DOES ONE VOTE COUNT?

[Singleshotsam]

Yes and the younger voters need to know that this isn't T Ball, scores (votes) do count and are kept, and second place is where the looser is....

Ranch my friend, I feel sorry for the fact that you've been brainwashed into believing that the Republican offerings of a Diet Socialist Cola is still not socialism.  Granted they only have about 1/2 the socialism as BHO Cola, but it still has the same bitter taste.  These days your votes are tallyed like this.  You can choose to vote Socialist or Not Socialist.  That's it buddy.

As for the Ron Paul camp.  There not stupid...

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/did-you-read-about-the-sly-move-the-ron-paul-camp-pulled-last-night/
 

Texas Rep. Ron Paul addresses supporters following his third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses. (AP Photo) 
Texas Rep. Ron Paul finished third in Tuesday’s Iowa caucuses, but that might not be the end of the story for Paul and the Hawkeye State.
 
First, recall that the Iowa GOP caucuses are about more than picking a presidential candidate; that’s only one part of the process. They also help decide party platform issues and elect delegates to the Republican County Convention — the first step to running as a delegate for the Republican National Convention.
 
As Business Insider noted, Paul’s huge organizational effort focused not just on getting votes, but on making sure Paul supporters stayed afterward to get themselves elected county delegates — the first stage in fortifying a solid wall of support come national convention time in Tampa, Fla. in August.
 
Business Insider explained in an exclusive: [emphasis added]
 

That‘s because Iowa’s Republican caucuses are non-binding — they are

technically just a straw poll, so once selected, delegates are free to vote for whichever presidential candidate they choose.
“Part of what we’ve been training the Ron Paul people to do is not to leave after the vote,” Dan Godzich, a senior campaign adviser, told BI. “Stay and get elected to the conventions and get us those delegates.”

In the weeks leading up to the caucuses, Paul advisers pounded the state, making sure supporters knew what to do and organizing slates of delegates so that even if Paul lost the overall vote, he would still be well-placed in the delegate count.
Sources told Business Insider the Paul campaign is happy with the number of delegates it netted. While not providing specifics, the site reported a source said Paul “nailed down the delegates in all of Iowa’s smaller counties, and made a strong showing in several larger ones.”
 
Addressing supporters Tuesday night, Paul framed his campaign as a movement and vowed to keep its momentum rolling.
“We have tremendous opportunity to continue this momentum. It won’t be long that there’s going to be an election up in New Hampshire, and believe me, this momentum is going to continue and this movement is going to continue, and we are going to keep scoring, just as we have tonight,” he said.
 
Editor’s note: The headline of this article has been changed to reflect a more accurate characterization.

I think it's safe to say that those who support Dr. Paul realize the value of 1 vote.  And their votes are against Socialism FWIW.

[Ranch13]

Sam, onething for you to keep in mind. I got grandkids dang near your age. I've been a registered republican since I could register to vote. I've seen your boy Paul in action since way before you were born. The thing you have to ask yourself, is if he's so dang good, why hasn't he been able to get ANY  bills passed in your lifetime he has spent in the Congress. Do you suppose the only reason he gave up on running for President on the liberatarion ticket is so he could get more attention to hisself? I mean really if he had ideas that would work or a majority of people could catch on to, any one of the other times he ran for president as a liberatarion would of propelled him into the limelight, it didn't.
 And now one of the great claims to fame he might have is when he looses this time, the only person to have lost more presidential races will be Pat Paulson.
I'm still waiting to hear your explanation about why the only bill of the over 600 the man has introduced that ever made it to law, was the one giving control of a government building in Galveston to a local historical group.....
 MMMMboy that just smacks of leadership and the ability to get the job done don't it???
 

[mcwoodduck]

Sam, onething for you to keep in mind. I got grandkids dang near your age. I've been a registered republican since I could register to vote. I've seen your boy Paul in action since way before you were born. The thing you have to ask yourself, is if he's so dang good, why hasn't he been able to get ANY  bills passed in your lifetime he has spent in the Congress. Do you suppose the only reason he gave up on running for President on the liberatarion ticket is so he could get more attention to hisself? I mean really if he had ideas that would work or a majority of people could catch on to, any one of the other times he ran for president as a liberatarion would of propelled him into the limelight, it didn't.
 And now one of the great claims to fame he might have is when he looses this time, the only person to have lost more presidential races will be Pat Paulson.
I'm still waiting to hear your explanation about why the only bill of the over 600 the man has introduced that ever made it to law, was the one giving control of a government building in Galveston to a local historical group.....
 MMMMboy that just smacks of leadership and the ability to get the job done don't it? ??

