Here's THE Issue

[jay_dub]

Okay, I'm pretty bummed about where we're at. I don't like our prospects as we go forward and a third party run seems more viable than the delegate strategy looking realistically at the upcoming states and that's a long shot, too. We need a game changer.

What would that be? Barring unforeseen events beyond our control, is there anything that really separates Ron Paul from the others THAT WILL RESONATE WITH THE AVERAGE VOTER?

The ONE thing I see is the economy, notably the debt. All the other candidates, Obama included, will take us to over $20 Trillion in debt in the next 4 years. Only Ron Paul's plan will reduce the debt. Our country cannot recover under such a burden, no matter what other policies are advocated.

At some point, the debt crisis has to light a fire under the average voter. If $20 Trillion in debt doesn't meet that threshold, I don't know what will. We WILL be at that point if ANY of the other guys are elected. Along with that, we will be seeing our annual interest payments go to over $700 Billion every year. Even that absurdly high figure is counting on interest rates staying low. If they go up, certain economic collapse will follow. This is what's on the line. It's not Obamacare, it's not jobs, it's not $2.50 gas, it's not birth control pills, it's not Iran...it's not even Liberty. It's our economic survival. Everything else takes a back seat.

This is not rocket science. It's something any voter can grasp in a minute. They already know we're in trouble. They just need it broken down for them so it occupies the front of their minds. We need to put the focus on this issue and this issue only until the dialogue is changed and focused on this issue. No one can argue that Ron is wrong on this. He owns this issue and it's the only issue that will bring in the average voter.

Clinton had it right. IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!!

From article reviewing economic plans of candidates....

GOP presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are touting policies that would push the debt beyond current projections — largely because their proposed tax cuts would outweigh spending cuts. Only Ron Paul's plans would begin to sharply decrease the debt, according to a report Thursday from the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/feb/23/nation/la-na-gop-candidates-deficit-20120224

[sailingaway]

You will have to explain to the average voter how the deficit and debt, which they have been told 'doesn't matter' causes inflation and led to Greece having a world bank rep in their legislature essentially rendering them unsovereign 'debtor in possession' of their country.

If people got that at a gut level, I agree, they'd be screaming to put Ron in the white house. But I'm not sure how to present it to them in a way they will grasp, immediately.

What grabs me about Ron is principles, as well as his love of country, Constitution, honesty, and his attempt, always to do the right thing for the people he represents.

I remember a line in an article about him where they interviewed his district which is NOT made up of pure Constitutionalists, and asked why he was so popular. One traditional old lady said 'I don't like his vote but I trust his heart.'

When was the last time you could say anything even that good about a president?

Many may not 'understand' why he is 'right', but EVERYONE should see why he should be trusted.

[sailingaway]

lol!

So I tried to come up with an advertising campaign for that concept, and flashed on:

"Trust me -- Because you'd be an idiot to trust any of the others...."

[jay_dub]

You will have to explain to the average voter how the deficit and debt, which they have been told 'doesn't matter' causes inflation and led to Greece having a world bank rep in their legislature essentially rendering them unsovereign 'debtor in possession' of their country.

If people got that at a gut level, I agree, they'd be screaming to put Ron in the white house. But I'm not sure how to present it to them in a way they will grasp, immediately.

What grabs me about Ron is principles, as well as his love of country, Constitution, honesty, and his attempt, always to do the right thing for the people he represents.

I remember a line in an article about him where they interviewed his district which is NOT made up of pure Constitutionalists, and asked why he was so popular. One traditional old lady said 'I don't like his vote but I trust his heart.'

When was the last time you could say anything even that good about a president?

Many may not 'understand' why he is 'right', but EVERYONE should see why he should be trusted.

I think he could just say that last year we spent over $450 Billion on interest alone on our debt and that figure will climb to over $700 Billion if any of the others are elected. He could then go on to compare that $700 Billion to other parts of our budget and show just what we don't have, and won't be able to afford, as a result of these interest payments. Funding for EVERYTHING is at risk due to these interest payments. We can't grow our way out of this. Jobs won't solve this. Cheap gas won't make it go away. We have to face this head on....there is no alternative. Anybody that tells you otherwise is lying.

