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Ron Paul has performed a great service for the Republican Party

This Web only Speakout has not been edited.

Jeff Wright

Published June 26, 2008 at noon

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Largely unappreciated and attacked by his own Party Congressman Ron Paul has, in fact, done a great service to the Republican Party this election season. Paul enlarged the Republican ‘tent’ to again include disaffected core Republicans, Independents and real Conservatives who have been forced outside that ‘tent’ in the last two decades.

Paul uses classic Republican language to defend that point of view which demands small-government, constitutionally-oriented, fiscally-responsible and true free-market adherents actually be recognized and accommodated, rather than just paying lip-service to those positions.

Most importantly, that message has motivated a generation of young people to join the Party who are technically savvy, constitutionally-smart and extremely enthusiastic about spreading the message of freedom, liberty and free markets. They have been inspired by a candidate who really understands and believes in a Republic and, one would think, be embraced by incumbent Republican Party members.

However that, it seems, is not the case. Too many existing Republicans do not understand the language of those positions any more and can’t speak it in public. It also seems the NeoCon members are intent on forcing out of the party the very people that represent its future. I urge my Republican brothers and sisters to reject such collectivist, herd mentality which is indicative of Democrats while being logically and historically repugnant to Republicans.

In the 1960s and 70s that same “insurgent” group within the party was represented by Goldwater/Ronald Reagan conservatives. For those of you who don’t remember, the “Reaganites” were ostracized and isolated throughout that period right up to the 1980 election, when they were fully embraced. That is why in March of 1980, even former President Gerald Ford was still quoted as saying, “.....the Man is unelectable,” seven months before Reagan was elected President. It is worth noting that Congressman Paul was one of only 4 Congressman who endorsed Reagan in 1976.

However, the Goldwater/Reaganites were never treated as badly as the Paulites have been this season. The NeoCon/establishment faction within the Party has diligently worked to eliminate all true vestiges of the real Reagan Revolution from the party, as exampled by their behavior this election season. They have but one thought: Power and control at any cost. Yet, the record shows they keep losing running against historic principles of the Party.

They are attempting to make stillborn the Paul movement. Why? Because we are strong supporters of the original values of the Party? My friends, we are being weakened further by the poor leadership of that NeoCon faction and its adherents. Check the record.

The results since 2004 have been abysmal. In Colorado, while having a 200,000-vote advantage of registered Republicans over Democrats, we have lost the State Senate and the House, the Governor’s mansion, the Treasurer’s seat and two Congressional seats.

Nationally, we already have lost the US House and Senate and it is nearly a foregone conclusion we will lose 25-30 more House seats and 6-9 Senate seats in November.

In early tests, we have already lost seats in Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi. Seats that Republicans have held for decades. The damage is mounting. We are CONTINUING to lose Governor’s seats left and right. The Democrats are out-raising us in funding $3 and $4 to one (in Congress $6 to $1) as noted recently by Republican Congressional leaders. The leadership should be forced to explain where it is that we have a winning strategy in constantly compromising our historic principles rather than firmly re-establishing them each generation? That is what the Founders taught.

From McKinley to Taft to Goldwater to Reagan, this Party used to promote and celebrate the core Republican message and historical principles of the Party. That seems to be all but banished from the party, except to pay it lip service. The result of that banishment are, and will be, clearly evident in the election results this November and after. If establishment Republicans persist in ostracizing and obstructing every attempt for the classic Republican message to have a voice in the Party, than who are Republicans, really? I did not spend the last 33 years as a conservative to start voting for liberals. Please join me today in supporting and promoting what should be the real message of the Republican Party in 2008 and beyond. Send the message to the Party leadership that we no longer support any further erosion of this party’s principles! Don’t allow them to keep rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Regardless of whether or not you would ultimately have voted for Congressman Paul, every Republican should have respected the message. That was the Republican way for the first 140 years of this party. At this point, even if he wins, John McCain will likely be another Millard Fillmore presiding over the complete demise of the Whig Party from 1850-54.

Jeff Wright, a resident of Calhoun, was the Colorado/New Mexico State Field Director for the RonPaul2008 PCC.

Comments

  • June 26, 2008

    9:56 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    JackdforRP writes:

    To all you McBamas

    What should be important to everyone is whoever gets picked should fulfill their job according the country's rule book, the Constitution.

    When you are watching professional sports everyone expects the judges to not take sides or have their own agenda. They are expected to make sure that both sides stick to the rules. I don't see why a President or any other person "SWORN" to uphold and defend it should have a "platform" The platform has been laid out since 1776 and if the rules are to change, there are appropriate ways to do it and that doesn't mean voting for the next Dictator because you like the platform of that Dictator.

    For those of you that think America is a Democracy or that the Federal Reserve is Federal, you are far too uninformed to be choosing our next leader. America is a Republic and the Federal Reserve is privately owned with 12 member banks. there are many other examples but these two alone are huge.

    For those of you who just can't figure out what it is going through the minds of the Paul supporters I would suggest for starters watching the online videos Overview of America and America Freedom to Fascism.

    I think I can speak for most Paul supporters when I say that living in this country is like being on an ice burgh where the majority of the people want to ride it out while the Paul people are screaming from the roof tops to get off the burgh and into the boat but Americans think the boat is too nutty of an idea. We have been playing this game of arguing over Democrat versus Republican with each having their left or right platform and we then tend to vote based on that and forget all about the Constitution as do our leaders.

    We are just trying to save the country from things that you are not yet aware of. Please understand this. Please just watch the videos and the light just might come on in your head.

  • June 27, 2008

    8:15 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    AngelontheSidelines writes:

    Of course getting off the iceberg and onto the boat is nutty. Television tells us so!

  • June 27, 2008

    11:06 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    xraydavid writes:

    Since Paul has dropped out of the race, no Paul supporter is likely to see the republican candidate as a viable choice. The so called constitutional party is too religion oriented. That only leaves one other party which will be on (almost) every states ballot. The Libertarian party. Bob Barr, another former Republican who has seen the light.

  • June 27, 2008

    12:33 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    VVVV writes:

    Gee, what I remember about Reagan was breakneck military spending, an increase in the deficit from $700 billion to $3 trillion, and nitpicking little social programs to look good. I also remember a forced showdown with the air traffic controllers and their right to organize. There must be something in the Republican kool-aid that rewrites memories, since the Republicans, especially Reagan were and are anything but "small-government, constitutionally-oriented, fiscally-responsible and true free-market".

    Those are the mission of Libertarians. And you can see how powerful the ideal of limiting government has made them. There's just no profit in politics without exploitation, corruption, and plenty of palm grease. Where there's no profit, there is no winning elections, since each election is just an auction to the highest contribution collector.