The GOP doesn't want those nutjobs to represent their party. Too bad they didn't have the same attitude when it came to the nutjob Jesus freaks.

Legions? I'm sorry, but 5% does not earn you the right to include a space aliens plank in the platform.

It's November politics time now, kiddies. Your guy lost, my guy lost, and now we all have to pull together behind Turd Sandwich.

Frankly, who would?

I was just thinking this morning how much nicer the internets are now that without the constant harassment from Paulites.

/found them really annoying.
//WHY DO I HATE AMERICA!!!

I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.

In reality, I see more Paul supporters going over to Obama than anything.

I understand that many people aren't happy with the current administration and the state of the Republican party. The best thing o do is work to change it from the inside, but I don't see that being the case with many Paul supporters.

/I guess I don't have a high opinion of them. Maybe I'm wrong

Three Crooked Squirrels: The GOP doesn't want those nutjobs to represent their party. Too bad they didn't have the same attitude when it came to the nutjob Jesus freaks.

Yeah, with all the excitement and sheer numbers of the current Republican majority, they can afford to keep out the riff-raff.

Snarfangel:

Yeah, with all the excitement and sheer numbers of the current Republican majority, they can afford to keep out the riff-raff.

I'm not saying they couldn't use more numbers. I'm saying that pandering to the religious right has probably kept more people from joining the GOP than it actually added. Just a feeling. Nothing to support that.

thirstyVan:

I was just thinking this morning how much nicer the internets are now that without the constant harassment from Paulites.


Yeah, they've deserted the Internets, but their crap is still plastered all over the side of the roads.

thirstyVan: I understand that many people aren't happy with the current administration and the state of the Republican party. The best thing o do is work to change it from the inside, but I don't see that being the case with many Paul supporters.

Do you think Paulistans realize that it takes more to change the country than just latching on to a new idea for a few months every 4 years?

Ron Paul is being thrown under the train by the GOP!!

we have enough whack jobs without gold-standard-bleating, conspiracy-mongering ron paul nutbars showing up like ants at the picnic. really crazy, paul-tattoed ants

Yeah, they've deserted the Internets, but their crap is still plastered all over the side of the roads.

paul dropped out of the race, what, a month ago?

so a couple weeks back some guy on mainstreet puts 3 of those big ron paul signs--they're about 5 feet by 6 feet--on his fence. why?

thirstyVan: In reality, I see more Paul supporters going over to Obama than anything.

Most Obama supporters don't seem to want them, and most Paul supporters prefer a smaller government than Obama is suggesting. Probably the only ones drifting over will be the ones for whom the war in Iraq is the most important issue, or the ones who really want to stick it to McCain and the Republican Party.

/Though the amount of anger toward the Republican Party by Republicans will probably be a significant factor in the upcoming elections.

If McCain wins, he's going to need the Ron Paul supporters when he goes completely senile somewhere in the middle of his first term.

Only they will be able to spread his message of blimps and orangatuans being shot out of catapults into the Hudson Bay to the people of this great nation.

albo: Yeah, they've deserted the Internets, but their crap is still plastered all over the side of the roads.

paul dropped out of the race, what, a month ago?

so a couple weeks back some guy on mainstreet puts 3 of those big ron paul signs--they're about 5 feet by 6 feet--on his fence. why?

He's angry at the GOP. Something that's not going to go away.

filth: Legions? I'm sorry, but 5% does not earn you the right to include a space aliens plank in the platform.

It's November politics time now, kiddies. Your guy lost, my guy lost, and now we all have to pull together behind Turd Sandwich.

you don't have to.

Many of his 800,000 presidential nomination votes were from newcomers to the Republican Party - the kind of dedicated small-donor volunteers the party needs, he says.

And the kind of voter that Obama can poach.

A vote's a vote, Senator McCain. And you're going to need them all come November.

Of course they don't want them. Why would they want a bunch of fiscal conservatives? That's against their party platform.

Obdicut: albo: Yeah, they've deserted the Internets, but their crap is still plastered all over the side of the roads.

paul dropped out of the race, what, a month ago?

so a couple weeks back some guy on mainstreet puts 3 of those big ron paul signs--they're about 5 feet by 6 feet--on his fence. why?

He's angry at the GOP. Something that's not going to go away.

Yup. Ron Paul represented an idea set that many people would like to see the Republicans at least take a good hard look at. You know, like taking the constitution seriously. Crazy stuff like that.

