GOP attempts to hijack a rEVOLution as torch passes from Paul to Johnson
By Adrian Wyllie – 1787 Network
TAMPA – The new logo was everywhere at the Ron Paul Rally at the University of South Florida Sun Dome on Sunday. Gone were the iconic REVOLUTION symbols to which liberty lovers have become accustomed. In its place was a new logo. It was on every T-shirt. It was on every banner. It was on the jumbotron behind the speakers. It was even printed on the media credentials.
“REPUBLICAN.” Same font. Same colors. Same red box.
The logo hijacking wasn’t the slick work of Madison Avenue subtlety. It was being rubbed in the noses of Ron Paul supporters, who – for the most part – seemed to devour it like sheep at a feed troth. The Ron Paul RepubliCAN shirts, hats and buttons were flying off the rack.
I wondered to myself, are these the Ron Paul supporters that I’ve come to know? How could they possibly buy into this heavy-handed takeover of an organic liberty movement? It seemed impossible. There was little doubt that the GOP establishment was behind it.
As I scanned the VIP seating area, I noticed several faces that were very unlikely supporters. In fact, many were high-ranking party loyalists who have consistently attempted to derail the Ron Paul rEVOLution at every opportunity. These were the same people who have worked to silence and marginalize Dr. Paul. Yet they cheered as if they were hanging banners from overpasses in 2008.
The Grand Old Party was clearly telling Paul supporters, “We’ve tolerated your insolence for long enough. You children have had your fun. Now we order you to fall back in line.”
Gone was the organic, grass-roots message. In its place was the GOP party machine. Either Ron Paul didn’t notice, or he was powerless to prevent it.
There was even a subtle, but noticeable, difference in Dr. Paul’s speech on Sunday. While the message hadn’t changed, it was as if he was holding something back. It seemed that many of the roughly 6,000 Paul supporters also noticed the change in tone. And whatever it was, it contributed to the slightly uneasy vibe of the event, which at times seemed more like a memorial service than a rally.
On the other side of town, there was another Ron Paul event happening. Despite the best efforts of Ron Paul campaign manager Jesse Benton to sabotage it — as confirmed by Peter Schiff and others — the PAUL Festival at the Florida State Fairgrounds went on as scheduled.
Without question, the highlight of the three-day event was Libertarian Presidential candidate Governor Gary Johnson’s speech. The roughly 2,000 Ron Paul supporters and delegates offered moderate applause as Johnson took the stage.
As he talked about his record as New Mexico’s governor, the crowd began to perk up, and the applause and cheers built.
Feeding off the crowd, Johnson built to a crescendo as he passionately promised to end the wars, repeal NDAA and the PATRIOT Act, eliminate the IRS, balance the federal budget, end prohibition, restore sound money, and abolish the Federal Reserve.
The crowd went wild.
The previously cautious Johnson supporters seemed to abandon all skepticism and boisterously voiced their support. By the time he was finished, the applause was deafening as the crowd chanted, “GARY! GARY! GARY!”
After the speech, Johnson spent the next hour surrounded by dozens, at times hundreds, of supporters. Mainstream and independent journalists jockeyed for a chance to interview him as if he were the hottest ticket in town. Johnson seemed unaccustomed to this kind of “rock star” treatment, but he handled it with humility and grace.
Something had changed. Liberty lovers seemed to have a renewed faith that the movement would not end with RNC 2012, despite the GOP’s best efforts.
This wasn’t the birth of a new revolution. It was the evolution of the revolution. It was the realization that the revolution could not be suppressed. The man who has been the torch bearer for liberty has been cast aside by the establishment, but the flame of liberty still burns bright.
As Gov. Johnson said with undeniable sincerity in his speech on Saturday, “I have two words for Dr. Paul: Thank you.” We will forever be in your debt.
But now, the torch has been passed. And it will not be extinguished on Johnson’s watch.
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3 Responses to “GOP attempts to hijack a rEVOLution as torch passes from Paul to Johnson”
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Just look at Gary Johnson’s record! He IS much more qualified to be president then Romney or Obama! Romney got kicked out of mass. after just one term as Gary Johnson only stepped down due to term limits. Gary Johnson while working his way through college took a one man handyman business and built it into one the largest construction companies in the S.W. While rich boy Mitt Romney went around buying up companies taking massive loans against them,raided any assets, shipped production overseas and then let the company go bankrupt while Bain (his company walked away with all the money) Which guy do you think knows how to create jobs?
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/08/26/gary-johnson-makes-appeal-to-ron-paul-voters/#ixzz24lNtoIgg
Yep!!!
I call BS. I was at the rally. The rhetoric was plenty radical and rabble-rousing. The event was not just intended for the die-hard occupants of the Sun Dome. We are trying to GROW a movement and have some actual concrete success. hence, RepubliCan. Walter Block’s speech was NOT for the faint of mind, as seen by a few boo’s even among Paulites. Jack Hunter’s speech couldn’t have been a MORE confident call to arms. That this rally was secretly orchestrated by GOP establishment seems pure paranoid drivel, criticize Benton and the campaign for bad decisions all you like. There may have indeed been a feeling of disappointment among some who knew of the goings-on with the RNC – but most know the message is spreading. And we need to have a degree of unity in our goal. As was done by a few, we do NOT need to be booing the currently most successful liberty candidate and son of the man whose rally we were attending! God bless the AnCaps but a tactless ideological purity will not result in political gains in our lifetime. and yes, i’ll be voting for Johnson.