Paul faithful flock to Spartanburg appearance (sixteen standing ovations!)

GoUpstate.com ^ | 7/21/07 | Jason Spencer

[George W. Bush]

Paul faithful flock to Spartanburg appearance

A little-known Texas congressman seeking the Republican nomination for president visited Spartanburg on Saturday and seemed to arrive with all the makings of rock-star candidate for his party — despite polling low, little name recognition and a relatively small campaign staff.

Supporters call it the “Ron Paul Revolution.” You might’ve seen it on signs or T-shirts. Or MySpace.

Paul received no less than 16 standing ovations during his hour-plus speech and question-and-answer session at the Summit Pointe Event Center — first, when he entered the room, a second one when a re-entered after doing a quick television interview and a third when he was formally introduced.

Thunderous applause also followed when he decried the Patriot Act (ovation No. 4), when he said America should never go to war without a declaration from Congress or because of a United Nations resolution (ovation Nos. 8 and 9), and when he attacked President Bush’s foreign policy and handling of the war in Iraq (ovation Nos. 11, 12 and 13).

“No nation building. No policing of the world. Peace is popular,” Paul said. “The sooner we get out of Iraq, the fewer Americans will die. And I say, it’s time to come home.”

About 400 people — half from out of state — were shoehorned into Summit Pointe for a barbecue luncheon that doubled as a fundraiser for the Spartanburg County Republican Party. The local GOP, after expenses, made an estimated $5,000 on the event.

Paul was invited to speak to the local party faithful (they numbered about 80 in the crowd) after county chairman Rick Beltram took offense at Paul’s explanation of the 9/11 attacks as “blowback” from America’s past intervention in the affairs of other countries during a GOP debate. That led to a widely distributed online tit-for-tat between Beltram and Paul supporters, and Beltram eventually invited Paul here to explain himself.

Blowback, in and of itself, was not mentioned Saturday, though Paul often alluded to it, going as far back as World War I, “which (President) Woodrow Wilson got us into unnecessarily, and drew the lines in the Middle East that we’re suffering for today.”

Beltram said he agreed with Paul on most issues except foreign policy, and that he believes the Texan converted some Upstaters to his revolution with Saturday’s speech.

“I left feeling like a hero,” Beltram said. “I got more positive comments after that event than all the other presidential events combined.”

[fieldmarshaldj]

"And if we don't do it that way, we just as well try Ron Paul's way."

That would be like going to a gunfight and handing your opponent the gun with a full chamber of bullets.

[ejonesie22]

Thank you, in a very brief post have proven why this 20th Century thought that Paul promotes can not be trusted.

Those “cave dwellers” have hit us, in this country, not over there, more than once, and each time it is more daring and deadly.

Comparing the cold war to life with 21st Century terrorism is apples and oranges for one main reason, the one factor that completely changes the dynamic. The Russian/Soviet government and its people wanted to survive. That’s important to understand, it was the basis of Mutually Assured Destruction, the deterrence that for over 50 years kept things in check. Great expense and effort was made for communication and control on both sides to prevent a nuclear war. Despite the hardware and grandiose plans, neither side truly considered these weapons as anything but defensive.

Our enemy now has no such inhibitions.

One last thing. I have mention 19th and 20th Century thought, and you display it very well. It’s not the Muslims storming beaches with scimitars that worries me for you are right, they currently do not have the means. It’s that radical looking for allah’s virgins with that suitcase nuke outside Richmond, DC or your home town that changes my attitude. They don't need a navy or air force when American Airlines will do.

[George W. Bush]

(I would vote for him in the Ames Straw Poll, but my wife is making me go to a wedding! Grrr. But I digress)

Aw, skip the wedding. Chances are over 50% it won't last anyway. But you may not get many chances to vote for Dr. No!

How about if I offer to sponsor you via our Adopt-An-Iowan program?

Say, have you gotten any calls from our Call Iowa volunteer phone bank? Looks like we're still expecting to call every Iowan at least once by August 11.

[Pappy Smear]

I still consider myself an uncommitted voter. And not trying to be argumentive, if you can help me out with a better candidate, please put him or her forth...My big 3--someone who will prosecute the war in a kick butt manner, someone who will help defend America by doing actual protection of our southern border, and cutting the size of government.

I would love to find somebody to hit my trifecta.

