Strong Ron Paul Support Cause San Francisco Republicans To Cancel Straw Poll

by: Elliott Petty

Wed Dec 05, 2007 at 13:26:24 PM EST

This is why the Republican Party is not going anywhere! So shouted several Ron Paul supporters who were turned away by the San Francisco Republican Party after they attempted to participate in its recent straw poll.

Elliott Petty :: Strong Ron Paul Support Cause San Francisco Republicans To Cancel Straw Poll

According to a Bay area republican in attendance at the low-profile event, participants paid a $33 fee for dinner and a vote. However a $5 option was also offered to those who wanted to skip the dinner and only participate in the vote.
I paid my $33 for the dinner and vote.

A guest speaker supporting former Senator Fred Thompson's campaign was allowed to speak, focusing on issues of water and budget problems in California. They then held a raffle, while all the "$5" straw voters waited patiently in the lobby.

When they finally let them in, the room was flooded with Congressman Ron Paul supporters and the organizer of the event quickly and surprisingly cancelled the vote.

Let this be proof that Republicans will always try to change the rules or deny your right to vote simply to win an election.

One person started rolling video after the initial announcement was made and pandemonium broke out. The sudden cancellation and an attempt to change the rules, understandably, upset quite a few people.

The organizer, who is unknown at this time attempted to save face a make a quick compromise. She offered to allow one Ron Paul supporter to speak and go on with the straw poll with only those who paid $33 for the dinner allowed to vote.

Whoever you are, democracy does not work that way. It cannot be negotiated or be subject to your momentary whim.

The Republicans up and down California have been in disarray for quite some time and I hope it continues. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come across the nation for the war mongering party.

Tags: San Francisco Republican Party, Ron Paul, Straw Poll, (All Tags)

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Strong Ron Paul Support Cause San Francisco Republicans To Cancel Straw Poll | 3 comments

asdf (0.00 / 0)

did they get their money back? if i were one of 'em and i wanted to make a stink - which i'm sure they did - i'd have demanded everyone get every cent of their money back and refuse to leave until it happened.

by: corndog @ Wed Dec 05, 2007 at 14:35:54 PM CST

On The Other Hand... (4.00 / 1)

The Carpetbagger Report asks:

Is Ron Paul becoming just another politician?
Love him, hate him, or ignore him, Ron Paul is at least unique. He presents a libertarian agenda that's clearly at odds with today's Republican mainstream; he's an ardent opponent of the party's neo-conservative foreign policy; and he's generally seemed more intent on expressing his ideas than winning a presidential election, whether those ideas are ridiculous or not.
That said, slowly but surely, Ron Paul seems willing to drop his quirky libertarian schtick and act like a (gasp!) conventional Republican presidential candidate. Consider, for example, his latest direct mail piece in South Carolina.
Ron Paul is sending a defense and veterans-focused mail piece into South Carolina homes that doesn't mention the chief calling card of his campaign - his opposition to the Iraq war.
In fact, the piece touts at the top that Paul "Pushed for an official Declaration of War with Iraq."
Now this is true, but he did so only because he takes a literal interpretation of the Constitution.
This is the only mention of Iraq, though, so it may leave a South Carolina voter who is uninformed about Paul's anti-war views to think he merely wanted a congressional green light to topple Saddam and was fully on board with shock-and-awe.
Hmm. When Paul talks about foreign policy and military matters, he generally denounces neocons and emphasizes a worldview premised on non-intervention. In this mailing, though, Paul characterizes himself as just another member of the Republican mainstream, bragging about his role in pushing for "an official Declaration of War with Iraq."
This strikes me as interesting for a couple of reasons. First, I didn't really expect Paul to sell-out. Second, it suggests Paul is trying to transition from a quixotic candidate hoping to make a point to a candidate who actually expects to compete. If that means compromising a bit on his ideals, so be it.

Of course, as a vehement abortion foe running as the libertarian presidential candidate back in 1988, I sort of think it's a little late to be surprised by this.

Still, it is sorta fun to see the contradictions not just play themselves out, but actually git down and mud wrassle.

That is, of course, until the eventual winners come knocking on your door at 3 AM.

by: Paul Rosenberg @ Wed Dec 05, 2007 at 15:08:27 PM CST

Paul vs. Dean (0.00 / 0)

The LA Times this weekend did a story on Paul supporters basically behaving like Dean supporters 4 years ago. What they didn't do, however, was talk about the continuation of the Dean supporters' work in the general and post election, getting Dean elected to DNC Chair. It will be interesting to see if the Paul supporters hang in there after the primaries to try to change their party the way the Dean folks did, or if they will be shunned by their party, or so disenchanted by the GOP that they drop out of sight til the next messiah comes along. Anyone want to guess?

by: Savagespeaking @ Wed Dec 05, 2007 at 18:40:58 PM CST