Third Party Run

[libertad16]

Ron Paul needs to run as a Libertarian if it becomes clear that he cannot win the Republican nomination. I don't think he can win the general election as a Libertarian either, however...

If Ron Paul pushes on as a Republican, he's remembered, the revolution/movement is remembered. But we don't affect politics in the long term. If he runs as a Libertarian, there's a good chance it could be the launch pad that party needs to become a third viable option to compete with the other two major parties. It's not about Ron Paul winning in 2008 as a Libertarian, it's about getting Libertarians elected to state house, the Congress, as governors, then someone winning President as a Libertarian 4, 8, 12, or 16 years from now.

[han_solo]

No... the republican party needs to be confronted right in the face, that if they want to win elections they need to work and support the 10-20 of us that believe in constitutional small government.

If the republican candidate is beaten by 10% or less... ITS THEIR OWN FAULT.

[angrydragon]

No.

[bobbyw24]

I think Ron Paul needs to run as the Libertarian candidate. Even if he does not win the presidency, it would bring in millions of people into the Libertarian Party and make it a third party that can run viable candidates in all elections in future elections. I know the Constitution Party would love to have him as their candidate but I hear the LP has better ballot access.

[snaFU]

no

[jason43]

I also disagree with running as a libertarian. It would just give them ammo to use against his congressional campaign... then we would have no one in congress to call them out.

We need to focus on congressional races if he doesn't get the nod... give him some allies in the house.

[spudea]

Republicans won't win the election without Ron Paul. They need to wake up and as candidates start dropping out they need to endorse Paul. I seriously will abhore voting democrat in the general election, but if Ron Paul isn't nominated, I will in protest of the ignorance of the republican party.

[LukeNM]

NO - it would be an embarrassment! Forget it!!!

[MN Patriot]

Ron Paul needs to run as a Libertarian if it becomes clear that he cannot win the Republican nomination. I don't think he can win the general election as a Libertarian either, however
...
If he runs as a Libertarian, there's a good chance it could be the launch pad that party needs to become a third viable option to compete with the other two major parties. It's not about Ron Paul winning in 2008 as a Libertarian, it's about getting Libertarians elected to state house, the Congress, as governors, then someone winning President as a Libertarian 4, 8, 12, or 16 years from now.

I agree 100%. The Ron Paul revolution isn't over on November 5th. It needs to keep moving forward.

[Wendi]

Sure. He can't even get 10% of the vote in the "freedom state," as a major party candidate. So the answer is to run him as a third-party candidate and he'll magically win the whitehouse. Makes perfect sense :rolleyes:

[basevolgal]

I was all for writing him in, but at the same time, part of me wants to vote for the Democrat if Dr Paul does not win the Rep Nom because I'd rather one of them over the poor excuse for other Republican candidates....

[Ironyinc]

Ron Paul needs to run as a Libertarian if it becomes clear that he cannot win the Republican nomination. I don't think he can win the general election as a Libertarian either, however...

The Libertarian party has plenty of problems of its own with the overemphasis on party purity and other things, if anything we would want to go with the Constitution party despite poorer ballot access. However, I'd much rather we started our own third party, but we have to target lower congressional postings than to go straight for the presidency then.

Despite this talk, nothing is decided yet. We will see the Republican nomination process through to the end, win or lose.

[Captain Shays]

Rather than Ron Paul running as a third party candidate or having to answer continued questions about if he doesn't the the Republican nomination, I think we should take the bull by the horns and somehow declare publically that if Ron Paul doesn't get the nomination we're still going to vote for him anyway whether he's a Republican a Libertarian of an Indian Chief.

We should put the republican Party on notice here and now that all the new people who registered as Republicans will be lost to them if they refuse to uphold the Constitution the way Ron Paul does and we'll accept nothing less from them. We want small governnment and a foreigh policy that is Constitutional and in line with the intent of the founding fathers and we demand a return to a sound monitary system or they won't get our vote. Period

Then Ron Paul can just defer to our position and his hands will be clean and the pundits will have their answer.

[MN Patriot]

Sure. He can't even get 10% of the vote in the "freedom state," as a major party candidate. So the answer is to run him as a third-party candidate and he'll magically win the whitehouse. Makes perfect sense :rolleyes:

Nobody has talked about miracles, except the pollyannas who keep thinking Ron will get the nomination. (I would love to be proved wrong, though)

The idea is to keep the Ron Paul revolution going. Once he doesn't get the nomination, then what? Are we supposed to just pack it in and give up?

I think Ron should run as a LP candidate, get 400+ other LP congressional candidates running with him, and let the Establishment know that we aren't letting them ruin our nation any longer.

[robo1415]

It appears that 10% of the GOP base is of a libertarian,freedom-loving orientation....In a close election,they can not win without us...Time to organize,fund and publisize the birth of Liberty Republicans....those GOPers who are sick of the Establishment Republican Party and want change...such an organization would only endorse and work for the election of "Ron Paul" style Republicans...and actively workJ(and run ads) for the defeat of Neo-Cons in House,Senate and local races...Also such a group should prepare the groundwork for a Liberty Republican to run in the primaries in 2012...The Third Party route is a proven failure to real change in America...