[ejonesie22]

You guys need to make up you mind!

You like Paul because he has come to the conclusion that since we have not played fair with the Arabs they hate us.

Now you are upset because we are trying to “work things out” with NK.

Call the damn ball!

[George W. Bush]

We don't need to rape your women, they will come to us willingly, because they would love to have the children of supermen. So there. And if you don't like it, we'll kick your rear until you do like it, or until you like watching real football, eating bacon cheeseburgers, and gaping at sitcoms like most Americans.

That's pretty funny stuff. You ought to call in to Mark Levin's show sometime. He'd love it.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Fact is, they’re ALL threats. Some are easier to deal with than others. The CIA could dispatch Chavez tomorrow if they had the courage and strength to do it. You don’t need a massive armed invasion there. We should’ve made an example to the Mohammadan world by turning Mecca into a sheet of glass on September 12th, 2001. Adios and Allah Akbar.

As for a tarnished reputation, it’s that same business-as-usual UN-appeasing leftist filth (both domestic and abroad) that is the epicenter of the badmouthing, and nobody else. Sorry to rock their boat, but that ain’t Bush’s fault (his guilt, to them, at least, is having won 2 Presidential elections). He’s only just begun to sweep up the trash, and you see the unbridled hate he gets for it. Nope, they only like us when we have sexual predators and incompetent anti-Semitic abominations in the White House (for those DU twits who don’t understand English, that’s Clintoon and Carter). Yup, we elect Hillary and she goes and atones for the sin of Bush, gives Chavez a big hug and kiss, and to the filth, all will be right with the world. You can just smell the sulphur, can’t ya ?

[fieldmarshaldj]

Closest at this point would be Fred Thompson. Can I vouch for him 100% ? Nope. Any of us that are stupid enough to vouch for ANY politician 100% should have their head examined. The difference with him is that he is the only candidate in the race who has been drafted to run. That always puts the person in a much higher category of integrity and trustworthiness on the political scale.

Hey, it’d be nice to resurrect Douglas MacArthur, but we gotta take what we got. ;-)

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

Yes, You are wrong. Who are you going to blame WHEN there is another attack?

Know something you'd like to share with the rest of us?

So who is going to attack us?

• The Iranian military is a joke.
• The Iraqi military worse (at the moment)
• The Taliban military is essentially gun-for-hire-Opium farmers.
• Al Quida (The bin Laudin creation, not the ones in Iraq who have appropriated that name) hiding in caves in Wurzistan.
• Col. Gaddaffi is tamed and normalising relations with the US (his plan all along, but that's a subject for another thread).
• The hezzies in Lebanon are getting their @$$e$ kicked by the Lebanese army.
• The Syrians would survive 24 hrs against an American offensive...23 hours for us to stop laughing, and one hour to take care of business.
• The North Koreans can't even get their missiles to get off the ground dependably, or get their nukes to work (if it even was a nuke).
• Supposed 'suitcase nukes' from the old Soviet Union are so old that they probably won't cause a nuclear chain reaction (we face the same problem with our older nukes)...ironically, congress refuses to vote funds the Bush administration asked for to refurbish those old nukes...
• The Iranian nuke is by some estimates 10 years away, and if it was immanent, the Israelis would have put an end to it, much the same as they did in Iraq in 1981.
• Threats coming across the border would be nullified if the Bush Administration woud simply enforce existing law, and i hope nobody here would disagree with Ron Paul on that issue.
• Anything else that comes after us in this nation faces an existence that would be exciting, painful and brief.

Now if you want to discuss the Chinese or resurgent Russian threat, that is an entirely different matter, but set this nonsense about an islamic bomb aside. If you want to discuss a real terrorist threat, PM me. i will not discuss it publicly.

You have a better chance of dying in an automobile accident than from an islamic terrorist attack.

[BlackElk]

Many of the 400 were there for the same sort of reason that drew carnival patrons to pay to see the bearded lady or the three-headed dog. In the old days, there was Ripley's Believe It or Not.

Nowadays we have paleoPaulie. Hurry, hurry, hurry, step right up and for one thin dime, one tenth of a dollar you can witness a genyouwine (phonetic) antiwar antiAmerican moonbat posing as a GOP Congresscritter AND, if you can believe it, a presidential candidate! He walks, he talks, he craaaaawwwwwls on his belly like a reptile and not without reason and I don't mean the magazine.

