Be the 5 Percent.

[lakefx]

Before 3 Million Ron Paul supporters scatter into the breeze of the next 3 months....Voting for Obama, Romney, Writing in Ron Paul, Not voting. And so forth.

The disunity and cacophony of our voice will be no voice at all. Only noise, or worse, crickets.

Writing in Ron Paul is a romantic idea. And I Like it. But its something that, A) won't likely be counted and B) Achieves nothing meaningful beyond momentarily satisfying your conscience.

Why not truly, honestly and uniformly SHOW our strength in the General?

The Anti-establishment, Anti-Republicrat sentiment is higher this year than any other, well beyond our own numbers. The candidates up to the plate are the most useless, wishy washy power hungry bastards we've ever seen. The 'Lesser of two-evils' philosophy is the only prevailing argument for Romney or Obama. Yet no-one knows yet who's less evil.

VOTE FOR GARY JOHNSON.

DEMAND he stands on the stage at debates.

DEMAND the media talks about him.

COMMENT for him.

FACEBOOK for him

TWITTER for him

Become a Gary-Bot, even if just for a season.

Be relentless, as we all were in December.

3 Million+ Ron Paul supporters.
+ GOTV
+ Swing Voters
+ Handfuls of disenchanted voters
+ Energized Libertarian base
+ Tea Party / Express

5% is within reach.

Send a LOUD, Clear message. We are not fooled, we are not bought, we are united, and we are the future. You are on notice.

5% is a nearly magic number. It brings a party into the future, to the dinner table, and into the airwaves. It opens channels. Changes rhetoric. It changes the landscape.

Our country DESPERATELY needs a 3rd party. Perhaps more. That's what I learned from Ron Paul--Even if he never spoke these words or endorses the idea. He himself ran as a libertarian once, if for nothing than to wake up a few more souls. Why, can't WE do the same? We can work within the GOP, But we can't change it permanently. So long as there are neocons. So long as there are religious statists and corporate scumbags, so long as there are ignorant people who can't find their state on a map or name a sitting vice president...They too will be sharing a party with the rest of us who truly love the constitution, liberty, transparency, and justice. With a strong 3rd party, Voter registrations will go up. Turnout will go up. Apathy will go down. Ignorance will become obsolete, rather than a requirement to vote without absence of conscience. Compromise with 2 of 3 strong parties will be REQUIRED to avoid gridlock and enact change. A strong Libertarian party doesn't have to cross the aisle...IT BRIDGES the aisle. A strong 3rd party will lead to defections. Liberty minded folks in congress become instant incumbents. It's happened before. Remember going the way of the Whigs? Democablicans, Replicrats will be forced to their own principals, and to being honest with themselves and to America.

Continue to be a Republican Insurgent.
For 3 months, Overwhelm the Libertarians. Become the Libertarians.
Become the 5%.

[sailingaway]

We are more than 5%, and I for one am not drawn to Johnson in the slightest. And I still resent his supporters hinting Ron was racist to get people over to Johnson when they knew better.

People who like him will vote for him, but it will also be counted to show up and vote, but not vote for President at all, or write Ron in. They track who votes, and they track how many vote for President. The difference in those numbers is a no confidence vote. That expresses me better than voting for a candidate I don't want.

My 2 cents.

[Endthefednow]

Good post, keep at it maybe you will convince me and others to vote for your guy and not write in Ron Paul!

at this point I hate my old party the DEMS and NOW I HATE the REPS just as much so if I do not do a write in

for Ron Paul I just might give my vote to GARY JOHNSON

[lakefx]

We are more than 5%

You may be right. However, I'm going with math on this one. If more than 5% are willing to vote for Ron Paul in an Indy bid. What subset of those would vote for Gary Johnson? A coalition of votes will be enough to hit 5%.

Gary probably won't win, but my point is, he doesn't have to. The best way to fix the GOP, In my opinion, is to give them hell from within AND without.

Screw 'No confidence' votes. The establishment will be plenty happy with the other 130 MILLION confidence votes.

[The Dude]

Completely agree, rallying around Johnson is the only logical destination for this movement in the general. Doing anything else is either betraying your principles or wasting a write in vote that won't mean anything. If Johnson got a large percentage, the whole country and media would know it's not because Johnson got a lot of Johnson voters - it's because the Ron Paul people voted for him.

