"My success is I ALWAYS WIN" - Ron Paul

[JohnCrabtree]

I am shocked by the negativity going on here! Last cycle in 2008 when Ron Paul admitted that we would not win the presidency I was upset, I was angry, and I felt like "it was over". But something happened to me. I continued to talk to people about the philosophy of Paul, one position at a time, 1 person at a time. So did hundreds of thousands of others. My favorite clip of Ron Paul from this whole campaign is the interview where he states "It's not like I'm trying to win just to get elected, I'm TRYING TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY." And he has. And he will. And we will.

In 2008 it was political suicide and blasphemy in the Republican party to suggest that we should not be in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2012 several candidates for president on the Republican ticket had calmed down open the war hawk position. It was seen as a conspiracy theory to mention the Federal Reserve in any context beyond setting interest rates to help the American People. Now Republicans an Democrats in office are not only supporting the concept of Auditing the FED, but many are running on it. Heck Rick Perry Damn near suggested The Chairman of the FED should be hung for Treason! In the 2008 election cycle the economy was barely mentioned. People looked at Ron Paul like he was chicken little for his "doom and gloom" about the economy. The last four years have been DEFINED by the poor economy, in this massive economic downturn that Ron Paul has been predicting for decades. When I was a teenager I learned that while the libertarian philosophy needs to be instilled in government, it was unlikely that we would ever see a libertarian hold a major office. For the most part we were reserved to "coming in 3rd" in any election. We now have libertarian minded SENATORS (Rand Paul, and potentially Ted Cruz), Congressmen (Justin Amash, Thomas Massie, and by the end of 2012 a few more I suspect). The libertarian wing of the Republican party now controls STATE republican parties in several states, and by the end of 2012 will likely control even more.

WE WIN everyday. Changing the minds of the American people as a whole takes time. Our descent to Socialism and Imperialism took a century. We can't reverse this completely in 4 years. We can't change it completely in 8 years. BUT we can change minds. Every day we change minds we can win on one issue at a time, and in the end leave our Children and Grandchildren a better America.

We have Governors refusing to let deficits build up, who are making the tough calls and making cuts. Do these people agree with the Paul philosophy on EVERYTHING? no, but something is better than nothing. It is much easier to change minds than to replace every elected official in every spot in America. Ron Paul has done more for the cause of Liberty in our lifetime than any other individual has. He is the real deal. He did not betray us by stating we won't have enough delegates to win the Presidency, any more than he would betray us for saying that the sky is blue. We listen to Ron Paul because he is an HONEST MAN. Why then do we attack him for telling the truth? We lost the election. The Voters for the most part did not want Ron Paul, (They didn't want Romney either, but he still won more votes.) Now we can argue all day about dirty tricks that happened at State Conventions, but that was to be expected. We did an amazing job. Ron Paul did an Amazing job.

Rand Paul's endorsement of Mitt Romney was necessary. He didn't "sell out" He didn't say "I endorse Mitt Romney whole heartily, in fact, I'm changing my positions to be in line with Mitt's. In fact I will post my new positions on my website, and update them monthly as they change like a weather vein" He endorsed Mitt Romney over Barack Obama. Not Mitt Romney over Ron Paul.

Now where do we go from here? Do we hang our heads down, cry about having delegates stolen from us and quit? Or do we continue on what we have built. I am not missing a beat. I am going to support Jack Hoogendyk, Justin Amash, and Kerry Bentivolio here in Michigan. I'm going to get copies of the budgets for the local government entities around me and see what I can find to help those entities improve with limiting the spending, balancing the budgets, and in general doing less. I will be an elected Precinct Delegate in Michigan on Aug 7th, which will make it that much easier for me to go to the State convention as a delegate, to support the liberty platform. (This time I went as an alternate but was elevated.). I am not quitting, indeed I am just getting started. I hope that the rest of us here will do the same. We have several liberty minded candidates with an excellent shot at winning congressional seats and Senate seats. Lets make it happen.

I am forever grateful to Ron Paul for taking the hard road. For knocking down mountains, and clearing the way for us. He has spent his lifetime fighting the good fight. Please Respect the work that he has done, Respect the work his son has done, and stop the infighting and snide attacks.

[anewvoice]

Maybe it's just me, but every time I've disagreed or not grasped something Ron Paul has said or done, it was due to my lack of understanding on a topic.

For everyone attacking him, or the people HE has decided to surround himself with, look in the mirror and ask whether you ought be casting stones.

[steph3n]

First rule of RPF:
Never be shocked what is being said.

[Bruehound]

Awesome post. Thank you.

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

Nice to see a good post in a sea of negativity, where everyone wants to tie their cart to someone else's horse.

[Aratus]

i agree with Bruhound totally

[PattyFromTexas]

My attitude hasn't changed, I'm disappointed sure, but more and more people are getting the message, soon there will be an army of liberty candidates running for office, and they'll inspire more. This fight is just beginning in my opinion, the hard part is over, the next phase is inevitable because people who get the message can never unget it.

[paulbot24]

My attitude hasn't changed, I'm disappointed sure, but more and more people are getting the message, soon there will be an army of liberty candidates running for office, and they'll inspire more. This fight is just beginning in my opinion, the hard part is over, the next phase is inevitable because people who get the message can never unget it.

EXACTLY. Even after decades of speeches, do you know how many people will be hearing Ron for the first time at the RNC? The establishment knows this and is very nervous. His numbers don't go down.

[cdc482]

It's not over unless Ron Paul throws in the hat. If he runs third party he WILL be a major contender for the presidency and he COULD WIN. I have 0 doubt in my mind. The time could not be better. It's now or never Ron Paul.
If he doesn't do it, it will be a huge slap in the face to everyone who donated to his cause.

[CaptainAmerica]

1. Strive to be a leader of character, competence, and courage.

2. Lead from the front. Say, “Follow me!” and then lead the way.

3. Stay in top physical shape--physical stamina is the root of mental toughness.

4. Develop your team. If you know your people, are fair in setting realistic goals and expectations, and lead by example, you will develop teamwork.

5. Delegate responsibility to your subordinates and let them do their job. You can’t do a good job if you don’t have a chance to use your imagination and creativity.

6. Anticipate problems and prepare to overcome obstacles. Don’t wait until you get to the top of the ridge and then make up your mind.

7. Remain humble. Don’t worry about who receives the credit. Never let power or authority go to your head.

8. Take a moment of self-reflection. Look at yourself in the mirror every night and ask yourself if you did your best.

9. True satisfaction comes from getting the job done. The key to a successful leader is to earn respect--not because of rank or position, but because you are a leader of character.

10. Hang Tough!--Never, ever, give up-Major Richard Winters

I have a lot of respect for the character that Major Winters had not just because of what he did but who he was character wise a very humble man and soldier, and his advice on leadership is very insightful because he was one gifted leader even though his leadership was in a different setting.Ron Paul has exemplified this kind of character