Partner in Liberty? Poll: Who's the Best RP Runningmate

[jorlowitz]

There's been lots of discussion about who would complement Ron Paul's message and his candidacy best as a running-mate...

Here's a poll to get some more feedback from the forum.
(note: some non-republican candidates are included)

Vote, and leave a comment about why you'd chose XXX to be on the ticket with Ron Paul

Other possibilities who didn't fit are: Bob Bowman, Larry Elder, Karen Kwiatowski, and John Stossel (if you'd like to see them on the next poll, leave a note.

-JO

[Oddball]

Where's the poll?

[MozoVote]

I'd like to see a non-political candidate. Maybe a respected military commander. It would ease doubts that Ron can extricate ourselves from the war fairly and safely.

[dmitchell]

No John Stossel?

[jorlowitz]

I left out John Stossel, maybe for personal bias. I could see him as a press secretary but as Vice President... I'm not sure. I still listed him alongside several "other" candidates in my post below the poll. If there's a lot of demand for him, I'll make sure he's in the next poll.

JO

[Oddball]

Stossel would make an awesome press sec.

[cujothekitten]

Badnarik?

[Shink]

Badnarik?

I like Badnarik, his Constitution Classes kick ass! (Google video them) In this environment, I take my second choice for President, Mike Gravel. He might kill ducks in rivers with big rocks, but he's out to stop the MIC, which is fantastic.

Involuntary duck murder evidence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTRp6pW7t0Q

[Dary]

Again. Whatever happened to nota?

[Defining Obscene]

I hate to sound over-weary, but I'm not sure if I would like to see a Ron Paul/Michael Bloomberg ticket. I don't have less respect for Bloomberg, I know he earned his money outside of the political spectrum, but the fact he is immensely rich sort of throws me off as someone who can truly relate to the common man. But if he did get the VP ticket, it would be a hell of a promotion for the relationship between strict constitutional government and successful free-market. I am wavering on this issue, I should research Bloomberg more in-depth. Off to wiki I go.


- D.O.

[foofighter20x]

I'm with Dary. None of the Above.

Remember... VeeP is there to "balance the ticket."

We've already got a large southern State moderate (RP). We need to find someone from a medium east or west coast State, or from a large midwest state (CA/CO, PA/NJ, or OH/IL/MI). And we need to lean back into the Republican party a little, but not too far. This isn't going to be easy.

And remember, the EC is designed so that the ticket with the most consistest and broadest support amongst the States wins.

[jorlowitz]

??

[Thor]

Jesse Ventura, if he decides he wants to play in the game again...

[LibertyOfOne]

I wish I could change my vote after looking up who Walter Williams is and his stance politically. He looks like the best fit for a RP ticket.

"Conservative comic strip Mallard Fillmore has launched a campaign to draft Williams for the Republican nomination in the 2008 United States presidential election [1]. Williams has stated that he is inundated with emails, but won't run, although he won't completely rule out the possibility. Instead, he endorsed Republican candidate Ron Paul.[5] Paul himself has named Williams as a top choice for his running mate.[6]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Williams

[foofighter20x]

Any names??

Sadly, I don't have any other than Jeff Flake of AZ.

The Neo-cons have wrangled in most of the offices held by GOP members... So we may have to find some GOPer that is either out of office right now or is closer to being a Neo-con than we'd like him or her to be.

[toowm]

NOTA

My suggestion in another thread was Janice Rogers Brown

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janice_Rogers_Brown

[Oddball]

Sadly, I don't have any other than Jeff Flake of AZ.

The Neo-cons have rangled in most of the offices held by GOP members... So we may have to find some GOPer that is either out of office right now or is closer to being a Neo-con than we'd like him or her to be.
Ed Thompson (Tommy's brother), from Wisconsin.

[LibertyOfOne]

Why would you want to balance it with a neo-conn? That would kill the anti war vote right there.

[angrydragon]

I wouldn't mind Stossel. At least he knows the government is the problem.

