MM> As we see it right now presidential candidate Ron Paul will   
    MM> not be speaking at the Tampa Republican National   
    MM> Convention. Romney and his allies may have invited Rand   
    MM> Paul, the son of Ron Paul to speak, but that is more of a   
    MM> Bud Light compared to a Budweiser to many Ron Paul   
    MM> supporters.   
      
    I think Ron Paul is a bit off the deep end, but he was also the   
    only honest candidate the Republicans had, IMO.   
      
    MM> Ron Paul and his campaign have helped get people into the   
    MM> Republican Party. Ron Paul has made people want to stay for   
    MM> county and state party organizational meetings so they can   
    MM> become the leadership in their local Republican Parties.   
    MM> Ron Paul has motivated young voters to consider becoming   
    MM> part of the Republican Party.   
      
    Ron Paul's problem is, he appeals more to libertarians than   
    Republicans. He appeals more to Tea Baggers than long time   
    republicans.   
      
    ...   
      
    MM> There can be a compromise that would make more people happy   
    MM> and less people wanting to vote for Gary Johnson or leave   
    MM> their ballot blank for President.   
      
    That isn't going to happen all that much just because Ron Paul   
    doesn't speak. It may happen because Romney himself is someone   
    they don't believe in, don't trust. They won't vote for someone   
    they know will be betray them. Some.   
      
    MM> Give Ron Paul a mid-day   
    MM> speaking spot. If Rick Santorum could have a speaking spot,   
    MM> give Ron one as well.   
      
    Since Santorum is a low life, who exploits and misrepresents his   
    religion, and plays religion as his whole basis for his   
    campaign.   
      
    ...   
      
    MM> When countless people can see the invisible puppet strings   
    MM> controlling the scenes it will make it difficult for astute   
    MM> individuals to ever trust the Republican Party.   
      
    The current Republican Tea Pary doesn't deserve trust.   
      
    MM> The 2012 election cycle was flawed with a debate system   
    MM> that excluded qualified candidates from speaking on the   
    MM> stage such as Gary Johnson and Fred Karger. Republican   
    MM> Party regulations should also make it where if candidates   
    MM> win a state, you do not need a secondary convention to   
    MM> assign delegates as with California. Unfortunately for   
    MM> Romney he needs to play by this years rules. If the   
      
    Romney doesn't care about anything but winning, the rules aren't   
    a problem to him as long as he wins.   
      
    ...   
      
    MM> If we want to unseat President Obama we have to recognize   
      
    And that's the problem. The only goal is to beat Obama, fixing   
    America's problems are irrelevant. Doing anything good for the   
    working class certainly is irrelevant.   
      
    MM> that Ron Pauls voters hold the cards in making sure the   
    MM> swing states in the Electoral College go to Romney. The   
    MM> platform needs to have planks in the importance in auditing   
    MM> the fed, planks in Internet liberty such as making sure   
    MM> SOPA and CISPA go down the dustbin and making sure we   
    MM> reduce the drones invading our skies. Romney needs to   
      
    Platforms mean as much as holographs in the mist. If someone   
    doesn't actually believe he won't be bound by any platform.   
      
    MM> recognize that Pauls voters are the king makers and they   
    MM> can easily turn Romney into a ringer where Obama gets   
    MM> easily re-elected.   
      
    King makers are an offense to the nation. Voting for someone you   
    know will betray you is political suicide.   
      
    MM> We need to let Ron Paul in the convention and his delegates   
    MM> with open arms, even if it forces two or three rounds of   
    MM> voting at least there will be a semblance of legitimacy to   
    MM> the Republican Party in the United States.   
      
    Legitimacy has far more to do with taking an honest stand, and   
    standing behind it before the public. Romney has no real   
    principles, other than believing he should be in power.   
      
    MM> Or does Mitt Romney want to pretend that he is Vladimir   
    MM> Putin for another dog and pony show?   
      
    That's a better description than I had thought of.   
      
   BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn   
      
   ... Mitt Romney has more positions than the Kama Sutra.   
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