You Say You Want Revolution?

By Denise
And we have one thousand strong right in Minneapolis, Minn. at the Target Center today.

Texas' Rep. Ron Paul's Rally for the Republic got off to a late, but enthusiastic start with emcee Tucker Carlson welcoming the raucous crowd. Carlson, senior campaign correspondent with MSNBC, told Political Machine shortly before taking the stage that while he can't endorse a candidate, he loves Dr. Paul's message and holds Libertarian values close to his heart after growing up in a Libertarian home.

The Invocation was given by Minnesota Congressional candidate Barb Davis White who rallied the assembled with her promise to "take back the 5th district from liberalism, fascism and socialism" and "send the Fairness Doctrine back to the pits of hell where it was born".


"I am a Constitutionalist" and "I am Ron Paul" where themes that warmed this very dedicated group as well as references to abolishing the North American Union, the NAFTA Super Highway and getting out of the United Nations.


Speaking to the Nevada delegation's Jennifer Terhune opened my eyes up to the resentment that exists among the Paulites feel toward the main party over in St. Paul at the Xcel Center. This is truly a shadow convention. The Nevada Republican delegation abruptly gaveled to a close back on April 26th after balloting showed Paul supporters winning at least half of the initial contests for delegate slots to the national convention. Eventually the RNC award Paul supporters 4 slots. Here at the Paul party, the entire delegation is represented.C-SPAN 2 is covering the entire event live. Additional speakers throughout the program will include Grover Norquist, Constitutional lawyer Bruce Fein, former MN Governor Jesse Ventura and Ron Paul himself.

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By Mark
Walking into the Target Center in Minneapolis for the Rep. Ron Paul's Liberty Campaign counter-convention one could not help but notice immediately the empty seats. The event's organizers had put the word out that the arena was sold out. But it appeared to be half empty. That didn't lessen the attendees' enthusiasm for Ron Paul, however, or for fringe causes that he advocates. Within minutes of crossing the threshold of the arena, several "Investigate 9/11" t-shirts could be spotted, along with others advocating a return to the gold standard of money and the abolition of the Federal Reserve Bank.

This was a day for disaffected Paul supporters to get out their frustrations over the relatively poor showing of their candidate in the Republican Party presidential primary. They applauded a range of speakers, from the head of Americans for Tax Reform, Grover Norquist, to John McManus, the president of the John Birch Society. The messages coming out of the Liberty Campaign event were mixed. Norquist spoke of the need to reduce taxes and cut federal spending to promote economic growth, and the Democratic Party's aversion to both. His speech would have been welcome at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul unlike Rockwell's. Rockwell spoke of the death of conservatism as a political movement, and the need to drive Republicans out of power until they realize the error of their ways.

Support could be found among the attendees for both major party presidential candidates. Rick Michael, of Virginia, said that he was at the rally to lend support to Ron Paul's ideal of limited government. "One mistake a lot of the country is making right now is that they are turning to the federal government as the solution solutions to every problem," he said. He cited education, and health care as examples of issues that the federal government has mismanaged. Mr. Michael said that he is voting for John McCain in November, coming around to him as a result of his selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Kim Woolhouse, an alternate delegate to the RNC from Washington state, said that she was not politically active until she heard about Ron Paul. Civil liberties were her issue of most concern. "I' just worried about personal liberty," she said. "We're losing more and more of our freedoms with the PATRIOT Act and [the Department of] Homeland Security." Ms. Woolhouse said that she wasn't sure who she would vote for in the fall. She said that she could not see herself voting for Obama, but could not commit to McCain despite being a Republican delegate.

A Kentucky attendee, who declined to give his name, said that he was at the event because his wife had introduced him to Ron Paul's ideas. He said that foreign policy was his primary concern and that he was supporting Barack Obama for that reason. He said that he believed that the United States should not have a military presence in any foreign countries, and believed that Sen. Obama would make that happen. "Obama is just mincing his words," he said, referring to Sen. Obama's call for leaving some U.S. troops in the region. "He's just saying that to get elected." Asked if that perceived disingenuousness in any way influenced his opinion of Sen. Obama, the attendee said simply, "No."

It seems clear from the smaller than expected crowd, the disjointed messages, and the delegates' support for both presidential candidates, that Rep. Paul's Liberty Campaign convention is not as much about building a movement as it is about giving a forum to disaffected and disgruntled voters. Not finding an outlet in the two major parties for their political persuasion, they have placed all their faith in Paul, who is more than happy to get the attention, and the donations.

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Mark Impomeni, a Republican, and Denise Williams, a Democrat, are on the ground in St, Paul to bring you their dueling political perspectives throughout the Republican National Convention. Check back to follow their feature, "Floor Fight."