Jesse Benton is the MAN!!

[whippoorwill]

..........
............If he tanks Sen. Mitch McConnells campaign!...........
__________________________________________________ *

[John F Kennedy III]

Not really. It won't make up for what he did to Ron's.

[specsaregood]

..........
............If he tanks Sen. Mitch McConnells campaign!...........
__________________________________________________ *

I'd prefer he be productive instead of destructive. Merely getting mcconnell replaced by some establishment democrat won't help us one bit.

some examples could be:
1. Get McConnell to immediately co-sponsor audit the fed.
2. Back Rand on stopping the foreign aid
3. Start routing McConnells big donors into the direction of liberty candidates.

[jmdrake]

I'd prefer he be productive instead of destructive. Merely getting mcconnell replaced by some establishment democrat won't help us one bit.

some examples could be:
1. Get McConnell to immediately co-sponsor audit the fed.
2. Back Rand on stopping the foreign aid
3. Start routing McConnells big donors into the direction of liberty candidates.

4. McConnell loses in the primary to a Ron Paul republican.
5. McConnell loses in the general to a Ron Paul democrat.

# 5 is more possible than you think. A Ron Paul democrat one the Tennessee senate primary this time. The KY democratic party is probably is just as bad of disarray.

[erowe1]

I'd prefer he be productive instead of destructive. Merely getting mcconnell replaced by some establishment democrat won't help us one bit.

some examples could be:
1. Get McConnell to immediately co-sponsor audit the fed.
2. Back Rand on stopping the foreign aid
3. Start routing McConnells big donors into the direction of liberty candidates.

I think that Benton thinks McConnell IS a liberty candidate. And the facts that he doesn't sponsor things like Audit the Fed, and ending foreign aid, are precisely the things that make him so much better than Ron Paul.

[Romulus]

..........
............If he tanks Sen. Mitch McConnells campaign!...........
__________________________________________________ *

you're living in a fantasy land.

[specsaregood]

4. McConnell loses in the primary to a Ron Paul republican.
5. McConnell loses in the general to a Ron Paul democrat.

# 5 is more possible than you think. A Ron Paul democrat one the Tennessee senate primary this time. The KY democratic party is probably is just as bad of disarray.

Yeah it wasn't meant to be a finite list. Of course your examples aren't realy something he has much control over. Mine on the otherhand are examples where he can immediately start trying to push McConnell in our direction. Sure McConnell wont be a true believer it could help us in the longterm.

[specsaregood]

I think that Benton thinks McConnell IS a liberty candidate. And the facts that he doesn't sponsor things like Audit the Fed, and ending foreign aid, are precisely the things that make him so much better than Ron Paul.

In which case he is all but lost, I guess I just have higher hopes than that and don't wish to write him off just yet. I'd prefer to give him a chance to redeem himself. He thinks he can make things better from the inside? I say prove it, let's see him actually gain some yards.

[jmdrake]

In which case he is all but lost, I guess I just have higher hopes than that and don't wish to write him off just yet. I'd prefer to give him a chance to redeem himself. He thinks he can make things better from the inside? I say prove it, let's see him actually gain some yards.

All right. Then it should be things that "generic" republicans can't sign onto. Like repealing the NDAA, sun-setting the Patriot Act, or abolishing the TSA. Sorry, but I no longer think auditing the fed it itself the "litmus test". Demint voted yes on auditing the fed and yes on the NDAA. He got an invite to a "special meeting" at LPAC. I got another reason to hurl.

[Sola_Fide]

4. McConnell loses in the primary to a Ron Paul republican.
5. McConnell loses in the general to a Ron Paul democrat.

# 5 is more possible than you think. A Ron Paul democrat one the Tennessee senate primary this time. The KY democratic party is probably is just as bad of disarray.