[Oddball]

Why would you want to balance it with a neo-conn? That would kill the anti war vote right there.Ed Thompson isn't a neoconjob. He ran as the LP candidate in the last Wisco Governor's race.

[LibertyOfOne]

I never suggested he was. Someone suggested we balance out the ticket with someone who is neo-connish.

[foofighter20x]

Let's all stop for a minute and, instead of tossing out name, think for a minute what the criteria for Dr Paul's VeeP pick should be in order to balance the ticket..

1. Strong National Defense Credentials (not necessarily pro-war, but not pro-quivering like the Dems).
2. Anti-FED.
3. Small gov't
4. States rights.

Those are the only real things we need to be looking for. Dr Paul will pick up the votes for less taxes, family values, and the right to life vote with ease. The sticking point for most GOPers will be the war. We don't need to get the guy to be for the war, but just have him be an authority on defense.

Gen Eric Shinseki (ret.) might be worth a look (if not for VeeP then for SecDef at the least)

[MozoVote]

From *that* list, I chose Tancredo.

[Oddball]

I never suggested he was. Someone suggested we balance out the ticket with someone who is neo-connish.
Gotcha. :)

[beermotor]

I'd like to see a non-political candidate. Maybe a respected military commander. It would ease doubts that Ron can extricate ourselves from the war fairly and safely.

Karen Kwiatkowski!

[foofighter20x]

From *that* list, I chose Tancredo.

I dunno... He seems unstable to me... Nuking Iran? No thanks.

[quickmike]

i voted Buchannan, but Stossel would be a better choice ultimately, in my opinoin.

[Dary]

I've always liked Thomas Knapp and L. Neil Smith, but I seriously doubt that either one of them would do it.

Hardcore libertarians they are.

The Republican mainstream would probably be none to warm to either of them.

But if it were up to me, I'd take either one of them over anybody else that I can think of.

[ksuguy]

Tom Knapp and L. Neil Smith are great. I know both of them. I think Walter Williams would be the best choice though.

[Razmear]

OK, Your not going to like this answer, but I happen to think that the executive branch should have a balance of power, as was originally written in the Constitution where the person with the most votes is President and the person with the second most becomes VP.
So what is my dream ticket?
Paul - Gore '08

Yeah, probably not a popular choice for this board, but it would still kick ass.

eb

[Electrostatic]

Please do not kill me for this.. I know it won't be very popular here, but I chose Kucinich... Not because I believe in socialism (which I don't), but because it would shock people into realizing that this is about more than ideals. It's about changing the face of politics, no matter what your views, and in being honest, even when your positions aren't popular.

[Buzz]

I went with Buchanan and Tancredo. Buchanan would be slightly preferred but Tancredo would be more realistic. I'm going to go look up Williams now because I haven't heard of him and he's winning.

[LibertyEagle]

OK, Your not going to like this answer, but I happen to think that the executive branch should have a balance of power, as was originally written in the Constitution where the person with the most votes is President and the person with the second most becomes VP.
So what is my dream ticket?
Paul - Gore '08

Yeah, probably not a popular choice for this board, but it would still kick ass.

eb

Yeah, it would probably "kick ass" if you wanted to get Dr. Paul assassinated, since Gore is in the same one-world government clic that the Bush and Clinton families belong to.

[Electrostatic]

Yeah, it would probably "kick ass" if you wanted to get Dr. Paul assassinated, since Gore is in the same one-world government clic that the Bush and Clinton families belong to.

Kucinich and Gravel are the only two dems on the stage who I would trust at all.

[Electrostatic]

Mental Note: If it is Walter Williams, he would be an awesome choice to head the team to transition out of the federal reserve system. His bona-fides in that area are unquestionable.

[michaelwise]

None of the above.

I would like to see Lou Dobbs as his running mate, if he would accept.

[Electrostatic]

Lou Dobbs would rock... I think.. (Unless there is something I do not know about him.)

[khorbis]

A few worthy mentionables are Lou Dobbs and Mike Gravel.

