Vindication of a Ron Paul supporter (Tell your story too!)

[Matthew Zak]

4 years ago my family was stuck in a left/right paradigm. They knew who Ron Paul was (because of me) but since they never questioned Fox News, they thought he was crazy, extreme, and fringe.

I pulled out all the stops in promoting Ron Paul to them. I told them everything that mattered to me. I showed them videos online that inspired me and gave me goosebumps after the 20th time watching.

By the end of 2008, the only argument they had against supporting Ron Paul was that he was "unelectable". He "didn't stand a chance". "Could not win".

Of course, if they had been getting their news from other sources, he might already be our president.

3 years later... my mother, step father, sister, and even her boyfriend -- all in for Ron Paul. Michele Bachmann? They think she's ok. But they're voting for Ron Paul.

Friends who used to think I was crazy for promoting Ron Paul, donating to his campaign, or using words like "inflation" and "unconstitutional" -- are now reposting videos such as Jon Stewart bashing the media and adding their own captions that say, "This is sick! I'm with you Ron!"

I get chills thinking about it.

This movement is a slow-moving tsunami... an unstoppable, unavoidable tsunami.

[TIMB0B]

This movement is a slow-moving tsunami... an unstoppable, unavoidable tsunami.
A glacier perhaps?


Great story, btw. I've converted everyone in my family (except my sister who is a bleeding heart lib), and most of my friends. My sis loves the Daily Show. Hopefully a Ron Paul interview will convert her too.

[Karsten]

Great story. Unfortunately mine is the opposite. My Dad's always been a very anti-war, anti-Bush conservative, so in 2008 it was easy. My parents found out who Ron Paul was (also cause of me) in 2008, and eventually voted for him. Once the financial collapse happened, however, My Dad (who is retired but has a lot of money) got so panicked with the bank failures and the stock market crash that he started to believe everything MSNBC told him, and by proxy, so did my Mom. He said "Ron Paul and his Republican buddies are trying to put us into a depression!" [because of opposing the bailout.] He has bought into the line that the crash was caused by not enough regulation, and now we need more government, and the tea parties are terrorists... you know, pretty much everything MSNBC is about he parrots back to me. I've tried. I've tried videos, I've tried printing out news articles and giving it to him, I've tried reading Ron Paul books to him.... absolutely nothing works. He does not listen. He does not pay attention. He only hears what he wants to hear. It's depressing. I pretty much got my political views (anti war conservative) from my father, and to hear him now..

[Corpsman4Liberty]

I'm in the process of converting my brother, his wife was die hard sarah palin but after seeing ron in the debates, shes now in love with him. My brother is a die hard liberal which is funny because he used to read ayn rand, he thinks libertarian philosophies are based in a "fantasy" world. I think by reading only ayn rand, one can come to such a conclusion. When I go home in october to visit, i'm gonna bring a bunch of books with me, road to serfdom, history of banking in america, the fatal deceit. I think I can win him over. Rooting for Obama makes no sense. How can anyone support the guy who didn't uphold anything he campaigned on.

[Krtek]

Great story. Unfortunately mine is the opposite. My Dad's always been a very anti-war, anti-Bush conservative, so in 2008 it was easy. My parents found out who Ron Paul was (also cause of me) in 2008, and eventually voted for him. Once the financial collapse happened, however, My Dad (who is retired but has a lot of money) got so panicked with the bank failures and the stock market crash that he started to believe everything MSNBC told him, and by proxy, so did my Mom. He said "Ron Paul and his Republican buddies are trying to put us into a depression!" [because of opposing the bailout.] He has bought into the line that the crash was caused by not enough regulation, and now we need more government, and the tea parties are terrorists... you know, pretty much everything MSNBC is about he parrots back to me. I've tried. I've tried videos, I've tried printing out news articles and giving it to him, I've tried reading Ron Paul books to him.... absolutely nothing works. He does not listen. He does not pay attention. He only hears what he wants to hear. It's depressing. I pretty much got my political views (anti war conservative) from my father, and to hear him now..

Try getting him to listen to Peter Schiff's radio show and also the Peter Schiff was Right youtube video (use the video to hook him in first).

[Fr0m_3ur0pe]

Try getting him to listen to Peter Schiff's radio show and also the Peter Schiff was Right youtube video (use the video to hook him in first).

After that video, Tom Woods Meltdown is on the reading list.

[hazek]

After that video, Tom Woods Meltdown is on the reading list.

This! ^

[Bern]

I've been chipping away in the mines of intertron mountain. I don't know how much credit my efforts should be awarded for it, but I have been noticing a massive turnaround of opinion on Ron Paul in the mines where I dwell. People have gone from "he's a kook" to "every other option is no option, so I'm seriously considering Ron Paul". A few have even seen the light and are actively campaigning now.

[dusman]

Great story. Unfortunately mine is the opposite. My Dad's always been a very anti-war, anti-Bush conservative, so in 2008 it was easy. My parents found out who Ron Paul was (also cause of me) in 2008, and eventually voted for him. Once the financial collapse happened, however, My Dad (who is retired but has a lot of money) got so panicked with the bank failures and the stock market crash that he started to believe everything MSNBC told him, and by proxy, so did my Mom. He said "Ron Paul and his Republican buddies are trying to put us into a depression!" [because of opposing the bailout.] He has bought into the line that the crash was caused by not enough regulation, and now we need more government, and the tea parties are terrorists... you know, pretty much everything MSNBC is about he parrots back to me. I've tried. I've tried videos, I've tried printing out news articles and giving it to him, I've tried reading Ron Paul books to him.... absolutely nothing works. He does not listen. He does not pay attention. He only hears what he wants to hear. It's depressing. I pretty much got my political views (anti war conservative) from my father, and to hear him now..

I think your last statement is powerful and should be how you approach your Father. He might come around if he knows your entire philosophy is based off of what his conviction used to be.

[Nate]

Great story. Unfortunately mine is the opposite. My Dad's always been a very anti-war, anti-Bush conservative, so in 2008 it was easy. My parents found out who Ron Paul was (also cause of me) in 2008, and eventually voted for him. Once the financial collapse happened, however, My Dad (who is retired but has a lot of money) got so panicked with the bank failures and the stock market crash that he started to believe everything MSNBC told him, and by proxy, so did my Mom. He said "Ron Paul and his Republican buddies are trying to put us into a depression!" [because of opposing the bailout.] He has bought into the line that the crash was caused by not enough regulation, and now we need more government, and the tea parties are terrorists... you know, pretty much everything MSNBC is about he parrots back to me. I've tried. I've tried videos, I've tried printing out news articles and giving it to him, I've tried reading Ron Paul books to him.... absolutely nothing works. He does not listen. He does not pay attention. He only hears what he wants to hear. It's depressing. I pretty much got my political views (anti war conservative) from my father, and to hear him now..

Ah, yes, willful ignorance. My lifelong nemesis. Keep plugging away, he can't ignore reality ad infinitum.