Cagey B: If McCain wins, he's going to need the Ron Paul supporters when he goes completely senile somewhere in the middle of his first term.

I disagree with your baseless assertion that McCain will make it to the middle of the next presidential term before he goes senile.

Lionel Mandrake: Ron Paul is being thrown under the train by the GOP!!

To be fair, Paul supporters had it worse in late 2007 than Obama supporters had it in February.

Three Crooked Squirrels: The GOP doesn't want those nutjobs to represent their party. Too bad they didn't have the same attitude when it came to the nutjob Jesus freaks.

I've never understood this attitude. Why is cutting taxes, cutting spending and admitting we've lost the 'war on drugs' considered 'nuts'?

SMALLER government. LESS regulation. And we really do need to sit down and make some hard decisions about the war on drugs. But if you call for a return to the values that used to be the core of the republican party, people dismiss you as a lunatic.

Amazing.

Three Crooked Squirrels: The GOP doesn't want those nutjobs to represent WOW-addicted, Digg-bombing basement dwellers in their party.

Fixed

I came for the Ron Paul Cookie Monster pics and was disappointed.

I personally think its a shame. If he had dialed back his message on certain issues just a tad, he'd have been a much more attractive candidate.

Weaver95: I've never understood this attitude. Why is cutting taxes, cutting spending and admitting we've lost the 'war on drugs' considered 'nuts'?

SMALLER government. LESS regulation. And we really do need to sit down and make some hard decisions about the war on drugs. But if you call for a return to the values that used to be the core of the republican party, people dismiss you as a lunatic.

Amazing.

They don't want to go back to being the party of fiscal responsibility because they want to ensure that I never vote R on the national level?

Ron Paul! Now our choices are abyssmal.... Hilary seems to want to invade Iran, along with mccain. Obama promises nothing but empty words. What will we get? another democrat/republican who throws everyone out of the way for their party. Another hit to the ordinary people.

Weaver95: Three Crooked Squirrels: The GOP doesn't want those nutjobs to represent their party. Too bad they didn't have the same attitude when it came to the nutjob Jesus freaks.

I've never understood this attitude. Why is cutting taxes, cutting spending and admitting we've lost the 'war on drugs' considered 'nuts'?

SMALLER government. LESS regulation. And we really do need to sit down and make some hard decisions about the war on drugs. But if you call for a return to the values that used to be the core of the republican party, people dismiss you as a lunatic.

Amazing.

Because it's the cool thing to do in the Internet now that Obama is all the rage?

The Bestest: I came for the Ron Paul Cookie Monster pics and was disappointed.

I personally think its a shame. If he had dialed back his message on certain issues just a tad, he'd have been a much more attractive candidate.

The mere fact that he was called insane because he advocated fiscal reponsibility is enough to make me want to smack people.

I think most Ron Paul supporters didn't vote... I'd say that's at least 10% of the GOP.

Ask Gore in 2000 how even a smidget of support would've helped you out.

The GOP used to be great at keeping the big tent together... they already lost me, an "Eisenhower" Republican, to the Democratic Party and countless other people are fleeing the circus until the only have the freakshow and the clowns left.

Honestly, conspiracies and gold standard aside, Ron Paul made a LOOOOOOOOOT more sense than anybody else on the GOP this election.

Honestly:

Giuliani or Ron Paul
Tancredo or Ron Paul
Huckabee or Ron Paul

I rest my case.

Three Crooked Squirrels: The GOP doesn't want those nutjobs to represent their party. Too bad they didn't have the same attitude when it came to the nutjob Jesus freaks.

Ron's nut jobs aren't lucrative.

that's DOCTOR Ron Paul

albo: paul dropped out of the race, what, a month ago?

so a couple weeks back some guy on mainstreet puts 3 of those big ron paul signs--they're about 5 feet by 6 feet--on his fence. why?

He hasn't dropped out.

I'd be willing to bet that most Paul supporters weren't registered Republicans anyway.

Lionel Mandrake: Ron Paul is being thrown under the train by the GOP!!

Good. After the last car passes over him, they should throw the thing in reverse.


Snarfangel: Yeah, with all the excitement and sheer numbers of the current Republican majority, they can afford to keep out the riff-raff.

The benefits gained by inducting radicals into your ranks, especially when small in number, are often outweighed by the costs of alienating independent voters whom their behavior appalls. Just ask Obama.