Lou Dobbs is a self-proclaimed representative of the common man (i.e. populist) with a long history of opposition toward "excessive capitalism," amnesty for illegal immigrants, and current U.S. foreign policy (under the Bush administration), and has a background of advocating restraint of government taxation, government expenditures and deficits, and government debt. Many of these views coincide with those of Ron Paul, thus Dobbs could be seen as a potential, though unlikely, candidate.

Mike Gravel is an equally unlikely candidate. However, like Ron Paul, Gravel
proposes immediate withdrawl from Iraq, diplomatic negotiations with Iran, and the elimination of the IRS and income tax. As a Democrat, on the other hand, Gravel differs on key issues such as immigration (wants a naturalization process for illegal immigrants), global warming (believes it is an issue of national security), and 2nd amendment rights (advocates a licensing program) - just to name a few.

Regardless, Ron Paul has plenty of time to attract a supportive running-mate. Whether you believe that their beliefs should align, or that it should be a ying-yang relationship, I think the best candidate has probably yet to show his/herself.

So...now we play the waiting game.

(psst, take a gander at my blog, would ya?) (http://www.myspace.com/khorbis)

[BigSteve]

Ron Paul will have no chance of winning the general election if he picks Walter Williams as his running mate. Mr. Williams seems to be a good guy and his stances on the issues seem decent.
The fact he is Black will turn off a huge amount of White voters though. Be realistic and realize that the race of a candidate is an issue. The best scenario for Ron Paul if(when) he wins the Republican nomination is having Barack Obama win the Democratic nomination.
Ron Paul needs to pick a White VP if he really wants to win. He can appoint Walter Williams to another position in his administration after he is elected but not as his Vice President. That would be political suicide.

[ChairmanMao]

Gotta go with Jim Guest. Ron's gonna want someone exactly like him and the only two people that fit that description are Jim Guest and Walter Williams. Ron's not going to care about what will get more votes or what will balance the ticket. He is going to go with a person that agrees with all the things he does. Hes shown that he doesnt take the easy route to get more votes, why would he start now?

[LibertyEagle]

Ron Paul will have no chance of winning the general election if he picks Walter Williams as his running mate. Mr. Williams seems to be a good guy and his stances on the issues seem decent.
The fact he is Black will turn off a huge amount of White voters though. Be realistic and realize that the race of a candidate is an issue. The best scenario for Ron Paul if(when) he wins the Republican nomination is having Barack Obama win the Democratic nomination.
Ron Paul needs to pick a White VP if he really wants to win. He can appoint Walter Williams to another position in his administration after he is elected but not as his Vice President. That would be political suicide.

Wow. This is way off base and is against everything for which Ron Paul stands. He should pick the best candidate, regardless of race. Remember the whole thing about us being individuals, not groups?

[Noodles]

Dave Mustaine for VP. Just think about it.

[BigSteve]

Wow. This is way off base and is against everything for which Ron Paul stands. He should pick the best candidate, regardless of race. Remember the whole thing about us being individuals, not groups?


I am just being realistic . Walter Williams would not be the best candidate.

[FSP-Rebel]

I can't vote in this poll cause there's no Sarah Palin...

[DeadheadForPaul]

One of my favorites is Governor Sanford of South Carolina. If RP loses in 2008, he will be the one to support in 2012! Look out for him, guys!

I encourage everyone to look into Governor Sanford. He once brought pigs into the state legislature and let them loose in protest of the pork spending!

[DeadheadForPaul]

Colin Powell, anyone?

[Thor]

Wow. This is way off base and is against everything for which Ron Paul stands. He should pick the best candidate, regardless of race. Remember the whole thing about us being individuals, not groups?

I agree with BigSteve. The goal is to WIN and change America. Not defy all sense of marketing to stick to principles to lose, but be principled (that sounds like the LP).

I posted simliar comments in another thread of the same discussion...
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=5873


I don't want to sound biased, but I am going to say this.

We have never had a female or a black / african american as a President or Vice President.

