The Carrot and the Stick

[Shotdown1027]

There is a lot of debate recently about our movement--the Ron Paul Republican movement--and the Libertarian Party.

I view one as the carrot, one as the stick.

We give Republican a chance to be with us, to be on the side of liberty. Lets use the Presidential election as an example. We begged and pleaded with them to be on Ron Paul's side. This is the carrot. If you're with us, we'll vote with you, fill your coffers, and help you win.

If they reject us? The stick. You want to vote against, and then ridicule and disrespect, Ron Paul? Okay, we'll vote for Gary Johnson. No, 500,000 votes doesn't make a huge difference, but I guarantee you that Romney will lose several states (New Mexico, Virginia, NC) by less than the LP/CP polls.

So, you don't have to be for one and against the other. You can embrace both camps and use them--as a carrot and a stick.

[francisco]

Agreed. The ball is in Romney's court.

One thing for sure--if the NV delegation is not seated, and its place given to the newly created shadow Romney organization as was speculated by a poster at Lew Rockwell's site, it will totally alienate RP's supporters and foreclose any possibility of cooperation.

[kuckfeynes]

Or, the stick is NOBP.

No Paul? Looks like I'll be voting at the bar as usual...

[Shotdown1027]

Writing in Ron Paul won't be counted in almost all states. It'll be deposited straight into the trash. On the rare occurences that write-ins are kept, they aren't tabulated and recorded. You might as well not vote.

Go vote LP or CP or for some Independent or something. Something someone will count.

[kuckfeynes]

Why bother voting for someone who I don't fully trust just to be part of a 0.5% protest? IMO an overall low turnout says a lot more.

I'll play within the system when I can, but I don't need to legitimize the process by always voting out of some sense of indoctrinated "civic duty."

[Shotdown1027]

I didn't suggest any civic duty.

Not voting won't send a message. It will be assumed you were lazy, at worse, and that you were simply "unenthusiastic", at best. Voting for a third party says you're disenfranchised.

[francisco]

I didn't suggest any civic duty.

Not voting won't send a message. It will be assumed you were lazy, at worse, and that you were simply "unenthusiastic", at best. Voting for a third party says you're disenfranchised.

QFT

[Aratus]

THIS VIOLENCE IN CHICAGO TODAY HAS ECHOES IN MY MINDS EYE OF WHAT WENT DOWN IN 1968.
LETs ASK OUR MOVEMENT PEOPLE TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE INSTEAD OF DESTRUCTIVE, TO BE A FORCE
FOR THE FUTURE INSTEAD OF A DEAD WEIGHT OF IMMATURE ACTING OUT. WE NEED TO BE UNITED
AND ON MESSAGE WHEN OUR PEOPLE GET TO TAMPA AND WE MUST STATE OUR CASE TO THE PUBLIC
CLEARLY AND CLEANLY AS DOCTOR RON PAUL WOULD WANT US TO. WE WILL NOT TURN TAMPA INTO
A ZOO IF WE HAVE SOME COMMON SENSE. MOST OF THE DEDICATED PEOPLE AROUND MITT ROMNEY
ARE MY AGE OR OLDER. EVERYONE WHO IS YOUNG AND IS HALF OR 1/3rd MY AGE ARE OUR FUTURE!!!