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Old 05-20-2012, 02:02 PM
 
Location: St Paul
7,713 posts, read 4,715,028 times
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Interesting...

ST. CLOUD - After years of quiet, relentless organizing, followers of libertarian-leaning GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul have exploded inside the Minnesota Republican Party, becoming its most potent army.
"This is one of the greatest states that I have witnessed, where I have seen the transition, where the enthusiasm's there," the grinning Texas congressman told hundreds of exuberant activists Saturday at the state party's convention in St. Cloud, where he won 12 of 13 open delegate spots to the GOP national convention in Tampa, Fla., in August. The 13th went to former presidential candidate and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann -- and only after a Paul supporter dropped out to let her have that spot.
In Minnesota, more than almost any other state, Paul forces have completed a historic party takeover. They proved their might Saturday, but also firmly established Minnesota as a remote GOP outpost nationally.
Now state GOP activists will march to the national convention firmly backing Paul rather than presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
Longtime activists realized Saturday that their party has changed from one that stressed religious values to one focused on ending the Federal Reserve Bank, bringing back the gold standard and bringing about a strict adherence to the U.S. Constitution.
The conflict between the two forces created a tense and anxious crowd.
In front of 2,000 Minnesota Republicans, GOP National Committeeman Jeff Johnson laid out in stark terms the level of anger at the St. Cloud convention.
To "Ron Paul haters," he advised: "Get over it. ... If we don't grow as a party, we die."
To "Ron Paul lovers," he made it clear that longtime GOP activists are angry because they've been displaced. "Some of the anger is from people who have been sitting in those chairs for 20 years or 30 years doing hard work and are not here this year because you are here instead," he said.
Adding to their anger was the belief among some that Paul folks might simply abandon the party once Paul drops out. Johnson advised them: "Don't disappear."
For activists, discouragement
Paul's ascent in the Minnesota GOP puzzles some longtime activists. He is hardly a charismatic firebrand, giving speeches that can be more meandering than soaring political oratory. And while many politicians relish the chance to dive into crowds at big political events, Paul keeps to himself.
When hundreds of supporters gathered at his caucus-night reception in the Twin Cities, the Texas congressman sat quietly with advisers in a curtained-off area a few feet from the crowds.
"Dr. Paul is something of a mystery to me," former state Rep. Phil Krinkie said. But "he keeps the people focused and energized."
State GOP officials, facing financial turmoil and recently threatened with eviction from their headquarters for not paying rent, have moved to embrace the newcomers.
Unlike four years ago, when Paul was forced to speak from the party's convention lawn because he would not pledge allegiance to the eventual presidential nominee, he got an open-armed embrace from the party this year. He was welcomed to the delegates' stage, held a fundraiser for the party and got a hero's welcome.
"I really see a lot of contrition for the party's sins," said Pastor Kevin Erickson of Cross Hill Church in Virginia, Minn., a Paul supporter.
After years of arguing that Paul supporters would "embarrass" the GOP, it's hard for the party to say things like that "when they're the ones getting eviction notices," Erickson said.
'They took over, basically'
Paul power comes from a sharply different place than the Tea Party movement, which the GOP welcomed just a few years ago. Tea Party members and the libertarian-minded sound similar when they talk of less spending and a dramatically reduced government, but beyond that, they part ways. Libertarians preach less intrusion in private life, question all federal income taxes and want to leave moral issues up to states.
The change also marks a clear split from when state Republicans made "family values" the passport for party entry. Instead of evangelizing about religious principles, Paul disciples cheer for a scaled-back foreign policy and the freedom to drink raw milk and grow hemp.
"They took over, basically. Nobody else was organizing," said Andy Parrish, who used to work for Bachmann and is now helping to manage the campaign for the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. "These libertarians don't believe in natural law whatsoever."
Mitch Mueller of St. Paul, sporting a Minnesota for Marriage button, said he's uncomfortable with the change. The party leadership, he said, is "more concerned about being on the right side of history than on being on the right side of nature or morality."
The new folks, with anti-intrusion government design on their minds, have rejected several party stalwarts and their establishment principles.

