Medicare/Medicaid, and welfare programs. As much as the true libertarian would do away with all these, do not advocate abolition.
Instead, focus on how to create jobs and grow the private sector with the following 3 things:
a) Tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts! No one (or very few) are talking about tax cuts right now. All the GOP talking heads are talking about austerity, and they don't even name specifics of what they want to cut. Put aside spending cuts, and become synonomous with tax cuts! Nothing is more pro-growth than tax cuts. Also, complete abolition of income taxes is not a palatable solution, either. Talk about cutting taxes (but not eliminating) ACROSS the board: personal, corporate, and capital gains taxes.
b) Simplify the tax code. Present specifics on what honest, immediate simplifications can be made to the United States Tax Code. Perhaps be bold here and introduce a Flat/Fair Tax substitute to income taxes, and campaign on allowing the People to decide which they'd prefer.
b) Repeal excess regulations. Focus on repealing certain parts of Sarbanes-Oxley, Dodd-Frank, Obamacare, EPA, and FDA. Focus on reducing prohibitive and/or coercive regulations that make economic growth virtually impossible.
So there we have it. Foreign policy, Federal Reserve, Obamacare, and Pro-growth policies are the winning combination of campaign themes. I know, we are all dedicated to the Constitution and want to ideally do away with ALL welfare, warfare, taxation, fiat currency, and State surveillance, and replace them with a true free market, no taxes, and sound money, but we have to understand one thing: people cannot stomach such a dramatic change. That is why my solution to win is to focus on the transition, and not the endgame. This is how Rand Paul won in Kentucky, and is how Ron Paul can sweep the GOP nomination if he does the same.