Ron Paul vs. Tea Party Express?

Posted on | September 1, 2011 | 27 Comments

Eric Odom wonders why “Doctor No” doesn’t join the tour:

During the past few months Ron Paul’s fans/supporters have gone out of their way to promote his candidacy at every corner of the web. You’ll find them in the comments of every post about an opponent and they’re very active in message boards and discussion forums.
One of the biggest complaints made by these folks is that some of the more “mainstream” tea party organizations do not give Ron Paul a platform to speak from. They argue Paul is being actively silenced in some parts of the movement and they strongly advocate more opportunity for Paul to speak out through these organizations.
Which brings up a very puzzling situation. You see, the Tea Party Express is rolling through 29 cities right now, some of them being in early/battleground states. Iowa, New Hampshire, Virginia, South Carolina and Florida for example. I’m told that Ron Paul has repeatedly been invited to speak at ANY rally on the tour, yet has not once confirmed he wishes to do so. . . .

Read the whole thing. Unlike some other conservative bloggers, I try not to alienate the Paulistas because (a) I’ve got a pretty serious libertarian streak myself, (b) some of my good friends support Paul, and (c) I’m a gutless weasel who doesn’t need a bunch of crazies attacking me in the comments.

It’s bad enough having to deal with left-wing trolls like Anamika, why should I go out of my way to antagonize libertarians?

Category: Election 2012, Ron Paul, Tea Party

Comments

27 Responses to “Ron Paul vs. Tea Party Express?”

Republicanmother
September 1st, 2011 @ 6:08 pm

If I had to guess, I would suspect it is because the Tea Party Express might have connections to the Establishment. I don’t know for sure, as I haven’t followed the money trail on that. It’s funded by The Our Country Deserves Better PAC, which gets funding from some high-rolling, might be perceived as bankster-types. That’s just a theory, I don’t know what the politics are under the surface.
Adjoran
September 1st, 2011 @ 6:16 pm

“Paging Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard . . .”

Paul’s pretty crafty. He’s managed to convince millions of people he’s against spending, while quietly being one of the leading porkers/earmarkers among House Republicans for 20 years. He’s managed to convince millions of people we should return to the gold standard without the gold to back it. He’s managed to campaign on “auditing the Fed” when they’ve just been audited (the TARP process, for which no previous audit mechanism existed until Dodd-Frank because the program did not exist either; the banks themselves have always been audited regularly).

So maybe he is smart enough to know that many of the average working class citizens he’s attracted with his bullet points might be turned off when they see his actual supporters march in . . . the unwashed hippies, the White Power militia, the black-masked anarchists. Maybe the average Tea Party attendee would take a different look at Paul if they saw all those Paulbots together in one place.

Just a theory . . .
Anonymous
September 1st, 2011 @ 6:17 pm

Maybe Tea Party Express is too mainstream for Mr Paul.
Shawn Gillogly
September 1st, 2011 @ 6:26 pm

I happen to suspect the TPE of having been co-opted by the Establishment to a large degree as well.
mojo
September 1st, 2011 @ 6:30 pm

My guess: Ronnie is a “Big L” Libertarian.

Those folks are nuts.

“Small L” libs, well, not so much nuts as unmanageable. A herd of cats.
McGehee
September 1st, 2011 @ 6:37 pm

It’s bad enough having to deal with left-wing trolls like Anamika, why should I go out of my way to antagonize libertarians?

I thought antagonizing libertarians was why you let Anamika stick around.
Anonymous
September 1st, 2011 @ 6:53 pm

There was no need for the establishment types who founded the Express to co opt it. As for Ron Paul accepting or not accepting an offer to speak on their tour that’s his call now.
Anonymous
September 1st, 2011 @ 6:53 pm

There was no need for the establishment types who founded the Express to co opt it. As for Ron Paul accepting or not accepting an offer to speak on their tour that’s his call now.
Elize Nayden
September 1st, 2011 @ 7:01 pm

I think you can be a libertarian and anti-interventionist without sounding like a blame-America-first-kozkid. Paul and his Ronulans never managed to do that.
JeffS
September 1st, 2011 @ 7:19 pm

I view an “Anamika versus Ronulans” match as a blue-on-blue event.

