Re-Register Republican -- For Ron Paul

I've got the California voter registration form on my desk. I'm re-registering Republican so I can vote for Ron Paul in the upcoming GOP presidential primary next year.

It makes sense. Paul is the best of all the candidates -- of any major or minor party -- running for president in 2012. He has a proven record of being pro-peace. Pro-civil liberties. Pro-Constitution. A long-standing and consistent record of fighting for those positions, even in the face of public disapproval.

Sure, some minor party candidates advocate similar positions. But Paul has America's attention. He has the best shot at educating the public about those issues. He even has a (very slim) shot of winning.

Ron Paul appeals to progressives, conservatives, and libertarians alike.

Writing for the Huffington Post [July 7, 2011], Robin Koerner makes an excellent case as to why progressives should re-register Republican in order to vote for Ron Paul in the upcoming GOP primaries.

After arguing Paul's merits over Obama (Paul is more pro-peace and pro-civil liberties), Koerner observes:


Ron Paul's electoral weakness is not a difficulty in winning a presidential election. It is in winning a primary in a party with a Conservative constituency that includes the religious right and neo-cons. An influx of peace and freedom-loving independents and Democrats would change the math on the Republican side and potentially the future of America by setting up a presidential contest with a pro peace, pro-civil rights candidate (who could outflank Obama on those issues, at least, from the left).


Read the entire article.

Koerner is right. If every pro-peace/pro-civil liberties voter, of every party and no party, invaded the GOP by re-registering Republican, then Ron Paul can win the Republican nomination for president.

Rightist Neocons (and corporatists, and welfare statists) will back Obama. But Americans for peace and civil liberties (and who are opposed to budget-busting wars) will rally around Paul. It's a long shot, but if all the stars align, he might just win the presidency.

I urge all Americans, of every party and no party, to register Republican so they can vote for Ron Paul.

You can always vote for other parties' candidates in the general elections -- but you must be a registered Republican (in most states) to vote in the Republican presidential primaries.

Rewriting the Tea Party's Antiwar Libertarian History

Orwellian Memory Holes keep puncturing the historical record, leaving young people with false pictures of the past (e.g., the ease of flying pre-9/11, or that aid to Israel was originally promoted as a temporary measure, or the Neocons' flip-flop on French courage).

The Tea Party's libertarian roots are likewise being tossed down the memory hole.

Writing for Tablet Magazine, Michelle Goldberg writes:


"The Tea Party was initially mischaracterized as a libertarian movement [my emphasis], but it is deeply imbued with religious fundamentalism, and polls show that a majority of its members believe that the United States is a Christian nation. It's no accident that, upon taking over statehouses nationwide, Republicans elected with Tea Party support enacted a record number of abortion restrictions -- 80 in the first six months of 2011, compared to 23 for all of 2010."


As a progressive, Goldberg is probably honestly mistaken, rather than lying, about Tea Party history. But she is mistaken.

The Tea Party initially was a libertarian movement -- that's no "mischaracterization." Only later (albeit, fairly quickly) was the Tea Party co-opted by pro-war rightists, who then purged it of antiwar libertarians.

In May 2009, a local Libertarian Party officer, Lawrence K. Samuels, reported on how the Monterey County Tea Party united conservatives and libertarians. But by October, pro-war conservatives were purging antiwar libertarians from the Tea Party.

By February 2010, Ron Paul was attacking pro-war Neocons' infiltration of the Tea Party. That same month, Tea Party rightists were likewise attacking Ron Paul.

Also in May 2009, local Libertarian Party officer, Jason Gonella, reported on the Los Angeles County GOP's co-opting of the local Tea Party.

Yes Virginia, once upon a time the Tea Party was heavily libertarian -- and antiwar. But then the Neocon warmongers came, and saw, and conquered.

Jon Stewart: Media Ignores Ron Paul

Jon Stewart is dead-on in his analysis of how the media (especially the pro-war, Neocon Fox News network) is ignoring the only major party, antiwar candidate the in 2012 presidential race, Ron Paul:



Once again, Paul shows his unique ability to cross political polarities, uniting antiwar conservatives, antiwar libertarians, and antiwar progressives.

