The future of American politics, what do Ron Paul supporters do after he loses?
I won’t be able to caucus for Dr. Paul today because I am a registered Libertarian. I would have had to change my voter registration way back in December to Republican in order to participate. That doesn’t stop me from supporting him. I’ve donated significant money to his campaign and I have advocated him at every opportunity within my social group. I know, just like every other Ron Paul supporter, that he has no chance of winning today. His campaign is not about winning, as great as that would be. Nobody comes out and says it like it is, but it is true. His campaign is about spreading a message, a message of liberty and the constitution. I sincerely hope that the Paul campaign comes up with some way to get his name on the ballot in all 50 states, either as an independent or a Libertarian. If that doesn’t happen I hope that Dr. Paul, as well as his supporters, can rally around whomever the Libertarian party selects as their nominee.
The Ron Paul movement has been amazing to watch as a long time Libertarian. In example, during the 2004 presidential campaign candidate Michael Badnarik received only $1,000,000 in campaign donations. This includes donations prior to the party nomination all the way up to Election Day. Ron Paul has amassed a hefty sum of $30 million+ and it is only February. The message Dr. Paul is sharing is not new, it is that of the constitution, but clearly he has struck a chord with the American people that up until now no Libertarian has. I suspect that this can be credited to two factors. The first is the coming of age of a new generation of voters. The Libertarian message is something that hits home with young voters who are tired of the status quo. Second, I think that Dr. Paul’s affiliation with the Republican party and his existing seat as a Congressman has lent a much needed credibility boost to his ideals, as well as allowed him to participate in the debates and gather some national media attention.
Given the incredible amount of momentum that this movement has, it will be a shame if it all goes to waste. When Dr. Paul finally pulls out of the race come Republican National Convention time, where will that leave us, the unwavering Paul supporters? I sincerely hope that the Libertarian party can seize this opportunity to bring the masses of Paul supporters into the folds. One of the challenges the Libertarians have often had is finding common ground. Libertarians by their very nature are independently minded. If you have an entire political party of folks like this, it becomes a little bit like herding cats. I strongly believe that the lack of adoption of Libertarian ideals thus far is very closely related to this core issue within the party.
Dr. Paul has an amazing power to unite us to a common goal. While I don’t agree 100% with everything Dr. Paul says, and I doubt you will find any Libertarian that does, I agree with 99% of it. Dr. Paul moves us in the right direction, and as a party, the Libertarians need his influence.
We need to do everything we can to keep the spirit of what Dr. Paul is trying to accomplish alive. We can make a difference, while maybe not yet at the national level, we can influence local politics today. I encourage you to run for your local City Council where you live on the Libertarian Platform. Join the Libertarian Party. Attend your Libertarian state convention. Vote for Libertarian candidates. Maybe even run for a state level position?
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Just stay active, and keep the momentum alive.
I’m with you buddy! I will be continuing to attend every Paul function I can, even though my state (South Carolina) have already had it’s primary, and doing everything I can to sell the Libertarian Party to every Ron Paul supporter I can find. Well, almost every one. Every once in a while, somebody starts talking about “Building 7″, and I give them a pass.