Not for the politics. For the mental issues.
Anonymous
September 1st, 2011 @ 7:28 pm

When Odom says that Paul supporters “are very active” he is referring to the obnoxious, often incoherent, and always vicious rants that they post as comments after every article dealing with their messiah. Stacy McCain is right not to feed them. And the Tea Party people should be glad that Paul is ignoring their invitations. After Paul’s pathetic statements on Iran at the recent debate, who would ever want to be associated with him except his fanatical fans?
Anonymous
September 1st, 2011 @ 7:35 pm

I really haven’t followed Rand, because I thought he might be another visitor from Alpha Centuri Gamma 3. The few times I’ve read or seen vids w/ him – not so bad. I’d like to see more, so it’s disturbing to me to hear the Tea Party Express or any Tea Party group, is possibly selectively screening fiscal conservatives/libertarians. You don’t have to agree with all their positions to let someone speak. Good gosh, letting someone speak doesn’t amount to an endorsement. Maybe he is that far out there on some of his positions and I’m just uninformed.

I was an early Tea Partier. Caught both times they (Tea Party Express) swung by my area (the 2nd required a 3 hr drive to get there). I also joined 2 other Tea Party groups. So it’s disappointing to me, IF I’m not misinformed about Rand, to think the TPX might be becoming exclusive. They didn’t seem to be, way back when.
Anonymous
September 1st, 2011 @ 7:39 pm

You mean it’s not a Libertarian?
Anonymous
September 1st, 2011 @ 7:43 pm

YOu would be correct. They are not grassroots.
Anonymous
September 1st, 2011 @ 7:45 pm

They were not co-opted, they started as a GOP PAC by Sal Russo, republican consultant. they are not grassroots and only came about in 2009, fully two years after the tea party started. The tea party will have its FOURTH birthday soon.
Anonymous
September 1st, 2011 @ 7:54 pm

I’m not sure politics in the former Raj map well to our freewheeling funtime democrazy republic.
ThePaganTemple
September 1st, 2011 @ 7:56 pm

RSM, I don’t understand what you mean when you say you don’t want to
offend the Paultards. Haven’t you ever even once criticized 9/11
Truthers? I could have swore you had, but maybe I’m wrong. Or maybe its
just the Stormfront Neonazis you hadn’t gotten around to offending yet?
Charles
September 1st, 2011 @ 8:17 pm

He does want to offend the Paultards. A “gutless weasel” wouldn’t describes the “Paulistas” as “a bunch of crazies attacking me in the comments.”
DaveO
September 1st, 2011 @ 8:42 pm

Occam’s Razor: the TEA Party doesn’t offer helium as an aperitif.
AngelaTC
September 1st, 2011 @ 11:09 pm

Stacy, I like Eric. He and I were traveling in the same circles back in the 2007/8 election cycle. I’m still pretty enmeshed in the game, and I would like to say that I have never heard anybody complain about Ron Paul not being invited to speak at TEA Party events. Anybody who is familiar with the man knows he will happily talk to anybody, a trait usually met with derision from the “polite and respectful” members of the GOP who insist on referring to his supporters as “Paultards,” while ironically simultaneously accusing them of behaving badly.

I offer up the 9/11 truther smears. Paul is on record several times stating he does not believe anything except that terrorists attacked the buildings, yet he gets viciously branded with that by people who would evidently rather see their kids felt up by TSA while their homes are being handed over to Goldman Sachs than even consider a significant change in the political system.

It’s easier to call names than actually face reality, I suppose.
Txgolfer
September 2nd, 2011 @ 12:52 am

Man I gotta wonder what is going on when all my favorite web sites and radio guys are dissin my main man. If TPE et al are so concerned about folks like me lovin some RP then please co-opt his messages! Sound money is what it takes to get me on board. Dumb assed dissing without looking deeper at reasons for his support are missing an opportunity.
Parker
September 2nd, 2011 @ 2:22 am

You’re so wrong on everything you wrote.

“He’s managed to convince millions of people he’s against spending,
while quietly being one of the leading porkers/earmarkers among House
Republicans for 20 years.”

You show considerable ignorance. I encourage you to do your own research and watch Paul on YT vids explain himself. You have been misled. Here’s the deal… Paul votes against the appropriation bill that he adds an earmark to. He has *never* voted for his earmarks. He does this because the appropriated money will be spent on something he determined to be unconstitutional and without transparency (like the TARP funds). So, he’d rather send as much money back to his District that he can. I think it’s not only brilliant but principled as well!

