Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

[WeWantMore]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/20/ron-paul-wins-presidential-straw-poll-cpac/

Has no real bearing on anything. Still pleases me immensely though.

 

[Patman]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

wow... I'm not even sure how that's possible.

If the GOP wants to nominate that racist scumbag then I'm done with them.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

wow... I'm not even sure how that's possible.

If the GOP wants to nominate that racist scumbag then I'm done with them.

Racist? Please elaborate. Is this the newsletter issue?

 

[Patman]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

Racist? Please elaborate. Is this the newsletter issue?

Its his whole background... he's been pandering to the White nationalists types since the the 1980s... the newsletter is only one aspect of it... though yes, most of it is channeled and focused through Llewellyn Rockwell. Its how he's maintained his fringe political support through the years. It was essentially his base for decades and he's pandered to it.

edit: Paul himself may not be a racist but he cast his fate with that lot and he should fall along with that lot.

 

[BoomGoestheDynamite]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

Its his whole background... he's been pandering to the White nationalists types since the the 1980s... the newsletter is only one aspect of it... though yes, most of it is channeled and focused through Llewellyn Rockwell. Its how he's maintained his fringe political support through the years. It was essentially his base for decades and he's pandered to it.

edit: Paul himself may not be a racist but he cast his fate with that lot and he should fall along with that lot.

Out of curiosity could you elaborate on this? Is it an anti-immigration position taken too far?

 

[blockski]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

Not sure this means a whole lot. The CPAC straw poll in advance of the 2008 election came up like this:

In 2007, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney etched out a win over former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani by a margin of 21 percent to 17 percent. Sen. John McCain, who wound up winning the nomination, came in fifth with 12 percent of the vote. In 2008, Romney won again, narrowly beating John McCain, 35 percent to 34 percent, even though Romney had officially dropped out of the race a few days before the poll was released.

Meanwhile, last year's poll looked like this:

Mitt Romney - 20 percent
Bobby Jindal - 14 percent
Ron Paul -13 percent
Sarah Palin - 13 percent
Newt Gingrich -10 percent
Mike Huckabee - 7 percent
Mark Sanford - 4 percent
Rudy Guiliani - 3 percent
Tim Pawlenty - 2 percent
Charlie Crist - 1 percent
Undecided - 9 percent

And this year's results:

2010 CPAC Straw Poll Results
Ron Paul 31%
Mitt Romney 22%
Sarah Palin 7%
Tim Pawlenty 6%
Mike Pence 5%
Newt Gingrich 4%
Mike Huckabee 4%
Mitch Daniels 2%
John Thune 2%
Rick Santorum 2%
Haley Barbour 1%

Bobby Jindal's face must be on a milk carton. That reaction speech was bad, but was it that bad?

It's always kinda funny to see all these conservative kids wandering around DC. Fish out of water, lots of 'em.

 

[Patman]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

It's always kinda funny to see all these conservative kids wandering around DC. Fish out of water, lots of 'em.

Do you live in that neighborhood? I don't know where they held this thing so I'm just curious because I know its not something I'd seek out.

 

[blockski]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

Do you live in that neighborhood? I don't know where they held this thing so I'm just curious because I know its not something I'd seek out.

No, I don't live over there. They're up at the Woodley Wardman hotel complex in Woodley Park (those hotels are absolutely massive if you've ever been inside), but I ran into a bunch of kids out on the Metro last night that were heading to some sort of party/event at the RNC or NRCC near the Capitol South metro station.

Glad they're rolling on public transportation.

 

[Patman]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

No, I don't live over there. They're up at the Woodley Wardman hotel complex in Woodley Park (those hotels are absolutely massive if you've ever been inside), but I ran into a bunch of kids out on the Metro last night that were heading to some sort of party/event at the RNC or NRCC near the Capitol South metro station.

Glad they're rolling on public transportation.

I saw one guy on the subway Thursday night and so that's my limit of blending of national politics and real life this week.

The blending always seems to come up in weird ways... my first weekend of my 2nd tour had all the Tea Partiers clogging up the Orange Line into the city (I needed groceries). A few weeks ago some teenaged anti-abortion protester couldn't grasp the idea that she probably shouldn't carry a drink on the subway and hold a poster at the same item. Thankfully she didn't lose that drink.

Funny i haven't run into anything from the left-o-sphere yet. I'm sure that's just a matter of time though.

 

[AMC]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

I don't think you can call Ron Paul a favorite for the nomination, but I think it is interesting to show the direction of the Party.

From years and years of "next in line" and candidates like McCain, and last year's 1/2 Romney and Jindal, who are really "Chamber of Commerce" Republicans, that the Social Conservative and Extreme Libertarian tea party wing of the party seems to be gaining IMMENSE influence.

While it is probably smart politics for the Republicans to channel and co-opt Tea Party anger and activism for the midterms, at some point they are going to have to exert some control. You can't run a presidential campaign on the "THE CIA IS GOING TO PUT MICROCHIPS IN YOUR BRAIN!!!" platform. This is nearing the point that the Tea Partiers are going to have a hard time lining up behind Romney or whatever "establishment" candidate ends up getting the nomination.