"I don't think that's going to resonate with a lot of Minnesota voters," said state convention delegate Robert Farnsworth of Hibbing.
Despite those doubts, Paul power floored longtime Republican powers. Romney forces feared its power so much they sent a cadre of high-powered backers to Minnesota to push the Romney brand. It didn't matter. Paul nearly swept the field in every contest.
On Friday, State Rep. Kurt Bills quickly swept aside mainstream candidates for the U.S. Senate endorsement. In his brief tenure at the Legislature, he attracted little notice from colleagues or the public until he became the Ron Paul candidate. Bills, a high school teacher, sounded the same notes Paul espouses and promised to support him until he drops out of the presidential race. If Paul leaves the race and Romney gets the nomination, Bills said he'll make the switch.
"We will support the endorsed candidate. And if that's Mitt Romney. That's Mitt Romney," he said.
Freshman U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack -- the only GOP member of the congressional delegation to address the convention -- has carefully avoided publicly antagonizing Paul supporters. With a plea for a new president and a new U.S. senator, Cravaack also asked for unity.
"We're like a big family," he said. "Sometimes you have your squabbles, but when you walk out that door, nobody messes with us."
Staff writers Baird Helgeson and Jennifer Brooks contributed to this report.
Paul power takes over state GOP convention | StarTribune.com
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Old 05-21-2012, 12:07 PM
 
Location: Brooklyn Park (Hennepin)
117 posts, read 376,154 times
Reputation: 96
Good read. This also highlights the exact reasons why I have only voted for about 2 republicans in the 13 years I have been of voting age. I consider myself to be very much a Libertarian. I do understand we need a basic government to function and provide basic services and functions. I usually end up voting for Dems or Independents because I just cannot stomache the GOP's "Supreme Morality" complex. I don't care about gay marriage when half of all traditional marriages end in divorce. I fully believe adults should be able to consume cannabis just like alcohol. We have way too many people in prison for due to the failed war on drugs and the costs associated with this are tremendous not to mention the fact that we have militarized our police departments and created almost irreparable distrust between citizens and the police who are supposed be protect and serve not kill and kick in your door under the guise of this "war." I don't care if consenting adults want to work out a financial arrangement for sex nor do I care what I do in the privacy of their own home. I could go on and on but you should have gotten my point by now.

I would say that I like the GOP's economic platform but doing nothing other touting more tax breaks, de-regulation of your cronies business interests and having a fit about cuts to "defense" hardly support the myth of them being a truly fiscal conservative party. While I think the USA needs a strong miliary I find it incredibly hard to believe that we cannot cut some fat there. And the USA was never created to become the world's police force or spread "liberty" around the world when we don't even have true liberty at home yet.

I would love to see a true Libertarian infusion take over this party or simply just kick out the bible thumpers that keep turning off the younger voters, but old habits die hard.


I do look forward to voting against Amy K in the Senate race this fall. But I think I will keep Franken around as he at least responds to my constituent e-mails
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Old 05-21-2012, 02:23 PM
 
Location: MN
1,669 posts, read 6,214,840 times
Reputation: 959
Quote:
Originally Posted by kurls View Post
I would love to see a true Libertarian infusion take over this party or simply just kick out the bible thumpers that keep turning off the younger voters, but old habits die hard.


I do look forward to voting against Amy K in the Senate race this fall. But I think I will keep Franken around as he at least responds to my constituent e-mails
I was at the state convention as a Ron Paul supporter. It was an interesting experience and felt great to win when many people discouraged us from even trying with their "can't win" attitudes.

Ron Paul supporters have been taking over delegate spots and MN Republican Party officer positions since precinct caucus night back in February. All 7 CD3 vice-chair positions were filled by Ron Paul supporters at the CD3 convention.

Besides getting Kurt Bills nominated for U.S. Senate and winning National Delegates for Ron Paul, we were able to get "end the fed" added to the MN GOP platform and blocked "traditional" from being added before the word "marriage" in the MN GOP platform.

I wonder if golfgal knows Kurt Bills, he is a high school economics teacher from Rosemount.
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Old 05-21-2012, 05:50 PM
 
20,793 posts, read 61,085,670 times
Reputation: 10691
Quote:
Originally Posted by moving123456 View Post
I was at the state convention as a Ron Paul supporter. It was an interesting experience and felt great to win when many people discouraged us from even trying with their "can't win" attitudes.

Ron Paul supporters have been taking over delegate spots and MN Republican Party officer positions since precinct caucus night back in February. All 7 CD3 vice-chair positions were filled by Ron Paul supporters at the CD3 convention.

Besides getting Kurt Bills nominated for U.S. Senate and winning National Delegates for Ron Paul, we were able to get "end the fed" added to the MN GOP platform and blocked "traditional" from being added before the word "marriage" in the MN GOP platform.