[BlackElk]

Many of the 400 were there for the same sort of reason that drew carnival patrons to pay to see the bearded lady or the three-headed dog. In the old days, there was Ripley's Believe It or Not.

Nowadays we have paleoPaulie. Hurry, hurry, hurry, step right up and for one thin dime, one tenth of a dollar you can witness a genyouwine (phonetic) antiwar antiAmerican moonbat posing as a GOP Congresscritter AND, if you can believe it, a presidential candidate! He walks, he talks, he craaaaawwwwwls on his belly like a reptile and not without reason and I don't mean the magazine.

[BlackElk]

Although I have been Republican since I was 17 or so, I come from a family of Reagan Democrats, some even union leaders, and I believe they all vote Repubican now. Trust me the bloodshed I advocate would thrill them and bind them closer to the GOP. They aren't effete polo players or windtunnel Muffie and Skipper down at the yacht basin or Junior Leaguers.

Again, no paleopacifist has any business whatsoever posing as a spokesman for what Reagan or Reaganism means.

Action counts and demands are just another description of paleos popping off posing as though they were men. Poison gas down the mouth of each and every cave and tunnel and insolent throat in Weirdislamostan. Remove corpses. Flay ObL and preserve his pelt under glass in the cabinet room.

Do you agree with the paleopipsqueak that the way to deal with medieval fundamentalism is to kiss their Islamofascist backsides and beg them (pretty please with sugar on it) to TRADE!!!! with us so that PEACE!!!! and PROFITS (oooops, I meant prophets) can prevail.

[BlackElk]

So long as cowardly pipsqueaks like paleoPaulie, Weepy Walter Jones, Upchuck Hagel are kept far from decision making authority, we have nothing allegedly Republican to be concerned about. We still have to defeat the Demonrats but, with an actual GOP candidate that's no big deal.

A too quick look at your post would wrongly suggest that you are supporting a man instead of a trade-obsessed neo-Neville Chamberlain mouse.

If long-knifed Muslims stormed the beaches at Malibu, it would probably be a social improvement over Muffy and Skipper. They should avoid inland California and "redstate" America where the guns are.

I cannot imagine how slaughtering America's islamofascist enemies amounts to fearing them. Another paleodelusion no doubt. I also cannot imagine how the paleowhatevers think that their candidate paleoPaulie and so many of their paleoselves assuming the Monica position toward the islamofascisti is somehow useful compared to slaughtering the SOBs where they live in major clusters in the Middle East rather than in my backyard or yours. Preventive attacks make more sense than mere retaliation after the fact. Regrettably we let Muhammed El Kaboomski strike the WTC and Pentagon first. We ought not make that mistake again.

[BlackElk]

One nuclear boomer and its missiles will suffice to incinerate enough of red china to deter attacks on Taiwan so long as we refrain from putting some spineless antiwar antiAmerican twit like paleoPaulie in charge. Taiwan need not lose sleep. No one will actually remember Sodamn bin Paulie by that time.

Most other nations and their citizens are cordially invited to perform anatomically impossible acts upon themselves. Who gives a d___ what they think?

We won't likely get the chance to perform a nuclearweaponsectomy on Iran because Israel will beat us to it although I hope we help.

[BlackElk]

Oh woofie, there you go again!

[BlackElk]

Among our very best allies are the Germans and the Japanese. Maybe that will answer your question. Bombing, then subjugation THEN trade, if necessary.

[BlackElk]

Sometimes the paleodeviants are soooooo far out that mere words just fail me! :)

[BlackElk]

Peace, love and dope, man but it is only a holocaust when WE are attacked not when we retaliate.

If Paulie lacks the spine to do what is necessary, he needs to leave public life.

Why do you suppose that we have so many nuclear missile subs? As souvenirs????? To anger paleocheapskates???? To use as necessary???? I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest: to use as necessary.

[SwordofTruth]

"Yeah, that explains why Ron's poll numbers are so low in every poll. :::rolls eyes:::"

If Paul wins the Republican nomination would you support him?

[SwordofTruth]

"Sometimes the paleodeviants are soooooo far out that mere words just fail me! :)

So I take it that you wouldn't support Paul even if he won the Republican nomination, correct?