It's a no-brainer that, no matter what you may want from the government, its ability to provide that will disappear under this debt. This is a certainty. This is true no matter if you're Conservative or Liberal....Republican, Democrat or Independent. Black, white, Latino, male, female, young, old....we all....everyone....are in the same boat.

At least that's how I would put it. :D

[thoughtomator]

I've condensed the elevator argument to this:


Debt is a claim on labor, since it takes labor to pay back a debt.
Whose labor is claimed when the government adds debt?
Your kids? Your grandkids?
Is this the legacy you want to leave them with?


then I just go silent and let that stew for a while

[sailingaway]

I've condensed the elevator argument to this:


Debt is a claim on labor, since it takes labor to pay back a debt.
Whose labor is claimed when the government adds debt?
Your kids? Your grandkids?
Is this the legacy you want to leave them with?


then I just go silent and let that stew for a while

and as Ron has said, it isn't even the next generation we are dumping it on, any more, it is us -- AND the next generation.

[thoughtomator]

they'll figure out that part eventually... just make a direct appeal to their sense of decency and common sense, and let the seed grow on its own

[jay_dub]

I get this picture of the Titanic in my head and (insert other candidate here) is yelling, "Full Steam Ahead!!!!".

Really, if we wait until 2016, no one will want to take the wheel after we've hit the iceberg.

This country is, right now, spending roughly a quarter of all it takes in on interest payments. Everyone gets that you can't keep going at that rate. Not much noise was made with the recent (January) increase in our debt ceiling. Where was the Tea Party? Anyway, $17 trillion will be the number we are looking at come this November. This is undeniable, Ron Paul owns this issue and it needs to be exploited.

[Mr. Perfidy]

nobody seems to be grasping that to be an average voter means to be irrational, uneducated, and unconcerned. Most of the arguments we make sound like, "blah blah supposed expert talk blah blah blah (racist word) (I love rich people) (I hate minorities) blah blah."

[Captain Shays]

Here's another issue. I just heard on Fox that the in latest poll 61% of Americans want us out of Afghanistan NOW. ONLY Ron Paul would get us out now. ONLY Ron Paul has been right about it from the beginning.

That must count or something

[PolicyReader]

Clinton had it right. IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!!

From article reviewing economic plans of candidates....

GOP presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are touting policies that would push the debt beyond current projections — largely because their proposed tax cuts would outweigh spending cuts. Only Ron Paul's plans would begin to sharply decrease the debt, according to a report Thursday from the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/feb/23/nation/la-na-gop-candidates-deficit-20120224
^This
We don't have to help them understand what is going on and why, we don't have time to truly educate more voters at this stage, we only need to make them understand the personal cost of ignoring sound economic policy.


1. Create a need
2. Offer a product or service
3. Rewards and consequence
4. Create urgency

Marketing theory 101

I'm really not a fan of marketing (this is an epic understatement) but I understand how totally unmotivated the average voter, let alone the average citizen is when it comes to our political process, and bluntly GOTV is both vital and lagging so it's probably worth looking into.

People make their purchasing decisions from a mostly emotional level ~80% and bluntly we need to take a single issue (I think you're right econ is good) and leverage that emotionally. Don't lie of course but do describe how the other candidates will effect the econ and how bad this can truly become, how it will effect that voter in their day to day life. I'll reiterate I find this kind of practice somewhat distasteful but if it's a choice between this and another Obamney term I'll take this and not look back.

The grassroots needs to up it's (our) average effect on this race and we need to do it sooner not later.

That's why I'm currently looking for a way around the local party establishment having grudges against me (yah see I have the audacity to think my voice deserves as much consideration as theirs :eek::rolleyes: ). You see we need more action, we need to be making a greater impact not in any way we can, in every way we can.

We need about three times as long as we have both within this election and within the scope of national legal culture and enforcement. Well, hoping and wishing isn't going to change that so we have got to make up for all that time we don't have with the resources that we do have, and that means networking and becoming active on as many fronts as possible. That means taking our 'comfort zones' and tossing them in the waste bin until after the election. I'm in Utah the most Romney state in the union and I'm not going to concede the win to him here or nationally. We take the hand we have now and we make it work or fall short and pay for that for years to come (simple literal fact, a term is four years and laws tend to last even longer).