 

[Patman]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

I don't think you can call Ron Paul a favorite for the nomination, but I think it is interesting to show the direction of the Party.

From years and years of "next in line" and candidates like McCain, and last year's 1/2 Romney and Jindal, who are really "Chamber of Commerce" Republicans, that the Social and Extreme Libertarian tea party wing of the party seems to be gaining IMMENSE influence.

While it is probably smart politics for the Republicans to channel and co-opt Tea Party anger and activism for the midterms, at some point they are going to have to exert some control. You can't run a presidential campaign on the "THE CIA IS GOING TO PUT MICROCHIPS IN YOUR BRAIN!!!" platform. This is nearing the point that the Tea Partiers are going to have a hard time lining up behind Romney or whatever "establishment" candidate ends up getting the nomination.

I think the whole tea party thing is that its a bunch of people who are running out of those they feel they can trust to represent them. The Tea Party types don't seem to fall in line behind Paul who himself represents an economic movement that most of them don't understand (due to lack of exposure and not the ability to comprehend)... as it is those who fall behind Paul only grasp onto a limited set of Paul's ideals and they find themselves largely trying to accommodate themselves to the rest of his opinions (econ theory).

The last few months haven't shown much of a social con influence but they are lurking beneath the surface... and they will surface because they'll demand attention. The social-con is the 3rd rail right now especially when econ-con is such an incredibly winning position and for **** good reason. The "tea party" movement isn't really rooted in social conservatism which is why you saw the Massachusetts effect... nobody in Mass is going to rally to an evangelical's desire to bring Christ's will to a nation but they'll rally behind a cause when they feel that the economy and state of the nation is at stake.

IMO, even CPAC seemed to be on the whole non-religious bent. I really hope those types remain on the sidelines because there really is so much at stake beyond Christian moralism.

 

[ScottM]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

I wonder if the CPAC folks remember Paul's past support for stem cell research, and at least grudging acceptance of gay marriage.

 

[BoomGoestheDynamite]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

I wonder if the CPAC folks remember Paul's past support for stem cell research, and at least grudging acceptance of gay marriage.

Wouldn't they have to be worried about Romney as well who seems to flip flop more than Kerry depending on the electorate he's pandering too. Some of the social conservative true believers probably have doubts about him as well and the Mormonism thing won't help.

Its unfortunate because the Mitt "Massachusetts" Romney was someone I would've been happy to vote for.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

I wonder if the CPAC folks remember Paul's past support for stem cell research, and at least grudging acceptance of gay marriage.

A lot of his positions get distorted in this way. He doesn't need to "accept" or "reject" gay marriage. The Constitution does not give Congress the authority to ban it or to pass the DoMA, so he's against those things.
Like him or no (and there are reasons not to) all his positions are firmly based in the Constitution.

 

[BoomGoestheDynamite]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

A lot of his positions get distorted in this way. He doesn't need to "accept" or "reject" gay marriage. The Constitution does not give Congress the authority to ban it or to pass the DoMA, so he's against those things.
Like him or no (and there are reasons not to) all his positions are firmly based in the Constitution.

You realize language like this is basically a red flag in any argument that there are probably plenty of reasons not to like the man. Beware anyone who starts there argument with "It goes without saying...", cause it usually doesn't.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

You realize language like this basic red flag in any argument that there are probably plenty of reasons not to like the man. Beware anyone who starts there argument with "It goes without saying...", cause it usually doesn't.

I just stuck that in there so that I didn't look like some doe-eyed fan boy. I certainly don't hold the guy up as perfect, but I do think a lot of people fail to give his ideas a fair shake.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

A lot of his positions get distorted in this way. He doesn't need to "accept" or "reject" gay marriage. The Constitution does not give Congress the authority to ban it or to pass the DoMA, so he's against those things.
Like him or no (and there are reasons not to) all his positions are firmly based in the Constitution.

I'm really on the fence with Ron Paul for this very reason. His supporters like to state that he's going to govern by the Constitution and then offer stated opinions from that perspective. That's fine, I like that he would look to the Constitution for guidance rather than to figure out how it inhibits or prohibits a political agenda. What I don't like is that his personal opinions are never discussed.

Take for instance DOMA & gay marriage. Stating that he will take no action due to a lack of Federal authority is one thing. Going beyond that, what are his personal opinions on the matter?

The reason I would like to know such things is that there will be at least one occasion during a president's term where the Constitution and subsequent legal interpretations will be vague on an issue. How would he act then? In what direction would he take the Federal government?

 

[Kepler]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

Weirdly, it's a great result for both parties. Not bad for the country, either.

 

[Patman]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

Like him or no (and there are reasons not to) all his positions are firmly based in the Constitution.

You mean like his support for pro-life positions? What kind of calls are there in the constitution that might affect the people he courted in the 80s and 90s? Are his votes for pork found within the dicta of the constitution?

 

[BoomGoestheDynamite]

Re: Ron Paul wins CPAC Straw Poll

I just stuck that in there so that I didn't look like some doe-eyed fan boy. I certainly don't hold the guy up as perfect, but I do think a lot of people fail to give his ideas a fair shake.

My apologies. I read that quickly and got the exact opposite meaning from the statement