We need ot remember the Ronald Reagan Golden Rule. 
While we can disagree on the platforms fo the republicans and we can have a civil debate on the merits of their ideas we do not attack the candidate personally.  His Ideas and his legislative record is what it is.  Dan Quayle only had one piece of legislation pass but it worked, it took funds out of the federal government hands for job retraining and put it in the hands of local people.  Dr. Pauls legislation localized
While I am not a Paul supporter, if he does win the nomination I will vote for him.  We do not need to beat up on our potential candidate and help the Democrats.  we need to learn one thing from them.  When BHO beat Hillary all the Hillary people voted for BHO.  We need all the Supporters of all the Republican candidates to back the winner.  Hold your nose if you have to.  I did in voting for McCain 4 years ago.  I wanted him to win and die so Palin could be president.  But I still voted for the Semi Commie bugger.

[Ranch13]

Wooduck. I'll just point out that clear back in my first post here, I stated that I had not made up my mind who to support, other than there's no way I'll support Paul. He is not a republican, never has been never will be , He's a liberatarion, that has figured out how to get to be the center of attention for a little while.He has nothing to show for the 20 someodd years of living off the taxpayers dime as a congressman from texas,other than he will be able to draw his congressional pension.
Now back to the original posters statement yes every vote counts despite what the knotheads that have always been around spouting other wise have to say.

[mcwoodduck]

Oh I agree, he scares me as a candidate.
But between him and BHO I pick Paul.
On the flip side of that coin the Paul supporters need to get behind the candidate if Paul is not it and not encourage him to run as an independant or not vote.  We all see what happend when Perrot had the same kind of support in his run up challanging Bush Sr. and the result was Clinton ellected with 40% and the conservitive and semi conservitive taking 58+ % of the vote.
Another term for BHO I think will end our Republic.

[Ranch13]

You hit the nail right on the head. Most of the Paul supporters you see typing on these forums flat out state they will not vote for anybody but Paul. So there you have it, if Paul doesn't get the nomination (which he won't) they will either stay home and not vote, or go vote for Obama, unless Paul runs on a third party, and then they'll be vote for Obama via their vote for Paul.

[mcwoodduck]

Someone needs to talk to Senator Paul and ask him to please send his followers out to vote, if he does not get the nomination of the party.

[Ranch13]

Or better yet, when he finally realizes he's not getting the nomination, he needs to tell his supporters right then and there to be sure and get out and vote for the republican nominee....

[Singleshotsam]

I'm sorry but if Paul doesn't win the GOP and doesn't run on a 3rd party ticket, then I'm just going to vote for Obama and get this show to socialism to its destination faster.  I'm so sick of you old timey republicans telling me how its done, when out of the last 30 years of politics NOTHING has changed. 
 
Somethings gotta give.  One way or another.  I'm vastly growing tired of all this.

[teamnelson]

Somethings gotta give.  One way or another.  I'm vastly growing tired of all this.

Amen.


One of the reasons Paul has had trouble getting legislation through Congress is because he's ALWAYS been at the conservative right, ALWAYS voted against ANYTHING that expanded government. His nickname, Dr. No, is very meaningful to me. I see many of the folks here continuously rail against their congresscritters in the 8 years I've been on GBO. So why on earth would I be disappointed that Paul was unable to get anything through with the congresscritter y'all bash on here year round? If you'll be honest with yourselves, the best ideas coming out of congress have been some sort of coopting of Paul's ideas put forward by someone else.


At some point folks will figure out that it doesn't matter if there's an (R) or a (D) behind the wheel, as long as they're a progressive, this ship is headed towards the iceberg at ramming speed. And the only candidate that will be allowed to the GOP will be a progressive. Yes, I consider it higher ground to cast a No vote against the status quo, even if that practically results in 4 more years of Obama. My beloved (R) has forgotten what they stand for, and they need to figure it out quick or fade into history.