The bad thing about Kentucky Democrats is they either tend to be (relatively speaking) fiscally "conservative"/socially conservative -or- fiscally liberal/socially liberal. I don't see a Ron Paul Democrat ever gaining traction. There are too many dixiecrat statists in KY. Some of them vote Republican every once in a while, but mostly they vote Dem....and they go for whoever is the big-government/religious-sounding guy.

One example of this is when Conway tried to attack Rand about the Aqua Buddha story. Conway was trying to follow the old tried and true Kentucky Dixiecrat playbook: sound religious and sound a little concerned about fiscal affairs, but keep promising big government.

[low preference guy]

Yeah it wasn't meant to be a finite list.

would exhaustive be a more accurate word?

[jmdrake]

The bad thing about Kentucky Democrats is they either tend to be (relatively speaking) fiscally "conservative"/socially conservative -or- fiscally liberal/socially liberal. I don't see a Ron Paul Democrat ever gaining traction. There are too many dixiecrat statists in KY. Some of them vote Republican every once in a while, but mostly they vote Dem....and they go for whoever is the big-government/religious-sounding guy.

One example of this is when Conway tried to attack Rand about the Aqua Buddha story. Conway was trying to follow the old tried and true Kentucky Dixiecrat playbook: sound religious and sound a little concerned about fiscal affairs, but keep promising big government.

So a "fiscally conservative/socially conservative" democrat wouldn't vote for someone who promised to stop the federal government from redefining marriage and to push back against the federal government forcing abortion rights on everyone or banning "moments of silence" in public schools? I think a Ron Paul democrat could win fiscally/conservative democratic voters as long as he didn't go out on a limb and talk about the war on drugs.

[erowe1]

In which case he is all but lost, I guess I just have higher hopes than that and don't wish to write him off just yet. I'd prefer to give him a chance to redeem himself. He thinks he can make things better from the inside? I say prove it, let's see him actually gain some yards.

I'm happy to wait and see what he does. I hope he proves me wrong, and I'll give him credit if he does. But it's hard for me to imagine that this move is to advance a policy agenda and not a career.

[specsaregood]

All right. Then it should be things that "generic" republicans can't sign onto. Like repealing the NDAA, sun-setting the Patriot Act, or abolishing the TSA.

Pick #1 thing. What issue if McConnell flipped/enhanced or just plain started running on would indicate to you that he was willing to shift our direction (even if just an act) and Benton was making a difference? NDAA and Patriot Act and TSA?

I'd be impressed if he immediately backed Rands foreign aid bill that is currently a hot topic.

[Carlybee]

Get McConnell to immediately condemn the Patriot Act, Guantanimo, every foreign entanglement unauthorized by Congress and then some, illegal wiretapping of citizens. Get him to stop being on big banking's slush fund list, etc. Then you might convince someone he is not just politics as usual.

[LibertyEagle]

Has he sponsored the Senate's Audit the FED bill yet? I don't think so.

[erowe1]

Get McConnell to immediately condemn the Patriot Act, Guantanimo, every foreign entanglement unauthorized by Congress and then some, illegal wiretapping of citizens. Get him to stop being on big banking's slush fund list, etc. Then you might convince someone he is not just politics as usual.

I imagine those are precisely the sorts of things that Tom Woods is talking about when he says, "Jesse would fly into a tirade after some of Ron’s most heroic moments, when the rest of us were cheering."

http://www.tomwoods.com/blog/my-memories-of-jesse-bento/

[specsaregood]

I imagine those are precisely the sorts of things that Tom Woods is talking about when he says, "Jesse would fly into a tirade after some of Ron’s most heroic moments, when the rest of us were cheering."

http://www.tomwoods.com/blog/my-memories-of-jesse-bento/

If one's only goal is to get as many votes inside a GOP primary as possible, then thats precisely the type of subject one would prefer their candidate not focus upon. It doesn't mean they don't agree with the candidate. At the same time, if the your goal is to try to win some of the RP/independent-minded voters it might be something worth talking about. McConnell doesnt need any help getting the mainline gop vote.