“He’s managed to convince millions of people we should return to the gold standard without the gold to back it.”

It doesn’t matter how much gold there is. Again, you show ignorance here. Even if there was only 1 ton of gold in existence, it can still be used as a basis for currency. It just needs to be correctly apportioned which the market will do. But really he doesn’t want a strict gold standard but rather wants to eliminate the Federal monopoly on money which would also make gold and silver competing currency.

“He’s managed to campaign on “auditing the Fed” when they’ve just been audited…” No. It wasn’t a full audit. Paul wants a *full* audit of the Fed. He wants to know where every penny has been transferred. That has not been done. Dodd-Frank though has revealed a number of problems that need to be fully vetted. Paul is trying to do that.

“…the banks themselves have always been audited regularly…” Huh? The Fed can send money to anyone they want. We know over 30% has gone to foreign banks and governments. We can’t audit them…

“Maybe the average Tea Party attendee would take a different look at Paul if they saw all those Paulbots together in one place.” Ignorance is a curable disease. I encourage you to start treatments soon…

The Ron Paul movement isn’t so much about Ron Paul. It is much deeper. You need to wake up. Americans want the Fed gov’t put back in its Constitutional cage. Paul is the only candidate who knows what needs to be done and has the integrity to do it.

BTW Paul predicted in 1971 that one day the Feds would destroy the dollar when Nixon took the US off the gold standard. As a result, he (‘gold bug’) has probably made million$ from his gold investments over the last 40 years. Pretty brilliant if you ask me.

Don’t be a hater. Join the r3VOLution to restore the Constitution.
Adjoran
September 2nd, 2011 @ 5:33 am

I stand by my statements.

Paul does vote NO on the final budget bills which contain his pork and earmarks, and makes a big production out of it. But that’s MEANINGLESS. Until the last couple of years, those final bills have had broad bipartisan support – they often won 400 or more votes.

And Paul didn’t mention his earmarks and pork at all, until he was found out.

Other than that clarification, I see no reason to change or recant.

Say, what is Paul’s position on the age of contract? Federal laws on the internet? Just wonderin’ . . .
ThePaganTemple
September 2nd, 2011 @ 6:24 pm

Never mind who’s auditing the Fed, I want to know who’s auditing Ron Paul? Where does he get his money, Mahmoud Ahmadinejahd?
ThePaganTemple
September 2nd, 2011 @ 6:27 pm

He gets viciously branded with that because his crazy supporters say it, and he never has and probably never will denounce them or their crazy beliefs. Saying America was attacked by terrorists is not a denunciation. They would be terrorists by definition, no matter where they come from or what their purpose was.
ThePaganTemple
September 2nd, 2011 @ 6:30 pm

Well if you want a web-site that doesn’t diss your main man, there are plenty of others where you should feel at home. You can always check out Stormfront, and if you get bored with them, check out Alex Jones.
Anonymous
September 2nd, 2011 @ 7:20 pm

Here are some of his beliefs on the federal laws on the internet as found on wikipedia:

He believes the internet should be free from government regulation and taxation, and is opposed to internet gambling restrictions and network neutrality legislation.[149]

Paul voted against an amendment[150][151]
that would have legally protected net neutrality: “One of the basic
principles, a basic reason why I strongly oppose this is, I see this as a
regulation of the Internet, which is a very, very dangerous precedent
to set.”[152]
Paul was also asked, “Do you trust the Verizons or the AT&Ts of the
world to give internet users equal access to all media online?” He
replied, “Well, quite frankly I don’t understand all the details, but if
you believe in the free market you try to work out a way to solve those
problems through contractual arrangements, not through depending on
government regulation, so yes they are difficult and like I admit, I
don’t understand all those problems that we face, although the point I
make is I have a healthy disregard and fear of the bureaucrats doing it
because once you do that, those big companies are going to regulate,
they’re going to be the lobbyists and the politicians that regulate the
law, and I think you’ll be in worse shape.”[153] He was perceived as softening this stance later.[154]

Hey Adjoran, why don’t you stroll over to ronpaulflix dot com
and watch a few of his powerful videos and join us in the revolution. We are having a blast helping to save America!