I'm only younger than some, but I grew up a Goldwater, Reagan republican, active in the Young Repubs, and I've given most of my life, time with family and a good bit of my blood, to protecting this republic. I will not vote for anyone that will continue its destruction. As for Pauls foreign policy ... here's a heads up, we couldn't fight a two front war if we wanted to, and it doesn't matter if an (R) or a (D) was at the switch. The PEOPLE are so darn greedy, we simply cannot afford the means. We can choose a period of non-intervention, or be beaten back into isolation, and probably fail miserably defending guam and Hawaii ... that's the hard facts on the table. Our allies? You mean the Shia govt in Iraq? The fundamentalist Muslim govt in Afgh, Paki? Japan that wishes we were already gone? Europe, who only wants us around to hang onto while they circle the drain? NATO is functionally effete. No, we can either control our own withdrawal as the global police, or lose lots of American lives and treasure fighting it, but its going to happen.

[Doublebass73]

The Laughtenburg act, which took firearms away from wife beaters and child abusers doesn't bother me in the least little bit.
 The rest of your enterpetation of Newts gun record is a bit skewed.
 Did you listen to his speech at the NRA convention this year?
Like I said most of the things that Ron Paul says he would do would melt this country down so fast.
 I also firmly believe that if Paul takes off on the third party tangent , the stuff that Obama gets away with in his second term will make his first one look like he didn't even show up for work the first 4 years.

Newt can say whatever he wants at the NRA convention, it doesn't erase his voting record. It's not my interpretation of Newt's voting record that's skewed, it's simply Newt's own voting record. He voted yes on the gun free school zones act, a clear violation of the 2nd Amendment. He voted in lock step with the Democrats. You obviously don't seem to care about that. The fact that you agree with the Lautenberg Act shows that you probably don't care much about the 2nd Amendment if you agree with a gun control act written by a Democrat, supported by Democrats and supported by liberal Republicans like Newt and Rick Santorum.

How does it feel to be on the same side as Democrats when it comes to gun control?

Feels alot better than it must feel to think some jerk that gets his jolly's out of beatin women and kids is someone that still has the right to possess a firearm.
 How's it feel to be on the side of a wife beater?

Oh, so what you're trying to say then is that the 2nd Amendment doesn't mean what it says.

Maybe you can show me the text in the 2nd Amendment that states the right of the people (except wife beaters) to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed?

You're in good company with Nancy Pelosi.

[Ranch13]

  Wooduck you see what I was talking about the Paulistinians now? They've done alienated themselves, nobody can do it for them.

[Doublebass73]

He has nothing to show for the 20 someodd years of living off the taxpayers dime as a congressman from texas,other than he will be able to draw his congressional pension.

You might want to do a little research before you bad mouth somebody. Dr. Paul voluntarily does NOT participate in the congressional pension program.

[Ranch13]

 

[Singleshotsam]

Ranch what strikes me is that you say that you have grandchildren my age.  Has it not crossed your mind what kind of country your generation has left us?  Were in a discussion that asks the question, Does one vote count?  I'm reading you say that if Paul supporters don't line up behind the elected GOP Candidate then they should just not vote. 

It's sad to realize how far gone some of our Elders are.  They're so ready to vote for any Republican candidate, regardless of the fact that they are easily as liberal as our current leader.  And you wonder why so many people under the age of 30 voted for BHO.

[powderman]

It's sad to realize how far gone some of our Elders are.

 
 
sss. A lot  of your ELDERS have put their lives on the line, been wounded, even died  to give you the right to gripe. POWDERMAN. 

[Ranch13]

Sam yes the democrats that have controlled both houses of the legislative branch for largest portion of the last 80 years, have made a mess.We have left you nothing. We are still here working to get things under control. Silliness that comes from those not able to see that every vote does count, and those votes have consequences , such as what we saw when Obama made all the false promises, is what has this country in a tail spin.
 Tell  you what is sad is to see the younger generation that doesn't want to get off their dead butt and earn what they have. Just want everything handed to them and don't want to invest any sweat. How much federal debt did the government have to borrow, so that young people who didn't want to have to put up down payment money for a house, then walked away from those mortgages because they bought way out of their pay scale and then decided it was to much trouble to make the payments? How much money did the government have to borrow to cover young peoples credit card debt, because they knew not how to balance a checkbook and live within their means? How much money is the government having to borrow from the Chinese to pay for a subsidized student loan so some little snot can go to college and not have to work for it? How much of the tax money that the older generation paid in did they spend to send highschool basketball and football teams all over the state to play a game?
 No son we left you not one damn thing we're still here working paying our taxes and getting blamed because the "younger" generation is a bunch of whiners.
We're still here trying to get the politicians straightened out, but it's a hard thing to do when you have to deal with youngsters that don't have a clue yet what side of the bread really gets buttered, because they haven't had to buy the bread nor the butter.
 
 

[powderman]

RANCH. Good post Sir. POWDERMAN. 