[erowe1]

If one's only goal is to get as many votes inside a GOP primary as possible

But if one's goal is for Mitch McConnell to get as many votes as possible inside a GOP primary, one does not have a righteous goal.

[specsaregood]

But if one's goal is for Mitch McConnell to get as many votes as possible inside a GOP primary, one does not have a righteous goal.

Well the quote your referenced was about RP, Benton's job was to get as many votes as possible inside the GOP primary for RP. It is reasonable to see why he would be upset when RP would hit on stuff that makes the GOP base turn away. McConnell doesn't have to worry about the primary, he has to get independents in the general.

[erowe1]

Well the quote your referenced was about RP, Benton's job was to get as many votes as possible inside the GOP primary for RP. It is reasonable to see why he would be upset when RP would hit on stuff that makes the GOP base turn away. McConnell doesn't have to worry about the primary, he has to get independents in the general.

The reason he hired Benton is to nip in the bud any tea party challenge in the primary. He can do way better than Benton for a general election campaign, and my guess is that when he gets to that stage he will.

[juleswin]

This move wouldn't earn McConnel an extra cent in campaign donation. As for votes, I think the result will be the same, McConnell is not one that needs the services of an amateur like Benton, the man have been around the block a few times now and is well connected.

Btw the Ron Paul campaign people are about the last people I will hire to run a campaign, all the achievement was due to the grassroot organization of Ron's supporters. The many money bombs that the campaign had not involvement with, the word of mouth spreading of the message etc. The only thing they did right was to have a good politician behind them. Its sorta like coaching last the Green Bay Packer's offense, everyone can look good behind them

[Qdog]

Im pretty sure McConnel has come around to our side now. Most likely, he perceived that the best way he could help the liberty movement was to hire Jesse Benton, to prevent him from ruining any other Liberty Candidates campaigns.

[specsaregood]

The reason he hired Benton is to nip in the bud any tea party challenge in the primary.

I don't think that is the reason benton was hired. He's no dummy (well his people aren't), he's gonna know whether Benton is an asset. Benton doesnt' have any real pull with the tea party, he isn't from KY and doesn't have much of an effect there (that i know of). If he hired Benton for that reason, it was just as a favor for Rand and Rand is the one that is gonna nip that threat in the bud.

[BuddyRey]

Oh yes, he's the man alright.....the man I'd like to tar and feather.

[Romulus]

Im pretty sure McConnel has come around to our side now. Most likely, he perceived that the best way he could help the liberty movement was to hire Jesse Benton, to prevent him from ruining any other Liberty Candidates campaigns.

Hah, yeah.

[HOLLYWOOD]

http://www.maniavid.com/poster-movie/Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud 2007 online.jpg

[William R]

Rand Paul was on Laura Ingraham's radio show today and had nothing but praise for Jesse Benton. Ron Paul has nothing but good things to say about him. It's only 10-20 percent of Ron Paul's supporters who are bad mouthing the man. The very people that made it next to impossible for Ron to expand his base of support. The crackpot brigades.

[CaptainAmerica]

http://robinbrown.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/double-facepalm1.jpg

[donnay]

Rand Paul was on Laura Ingraham's radio show today and had nothing but praise for Jesse Benton. Ron Paul has nothing but good things to say about him. It's only 10-20 percent of Ron Paul's supporters who are bad mouthing the man. The very people that made it next to impossible for Ron to expand his base of support. The crackpot brigades.

Yeah... Jesse is the MANipulator.

If it weren't for the grassroots neither campaigns would have ever gotten off the ground.

[whippoorwill]

I stand by my statement :-)

[bunklocoempire]

..........
............If he tanks Sen. Mitch McConnells campaign!...........
__________________________________________________ *

"Hey, man, you don't talk to the Colonel. You listen to him. The man's enlarged my mind. He's a poet-warrior in the classic sense. I mean, sometimes he'll, uh, well, you'll say "Hello" to him, right? And he'll just walk right by you, and he won't even notice you.