I personally am not oppsed to either, however, I think with some of the views Ron Paul holds, which are fantastic, but a bit out of the norm for most Americans who have not "smelled the coffee" yet, to try and break new ground with a female or black VP at the same time, is just bucking the boat in too many ways at once. IMHO.

I think a stable, even minded white male (yes, stereotypical BS I know and am NOT saying it is right) is what will help people accept his other policies better. Start trying to break new ground with females or blacks and it is more reasons to say "he is way different and I can't handle that much change at once".

With Obama and Hillary doing so well, I could be wrong. But just so many changes at once might scare people....

And Pat Buchanan is a bit fringe himself, if one would recall from his run at he office.

And Bob Barr is a slime bag. I know he has "found religion" with the GA LP, but he was dirty when he was in DC. My wife was in DC and Barr was expecting handouts and payoffs from her organization to support a vote. He flat out asked for a payoff.

[Thor]

Colin Powell, anyone?

He is no where near Paul in beliefs.

[richard1984]

Ron Paul will have no chance of winning the general election if he picks Walter Williams as his running mate. Mr. Williams seems to be a good guy and his stances on the issues seem decent.
The fact he is Black will turn off a huge amount of White voters though. Be realistic and realize that the race of a candidate is an issue. The best scenario for Ron Paul if(when) he wins the Republican nomination is having Barack Obama win the Democratic nomination.
Ron Paul needs to pick a White VP if he really wants to win. He can appoint Walter Williams to another position in his administration after he is elected but not as his Vice President. That would be political suicide.

Perhaps you should be realistic and realize that the year is now 2007--not 1907. While there are still some narrow-minded, prejudiced people, you are lying to youself if you think that they are the majority these days. You only have to look at Barack Obama's popularity to realize that you way off base here (not to mention things like the vast popularity of hip-hop, and "black culture" in general).

I was going to post this as a separate comment, but while I'm responding to this I might as well say what I was going to say about Dr. Williams:

I think that Dr. Walter Williams would be an excellent choice. He’s a very intelligent man who has a long history of sound ideas, judgments, reasoning, choices, and philosophy. He would be great as the "president of the senate"--especially since most people in the senate are spoiled economic liberals who spend our money FAR too frivolously. Dr. Williams would be an excellent equalizer.

And, similarly to Dr. Paul, Dr. Williams can hold his own in actual debates.

Also (and I don’t mean this statement in a racist manner at all--I am only being “realistic” ;) ), he might possibly help the campaign attract people who look at the candidates’ color first (e.g., he may attract some of Obama’s crowd--because we all know that a number of Obama supporters are mainly drawn to the fact that he is “black). Also, it would help clear Dr. Paul of the crass accusations that he is a racist--we know that he is not.

[richard1984]

You might also want to check out Dr. Williams' ideas on racism. You may find them very interesting (and also correct). I would summarize them, but I don't want to mislead (it's like trying to summarize Dr. Paul's positions--no one can do it quite like he can). Just Google "Walter Williams." You may be pleasantly surprised.

[Shatterhand]

I voted for Dr. Williams. Sanford is someone to consider. A Paul/Gravel ticket could be interesting. As for Larry Elder, I heard that Larry won't even invite Dr. Paul on his radio show, supposedly because Dr. Paul is against the Iraq war.

[qednick]

What the hell is Bloomberg doing on the poll? Is that some kind of sick joke? :confused:

[quickmike]

Personally, I would pick Badnarik, but he might be a little too much for the middle of the road type person that is just starting to accept the constitution. I think he would be great though. Maybe some type of defense sec. or something. The guy is brilliant, probably has an IQ of 150.

Like i said though, a little too much for your average voter, and we need those voters, so sorry Michael. LOL

Buchanan was my pick on the poll though.

[SeanEdwards]

Wesley Clark has potential.

Williams is total fail unless someone figures out a way to refute this stuff on his website:
http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/misc/days.pdf

Obama is the pure power politics play. He is all personality and no substance. Perfect VP fodder.

