Ron Paul for Chuck Baldwin

[Guest guest]

Ron Paul backs Chuck Baldwin & so should we.

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog/?p=582#more-582

 

A New Alliance - By Dr. Ron Paul

 

 

The press conference at the National Press Club had a precise

purpose. It was to expose, to as many people as possible, the gross

deception of our presidential election process. It is controlled by

the powerful elite to make sure that neither candidate of the two major

parties will challenge the status quo. There is no real choice between

the two major parties and their nominees, only the rhetoric varies.

The amazingly long campaign is designed to make sure the real issues

are ignored. The quotes I used at the press conference from insider

Carroll Quigley and the League of Women voters strongly support this

contention.

 

Calling together candidates from the liberal, conservative, libertarian

and progressive constituencies, who are all opposed to this rigged

process, was designed to alert the American people to the uselessness

of continuing to support a process that a claims that one’s only choice

is to choose the lesser of two evils and reject a principle vote that

might challenge the status quo as a wasted vote.

In both political education and organization, coalitions are

worthwhile and necessary to have an impact. “Talking to the choir”

alone achieves little. I have always approached political and economic

education with a “missionary” zeal by inviting any group in on issues

we agree upon.

This opens the door to legitimate discourse with the hope of winning

new converts to the cause of liberty. This strategy led to the press

conference with the four candidates agreeing to the four principles we

believe are crucial in challenging the political system that has

evolved over many years in this country.

This unique press conference, despite the surprising, late

complication from the Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate,

hopefully will prove to be historically significant.

This does not mean that I expect to get Ralph Nader or Cynthia

McKinney to become libertarians, nor do they expect me to change my

mind on the issues on which we disagree. In the meantime, why can’t we

be friends, respectful of each other, and fight the corrupt process

from which we suffer, and at the same time champion the four issues

that we all agree upon which the two major candidates won’t address?

Many practical benefits can come from this unique alliance. Our

cause is liberty —freedom is popular and is the banner that brings

people together. Since authoritarianism divides, we always have the

edge in an intellectual fight. Once it’s realized that the

humanitarian goals of peace and prosperity are best achieved with our

views, I’m convinced we win by working with others. Those who don’t

want to collaborate are insecure with their own beliefs.

In the past two years at the many rallies where I talked and shook

hands with literally thousands of people, I frequently asked them what

brought them to our campaign. There were many answers: the

Constitution, my consistency, views on the Federal Reserve, the war,

and civil liberties. The crowds were overwhelmingly made up of young

people.

Oftentimes I welcomed the diverse groups that came, mentioning that

the crowd was made up of Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Liberals

and Progressives with each group applauding. Even jokingly, I

recognized the “anarchists” and that, too, was met with some applause.

In conversations, many admitted to having been Democrats and members of

the Green Party and supporters of Ralph Nader, yet they came to agree

with us on all the issues once the entire philosophy was understood.

That’s progress.

Principled people are not shy in participating with others and will

defend their beliefs on their merits. Liberals and progressives are

willing to align themselves with us on the key issues of peace, civil

liberties, debt and the Federal Reserve. That’s exciting and very

encouraging, and it means we are making progress. The big challenge,

however, is taking on the establishment, and the process that is so

well entrenched. But we can’t beat the entrenched elite without the

alliance of all those who have been disenfranchised.

Ironically the most difficult group to recruit has been the

evangelicals who supported McCain and his pro-war positions. They have

been convinced that they are obligated to initiate preventive war in

the Middle East for theological reasons. Fortunately, this is a

minority of the Christian community, but our doors remain open to all

despite this type of challenge. The point is, new devotees to the

freedom philosophy are more likely to come from the left than from

those conservatives who have been convinced that God has instructed us

to militarize the Middle East.

Although we were on the receiving end of ridicule in the reporting

of the press conference, I personally was quite satisfied with the

results. True revolutions are not won in a week, a month, or even a

year. They take time. But we are making progress, and the momentum

remains and is picking up. The Campaign for Liberty is alive and well,

and its growth and influence will continue. Obviously the press

conference could have been even more successful without the last-minute

change of heart by the Libertarian Party candidate by not

participating. He stated that his support for the four points remains

firm. His real reason for not coming, nor letting me know until forty

minutes before the press conference started, is unknown to me. To say

the least, I was shocked and disappointed.

Yet in the long run, this last-minute change in plans will prove to

be of little importance. I’m convinced that problems like this always

seem bigger at the moment, yet things usually work out in the end.

Recovering from the mistakes and shortcomings of all that we do in this

effort is not difficult if the message is right and our efforts are

determined. And I’m convinced they are. That’s what will determine

our long-term success, not the shortcomings of any one person.

The Libertarian Party Candidate admonished me for “remaining

neutral” in the presidential race and not stating whom I will vote for

in November. It’s true; I have done exactly that due to my respect

and friendship and support from both the Constitution and Libertarian

Party members. I remain a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party and

I’m a ten-term Republican Congressman. It is not against the law to

participate in more then one political party. Chuck Baldwin has been a

friend and was an active supporter in the presidential campaign.

I continue to wish the Libertarian and Constitution Parties well.

The more votes they get, the better. I have attended Libertarian Party

conventions frequently over the years.

In some states, one can be on the ballots of two parties, as they

can in New York. This is good and attacks the monopoly control of

politics by Republicans and Democrats. We need more states to permit

this option. This will be a good project for the Campaign for Liberty,

along with the alliance we are building to change the process.

I’ve thought about the unsolicited advice from the Libertarian Party

candidate, and he has convinced me to reject my neutral stance in the

November election. I’m supporting Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution

Party candidate.