I Voted Ron Paul & Need a Shower (Or a Stiff Drink)

[roo_ster]

I was a bit queasy in the voting booth, given the (POTUS) choices on the ballot.  All that remained were unacceptable in their own way.

I determined that I was dang well going to register a vote against McCain as my candidate from the GOP*.  Mother Hucker did not seem to be the best candidate for this, as he has played the role of McCain's butt-buddy since Iowa.

That left the Looney Magnet himself, Ron Paul.  So, RP got the oval by his name filled in with ink fitting for my black mood.

Down-ballot, I got to vote for the most conservative candidates in the few contested elections.  For instance, Randy Dunning would be an improvement to the NEA-fellating, public-school-pimping, illegal alien coddling monument to the status quo who previously held the post.  Since I live across the street from the polling place, I had his campaign post a big ol' sign on my fence over the weekend. 

The further down the ballot I went, the better I felt.  I did not vote for any unopposed candidates, on GP.

I really do not relish the next few months of campaigning, having to listen to two/three folks I detest.  The idea of any of them winning is hateful.  Maybe a comet will turn one of their debate venues into an impact crater, throwing the race into chaos and forcing the selection of another set of candidates.

A man can dream.

* I reserve the right to vote for the dirty rat come the general election on the grounds that his opponent is steaming pile of shinola and a future embarrassment to the nation.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

don't sugar coat it tell us what you really think

[HankB]

This is scary . . .

jfuser, except for the stuff about Dunning (not my district), I could have written your post.

A country that gave us leaders like Washington, Jefferson and T. Roosevelt, now gives us . . . this.

Sad . . . 

[MrRezister]

Yeah we get it.  Nobody wants mccain in office, but we'll gladly vote for him over hillbama because they are REALLY REALLY evil.  Do you want the knife in your chest or back?  Thank you for voting.

[El Tejon]

Are you typing from your mom's basement now?

[roo_ster]

Are you typing from your mom's basement now?

Was that to me or MrRezister?  I'll have you know my mom has no basement.  She does, however, have a dank closet. 

Yeah we get it.  Nobody wants mccain in office, but we'll gladly vote for him over hillbama because they are REALLY REALLY evil.  Do you want the knife in your chest or back?  Thank you for voting.

I'll take the knife in the chest, thank you.  (I think that means McCain is less bad than Hillbama.)  But, it seems some folks are operating in the "evil Spock with a goatee" universe and not the one I do.

Also, some folks seem unconversant with the concept of "damage control."

[El Tejon]

How can you vote for Ron Paul and not live in your mom's basement?

[Bigjake]

How can you vote for Ron Paul and not live in your mom's basement?

Yeah! We have standards to uphold here!  Don't live in Mom's basement = Not eligible to vote Paulistinian*

Kinda sorta like being literate excludes you from voting dem 

*unless you're a costume fanboy, which then negates the whole mom's basement requirement.

Don't blame me, I voted Obamaramadingdong.

[MrRezister]

Does that mean I'll have to change my position to "Warmongering Neocon in favor of open borders and restricting the First Amendment" before I can vote for McCain in November?

[Scout26]

If you were wearing a Wookie or Klingon costume when casting your ballot, then the "Mom's Basement" requirement is waived.

Chee-to satined fingers are non-waiverable. 

[thebaldguy]

More Ron Paul bashing. I'm getting used to it now.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

More Ron Paul bashing. I'm getting used to it now.

Don't worry, he lost the race last night, so you won't be hearing much more about him in the future.

[WeedWhacker]

Considering that most of the national GOP delegates haven't even been elected themselves, yet, it's a wee bit early to call the race "over". That race will end in September, at the national GOP convention, unless either McCain or Paul drops out before then.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

No, it's not a wee bit too early to call the race over. 

Delegates to the national conventions don't decide who they're going to vote for based on their own personal opinions.  They vote according to the results of their state's election.  That means they'll vote for McCain, plain and simple.

I don't like McCain any more than you do, but that's the reality of the situation.  Make peace with it and move on.

[WeedWhacker]

Delegates to the national conventions don't decide who they're going to vote for based on their own personal opinions.  They vote for whomever their state elected.  That means McCain, plain and simple.

Absolutely false; you're part of the problem, making ASSumptions which turn out to be wrong, or at best, mostly wrong.

First and foremost, not all states are "winner-take-all", or even have bound delegates at all. Some of those initial delegates are pledged in good conscience to the person who won the primary election... I looked into that matter myself after Ron Paul came in second in Nevada - there was no way I was going to be a delegate in support of Romney, and if I was told I would have to support Romney, I was going to tell them where they could shove my delegate spot.

