freneticentropy
01-22-2012, 02:16 PM
I posted this in an existing thread on grass roots, but I think it's important enough to post a new thread here.
Right now, we're losing. Let's face it. And we're losing because of foreign policy.
We need something drastic to pull in voters worried about FP. Paul needs to immediately announce a major foreign policy speech. He needs to get some buzz going. He needs to make out his foreign policy to be peaceful, but STRONG. Maybe get it a nice catchphrase like 'The Paul Doctrine' and get the media talking about it.
In it, he should talk about defending our borders, defending our shipping lanes, nuclear submarines, bilateral diplomacy, specifically targeting terrorists while avoiding nation building and quagmires, only going to war with a declaration from congress, and retooling our military for 21st century battles. He should emphasize that we spend more on the military than the rest of the world combined and that he still wants to have by far the largest military in the world, but streamline it, narrow it's mission and make it cost effective. He should discuss Israel and pulling aid from their adversaries. He should talk about granting Israel their sovereignty. In short, in this speech he needs to cover all the common criticisms.
He should also in the speech talk about making our economic policy part of our national security policy. He should lay out the fact that the US will not be able to defend itself if we have a dollar crisis and that financial security IS national security.
I think if he got a kick ass speechwriter to work on this with him, got some buzz going about an upcoming major policy speech, got his policy some branding (Paul Doctrine), it would be hard to ignore and it might sway huge swaths of people who aren't necessarily 'hawks' but think Paul's FP is 'naive'. That seems to be a lot of people. He doesn't need to be a warmonger. He just needs to show that he understands there are dangers in the world and he will address them. Peter Schiff has been saying the same thing. Lots of people are saying the same thing. At dinner table conversations with conservatives, this is what I'm hearing. It's always: "I like Ron Paul, but his FP is crazy." We need a solid, statesmanlike speech to show that his policy ISN'T crazy. It's balanced, it's constitutional, it's realistic, and it defends America.
If he doesn't do something DRASTIC about the perception people have of his foreign policy, HE WILL LOSE. He can't keep ignoring this issue. I hope to god the campaign is listening. This would be something that is almost free. It would cost hardly anything and has the potential to pull in millions of people wavering on Paul.
CAMPAIGN: THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE. THIS MUST HAPPEN NOW. I have no idea what the downside could possibly be. But it's clear, we have to try. If we don't, we lose. Plain and simple. The campaign has done such a fantastic job with the ground game, and it makes me crazy that it's all going to waste because we can't formulate a clear FP vision that will alleviate the concerns of millions who'd like to vote for Paul but can't because of FP.
Everybody else: We need to pressure the campaign now on this. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Now. Clearing up people's fear (and that's what it is, fear) on FP MUST happen or he will not win.
This is not meant as a slam against Paul or the campaign in any way. When this all started, I didn't think we'd do nearly as well as we've done, and it's a testament to the hard work and tireless campaign efforts that we've come this far. But I think there is SO MUCH low hanging fruit that could be collected with a clear foreign policy statement. Maybe even up to ten or fifteen percent or more. That's enough to win.
PS. I also wouldn't mind a followup speech on domestic policy. Republicans would eat that up, no problem.
Right now, we're losing. Let's face it. And we're losing because of foreign policy.
We need something drastic to pull in voters worried about FP. Paul needs to immediately announce a major foreign policy speech. He needs to get some buzz going. He needs to make out his foreign policy to be peaceful, but STRONG. Maybe get it a nice catchphrase like 'The Paul Doctrine' and get the media talking about it.
In it, he should talk about defending our borders, defending our shipping lanes, nuclear submarines, bilateral diplomacy, specifically targeting terrorists while avoiding nation building and quagmires, only going to war with a declaration from congress, and retooling our military for 21st century battles. He should emphasize that we spend more on the military than the rest of the world combined and that he still wants to have by far the largest military in the world, but streamline it, narrow it's mission and make it cost effective. He should discuss Israel and pulling aid from their adversaries. He should talk about granting Israel their sovereignty. In short, in this speech he needs to cover all the common criticisms.
He should also in the speech talk about making our economic policy part of our national security policy. He should lay out the fact that the US will not be able to defend itself if we have a dollar crisis and that financial security IS national security.
I think if he got a kick ass speechwriter to work on this with him, got some buzz going about an upcoming major policy speech, got his policy some branding (Paul Doctrine), it would be hard to ignore and it might sway huge swaths of people who aren't necessarily 'hawks' but think Paul's FP is 'naive'. That seems to be a lot of people. He doesn't need to be a warmonger. He just needs to show that he understands there are dangers in the world and he will address them. Peter Schiff has been saying the same thing. Lots of people are saying the same thing. At dinner table conversations with conservatives, this is what I'm hearing. It's always: "I like Ron Paul, but his FP is crazy." We need a solid, statesmanlike speech to show that his policy ISN'T crazy. It's balanced, it's constitutional, it's realistic, and it defends America.
If he doesn't do something DRASTIC about the perception people have of his foreign policy, HE WILL LOSE. He can't keep ignoring this issue. I hope to god the campaign is listening. This would be something that is almost free. It would cost hardly anything and has the potential to pull in millions of people wavering on Paul.
CAMPAIGN: THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE. THIS MUST HAPPEN NOW. I have no idea what the downside could possibly be. But it's clear, we have to try. If we don't, we lose. Plain and simple. The campaign has done such a fantastic job with the ground game, and it makes me crazy that it's all going to waste because we can't formulate a clear FP vision that will alleviate the concerns of millions who'd like to vote for Paul but can't because of FP.
Everybody else: We need to pressure the campaign now on this. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Now. Clearing up people's fear (and that's what it is, fear) on FP MUST happen or he will not win.
This is not meant as a slam against Paul or the campaign in any way. When this all started, I didn't think we'd do nearly as well as we've done, and it's a testament to the hard work and tireless campaign efforts that we've come this far. But I think there is SO MUCH low hanging fruit that could be collected with a clear foreign policy statement. Maybe even up to ten or fifteen percent or more. That's enough to win.
PS. I also wouldn't mind a followup speech on domestic policy. Republicans would eat that up, no problem.