Liberty MavenRon Paul’s Splintering Movement
October 22nd, 2008 1:42 pm | by Marc Gallagher | Published in Activism, Big Government, Bob Barr, Maven Commentary, Media, Politics, Ron Paul | 10 Responses
There is a decent article in the October 20th print edition of The American Conservative magazine by Daniel Larison that sums up the now splintered Ron Paul Revoluton. Much of the reason is attributed to Paul’s own original quasi-endorsement of third party candidates and Bob Barr’s own stubbornness in not participating in the endorsement press conference.
The gyst of the article suggests that Chuck Baldwin is now the most likely vote choice for Paul supporters. It could be construed as a bit of an attack piece on Barr. In the end the author arrives at the same lament I have had regarding the horribly missed opportunity at actually having Ron Paul’s movement be more than a fringe element easily dismissed, especially now that many of his economic predictions are coming to pass.
Larison ends his article with the following:
As all of this unfolded, the financial crisis revealed the prescience and importance of Paul’s warnings about the Federal Reserve’s inflationary monetary policy. This issue, which Paul stressed repeatedly during his primary campaign—much to the eye-rolling amusement of supposedly serious journalists and pundits—has proved far more relevant in this election cycle than anyone could have guessed. It is particularly unfortunate for the country that there will not be a unified, coherent movement to give voice to this critique at a time when we need it most.
While I may disagree with a portion of the article I am in complete agreement with Larison’s conclusion. There isn’t a readily available online version of this article so if you’d like to read the entire thing your going to have to purchase a copy of American Conservative magazine or sign up for it online. It really is a great read most of the time. It’s not Neo-conservative BS. It’s true conservative BS.
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October 22nd, 2008 at 4:22 pm (#)
I don’t agree that Ron Paul’s movement has splintered. I think there were some who were just voting for a Presidential candidate and never intended more than that. They will vote for their second choice, or will write in Ron Paul… or won’t vote.
However, those who support the movement are still active through Campaign for Liberty and otherwise. For those who lost their apathy through Ron Paul’s Presidential campaign, it is a personal loss that we can’t vote for him. However, whomever others of these choose as a second choice, or whether they choose to write in Ron Paul or protest through not voting, I don’t feel the slightest bit ’splintered’ from them.
Ron Paul asked us to bomb a congressional candidate who has a solid chance of winning, and we did. Ron Paul asked us to write our congressmen about the bailout, and make our voices heard, and we did that as well. Most of us have chosen other projects and topics we have and are working on, but we keep an eye and ear on Ron Paul. He serves not just as a leader, but as a ‘first alert’ alarm, often.
I think some wanted us all to coalesce behind their first choice, be it a candidate or a party, and were disapointed when we didn’t. I can understand that. However, the fact that we didn’t doesn’t mean the movement has splintered, in my view. This presidential election is only the beginning.
October 22nd, 2008 at 4:43 pm (#)
Very good points spinnikerca…
I believe with respect to the Presidential election itself the Ron Paul contingent is split. It remains to be seen if that splinter will further marginalize the effectiveness of any CFL type actions in the future. I hope not… but even though Ron Paul has been fairly visible in the media saying the things he always does (how great it is) there doesn’t seem to be any kind of true mainstream growth.
I fear there is a certain element of us Ron Paul supporters that make up a certain percentage of the electorate and that percentage is stagnant instead of growing. Hopefully, that isn’t the case, but it is something I fear is true. There are a number of people I know who voted for Ron Paul that are now voting for McCain or Obama. It almost makes me sick and as hard as I try they are steadfast in doing so. They won’t even consider a third party or not voting at all as an option… even if they agree with a non-McBama on the issues more. The wasted vote syndrome is a hard thing to crack.
I’m very curious what happens after the election and the years to come with respect to the C4L. I think there is a great opportunity still there… hopefully we’ll all be around to help it come to fruition.