I wonder if golfgal knows Kurt Bills, he is a high school economics teacher from Rosemount.
Yes she does Fantastic teacher, one of the favorites at the school.
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Old 05-21-2012, 06:26 PM
 
Location: MN
1,669 posts, read 6,214,840 times
Reputation: 959
Quote:
Originally Posted by golfgal View Post
Yes she does Fantastic teacher, one of the favorites at the school.
He seems like a great guy. He was definitely the most accessible U.S. Senate candidate at the convention. I hardly saw the others outside of their designated speech times, but Bills was usually out in the open talking to people and shaking hands all day over both days of the convention.

Kurt Bills received 53% on the first ballot. 60% was required to win the U.S. Senate nomination. Between the first and second ballot the campaign of another guy running named Pete Hegseth passed out the flyer below as a "negative" ad. Kurt Bills then received 64% on the second ballot securing the nomination. It seems like Pete's "negative" ad had the opposite effect.

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Old 05-21-2012, 07:02 PM
 
Location: East St. Paul 651 forever (or North St. Paul) .
2,860 posts, read 3,370,937 times
Reputation: 1446
If we don't get the Patriot Dr. Paul I truly hope Rand runs some day down the road, when America has completely gone down the gutter. (If it already hasn't.)
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Old 05-22-2012, 11:09 AM
 
988 posts, read 1,818,552 times
Reputation: 932
Though I am a huge Ron Paul supporter (including putting my money where my mouth is), I haven't commented too much on this support here since it hasn't seemed there is a natural connection between talking about Paul and talking on a forum intended to be about MN or Minneapolis-St.Paul. Now that there is news connecting the two, it seems more natural to talk about it.

It was a great victory for Paul and, frankly, conservatism. I have been quite disillusioned by a party that is supposed to be about less taxes, less government and free markets being all but indistinguishable from the Democratic Party (and, for my friends here on the other side, your party has been frankly all but indistinguishable from the Republicans). Both parties have been, in practice, supporting power for powers sake and that has been all too evident in the choices seeming to be on the main ballots - Romney and Obama. While Obama may be the "fast road" to government largesse, Romney is only taking the relatively slower, meandering road to the same end. In fact, on Facebook where I "friend" conservative Sue Jeffers I have had raging debates over my insistence I will write in and vote Paul no matter what. Establishment conversatives have ranted that "a vote for Paul is a vote of Obama". I say a vote for Mitt Obama or Barack Romney is the same (juxtaposition is intended...).

Frankly, Obama is little more than Bush 2.0, who was in some ways Clinton 3.0. Romney would only be the next version of all his predecessors - growing government for goverments sake, ignoring the Constitution when it's convenient for their political ends (to the point of running roughshod over Constitutional freedoms...case in point NDAA allowing indefinite detention of American citizens by the President under the pretense of "fighting the terrorists" - Obama signed it and Romney says he would have signed it). It is Paul that would actually resist the run by both parties to absolute government power for power's sake.

I find two statements in the article interesting, "In Minnesota, more than almost any other state, Paul forces have completed a historic party takeover. They proved their might Saturday, but also firmly established Minnesota as a remote GOP outpost nationally."

Exactly when was Minnesota - the only state to go for Mondale and one that hasn't gone Republican for President since I was in Pampers - the vanguard of American conservatism? While there is a conservative streak, I think few were looking to MN as a "state in play" for the Electoral College.

Also, this quote in the article: "The party leadership, he said, is "more concerned about being on the right side of history than on being on the right side of nature or morality." While I agree there is something to say on morality and not entirely comfortable with a few nuances on the Paul agenda, let's argue true morality. The Establishment will not speak against the taking of money and wealth by a Federal Reserve (through inflation and crony capitalism), what about the immorality or theft? We won't speak against the immorality of the NDAA or against neverending war because we want to chase the bogeyman "terrorists"? Don't get me wrong, there are real and serious threats in the world, but I'm not buying the scare tactic rhetoric.

In the end, Romney isn't scared about losing Minnesota because he thought he had a shot at the state, he's scared because with 5 states delegations pushing it, Paul will be on the nomination ballot in Tampa and that means Paul gets prime-time speaking opportunity - which means Romney will be shown for the sham he is.