[sailingaway]

Good post, keep at it maybe you will convince me and others to vote for your guy and not write in Ron Paul!

at this point I hate my old party the DEMS and NOW I HATE the REPS just as much so if I do not do a write in

for Ron Paul I just might give my vote to GARY JOHNSON

Didn't you already say that in the thread you started today on this same subject? I'm going to have to start moving these to opposing candidates again, in lack of anywhere else to put them, if they keep being this frequent in Ron's forum. Raising a topic is one thing, spamming people not here for that is something else.

[sailingaway]

Completely agree, rallying around Johnson is the only logical destination for this movement in the general. Doing anything else is either betraying your principles or wasting a write in vote that won't mean anything. If Johnson got a large percentage, the whole country and media would know it's not because Johnson got a lot of Johnson voters - it's because the Ron Paul people voted for him.

In my opinion voting for Johnson won't mean more than a write in vote, and would be for the wrong person, besides. I guess we internalize things differently. However, there are TOO MANY of these same threads. Maybe I'll just merge them all into one long one...

[The Dude]

How exactly is Johnson an opposing candidate? Ron isn't running for President. Johnson is the only candidate that represents the Ron Paul Grassroots in the election. Therefore discussion of it belongs in this forum?

[Endthefednow]

Sorry, Sailing could you please delete my post.

This is the Ron Paul forum thanks for letting my Poll stay.

[krazy kaju]

All this argumentation about who to vote for is nauseating. You're more likely to be struck by lightning than you are to change the course of the national election (no, this isn't hyperbole but an actual statistic). Real change doesn't occur in the general election. It occurs by staying active before and after the general election in any and every capacity possible.

LET'S BE THE FIVE PERCENT THAT REMAINS ACTIVE AFTER THE ELECTION AND TAKES OVER THE REPUBLICAN PARTY BY BOOTING OUT THE PARTY INSIDERS IN OUR RESPECTIVE STATE AND LOCAL PARTIES

[lakefx]

Ron isn't running for President.

My sentiments exactly. We've got a lot of energy. Lets not waste it.

We need to sail on, sailingaway. I love your enthusiasm. It is unmatched. But we need to direct this into something positive, not self defeating.

[lakefx]

LET'S BE THE FIVE PERCENT THAT REMAINS ACTIVE AFTER THE ELECTION AND TAKES OVER THE REPUBLICAN PARTY BY BOOTING OUT THE PARTY INSIDERS IN OUR RESPECTIVE STATE AND LOCAL PARTIES

These 5% can do just that. AND vote for Gary Johnson.

[jcarcinogen]

I am a libertarian but lately the bob Barr- Wayne Allan root - Reason types do not appeal to me and come across as arrogant or uncharasmatic in a pastey white guy way to the mainstream. Gary Johnson is ok but if Paul endorses him it would get him many of the Paul votes. I hope he doesn't endorse the Constitution party like he did in 2008 which will cause more people to write him in and dilute the third party vote. In 2010, in Reason, rp said he couldn't imagine not endorsing GJ.

[krazy kaju]

These 5% can do just that. AND vote for Gary Johnson.

I see your location there. Thought I'd let you know that one of the Gary Johnson Campaign leaders here in MI was a very loud opponent of Ron Paul, spewing bull$#@! about how Ron Paul is racist and anti-Semitic. His name is Aaron Bitterman. He used to be on board with Ron Paul and the Republican Liberty Caucus, but then he went bat$#@! crazy.

Then there are also Gary Johnson's statist tendencies, like his support for "humanitarian" wars and the redistributive "Fair" Tax. If the LP had chosen someone like Harry Browne, then I would consider them as a good protest vote.

[krazy kaju]

I am a libertarian but lately the bob Barr- Wayne Allan root - Reason types do not appeal to me and come across as arrogant or uncharasmatic in a pastey white guy way to the mainstream. Gary Johnson is ok but if Paul endorses him it would get him many of the Paul votes. I hope he doesn't endorse the Constitution party like he did in 2008 which will cause more people to write him in and dilute the third party vote. In 2010, in Reason, rp said he couldn't imagine not endorsing GJ.

That's when Gary Johnson was considering a run as a Republican. Crossing over to the LP is self-defeating. Ron Paul tried the third party route and abandoned it. He understands that the LP will never accomplish anything. Just look at how Ron Paul has done more for the cause of liberty through the Republican Party in about five years than the Libertarian Party has done in four decades of existence.

[jcarcinogen]

Yeah, there are a lot of libertarians, big L, that like to knock Paul and his supporters for 'futility' etc which is ironic. Not Gary's fault but it leaves a bad taste in Paul supporter's mouths.

[libertariantexas]

In my opinion voting for Johnson won't mean more than a write in vote, and would be for the wrong person, besides. I guess we internalize things differently. However, there are TOO MANY of these same threads. Maybe I'll just merge them all into one long one...