-Marc
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:03 pm (#)
Mark, I agree. However, after the election it might be easier to get people’s attention, as well. There is a partisanship right now that seems to turn off people’s brains. (Frustration speaking….)
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:26 pm (#)
There is no doubt that the RP R3volution movement will be splintered somewhat, but that is not because of who they will be voting for in November, per se. We came from all sorts of differing ideologies and some will return to those places but return as individuals who have been changed forever.
Just like the dispersed church in Acts, the people of the R3volution will go every where and they will take this gospel of liberty with them whereever they go, and the whole world will be different because of what happened these past months.
They who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
And when the time comes for them to get behind a National Candidate, the people of the R3volution will flow from every hillside, plain, valley and mountain into a mighty rushing stream, and even the unbelievers will have to admit that something wonderful has happened.
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:15 pm (#)
Ron Paul was the greatest distraction ever engineered by our shadowy overlords.
It was kinda funny, because it fooled me for a moment.
I’m glad this “movement” is “splintering”
Therein lies individuality and personal accountability. But we must first recognise, and submit that the metaphorical wool has been pulled over our eyes once more. Wouldn’t be the first time they put up a liberal from their own camp.
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:52 pm (#)
I think mistakes were made all around. Living in West Virginia, I’m most disappointed that the Barr campaign didn’t bother to register as write-ins as a hedge against losing their court case to get on the ballot, so now I’m left with little choice other than to vote for Baldwin, since I can’t write in Ron Paul or Bob Barr.
I could actually write in Santa Claus (he’s a registered write-in), which I might actually end up doing.
http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/29754774.html
I just don’t think I can vote for a theocrat.
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:19 pm (#)
Chris,
I’ve got the opposite problem here in NC. No Chuck Baldwin on the ballot and he doesn’t count as a write in and neither does Ron Paul. However, Barr is on the ballot. I think a lot of this forces the Ron Paul group to be “splintered” in voting for a presidential candidate. Thankfully, we Ron Paul supporters and other like-minded Americans have http://www.campaignforliberty.com, which helps to keep liberty lovers united and active in the political movement.
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:59 am (#)
I agree the presidential vote is splintering but I see great things coming out of the ‘Ron Paul revolution’.
Thousands of us across the country got connected. Many who joined RP because of the war learned about the Federal Reserve. Many people had their eyes opened up. Keep it up!
I think people should consider the Free State Project.
One particpant has already been elected to the NH State House. Over 40 Ron Paul Republicans are running Nov 4th for NH State House.
Lots of FSPers have been elected at the local level.
There is also a bunch of people working ‘outside’ the system.
And more people are moving to New Hampshire every week as part of the Free State Project.
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:42 am (#)
There are hopes for the Revolution after the election and hopes for some, any, Ron Paul supporter to get into a State legislature. But I have already commented on this before–I think that the Paul movement is composed of too many differing factions for it to remain together once the war has been downplayed or removed as an issue. The other item that keep the movement going is the presence of Ron Paul. Like the Reform Party, now defunct, the Revolution will splinter to disintegration when Paul leaves. The Reform Party’s history is a sad template that the Revolution is fitting into. All that is necessary to finish off the Revolution after Paul retires(notions that Paul will run for President in 2012 are straight out of Dingeons and Dragons) is for some strong candidate, not unlike a Pat Buchanan and his brigades, to try to claim the Revolution for his own. Not even this–the passage of time will place the Revolution into the dustbin of history if the Revolution, the Paul supporters, cannot get themselves into State legislatures or Congress–following the pattern of the Libertarian Party, that of getting LP members on water boards, school districts and small city councils is a policy of failure, as many in the LP already know.
I look forward to the fatal infighting amongst the several factions in the Revolution after the election. There will be more splintering, not less.
October 23rd, 2008 at 1:21 pm (#)
[...] But there are too many examples of his supporters marginalized and mocked or even told that our movement is splintering and given questionable evidence to support this claim. We are being told the end of Libertarianism [...]