Oklahoma could be Minnesota

Richard Engle discusses how the party is including (rather, excluding) the Ron Paul Republicans who have come to the GOP in droves this past year in his editorial, Defining Oklahoma’s Conservatism, in the Tulsa Beacon April 24.

Similar to Minnesota, the Oklahoma GOP has Neocons, Values Conservatives and the "new" Liberty Republicans, the latter being quite similar to the Values Conservatives.

What Engle misses is that the Liberty Republicans have been here all along, just as they apparently have been in OK, as he points out that some prominent Republicans have been drawn and quartered for appearing to be too sympathetic to the Ron Paul Republicans.

We also have a situation in Minnesota where the party is forcing regular old grassroots Republicans, the Values Conservatives mostly, to choose. Many who hadn't been Paul supporters are finding themselves very uncomfortable with the heavy-handed tactics by the party by which they are ordered to enthusiastically support McCain, with whom they find little agreement, and to vote for a precise slate of candidates for national delegate. They're questioning why the head of the MN GOP is using such vitriol against these enthusiastic new recruits as well as the Ron Paul Republicans who have put years of work into the party.

In the words of Richard Engle, "[T]hey are being accused of dividing the party? What they are doing is building the party."

My, what a small tent!

Isn't this kind of Nicole Russell -- whoever she is, ostensibly speaking for the entire GOP National Convention -- to say:

"This is hardly worth posting . . ." in her post titled Ron Paul Wants Talk Time. "Ron Paul's Minnesota-based campaign folks think it's a "tactical" victory that will get Paul speaking time at the convention."

She concluded,

While Paul and his campaign's fighting spirit is to be admired, it's time to know when it's quittin' time. He has hardly any delegates, especially when compared to the other nominees.

Maybe next time!

Gee, I guess Ron Paul supporters have only been imagining that the GOP is trying to kick them out. This ain't my party no more, is it?

Goldwater and Reagan, RIP.

T'was the Day before Super Tuesday . . .

What a crowd at Northrup Auditorium! (I got to speak to them before Dr Paul did that night.)