Voting for Gary Johnson won't be like a pointless "write in" vote.

Remember, in some states, write in votes aren't even counted.

On top of that, we all know that a "write in" campaign for a candidate that refuses to participate is utterly pointless. Ron Paul's "write in" votes, despite a lot of "write in Ron Paul even though he isn't running" rhetoric on these boards, didn't even get noticed in 2008, and this year will be no different.

I prefer Ron Paul to Gary Johnson, that's why I've campaigned for him for 5+ years.

But I'm not going to cast a meaningless (and in my state, uncounted) vote for Ron Paul, who refuses to run, because he's a little better than Gary Johnson, who is running, will be on the ballot, and who's votes will be counted.

[krazy kaju]

Anyway, from my previous posts it should be clear that I won't be voting for Gary Johnson.

But it's also clear that 90% of posters here are set in their ways and won't be changing who they're voting for, whether that's writing in Ron Paul, voting for Romney, voting for Obama (LOL), or going for Gary Johnson.

At least we can all agree that we have to remain active in the GOP in order to boot all of the Party Insiders out.

[libertariantexas]

That's when Gary Johnson was considering a run as a Republican. Crossing over to the LP is self-defeating. Ron Paul tried the third party route and abandoned it. He understands that the LP will never accomplish anything. Just look at how Ron Paul has done more for the cause of liberty through the Republican Party in about five years than the Libertarian Party has done in four decades of existence.

But Ron Paul IS NOT running. He will NOT be on the ballot. He's done. He won't even bother to mount a write-in campaign- just as he refused to participate in 2008.

Gary Johnson IS running. He IS on the ballot. His votes WILL be counted.

BTW, before you dismiss Libertarians out of hand, you might want to consider that a large part of Ron's support comes from Libertarians- those of us who crossed over to the GOP to support him, and others who stayed in the LP, but still vigorously supported Dr. Paul in the primaries.

[lakefx]

I see your location there. Thought I'd let you know that one of the Gary Johnson Campaign leaders here in MI was a very loud opponent of Ron Paul, spewing bull$#@! about how Ron Paul is racist and anti-Semitic. His name is Aaron Bitterman. He used to be on board with Ron Paul and the Republican Liberty Caucus, but then he went bat$#@! crazy.

Then there are also Gary Johnson's statist tendencies, like his support for "humanitarian" wars and the redistributive "Fair" Tax. If the LP had chosen someone like Harry Browne, then I would consider them as a good protest vote.

Justin isn't exactly perfect either. Perhaps outside of the aura of this Forum, neither is Ron Paul. I don't think we should just stop at voting for Gary, or just stop at infiltrating the GOP, we have the numbers to completely overwhelm, consume, and route the libertarian party and its platform outright. Why not?

I believe destiny is a divided GOP, eventually a split GOP, and many defectors. In the meantime, we have the numbers to overwhelm the LP.

We need a home for our ideas for when our ideas are not represented.

In some ways, members of the GOP will always be complete opposites to us. How does a party survive that can't agree on a direction or a purpose of government? How do we completely turn a war-loving party into a non-interventionist one? How do we turn a corporatist statist message into a fairness and liberty one? Let us by all means continue to try. But there's nothing stopping us from doing BOTH.

I'll continue to vote LP. But I'm going to take advantage of these Michigan rules and turn delegate for the GOP in a couple years. Nothing is stopping me. Ahd that's how Ron Paul won this election. He didn't just win my vote, he won my purpose.

Perhaps Gary is no Ron Paul, we are all aware, He at least occupies the same planet. Perhaps the LP is full of bad apples. Displace them too.

[Acala]

I am going to be listening to what Ron Paul says. And I will be watching what the delegates do after the convention, since I see them as the core of the movement at the moment. But my inclination at the moment is to write in Ron Paul.

[sailingaway]

My sentiments exactly. We've got a lot of energy. Lets not waste it.

We need to sail on, sailingaway. I love your enthusiasm. It is unmatched. But we need to direct this into something positive, not self defeating.

I think we will each direct our own vote in our own preferred direction. You are certainly welcome to do with yours as you wish.

I don't consider my writing in Ron Paul self defeating but the best representation of my views.

[Acala]

Justin isn't exactly perfect either. Perhaps outside of the aura of this Forum, neither is Ron Paul. I don't think we should just stop at voting for Gary, or just stop at infiltrating the GOP, we have the numbers to completely overwhelm, consume, and route the libertarian party and its platform outright. Why not?