Turns out not to be the case. Many delegates can support whomever they choose, and it *appears* that decision can be made (and changed) at any time, hence the importance of the actual delegates rather than the pointless polls.

With McCain, for example, several people I've talked to regarding his allegedly belonging to the anti-abortion camp have completely changed their minds when presented with his actual record over the years. I have high hopes that when other delegates realize they got fed a line, they will in good conscience be forced to put their support behind a candidate who better represents those who they are a delegate for.

[The Rabbi]

So we're assuming that the delegates will ignore the will of the voters and just vote for whomever makes the best speech, or whatever criteria you choose?

Ya.  Right.  That's gonna happen.

[WeedWhacker]

Pop quiz, Rabbi!

Question one: "what form of government does the United States of America currently use"?

[MicroBalrog]

Now, let me preface this with the fact I am a Ron Paul supporter.

I genuinely think that Ron Paul is the best candidate that ran in these primaries, and, to paraphrase Ehud Barak, had I been an American of the appropriate age, I would have voted for him.

But he has lost.

It's beyond immature to claim a possibility of a direct political win (i.e. actually becoming a nominee) is viable in these primaries for Ron Paul at this point at space and time.

That said, it is possible that the libertarian/small-government/paleocon movement can salvage a strategic benefit of some form out of this.

The likelihood however... ahem.

[The Rabbi]

Pop quiz, Rabbi!

Question one: "what form of government does the United States of America currently use"?

Republic.

Question two: what is the air velocity of a sparrow?

[roo_ster]

African or European?

[WeedWhacker]

Pop quiz, Rabbi!

Question one: "what form of government does the United States of America currently use"?

Republic.

Close, but with you missed a key distinction: a republic differs from a constitutional republic (or "representative republic", as I prefer to call it) in that while in a republic, the common folk have "some (undefined) impact on government", a representative republic is based around common folks electing representatives who then participate in government in place of direct participation by said people.

If you still stand by your "will of the people" comment, I suggest you do a bit of reading of the writings made by the people who set this country up in the first place.

-edit
The degree of apathy, even among those who bothered to show up for the hour or two on the caucus Saturday, was shocking. The vast majority were not interested in anything other than filling in a dot on a pointless ballot poll (since the poll had no impact whatsoever on delegate elections, which were done a few minutes later) and hurrying through the few formalities so we all could feel free to leave (and 20% of the folks did leave immediately after the straw poll).

If people, through voting, expressed interest in candidates speaking of low taxes, fixing the economy, respecting the Second Amendment (and the rest of the Constitution), and so forth, and as time passes, 80%+ of the candidates throw in the towel, it would then be the duty of the elected representative to use old and new information together to support the best candidate for the desired ideals.

[The Rabbi]

Pop quiz, Rabbi!

Question one: "what form of government does the United States of America currently use"?

Republic.

Close, but with you missed a key distinction: a republic differs from a constitutional republic (or "representative republic", as I prefer to call it) in that while in a republic, the common folk have "some (undefined) impact on government", a representative republic is based around common folks electing representatives who then participate in government in place of direct participation by said people.

If you still stand by your "will of the people" comment, I suggest you do a bit of reading of the writings made by the people who set this country up in the first place.

I'd suggest you review the constitutional rules for the nominating process. 
Then I have a few other suggestions for you.

Ron Paul is not going to be the GOP candidate.  Period.  If McCain died of a stroke tomorrow, Paul wouldn't get the nomination.

[WeedWhacker]

Pop quiz, Rabbi!

Question one: "what form of government does the United States of America currently use"?

Republic.

Close, but with you missed a key distinction: a republic differs from a constitutional republic (or "representative republic", as I prefer to call it) in that while in a republic, the common folk have "some (undefined) impact on government", a representative republic is based around common folks electing representatives who then participate in government in place of direct participation by said people.

If you still stand by your "will of the people" comment, I suggest you do a bit of reading of the writings made by the people who set this country up in the first place.

I'd suggest you review the constitutional rules for the nominating process. 
Then I have a few other suggestions for you.

I might review the constitutional rules for the nominating process, if they applied to political parties' nomination procedures, which they don't, and in regards to the parties' own rules, I'm currently as sure as I can be without being a lawyer that the best tack for someone sick of the crap presented by those in high places as "choices" to take.

[The Rabbi]

Exactly.
So yammering on about "republic" vs "constitutional republic" is pretty darn meaningless here.  The parties decide how they want to run things.  And the party is not going to decide to make Ron Paul their standard bearer as he has proven himself a loser.

[seeker_two]

Ron Paul is not going to be the GOP candidate.  Period.  If McCain died of a stroke tomorrow, Paul wouldn't get the nomination.

What about food poisoning?.......Viagra overdose?.......Reading APS and laughing & coughing at the same time?.......