Not Alienating the Conservative Base

[CountryboyRonPaul]

I realize Dr. Paul's supporters range from the farthest right to the farthest left, and we have found a unique unity in our goal to spread the message of Liberty.

But I have noticed a few things on various blogs and forums which I think we must be wary of.

I would like to try to remind people that we do NEED to get a good portion of traditional conservatives behind us if we are to win this Primary season.

As a long time Republican I can easily say that we are a hard headed bunch, and we don't like to be told we are wrong.

Therefore, I would like to plead with everyone to be, above all, RESPECTFUL to supporters of other candidates, and even to candidates themselves. I realize many think Huckabee is just pandering to the religious right, and that Giuliani wants to be president of 9/11, But this kind of attitude really turns people off.

Do not attack other candidates positions if you are trying to convert people, even if some of the hardheaded people out there attack Pauls. Respond honestly, calmly, and respectfully. The majority of conservatives today are 'social' conservatives, morals, honesty and integrity are everything to them.

While Dr. Paul may have the most integrity and honesty, it is not going to convince anyone when you start saying "Dr. Paul is the ONLY candidate who is honest" because likely they're already leaning in one direction, and to tell them they're wrong will alienate them.

So please, be respectful and calm when you talk to people, and if someone is already set with a candidate, don't try and change their opinion, it will not work.

Also, do NOT speak of conspiracy theories, or 9/11 truth movements, they may be popular with liberals, but not to the conservative base.

Instead explain well known examples of how we are losing our liberties. The brady bill for example is a huge issue which most conservatives will agree with us on, or Immigration, or congressional spending, or the *IRS*, or entitlement programs... The vast majority of Dr. Paul's policies are in line with the Republican party, highlight these positions, yet most people know Dr. Paul for being against the war.

The war position is an un-popular one, try and remind war supporters that the rest of his views are directly in line with theirs, and it is up to them whether they think a few small bands of third world terrorists are worth the amount we're sacrificing.

Put Dr. Paul's issues out on the table, but do NOT convince someone who does not want to be convinced, it never works.


This blog article inspired me to write this, while he is brash and disrespectful, he IS right about certain things, and it wouldn't hurt to heed some of his advice.

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/12/14/033154.php

[AisA1787]

Well said. This is politics, after all. The worst thing we can do is put people into self-defense mode by being angry, aggressive know-it-alls when we tell them about Dr. Paul.

I fell into this trap the other day when I was talking to a friend about federal funding for education...

[plp]

As one of the hard liners myself, the best explanation I've been able to make, to at least get folks to go to his website, is that the centrists of both parties realize they only need 10% of the central voters to get elected. Promise more free bread and circus, and whoever promises the most gets to be President.

With my fellow rightwingers, I use the HillaryCare example. We all knew her healthcare plan stood no chance, but it got Bill elected. The bill presented was so bad even Ted K. did not vote for it. Once it was defeated, we never heard another word for the next 7 years.

Dr. Paul comes down firmly on the right, as far as federal powers are concerned, and would return the powers to the states that were first usurped under FDR, then accepted as the way the government was to be run from then on. The fact of the matter is, were FDR to run today, his views would be too conservative for his own party.

[Kingfisher]

bump

[asgardshill]

Applause (to the OP). Nobody likes to be called a moron, even if they are. And a moron's vote counts exactly the same as anybody else's does.

[Leroy_Jenkems]

...I would like to try to remind people that we do NEED to get a good portion of traditional conservatives behind us if we are to win this Primary season.

As a long time Republican I can easily say that we are a hard headed bunch, and we don't like to be told we are wrong.

So please, be respectful and calm when you talk to people, and if someone is already set with a candidate, don't try and change their opinion, it will not work.

Also, do NOT speak of conspiracy theories, or 9/11 truth movements, they may be popular with liberals, but not to the conservative base...

It's just like Ron has said, you can't "convert" someone by force, you have to set a good example. Be assertive without being pushy, willing to listen just as much as speak, and politely smile back at someone who snarls their face up and says, "I'm voting for Hillary!":)

Being someone from the conservative "side" of RP's support base, I have to say that the 9/11 "Truthers" can be quite agitating. I appreciate their initiative, but this is not an idea which I buy into, just like I don't buy into JFK's assassination being an "inside job." These two events are entirely distinct, I know, but saying that 9/11 was an inside job by our own government is just WAY too much to throw on somebody outright. Nothing wrong with questioning official accounts, but I can't find any proven facts to back up the claims from anywhere other than "off the path" websites, and Lord knows the Internet can have some crazy information posted for anyone to see. Free country, though.

[Commander Yo]

This is a hugely important topic here. We as Paulites must reach out to the traditional conservatives in the Republican party, including Christians. I have numerous family and friends that are already card carrying members for the republican party, and in spite of our newfound power in money and community we need these folks to get on board.