I believe destiny is a divided GOP, eventually a split GOP, and many defectors. In the meantime, we have the numbers to overwhelm the LP.

We need a home for our ideas for when our ideas are not represented.

In some ways, members of the GOP will always be complete opposites to us. How does a party survive that can't agree on a direction or a purpose of government? How do we completely turn a war-loving party into a non-interventionist one? How do we turn a corporatist statist message into a fairness and liberty one? Let us by all means continue to try. But there's nothing stopping us from doing BOTH.

I'll continue to vote LP. But I'm going to take advantage of these Michigan rules and turn delegate for the GOP in a couple years. Nothing is stopping me.

Perhaps Gary is no Ron Paul, we are all aware, He at least occupies the same planet. Perhaps the LP is full of bad apples. Displace them too.

The Libertarian party has a long history of losing. I know because I ran for Congress on the L ticket. And lost. That was a long time ago and they have been losing ever since. Essentially every race, every time. Not only that, but, ironically for the party of principle, they make some really questionable nominations.

Unfortunately, losing every election for thirty years tends to taint the brand. It will be much better, although much more difficult, to take over a winning brand.

[libertariantexas]

I am a libertarian but lately the bob Barr- Wayne Allan root - Reason types do not appeal to me and come across as arrogant or uncharasmatic in a pastey white guy way to the mainstream.

So you don't like Libertarians because they are boring, pastey white guys?

I guess when you compare those Libertarians to the abundant charisma, savage tan, and rugged good looks of Ron Paul, that makes sense?



Ron Paul is a boring, pastey white guy who is a libertarian/Libertarian with great ideas- you know, like those Libertarians you mock (including many of us on these forums).

[lakefx]

Unfortunately, losing every election for thirty years tends to taint the brand. It will be much better, although much more difficult, to take over a winning brand.

They lose to the system carefully designed to keep them out until extraordinary circumstances fall into their lap. And blame them?

[KEEF]

I am just as pissed at the GOP as everyone else, and my heart tells me to write in Ron Paul. At the same time though if I vote for Johnson (who stands with me far more than the Obamabidenromneyryan monstrousity) I help make ballot accessibility more accessable to other third parties which is good since the two party system is one in the same.

I guess I have from now and November to think about it.

[sailingaway]

They lose to the system carefully designed to keep them out until extraordinary circumstances fall into their lap. And blame them?

I don't. When they start running candidates like Browne again, let me know.

I blame them for becoming GOP - lite. Not necessarily at the lower levels, where I take each candidate separately, however.

[rich34]

Didn't you already say that in the thread you started today on this same subject? I'm going to have to start moving these to opposing candidates again, in lack of anywhere else to put them, if they keep being this frequent in Ron's forum. Raising a topic is one thing, spamming people not here for that is something else.

You're busted!

[shane77m]

I have been thinking about what to do now. Continue with voting republican and supporting liberty candidates or going third party. The choices here in Bama are few and far in between for liberty candidates.

Running for local office is a noble thing but the problem is the masses don't want liberty. They want a democrat or republican to swaddle them and tell them everything will be alright. They are terrified by terrorists under every bed that want to bomb half the world. They talk about liberty but in the end all they are all statist's that want to control your life and legislate your morality. Changing the hearts and minds of the masses is what needs to take place.

Watching the events at this convention it seems like trying to change the republican party might be a futile objective. Liberty lovers get delegates and they get stripped by the powers that be. The rules are instantly changed and made up as they go. Seems hard to fight that.

I have been planning on writing in RP if he is not the nominee but the more I think about it though I think I will go GJ.

[francisco]

BTW, before you dismiss Libertarians out of hand, you might want to consider that a large part of Ron's support comes from Libertarians- those of us who crossed over to the GOP to support him, and others who stayed in the LP, but still vigorously supported Dr. Paul in the primaries.

QFT.

For my part, I intend to work within the Republican party after the election to change it from within to be a mainstream Liberty party. The possibility of that happening should not be easily dismissed. Parties evolve. The Christian right, social conservatives, and neocons have all in turn gone from dissed and dismissed small factions to major wings that cannot be ignored. Now it can be the turn for the Liberty wing to achieve true power, but only if we work for it.

I need to emphasize after the election. After the Romney power grab at the convention, there is no way I can work for the national ticket of the Republicans. Romney must pay for his perfidy. The best, most visible way we can do that as a movement is to concentrate our power and vote for GJ. He is not perfect (and we should not delude ourselves, will not win) but he is the closest to our views and most importantly bears the Libertarian label.