The poll numbers don't lie.
Mainstream America is fed up with establishment politicians. On the Democratic side a socialist(!) is showing surprising gains against the establishment choice Hillary Clinton. On the Republican side, the uncontrollable loudmouth Donald Trump is besting most of the establishment field.
It seems no matter how illogical or insane a candidates anti-establishment policy views are the masses are going to jump on board. They don't want more of the same.
Imagine what would happen if there was an anti-establishment candidate who also spoke logically and with a liberty perspective. Well there was such a candidate in 2102, Ron Paul. He was gaining traction, and some believe, the momentum was only halted from elements within the campaign.
Instead, of Ron running this time around, we have his son Rand, who is much more hungry to gain power than his father. His father seemed to have zero lust for power. He spoke truth to the establishment not concerned what it meant in terms of actually gaining power.
In a tragic miscalculation, the son distanced himself from the consistent anti-establishment positions of his father. He has sided up with Mr. Crony Establishment Mitch McConnell. He has posed in politically correct establishment poses.
He has done this at a time when the public is craving anti-establishment positions. While Rand has met with Al Sharpton and traveled to Ferguson, Trump has put on a no-holds barred insane attack on Latinos. And the people flock to Trump.
And while, Rand sends out as many as 7 email contribution requests per day. the socialist Bernie Sanders has raised a remarkable $10 million--a number that Rand is very, very unlikely to match, despite having his father's email lists as a great base.
Rand's continuing flip flops to appeal to neocons, evangelicals and his father's libertarian base, all at the same time, is now hurting him in the polls. The masses smell "typical politician" when they hear Rand. His latest desperation move is to declare he is in favor of the Bill of Rights! Wow, how bolds a stand!
In this cycle of the anti-establishment candidates, Rand has severely miscalculated. It will only get worse for him. H e doesn't seem to have what it takes to go anti-establishment. He may pose more as anti-establishment as he sees Trump and Sanders climb in the polls, but the public is on to him.
Rand's case is a case of an opportunity lost for him and the libertarian movement.The anti-establishment momentum is being swallowed up by all sorts of interventionists and freedom haters instead.
Robert Wenzel is Editor & Publisher at EconomicPolicyJournal.com and at Target Liberty. He is also author of The Fed Flunks: My Speech at the New York Federal Reserve Bank. Follow him on twitter:@wenzeleconomics
I agree. Rand needs to stop running for Prez, go back to the Senate, and essentially start over building up his credentials as the smart and media savvy anti-establishment candidate he came across as during his first filibuster. He needs to spend one or two additional terms doing that on a consistent basis, and try to constantly be in the news for such activities. Once he does that, he can go back to running for President again.
ReplyDeleteRand is not the "Second Coming of Paul", he did not miscalculate, he chose from day one to take the money, and finish destroying what his father, and his father's campaign had already imploded with great precision just over three years ago. Every Libertarian I know in the Phoenix area has blown me off when I have stated without equivocation that Rand was paid from the very beginning in 2010 to destroy his own fathers incredible appeal to the American public. The way that Jesse Benton, and Ron Paul purposefully shut down the campaign in the run up to the California primary in June of 2012, and the Ron's failure to appear at the convention were a direct betrayal of the American people. I was told that I was wrong, that I should stifle myself, and because of that I stayed away from every single Libertarian event for over 18 months in order for this betrayal by Ron Paul, Rand Paul, Jesse Benton, Trygve Olson, Mike Rothfeld, and a host of others to come into focus.
ReplyDeleteAsk yourself, what sort of a father would take a dive before the 2012 Republican convention, and then watch his son nominate the full blooded neocon Mitt Romney? Now ask yourself, what sort of a son would nominate Mitt Romney while his own fathers votes were not mentioned at the dais, and the name Ron Paul was never uttered in the convention hall? At the 2012 Republican Convention in Florida, Ron Paul was made a non-person like in the days of Joseph Stalin, he was erased from history in a way, and Rand Paul was a major cog in the machinery to destroy his own father's tainted legacy.
If you have any doubt about the veracity of what I have stated, watch this old video of Penny Langford Freeman, on this old video of Adam vs. the Man from several years ago, where she spells it all out.
Penny Langford Freeman -- Ron Paul senior staffer until '07 -- on Adam Kokesh:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2taJY4UG6I
As someone who has followed every presidential election since watching the Kennedy vs. Nixon debates when I was six years old, I can honestly tell you that everything you see is a propaganda performance which is meant to convince you that you have a voice in what happens in this country: trust me, you don't. You are meant to be fat, and happy as you are parasitized until you succumb to one thing or another. Funny, parasitic is a word that has been banned in Libertarian circles in Phoenix as well.
If I sound angry, you can rest assured that I am sick-and-tired of the absolute worship of Ron Paul, and the faithful waiting five years for the "Second Coming of Paul' to save them from the tyranny that surrounds them. It is time to wake up children, and drink deep from the well of reality.
Switchblade, Ron is every bit the man of integrity he appears to be. My suspicion is, though I don't know the Paul's personally, Ron's weakness is his family. He trusted Rand and Benton and they hurt the campaign in 2012 for their own ends, preparing for 2016 for Rand. Additionally, one minor fact you got wrong was about the convention. Ron was on the convention floor for a brief period in 2012. I think he did a walk through with supporters then left. I am not saying he had a huge presence, he clearly didn't. He was present though briefly.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Rand being paid from the beginning to destroy the liberty movement, I do not see it. I say that as a critic of Rand Paul. He just isn't the same man as his father. He does not believe the same things which is very unfortunate for us as he squandered a once in a life time opportunity to move the ball of liberty forward in a big way.
I think Rand's difference in belief and attitude were used against him by those he brought on to advise him like Olson, Benton, and Rothfeld who had their own philosophies and agendas. I think Rand really believes he can put together a coalition of conservatives and libertarians by throwing bones to each from time to time. The irony is he's right but he is going about it completely wrong. He needs to approach it more like Ron did, standing for something then explaining. Ron got over 20% of the vote in evangelical Iowa while opposing corn subsidies.
I hear your frustration and share it. However, we can either quit or keep moving. We need to keep moving, continuing to spread the philosophy of liberty. I cannot say if we'll be successful in restoring liberty to America, my expectations are low yet hopeful. Even if we fail at least we will have lived lives we can be proud of. That is important in and of itself.
Joshua
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughtful reply, we disagree on the integrity of Ron, and Rand Paul, but I have to stress that I am not a casual observer of political campaigns. I have observed, and studied every campaign since 1960, and in that time I have never seen a campaign implode like Ron Paul's campaign did in the latter stages of the 2012 charade.
I want to say this as obliquely as possible, you are thoughtful, and obviously very intelligent, but sometimes people have abilities in areas that are not the norm, and that is why I persist in my attitude toward the entire Ron Paul family. I will not tell you why I know I am right on this subject, let time reveal what I know to be true. I never gave Ron Paul one second of my time after December 2007, with good reason. I stated on this site that Rand Paul's campaign launch was the worst I had witness in my entire life, and I feel that time is vindicating what I sensed about Rand Paul five years ago. Who a person really is behind the facade they project to the public is the real person, and I have not missed once in decades.