Is it possible for Ron Paul to get 10,000 votes? Heck yes!!

He is willing to pay for 500 tickets for folks who show up. Libertarians usually get 2-3% of the real election. Republicans fed up with the Iaq war and BIG spenders are about 30-40% of the party and they only have Ron Paul to vote for! Between these two groups are some very ANGRY motivated voters. Ron Paul will do just fine. The down side is that if he does not get at least 10% of the vote (3,000) however, I would predict that people will still be supportive but his support will stop growing.

This is an important week for freedom in America.

But it is not the end of America if a 71 year old radical freedom fighter with a GREAT message (Freedom works!) is not charismatic enough to convince people by the sound of his voice that he has character enough to be voted for. That type of empty headed emotional gut feeling decision making is how at least 70% of America makes their vote choices. Consistency, being right and having a logical vision takes last place to charisma and style.

I remain hopeful and I wish that I could vote in Iowa.

Go Ron Paul!

Why? Ron Paul has been running a National level campaign going to multiple states and NOT spending his time in Iowa. These predictions of 2nd place are NOT coming from his supporters or the campaign itself. Just something to keep in mind. The outcome in Iowa affects his campaign a LOT less than the “2nd tier” guys.

You mentioned Dean winning the Moveon.org straw poll as his big booster, well Ron Paul has one literally HUNDREDS of online polls, some very large, and I don’t think we need to start doubting that he at least has a chance until he starts losing traction. So far, he has only gone up. It’s a slow start, I’ll grant, but he started at 0% in the polls and now he is consistently scoring 2 or 3% and even scored 6% in Texas. If he starts heading back to consistent 0s and 1s then I’ll start worrying.

Also, if he shows very poorly in this straw poll, then I’ll start to really worry but even if he gets 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, it will be a good indicator.

Placing even close to the front will be good exposure heading into a national debate etc. I still think Paul’s got a good chance. He quadrupled his 1st quarter in campaign funds, so I think we can all feel pretty confident that he’s growing in popularity. If he starts to slow significantly, then I’ll probably just go back to having no faith in the political process.

-Chad

Ron Paul finishing 2nd the the Iowa straw poll and second or third in the Iowa Caucus would be a huge showing – especually if he could then sneak a win in the New Hampshire primary as the state loves him with its small government, pro-gun, Libertarian views. IF Paul pulls this off, and if Thompson enters the race, it becomes free-for-all and anything could happen.

Write a sympathetic article that sets the bar for success very high. Be positive about the campaign, while simultaneously saying that you’ll write it off if it doesn’t meet your incredibly high expectations.

Both of these parties have enough fan-boys to sustain a two-party lock-up of the system for the foreseeable future.

Politicians have been switching their party afiliations like a major leaguer signs with a new team, I’m not sure what kind of 3rd party you’re talking about but if it is one of the already existing ones, the so-called Independents, the Liberatarians or the Green Party. None of these party have nearly enough appeal or a sense of legitimacy to take away from the Democrats or the Republicans.

The Dems and Reps have quite effectively “brainwashed” the country so-to-speak into believing that in the both of them they represent the entire spectrum of American political thought and
sentiment. They certainly do not, but nonetheless their lock on our political system is here to stay for the foreseeable future. It’s quite sad really because just as the world is not black and white neither is the political range of thought, however we have two choices come every election–Democrat or Republican. They are both corrupt, they are both for big business just different constituents.

So, IMHO I don’t see any third party being able to get enough real world traction to win the presidency in this country. Nonetheless, there’s a growing number of Americans that are hungry for something completely new and fresh and pragmatic, yet the political reality is that for a third party to win in this country something, or some events will first have to take place to make way for a sea change in or politically monopolized two-party system. Dems and Reps both have worked together very effectively to assure our system remains a two party system. One only has to look at how our so-called “political districts” are carved up and the all but predecided electoral college works. People in essence are “told” what they need, they don’t get the choice to actually choose their own futures. It’s a myth that is propagated by the two parties, that within two parties there lies all the ideas that “work” for America.

I’m not a Democrat so I say that out of honesty and how I see it. Unfortunately, I think Bush has soured the country on the Republican party, at least until a Democrat has a go at it for at least one term, then, depending on how well the next president handles Bush’s inherited snafu’s you might have a Republican party resurgence, but I don’t see that happening for awhile.

I refuse to vote Dem. or Rep. I see them both as being corrupt but for different reasons. I am very liberal, I plan to vote for a Green candidate if he’s at all competent, otherwise I will not vote at all. My two cents anyway.