And suddenly he'll grab you, and he'll throw you in a corner, and he'll say "Do you know that 'if' is the middle word in life?

'If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you'..." – I mean, I'm no, I can't – I'm a little man, I'm a little man, he's, he's a great man. I should have been a pair of ragged claws scuttling across floors of silent seas..."

http://s6.postimage.org/icpxsa6pd/dennis_hopper.png

[jmdrake]

Rand Paul was on Laura Ingraham's radio show today and had nothing but praise for Jesse Benton. Ron Paul has nothing but good things to say about him. It's only 10-20 percent of Ron Paul's supporters who are bad mouthing the man. The very people that made it next to impossible for Ron to expand his base of support. The crackpot brigades.

:rolleyes: Yeah. Tom Woods made it impossible for Ron to expand his base.

[jmdrake]

Pick #1 thing. What issue if McConnell flipped/enhanced or just plain started running on would indicate to you that he was willing to shift our direction (even if just an act) and Benton was making a difference? NDAA and Patriot Act and TSA?

I'd be impressed if he immediately backed Rands foreign aid bill that is currently a hot topic.

If I had to pick one thing it would be the Patriot Act. I've heard neocons on talk radio rail against the TSA, although their answer is "profiling" and/or a "trusted traveler program". And the NDAA looks like it might be getting struck down by the courts anyway. Let me see Mitch go against the crown jewel of GWB's tyranny as president and I'll count that as a first down at least.

[William R]

Yeah... Jesse is the MANipulator.

If it weren't for the grassroots neither campaigns would have ever gotten off the ground.

So you know more than Ron and Rand Paul. You're delusional.

[juleswin]

So you know more than Ron and Rand Paul. You're delusional.

Ron and Rand Paul are not always right. They are after all humans and can sometimes make bad judgement.

[donnay]

So you know more than Ron and Rand Paul. You're delusional.

As I recall, Dr. Paul has been in Congress for twenty plus years. Many of the people had not heard his message until he ran in 2008. He also ran in 1988 and never got any traction running as a Libertarian candidate. It was the grassroots efforts that got their name on the radar. To deny that you are delusional.

[William R]

:rolleyes: Yeah. Tom Woods made it impossible for Ron to expand his base.

Tom Woods is mad because he wasn't asked to help the campaign. Maybe it's because Woods used to belong to the League of the South a harmless group of southern secessionist. But the media wouldn't have portrayed it that way. Ron Paul has a racist working on his campaign is the way the media would have played it.

http://dixienet.org/rights/index.shtml

After Ron started gaining traction last December the vultures started to bring out the Newsletter story just like they did in 2008 right before New Hampshire.

Benton had a very tough job of trying to expand Ron Paul's base of support. In Iowa they went after Evangelicals and almost succeeded. After it was all said and done Paul did win Iowa but at the time he finished third.

In the end the 10-20 percent of his supporters cost Ron Paul. Perfect example is CPAC 2011. Ron puts out the word that he wants his supporters to be polite to all speakers and what happens??? The exact opposite!! People that might be sympathetic to Ron's message are turned off by his supporters.

[Matt Collins]

Has it ever crossed anyone's mind that perhaps Jesse is setting up a 2016 Presidential run for Rand and is using Mitch to do it? Having the Senate Majority Leader backing your candidate is very powerful... just a thought..

[Indy Vidual]

4. McConnell loses in the primary to a Ron Paul republican.
5. McConnell loses in the general to a Ron Paul democrat.

# 5 is more possible than you think. A Ron Paul democrat one the Tennessee senate primary this time. The KY democratic party is probably is just as bad of disarray.

+rep
This sounds like fun.

