RLENT
Veteran Expediter
Well, the fact of the matter is that he is getting significantly more support than he did in 2008 .... that's evidence of growth ....
That means that the message he is delivering is being increasingly welcomed ....
Packed house of over 2,500 in College Station at Texas A&M day before yesterday, standing-room only crowd of over 3,000 at the Will Rogers Auditorium in Fort Worth last night.
Ignore it at your party's peril.
Considering party membership trends, having someone who can attract the youth vote in spades ought to be of at least some small concern - particularly given the demographics of the GOP:
Demographic Trends in the Republican Party - Blogcritics Politics
The GOP's membership is increasingly older - with over 1/3rd of party members older than 58, and nearly 2/3rds of the party older than 48.
This, in essence, shows that the party is not really attracting new members at a rate necessary to offset those that are, or will be, dying off in fairly short order.
It is an unsustainable trend:
The Washington Monthly - Ten Miles Square - Unsustainable Trends in the GOP
And those who are motivated by socially conservative issues are largely confined to the 58 and older crowd - the younger members tend to be of a more libertarian bent:
Demographic Trends in the Republican Party - Page 2 - Blogcritics Politics
And those who are most concerned about out of control government spending tend to be the younger members of the party (which, despite all the lipservice they give it, might just say a little something about the irresponsibility of the older generation):
Demographic Trends in the Republican Party - Page 2 - Blogcritics Politics
This should also come as no surprise for two reasons - first, it is largely the older generation that bears most of the responsibility for the situation we find ourselves in - having been around the longest, they, as supposedly mature adults, have allowed the majority of the profligate spending to occur on their watch - and have failed to take the necessary actions early, that could have prevented it. And secondly, because the fact of the matter is, that the youth of this nation will be the ones who ultimately have to pay the price.
These (irresponsible) older folks have derived, are deriving, or are about to derive, the "benefits" that this theft from the younger generation represents .... whether the "benefit" was Social Security, Medicare, a large standing army, forced redistribution of wealth overseas via foreign aid, deadly adventures for our youth in far-off lands, or the building of "national security" apparatus - the likes of which has never been seen - which will likely be used in the end to remove your children's or grandchildren's liberty and freedom .... making them total subjects and wards of the State ....
Be sure to keep that in mind when you talk about those who want "government handouts" ....
Who here - that is 50 or better - will refuse Social Security payments if they are offered and available ? Same thing for Medicare ?
So ... what does all of the above portend for the party ?
It means that if you want to grow the party membership you **** well better be focused on the fiscal issues .... and put the social crap on the backburner ....
Social engineering with respect to morality (morality of the type that involves consenting adults or a woman and her doctor) is something that is best accomplished from within the family and the church - that has always been the case - don't expect the state to do it for you .... otherwise, you may not get the result you had hoped for.
The reality is:
“Social conservatism is the least conservative of all conservatisms. Economic and small-government conservatism are born of hope and a confidence that people will usually do the right thing. Social conservatism is born of the fear that people will do the wrong thing and the urge to impose on them the right decisions.”
I realize that this will be a difficult pill for soc-cons to swallow - but that's just the way it is ..... at least if you want to have a party that remains at all relevant after you're long gone and your children and grand-children are inheriting your handiwork .....
It also means that offering up candidates who are perceived as being (potentially) part of the problem of fiscal irresponsibility are likely to have very little appeal ....
Given the unsustainable trends that the GOP has managed to box itself into, one would think that a smart person would recognize that trying to grow the membership in the GOP might require appealing to the issues which your target audience is most concerned about.
Similarly, one would think that the smart people in the party, recognizing their impending doom looming just over the horizon .... might, on seeing an individual with a long and consistent record of standing for and upholding the Constitution, advocating and voting for fiscal sanity, and who is wildly popular with the younger, more libertarian crowd, would be smart enough to rally around this individual and use the vehicle that he is providing to bolster their flagging numbers ....
Of course, that assumes that there actually are some smart, principled people still in the party, and that they all haven't left already ...
What other nationally known GOP figure is capable of delivering any real growth in membership, and increase of support to, the GOP .... particularly among the youth ?
.... name me a name .....
There is a reason that the number of independents continue to increase .... and it ain't because they are enamored of either party ....
In fact, there is continued and growing dissatisfaction with both of the major political parties .... Congress' approval rating is at all-time lows .... and neither is likely to change any time in the (relatively) near future ....
Count on this election cycle to further alienate even more folks from the GOP ....
The reality of the matter is that the GOP is a dying party .... composed largely of old people who are too set in their ways .... and far, far too stupid to see the writing on the wall ....
Obama's popularity with the youth vote 4 years ago should have been the tipoff - since it was largely a rejection of what the previous occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania had done, not what he said ....
At this point, it doesn't appear as though the GOP deserves to survive ....
Months ago I said: no matter the outcome of the GOP nomination contest, Dr. Paul had already won .... he has the message that will carry the day .... eventually .... provided the Republic makes that long ....
It has been pretty funny to watch the other candidates acknowledge the power of Dr. Paul's message .... by attempting to emulate it in various ways ....
Of course, a counterfeit substitute is most assuredly not the real thing .... coming off "Change You Can Believe In" betrayal, the kids today that were available to be had and enlisted in the effort (to return to sanity) are suspicious and wary .... I'd guess the way that Dr. Paul has been dealt with in both the media and the GOP has pretty much queered any chance there might have been in enlisting them in the effort ....
Just have the geriatic crowd keep talking endless war and foreign adventurism (that they won't be personally participating in) .... keep talking meddling into peoples private lives .... religious bigotry .... and fiscal "responsibility" .... that the party never quite seems to be able to deliver on ....
Lemme know how it works out for ya ....
Well, considering that you got suckered and taken to the cleaners on that GM thing, I can understand your own continual personal fixation on the money aspect .... I can imagine it is sucking up quite a bit of attention ....
In light of the fact that Dr. Paul pays for his own security, refuses to participate the Congressional pension plan, doesn't accept money from lobbyists, and returns a significant portion of his congressional office budget to the US Treasury every year, I don't think you have much of a case ....
But I'll tell ya what - when you actually get some real evidence of significant, private inurement, stick a link up and we can all talk about it .... or you can just continue to make baseless allegations with no real evidence whatsoever ....
Either way, I'm good with it ....
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