Originally Posted by
GunnyFreedom
Actually, in NC we Paulers get along famously with the local grassrooters. The plastic astroturf Teocons are another matter, of course. I was...um...pretty insistant that we NC Paulers stay engaged with the local grassroots tea parties because eventually their ideas would fail, and if we were friends they would see that ours didn't.
Look, I'm getting invited to speak to tea party things all over the state. I'm not a candidate any more, so I'm kinda trying to piss them off. I hit on NDAA, PATRIOT, undeclared wars, and the Federal war on drugs, if I can't make them angry about the broken government, then I at least want to make them angry at me for calling it out. I figure when it breaks down they will remember me.
I am all over topics we could never dream about in 2010 or 11. I'm literally scolding Republicans for obeying just the bits they like on the Constitution, and telling them this is why the country is broken. We can't obey just the bits we like, you see because that what the Democrats do. Both parties, and look where it's gotten us.
A good man and a retired Marine Michael Speciale running for NC House likes to use the illustration of forced federal reciprocal concealed carry, and that the NC State Constitution reserves the right to regulate concealment, so constitutionally we can't support it at the federal level. OK, I think an argument may be made in another way, that the US Government was given jurisdiction over the right to bear arms (empowered to protect it, specifically), but it really the Constitutionally correct argument that concealment is not granted to Congress, so that under the 10th Amendment and the State of NC reserves it under Article 1 Section 30.
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I don't actually like the provision, but it actually is there, and therefore the 10th Amendment (not having been reserved) says the Feds can't force NC to allow concealed carry.
He uses that to explain to Republicans how we can't just do what we like but have to follow the Constitution. We have 5 good people in the General for State Assembly, and two that have already won. The local grassroots Tea Parties are eating it up. The worst blows I can give establishmentarians in a political environment and they ask me back because they want more.
It's the the point that I'm a bit surprised that other states are having so much trouble. Listen, you have to get engaged with the local grassroots tea parties on good terms, not the astroturf, and stay engaged, because their construct is already failing. Just be right and watch. They are coming over like crazy. We stayed engaged and it worked here.
The worst thing that AFP and others can do in NC is to oppose the grassroots Tea Parties because it will destroy their credibility. The whole country east of 95 is on fire, and little brushfires are popping up all over everywhere else, especially Asheville and north of Mecklenburg County. I almost wish I weren't going to the RNC because there is so much to do here.
CD 1 is crazy ripe for a Ron Paul Democrat. SD4 and HD27 too. The whole East of 95 can get picked up over time. Use their own redistricting schemes against them. :p
I would love to see a trans-partisan Constitutionalist caucus in the NC General Assembly. That way no matter who is in the majority we can advance the restoration of the Constitution. A CC of say 7 Republicans and 5 Democrats could break Speaker and Speaker Pro Tem elections. 10 and 7 will do it easily. That's kinda profound, actually. Press release "Bi-Partisan Constitutionalist Caucus blocks majority vote for House Speaker, negotiations ongoing between both parties for candidates for Speaker that may be more acceptable to all three caucuses."
I'm not sure anything can break down the two party delusion faster than a fully independent (from the Speaker on) Constitutionalist Caucus composed of members of both parties whose one common goal is to "get back to the Constitution." full stop, a caucus that makes regular headlines. LOL you could break down whole coverage areas with mass conversions. :p
tl;dr - all of the Tea Parties I am going to, and heavy hitters in NC, are rejecting the teo-cons and embracing strict Constitutional compliance, no matter how bad it hurts. Since I'm not running for anything anymore, I am actually trying to flush out the sacred cows and openly beat them. And they love it. So you all do it too. :)