I strongly suggests talking to your conservative family and friends about why Dr. Paul is the only true conservative in the race, which he is. My suggestions:

1)Dr. Paul truly represents Christian Values! This should not be undersold! He personally is against the Death Penalty, Against Abortion, and of course the Iraq War. These are all truly Christian positions that Jesus teaches us. When talking to values voters these issues need to be in the forefront of any discussion. There are no other candidates that respect the dignity of the Human Spirit, that all life is sacred, like Dr. Paul.

2) Electability, this again is a big hurdle with the conservative base. My approach would be to talk base conservatives through the candidates to evaluate who is truly in-line with their ideology. We need to really push the 9 trillion national debt, private health care accounts, school choice, expansive federal government waste, and the Federalist message of Dr. Paul. Also mention after this that Electability gave us Gore vs. Bush Bush vs. Kerry and is likely to give us Hillary vs. Huck (Romney, Rudy). None of the so called republican front runners has a fully conservative message like Dr. Paul.

3) National Defense. A big big issue obviously. Dr. Paul himself needs to help us out on this a little more. The republican base knows that the world is a dangerous place, which it is. The constitution clearly states that the executive branch is responsible for National Defense, Dr. Paul will return us to the concept of "A Declaration of War". This will enable the US Military to fight our enemies on legal ground and not the shadowy illegal wars we have going on now. By using the powers enabled in the Constitution to defend our Nation we will be stronger more patriotic and safer.

4) Conservatives love Talk of, Freedom, Liberty and Patriotism. Sprinkle discussion liberally with these concepts.

5) Illegal immigration. Dr. Paul wants to secure the border and stop illegal immigration this topic is an easy one. But don't forget Dr. Paul also wants to expand Legal immigration this is also good for the United States, to bring in a vibrant immigrant culture, immigrants are the foundation of The US!

Us Paulites are a hugely diverse group, it must be our strength. Even if you are out there and you don't agree with some of Dr. Paul's views, that strongly held view of someone else (e.g abortion) may get us a vote. Speak to it.

We need the conservative base to make this work. The best way to do this is talk to your conservative family and friends and get them educated about Dr. Paul and his message. And always always always stay positive, above the fray of the degenerate political discourse of two party politics!

Good luck! and Ron Paul 2008!

[Leroy_Jenkems]

As a conservative, I've been somewhat surprised by the number of people in my region (NE Tennessee) that agree with the idea that Middle Eastern politics and warfare are too barbaric for us to try and fight in a humane way with ground troops. There's a reason that, in the book of Deuteronomy, it's stated to "go into Canaan and kill every man, woman, and child." By no means am I advocating such brutality, but strategic warfare will concur that an offensive force in unfamiliar territory must adapt its tactics to the environment, i.e. "fight fire with fire." Neocons apparently either haven't read up on the mythologies of war in fundamentalist religions, or don't think that sacrificing our nation's most courageous young'uns is too great a price to pay. MSM perception only fuels the rhetoric, as there are of course other motives for being in the Middle East.

It's still a commonly recited saying in my region of a "rich man's war, poor man's fight." The folks who've been around a while know that. Yet, many people have a lot invested in this war (mostly their friends and/or family members), so it's a very volatile subject, and yes, the rEVOLution logo can lead many of these people to believe that RP supporters are a bunch of lofty peaceniks who romanticize the 1960s counterculture movement. We know better, but people can often be quick to judge as an innate defense mechanism.

[user]

I'm not a conservative and I make fun of them often, but yes if I'm talking to one and trying to convert them I would not use that approach.

[I Use Dial]

That link has a wonderful discussion on the very thing that has convinced me to become an active supporter of Ron Paul.

I read washingtonpost.com daily and nearly every Paul (and many non-Paul) article comments sections are loaded with Paul spam.

Almost every YouTube video that criticizes Paul gets a 1 star rating, and some people say some very mean things to the critics.

As evidenced by the article, I think I'm not the only one who feels this way and that is nice.

What would be nice is a discussion on figuring out a strategy to take care of these 'spammers'.

One idea I have is to counterspam with reasonable arguments and to blast those who are abusive to critics. If someone is being mean to a critic, then respond to that poster AS a Paul supporter. If this happens more often, then hopefully people will not jump to the conclusion that we are all a bunch of fanatics.

I also feel that presenting an argument intelligently is more productive than claiming that our logic is undeniable.

I like this discussion from the Wikipedia NPOV article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Npov#Let_the_facts_speak_for_themselves

Please don't read my intention to mean that we shouldn't show support for Ron Paul. I want to show reasonable, well argued support for Paul.