/here fishy, fishy, fishy

ochobit: Honestly, conspiracies and gold standard aside, Ron Paul made a LOOOOOOOOOT more sense than anybody else on the GOP this election.


Given how the press corp went out of their way to avoid mentioning Ron Paul even when he won a state - i'm starting to think he's got a point about the conspiracy angle....

All kidding aside tho, he was the only candidate who I felt wouldn't raise my taxes and go on a drunken spending spree for their own personal enjoyment. I think he would have made a LOT of beltway insiders extremely uncomfortable, and that alone would have made it worth electing him. The Republican party NEEDS a shake up. Just like Obama is shaking up the DNC, Ron Paul (or someone like him) needs to wake up the Republicans. Bring back fiscal conservatism, return to the values we've abandoned.

They've moved to Obama's camp faster than Snakes on a Plane.

Weaver95: The mere fact that he was called insane because he advocated fiscal reponsibility is enough to make me want to smack people.

If fiscal responsibility was his entire platform, he would have found much more support. Fiscal responsibility is great. Paul's other ideas were dumb. As in, open-a-history-book-and-it's-clear-why-they're-dumb, dumb.

thirstyVan: I understand that many people aren't happy with the current administration and the state of the Republican party. The best thing o do is work to change it from the inside, but I don't see that being the case with many Paul supporters.

I'm an independent with libertarian leanings. I was a Republican but gave up on the party 13 years ago because it was clear to me then that the party doesn't want people like me. Paulistas would be wasting their time trying to change the direction of the party.

Another interesting thing is that RP kept his donations, and the Republicans are hurting for campaign funds.

Unright: Do you think Paulistans realize that it takes more to change the country than just latching on to a new idea for a few months every 4 years?

I don't think a majority of the population understands that concept...

...or cares.

An_Innocent_Primate: Fiscal responsibility is great. Paul's other ideas were dumb. As in, open-a-history-book-and-it's-clear-why-they're-dumb, dumb.

exactly. the paulites always end up pointing to fiscal responsibility, like that's all being a republican should be about, while ignoring his other, totally unrealistic ideas and opinions that by themselves rendered him unqualified to lead the country.

Fark the neocon Republican Party. They lost their only chance at gaining voters and becoming a sane party again. Instead they will continue to lose members as people realize how insane neoconservatism is.

Of course the GOP is giving them the cold shoulder... why spend time and money trying to bait and switch a small group of people who are fanatics for one specific guy?

An_Innocent_Primate: Weaver95: The mere fact that he was called insane because he advocated fiscal reponsibility is enough to make me want to smack people.

If fiscal responsibility was his entire platform, he would have found much more support. Fiscal responsibility is great. Paul's other ideas were dumb. As in, open-a-history-book-and-it's-clear-why-they're-dumb, dumb.

as opposed to the same sort of dumb that we're seeing from Obama and Hillary? And don't get me started on McCain.

NOBODY in this race is going to cut taxes, cut spending and reorganize a government that is desperately in need of a serious housecleaning. Let's face it - we're screwed. We're going to spend the next 8 months split between McCain, Obama and Hillary but in the end we're going to end up with no real change. At the end of the race, someone in a $2000 suit is going to raise our taxes and spend more money. The war on drugs will continue on as if nothing is wrong. The war on terror will continue to erode our rights. And we'll be told that all our problems are the fault of 'the other guy'.

If only we'd had just a few more articles about Ron Paul on Fark, perhaps some people could have learned about him and jumped onto his campaign.

haplo53: Of course the GOP is giving them the cold shoulder... why spend time and money trying to bait and switch a small group of people who are fanatics for one specific guy?

Well, considering how close the last two elections were, and how close this one is supposed to be the McCain will need every single vote he can get especially if Obama is the nominee and can take some of the Independent vote.

It would be one thing not to court the Paulistas. It's another to outright dismiss and belittle them.

uhh, because the GOP is not just about big government, it is about mammoth-super-giant-humgo-government and ron paul people are kinda against that...

Weaver95: NOBODY in this race is going to cut taxes, cut spending and reorganize a government that is desperately in need of a serious housecleaning

you say that like you think there is a president who can get elected saying that. it won't happen because

1. we taxpayers always want our government to give us stuff and not have to pay for it.

2. we elect congressmen to make sure #1 happens and that it never changes.