Stacking another strict constitutionalist with Paul adds nothing to the ticket. The VP choice should be a way to reach out to a group that are otherwise not interested in Paul. Romney actually might not be a terrible VP pick since he's another hairdo candidate without a well-defined policy objective.

That Alaskan governor is not bad either. I really think generic charismatic non-white male + Paul is a strong ticket. A black VP would instantly defuse any attempts to label Paul a racist, plus it's going to appeal to a certain group of voters that might otherwise have no interest in Paul. A woman VP is a strong play for the woman vote obviously, and that Alaskan governor seems pretty inoffensive and undefined.

I also think a nominally democrat VP could be a strong play, this election probably more than any in my memory. I think the country is largely sick of the two party good cop bad cop game being run on us for so long. The rise of that Unity party movement this cycle is a reflection of that trend. For that reason I think a bipartisan ticket this time around could be a big win.

[SeanEdwards]

The fact he is Black will turn off a huge amount of White voters though.

You think people are going to reject Paul because of his VP pick? That's some pretty serious commitment to keeping the darkies out of the whitehouse, isn't it?

I don't see it like you at all. I see the VP pick as adding people, not driving people away. People don't reject a president over his VP pick. Seriously...

Damn racists... messing shit up for everyone all the time...

Listen to Dr. Paul! Collectivism is BAD!!! BAD COLLECTIVIST!!!!!!

:D

[Noodles]

Imagine if Jimmy Carter were the running mate. I think he would do it, because he is still very active politically. Of course, most Republicans would balk. I'm not really a Carter fan, per se, just trying to think outside the box.

Ok, probably the stupidest idea ever.

[smtwngrl]

O.K., this is sort of a random pick, but how about Jeff Flake? :)

[richard1984]

Wesley Clark has potential.

Williams is total fail unless someone figures out a way to refute this stuff on his website:
http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/misc/days.pdf


I don't believe he is serious about this. I'm pretty sure it's a joke. From what I understand, once when he was a guest host on the Rush Limbaugh radio show he brought up this topic to rile people up--to get a reaction out of them. But I think he did it for shits and giggles (if you will), not out of seriousness.
Perhaps he was even poking fun at Rush...? I don't know....

I'm pretty sure he would get in a good bit of trouble if this were anything but a joke--an attempt at humor and sarcasm. I mean, do you really think that George Mason University would allow such sexist commentary on the page of one of their most esteemed faculty (if it were really sexist)? I highly doubt it. So let's not act like the old MSM here and take things out of context to use as smear.

[a_texian]

I too could see Stossel as Press Scty.

I opted for Walter Williams as veep, but probably would've chosen Badnarik if he'd been on the list (although Williams is a VERY good 2nd choice in my opinion).

Good poll!

[AZ Libertarian]

My honest belief for the GOOD OF MY COUNTRY:

The BEST ticket I can imagine (and I don't even know who the actual person is - and don't CARE who) is:

Ron Paul for President AND

Whoever the Libertarian Party nominates - running as Ron's Running Mate - with the full support of the entire Libertarian Party AND Republican Party - behind them BOTH!

Not only would it make news the 'old media' COULDN'T ignore, but it would also draw the Constitution Party, and possibly some of the other 3rd Parties behind us. with the snowball becoming HUGE, and picking up tremendous speed in the process.

All in the name of "reinstate the Constitution and restore the Republic"!

It would GUARANTEE a win - I know it in my bones.....

[klamath]

I like Walter Williams, I used to think about whether white southerners would support a black candidate. What we are seeing is a major realignment of politics. If by picking a well qualified black candidate we lose racist southerners and pick up freedom loving democrats I am all for it. We don't need the hypocracy of saying we are all for individual freedom, except for blacks. I know that winning is the name of the game but when you compromise on somthing major like that what do you get? Another Bush or Clinton.

[parocks]

I can't vote in this poll cause there's no Sarah Palin...

They say she's a neocon or stupid.