[jay_dub]

I don't think I'm suggesting anything new. Ron has brought at least some of these points up. What he hasn't done is SELL it. You can't sell liberty or freedom..they're too abstract and voters always vote in their perceived self-interest (pocketbook issues).

This should be an easy sell. The media and many voters already think highly of Ron's economic plan. How does it go??...I like Ron Paul except for....

It's just a matter of focus. The idea is already there in people's minds. We just have to elevate it.

[BUSHLIED]

I've condensed the elevator argument to this:


Debt is a claim on labor, since it takes labor to pay back a debt.
Whose labor is claimed when the government adds debt?
Your kids? Your grandkids?
Is this the legacy you want to leave them with?

then I just go silent and let that stew for a while

I doubt that most people will even understand this explanation, particularly "debt is a claim on labor." It is abstract and disconnected from reality for people. They don't even understand how inflating the money supply is a 'tax.' They don't understand what it means to monetize debt because they don't understand the word monetize.

It has to be broken down in a fable story like Jack and Jill or The Gingerbread man because most people are intellectual kids/8th graders...sad but true.

[PolicyReader]

I don't think I'm suggesting anything new. Ron has brought at least some of these points up. What he hasn't done is SELL it. You can't sell liberty or freedom..they're too abstract and voters always vote in their perceived self-interest (pocketbook issues).

This should be an easy sell. The media and many voters already think highly of Ron's economic plan. How does it go??...I like Ron Paul except for....

It's just a matter of focus. The idea is already there in people's minds. We just have to elevate it.
Yeah, shorter version (still agreeing with you ;) ) of what I was saying.
It's time we (the grassroots) sell it

[Liberty74]

Here's another issue. I just heard on Fox that the in latest poll 61% of Americans want us out of Afghanistan NOW. ONLY Ron Paul would get us out now. ONLY Ron Paul has been right about it from the beginning.

That must count or something

And this is Ron's fault and the campaign's fault for not taking advantage of issues and going nuclear. Call the bastards out. Say how dangerous they have become to our defense and to our soldiers. Blast blast blast.

But no, Ron will let the other three coop his message. The campaign will go silent. RPF will go crazy. The media will ignore it all. Sound familiar?

This is why I strongly advocate a....

BRING THE TROOPS HOME MONEY BOMB

It has mass appeal and reaches wide on the political spectrum. People might just start to take a second look at Ron as a result.

[socal]

The latest Dan Amerman article explaining how the government is lying about the unemployment rate came out yesterday. Dr Paul has mentioned this in several recent speeches and interviews. Bogus stats, like the understated inflation or unemployment numbers, are another hurdle that must be overcome. It'd be a lot easier to convince people of our dire economic straits if the numbers were not being falsified.

Personally I think the economy is going to deteriorate rapidly in the next several months with either higher unemployment or price inflation. I think higher price inflation is more likely, but not guaranteed, with a decreased standard of living for most,

Making 9 Million Jobless "Vanish": How The Government Manipulates Unemployment Statistics
http://danielamerman.com/articles/2012/WorkC.html


... the government has blatantly and rapidly changed labor force definitions for the young in a manner that has twisted a rising 20.0% unemployment rate into a publicly reported falling 8.8% unemployment rate...

If more than one in a thousand potential retirees aged 55-64 is changing their individual behavior because of what has happened with the economy and investments, and they are attempting to defer retirement but they don't have a job, then the true total of jobless being hidden since 2007 could be significantly higher than 6.5 million, and the real unemployment rate could be higher than 20%.

[PolicyReader]

socal brings up some good points
also like it or not (I'm more of a not guy myself but be that as it may) the econ is currently globally integrated to a great degree, sovereign status is diminished and if dominoes fall elsewhere in the world (Japan is still hurting, the EU is in a bad way, etc.) it will degrade the status of the US econ (whatever that status may be at the time). Not that these aspects are easy to present to someone who hasn't read up on the issue, but they're factors in what's really going on.