[jmdrake]

Tom Woods is mad because he wasn't asked to help the campaign. Maybe it's because Woods used to belong to the League of the South a harmless group of southern secessionist. But the media wouldn't have portrayed it that way. Ron Paul has a racist working on his campaign is the way the media would have played it.

http://dixienet.org/rights/index.shtml

After Ron started gaining traction last December the vultures started to bring out the Newsletter story just like they did in 2008 right before New Hampshire.

Benton had a very tough job of trying to expand Ron Paul's base of support. In Iowa they went after Evangelicals and almost succeeded. After it was all said and done Paul did win Iowa but at the time he finished third.

In the end the 10-20 percent of his supporters cost Ron Paul. Perfect example is CPAC 2011. Ron puts out the word that he wants his supporters to be polite to all speakers and what happens??? The exact opposite!! People that might be sympathetic to Ron's message are turned off by his supporters.

Right. Tom Woods was in the audience raising a ruckuss. Dude, do you realize how stupid you sound? Tom Woods wasn't kept from the campaign because of his views. He was kept from the campaign because he broke the rule "Thou shalt not criticize Jesse Benton". Benton showed himself to be petty and childish. And the more people like you try to treat him like a god above any and all criticism the more thinking people turn off to the guy.

Edit: And if the campaign seriously was worried about having someone with ties to confederate apologists on their team, why would they have the Southern Avenger be the official campaign blogger? Come on. Cut the crap. Nobody is buying.

[Matt Collins]

Right. Tom Woods was in the audience raising a ruckuss. Dude, do you realize how stupid you sound? Tom Woods wasn't kept from the campaign because of his views. He was kept from the campaign because he broke the rule "Thou shalt not criticize Jesse Benton". Benton showed himself to be petty and childish. And the more people like you try to treat him like a god above any and all criticism the more thinking people turn off to the guy.No I like Tom quite a bit, but he has a social blind spot. Criticism may be one thing, but open and public criticism is another issue entirely. When you openly criticize someone and effectively help to cause division within a group, is it any wonder that they won't hire you? :rolleyes:

[low preference guy]

No I like Tom quite a bit, but he has a social blind spot. Criticism may be one thing, but open and public criticism is another issue entirely. When you openly criticize someone and effectively help to cause division within a group, is it any wonder that they won't hire you? :rolleyes:

what division did he cause? some people just said good idea, others said not a good idea, without fights.

[Matt Collins]

what division did he cause? some people just said good idea, others said not a good idea, without fights.When you openly criticize leadership (instead of privately) it tends to create contempt etc and ultimately undermines the cause whether that criticism is valid or not.

[low preference guy]

When you openly criticize leadership (instead of privately) it tends to create contempt etc and ultimately undermines the cause whether that criticism is valid or not.

if "leadership" have fragile egos, sure.

[Matt Collins]

if "leadership" have fragile egos, sure.No, ego has nothing to do with it, I can assure you of that.

[Feeding the Abscess]

Tom Woods is mad because he wasn't asked to help the campaign. Maybe it's because Woods used to belong to the League of the South a harmless group of southern secessionist. But the media wouldn't have portrayed it that way. Ron Paul has a racist working on his campaign is the way the media would have played it.

http://dixienet.org/rights/index.shtml

After Ron started gaining traction last December the vultures started to bring out the Newsletter story just like they did in 2008 right before New Hampshire.

Benton had a very tough job of trying to expand Ron Paul's base of support. In Iowa they went after Evangelicals and almost succeeded. After it was all said and done Paul did win Iowa but at the time he finished third.

In the end the 10-20 percent of his supporters cost Ron Paul. Perfect example is CPAC 2011. Ron puts out the word that he wants his supporters to be polite to all speakers and what happens??? The exact opposite!! People that might be sympathetic to Ron's message are turned off by his supporters.

http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/how-i-got-my-moniker-and-why-states-rights-and-secession-still-makes-sense/Content?oid=1379010

How many stories were out there about the Ron Paul campaign's official blogger being a racist former spokesman for the League of the South?

Keep trying, though.