Rand Paul...

[Aristophan3s]

…endorses Romney.

**

**The endorsement came in an appearance on “Hannity,”

Blech.

We knew it was coming.

I’m sorry it had to be like this.

[HeathieAK]

Rand Paul endorses Mitt Romney (Hannity, 6/7/12)

[Autolykos]

Wow. I wonder what Ron has to say about this?

[excel]

@Autolykos

Wow. I wonder what Ron has to say about this?

Probably that they have their ideological differences. (I seem to remember him mentioning this in regards to Rands run for senate.

[z1235]

He’s a politician, apparently. Here’s Rothbard at his best covering this very same issue during the Reagan administration:

…The essential answer was provided a century ago by Lysander Spooner. Why does the public obey the State, and go further to endorse statist policies that benefit the Power Elite at the public’s own expense? The answer, wrote Spooner, is that the State is supported by three powerful groups: knaves, who know what is going on and benefit from State rule; dupes, who are fooled into thinking that State rule is in their and everyone else’s interest; and cowards, who know the truth but are afraid to proclaim that the emperor has no clothes. I think we can refine Spooner’s analysis and merge the Knave and Coward categories; after all, the renegade sellout confronts the carrot and the stick: the carrot of wealth, cushy jobs, and prestige if he goes along with the Emperor; and the stick of scorn, exclusion from wealth, prestige, and jobs – and perhaps worse – if he fails to go along. …

…In the history of ideological movements, there have always been people willing to sell their souls and their principles. But never in history have so many sold out for so pitifully little. Hordes of libertarian and free-market intellectuals and activists rushed to Washington to whore after lousy little jobs, crummy little grants, and sporadic little conferences. It is bad enough to sell out; it is far worse to be a two-bit whore. And worst of all in this sickening spectacle were those who went into the tank without so much as a clear offer: betraying the values and principles of a lifetime in order to position themselves in hopes of being propositioned. And so they wriggled around the seats of power in Washington. The intellectual corruption spread rapidly, in proportion to the height and length of jobs in the Reagan Administration. Lifelong opponents of budget deficits remarkably began to weave sophisticated and absurd apologias, now that the great Reagan was piling them up, claiming, very much like the hated left-wing Keynesians of yore, that “deficits don’t matter.”

Shorn of intellectual support, the half-formed libertarian instincts of the American masses remained content with Reaganite rhetoric, and the actual diametrically opposite policies got lost in the shuffle…

Amen.

[Autolykos]

I wonder how much of the carrot Rand was offered - as opposed to the stick.

[z1235]

I’d guess it would be all carrots and hardly any sticks in Rand’s case. I never liked him to begin with – he always rubbed me the wrong way. What I find interesting, though, is how he kept throwing in his father’s name together with his, and talking about how they have this huge support base that Romney might find useful. Did Ron Paul’s procreation instincts (maximizing his son’s benefits) also get the better of him to go along with this sharade, or has Rand gone rogue on his father?

A sickening display, regardless. Good luck dragging his “support base” behind him, though.

[Aristophan3s]

I wonder how much of the carrot Rand was offered - as opposed to the stick.

I think he was offered to be the head of an investigatory committee. Possibly one involving downscaling certain bureaucracy. He won’t get a cabinet position.

[katokato]

THERE IS ONLY 1 RON PAUL !!!

[No2statism]

One minute he’s endorsing Romney, then the next he’s going against everything Romney stands for:

Rand Paul's FY2013 Budget Plan | PDF | National Debt Of The United States |...

EDIT: Nvm it was from February.

[Buzz_Killington]

NOOOOOOOO

[Marko]

Rand Paul isn’t an anti-Republican Republican. Rand Paul is a Republican Republican.

[Aristophan3s]

Alex Jones gets tough on Ron and Rand Paul. He also says that he is ashamed of himself for not seeing the betrayal coming. He is seemingly indicting Ron Paul for Rand’s endorsement as well. The video features an addendum by Webster Tarpley (here is the full Tarpley v. Jones debate over the Pauls; pretty interesting stuff and Jones has been drinking).

"…taking wind out of your own sails. … You better explain yourself to your constituency.

I will not go down on the Ron Paul ship.

I’ve seen a lot of signs…a lot of people Campaign for Liberty is bringing in right now are Council on Foreign Relations & globalists.

Best case scenario: the Ron Paul system, “Ron Paul Inc.” tried to take over the Republican party and the opposite is happening. Worst case scenario: they’ve been listeneing to some Benedict Arnolds on the inside. And have absolutely fallen into a trap."

That email about the 500 delegates maximum before they are all elected…reeks.

Why has Ron Paul not said anything about this? I do not want to presume that he is trying to get Rand into office…I really do not think that is the case, but everyone else does.

[Anenome]

That email about the 500 delegates maximum before they are all elected…reeks.

_Why has Ron Paul not said anything about this? I do not want to presume that he is trying to get Rand into office…I really do not think that is the case, but everyone else does.

_

I assure it you it’s a genuine email I received from the RP campaign. As to why he’s not talking about it, it’s probably because the delegate-angle is a stealth campaign. It’s a smart move by a candidate whom only maybe can win. If Romney didn’t take the nomination on the first ballot, RP had a very good shot with a ton of his own delegates in position. Had things gone a bit differently, had the vote been closer, had RP gotten more delegates, he would’ve found himself in a winning position. Just too little too late here.

Reading up on the election of Lincoln, the guy expected to win was not Lincoln, he didn’t take it on the first ballot, tho it was close, and Lincoln partisans made the rounds and convinced the other delegations to turn towards Lincoln. He was actually considered the long-shot, the dark horse. RP knows his history, he’s the dark horse candidate in this election and could’ve pulled off a similar thing. Doesn’t look like that’s gonna happen now, but it was the only viable strategy apart from actually winning the nomination popular-vote.

[DanielMuffinburg]

Lew said what many Rand supporters were in denial of.

[Aristophan3s]

How the NeoCons sabotaged the Ron Paul campaign through Rand Paul & J. Benton at the coordination of Trygve Olson and extras.

Ron Paul isn’t afraid to stand up to the bankers, but he won’t stand up to his duplicity within his family and organization. We needed Murray to be in on all of this…

[Aristophan3s]

Kokesh should have something to do with the movement going forward.

[HeathieAK]

[Aristophan3s]

The only part of Jack’s video that was coherent was at about 4:40. The Eisenhouer analogy, but that only means anything if Romney wins.

He repeatedly says Rand would be destroyed if he didn’t endorse Romney, then says people won’t remember in 2016…but then, what is the point in doing it? He says people would remember if he didn’t, but they won’t if he did? Jack is waaay out there.

Who cares who wins in 2012? I would like to see a delegate war in Tampa. It would be hilarious.

Alex Jones has the same reservations that I have (Ron Paul has been silent). Kokesh and Tarpley have made good points as well.