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A Big Lie: The Most Important Election In History

Well, not so much a Big Lie, as a Common Lie. Partisans of both major parties repeat it. Yet it's a Tried and True Lie. It works.

Every election year, Republicans and Democrats say that this election will be the most important election of our lifetimes, or in American history, or perhaps even in the history of the time-space continuum.

It may be noble and understandable to vote for an independent or third party candidate, but this election is too important to lose. All of world history -- perhaps even all of galactic history -- will be determined by this upcoming election.

It's an obvious lie, because, come next election, we're again told that this election is too important to lose! (Wow! -- Even more important that that last election?!)

It's also a silly lie, intended to frighten people into thinking, "Sure, I hate this major party, but I hate the other major party more -- and because this election so important, I'll vote for the lesser evil. I only vote for good candidates in unimportant elections."

This year's Big Lie Award winner is KRLA-AM's Dennis Prager, for being the first to call the 2012 election "the most important election in history."

I heard Prager announce his Big Lie last week -- the first week of August 2011.

It may be that someone beat Prager to the punch, but I haven't heard it. So I anoint Prager 2012's winner.

Prager didn't qualify "history", so maybe he meant the history of the United States, or the history of the human species, or even the history of every multivese along the space-time continuum -- yes, the 2012 election is that important.

Karen Kwiatkowski Seeks Support for Congressional Race

Karen Kwiatkowski, who I've endorsed for president, has instead decided to run for Congress as a Republican.

Like Ron Paul, Kwiatkowski is a true Constitutionalist, libertarian, and antiwar patriot, and deserves support from those communities.

Kwiatkowski emails her supporters:

"We've not really asked for money for the campaign, although it is generously flowing in already. What we value in this campaign is our conservative principles, and our 6th District of Virginia love of constitutionalism and liberty. These fundamentals are the real key to a robust and vibrant economy.

"We don't like asking for money but we are going to need it to win these upcoming battles for the hearts and minds in the 6th District. At the first of every month, for 72 hours, we will be reminding ourselves to remind you to support and help our campaign with some Federal Reserve notes (hold on to your gold and silver, people!).

"Our August fund-raising effort is themed around the fundamentals -- the Constitution, and the first ten amendments. We are asking that, if so inclined, that you donate $10 -- the greenback isn't worth much, but a symbolic dollar for each of the first ten amendments is a nice way to help kick off our first organized fundraiser."



You can donate money via Karen for Congress.com. She also has a Facebook page.

Her campaign address:

Karen Kwiatkowski for Congress
P.O. Box 156
Port Republic, VA 24471

California Radio Ad Hinders Petition Signature Gatherers

An ad is airing on talk radio stations here in Los Angeles.

A wife tells her hubby that she'd just signed a petition for a ballot proposition.

"Oh no!" the husband laments.

He explains to his wife that identity thieves will gather signatures to steal personal information -- address, phone, and people's hand-writing samples.

"That's it!" the wife resolves. "I'll never sign another petition again."

The ad suggests that signatures gatherers in California are especially likely to be identity thieves, because California doesn't regulate signature gatherers. Anyone -- even out-of-staters -- can collect signatures.

That's the gist of the ad -- but you can listen to it for yourself.

The ad is sponsored by something called Californians Against Identity Theft. Maybe they're for real -- or maybe they're a front for some other organization that wants to scare off people from signing petitions for ballot initiatives and third party/independent candidacies?

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UPDATE: On the afternoon of August 2, John Kobylt of the John and Ken Show (Ken's on vacation) reported that the government employee unions are the people behind Californians Against Identity Theft.

The unions are worried about some upcoming ballot propositions seeking signatures (notably a ballot measure to repeal the Amazon tax, and another ballot mesaure to prevent union members from being forced to pay union dues to fund political campaigns.

Futhermore, the radio ad LIES. The information requested by signature gatherers are already on the voter registration rolls, and are available to the public for the asking.