If Romney loses to Obama - I say conservatives are no worse off because they are two sides of the same coin. If Obama is going to take the country down, so will Romney. Romney will just whisper sweet nothings in our ear while doing it and spend marginally less (which, in an era of insurmountable debt is a meaningless difference).
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Old 05-22-2012, 11:31 AM
 
Location: MN
1,669 posts, read 6,214,840 times
Reputation: 959
I liked this speech at the end of the convention by MN Republican National Committeeman Jeff Johnson.

He told the Ron Paul supporters not to disappear, and the Ron Paul haters to get over it.


Jeff Johnson - National Committeeman Speech at the 2012 Minnesota Republican Convention - YouTube
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Old 05-22-2012, 05:18 PM
 
Location: East St. Paul 651 forever (or North St. Paul) .
2,860 posts, read 3,370,937 times
Reputation: 1446
Quote:
Originally Posted by GBCommenter View Post
Though I am a huge Ron Paul supporter (including putting my money where my mouth is), I haven't commented too much on this support here since it hasn't seemed there is a natural connection between talking about Paul and talking on a forum intended to be about MN or Minneapolis-St.Paul. Now that there is news connecting the two, it seems more natural to talk about it.

It was a great victory for Paul and, frankly, conservatism. I have been quite disillusioned by a party that is supposed to be about less taxes, less government and free markets being all but indistinguishable from the Democratic Party (and, for my friends here on the other side, your party has been frankly all but indistinguishable from the Republicans). Both parties have been, in practice, supporting power for powers sake and that has been all too evident in the choices seeming to be on the main ballots - Romney and Obama. While Obama may be the "fast road" to government largesse, Romney is only taking the relatively slower, meandering road to the same end. In fact, on Facebook where I "friend" conservative Sue Jeffers I have had raging debates over my insistence I will write in and vote Paul no matter what. Establishment conversatives have ranted that "a vote for Paul is a vote of Obama". I say a vote for Mitt Obama or Barack Romney is the same (juxtaposition is intended...).

Frankly, Obama is little more than Bush 2.0, who was in some ways Clinton 3.0. Romney would only be the next version of all his predecessors - growing government for goverments sake, ignoring the Constitution when it's convenient for their political ends (to the point of running roughshod over Constitutional freedoms...case in point NDAA allowing indefinite detention of American citizens by the President under the pretense of "fighting the terrorists" - Obama signed it and Romney says he would have signed it). It is Paul that would actually resist the run by both parties to absolute government power for power's sake.

I find two statements in the article interesting, "In Minnesota, more than almost any other state, Paul forces have completed a historic party takeover. They proved their might Saturday, but also firmly established Minnesota as a remote GOP outpost nationally."

Exactly when was Minnesota - the only state to go for Mondale and one that hasn't gone Republican for President since I was in Pampers - the vanguard of American conservatism? While there is a conservative streak, I think few were looking to MN as a "state in play" for the Electoral College.

Also, this quote in the article: "The party leadership, he said, is "more concerned about being on the right side of history than on being on the right side of nature or morality." While I agree there is something to say on morality and not entirely comfortable with a few nuances on the Paul agenda, let's argue true morality. The Establishment will not speak against the taking of money and wealth by a Federal Reserve (through inflation and crony capitalism), what about the immorality or theft? We won't speak against the immorality of the NDAA or against neverending war because we want to chase the bogeyman "terrorists"? Don't get me wrong, there are real and serious threats in the world, but I'm not buying the scare tactic rhetoric.

In the end, Romney isn't scared about losing Minnesota because he thought he had a shot at the state, he's scared because with 5 states delegations pushing it, Paul will be on the nomination ballot in Tampa and that means Paul gets prime-time speaking opportunity - which means Romney will be shown for the sham he is.

If Romney loses to Obama - I say conservatives are no worse off because they are two sides of the same coin. If Obama is going to take the country down, so will Romney. Romney will just whisper sweet nothings in our ear while doing it and spend marginally less (which, in an era of insurmountable debt is a meaningless difference).
MN is an odd case study. We were the only state to vote for Mondale over Reagan (or one of a few), but he had a lot of local ties. We did put Ventura in office, which did in fact "shock the world." We have two of the most liberal U.S. Senators in Franken and Klobuchar and a very liberal Governor in Dayton, but both our State House and Senate are right wing, as are people like U.S. Congresswoman Bachman.

It's confused the heck out of me, the political climate here. The TC is probably the most liberal metropolitan area in the Midwest, but, like you pointed out, we gave a great amount of support to Dr. Paul (I caucused for him in '08, in fact.)

I look at my beloved state as not a "red" or "blue," the latter of which we're known to be, but a "purple" state.
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