[Ranch13]

Thanks.

[teamnelson]

Gentlemen, its sad to see this turn to age-ism.


The fact of the matter is, there are many in the younger generation I meet every day who do get it, are motivated, are working ... and of their entire generation, only they will be the ones paying off our Social Security debt, Medicare/Medicaid bills, making sure there's money in the Pension funds, etc. They will not be able to send their own kids to college because they will be taxed so heavily to pay for us. They will be the ones to fight off China, and our creditors when they come to collect. The bills go both ways, and honest men should admit that up front. Don't split conservatism into young and old, there's just progressive and conservative. And all of us on the conservative side already have our sleeves rolled up and are working.


The debate isn't about age, its about voting and if it counts. That's a rally point, let's stick to it.

[mcwoodduck]

I'm sorry but if Paul doesn't win the GOP and doesn't run on a 3rd party ticket, then I'm just going to vote for Obama and get this show to socialism to its destination faster.  I'm so sick of you old timey republicans telling me how its done, when out of the last 30 years of politics NOTHING has changed. 
 
Somethings gotta give.  One way or another.  I'm vastly growing tired of all this.

OK let me see if I get this right,
You want Paul because you want smaller government, you want accountability, and you want less government controls on your day to day life.
You are saying that if you can not vote for him as president you are going to vote for the man that stands in a polar opposite to what you want Paul for.  Obama is all about daily control of your life, fewer freedoms and a demand society.  That makes no sense!
No as to your articulation of me as a Republican.   I am registered as one.  I am a CONSERVATIVE! 
I believe in limited government,
 I beleive in the constitution as the suprime law of the land,
I believe in a strong defence and being able to project that defence to forgien shores if needed to protect us and our allies.
 I believe in a free market, 
I believe in using our natural resources.
I believe we may have climate change but it is NOT man made.
I believe that there is nothing that the US can not do.  I believe that we can make better products, cleaner and cheaper  if the Illegal EPA would get out of the way.
I do not believe we should legalize drugs. 
I believe we should secure our boarders. 
I think the laws of the land are the laws of the land and rogue  states and cities that do not like some laws need ot be reighned in and those Governers and Mayers need to be Jailed for contempt of congress.

[Singleshotsam]

Ok, When did I say that I wasn't grateful to those who have fought and died for this country?  When do you realize that it's the young men of this country that are fighting and dieing every day to protect YOUR right to free speech?
 
But going back on topic as to if one vote counts or not.  My post about voting for Obama was more of a satire style post to give an example of just how many young people will change their vote just because they are sick of the republican establishment and having "old school"  republicans shove their views down their throats. 

Sadly in the last election, the Republican Party had more to do with BHO getting elected than anything else.

But I'll also make a deal with you guys.  If Paul doesn't win the GOP, I'll agree not to cast my vote for president. 
 
I think maybe it's time that I start worrying less about elections and politics and more about investing more of my time and money where it counts.  In guns, ammo, and food to protect my family against the impending collapse of our country.

[teamnelson]

In guns, ammo, and food to protect my family against the impending collapse of our country.

That my friend is truly a better use of all our time ... the people will not win this next election, regardless of an (R) or a (D) victory.


I like Paul, but he can't solve $15.2 trillion in 8 years, never mind 50, unless he had a Congress full of clones, and a nation that was willing to do what needs doing. And the chances of that happening are so close to improbable as to be functionally impossible.


But please vote all the same, that's your responsibility as a free citizen, per your own counsel and let other folks do the same.

[powderman]

But I'll also make a deal with you guys.  If Paul doesn't win the GOP, I'll agree not to cast my vote for president. 

 
That is the same as voting for another 4 yrs of the obamination. I will vote againnst obummer by voting for the rep nominee. That is the only way to beat him. POWDERMAN. 

[Doublebass73]

Quite an eloquent answer there Mr. 2nd Amendment.

[mcwoodduck]

In guns, ammo, and food to protect my family against the impending collapse of our country.

That my friend is truly a better use of all our time ... the people will not win this next election, regardless of an (R) or a (D) victory.


I like Paul, but he can't solve $15.2 trillion in 8 years, never mind 50, unless he had a Congress full of clones, and a nation that was willing to do what needs doing. And the chances of that happening are so close to improbable as to be functionally impossible.


But please vote all the same, that's your responsibility as a free citizen, per your own counsel and let other folks do the same.

50 trillion in 8 years is possible.
I think we can do it based on simple things.
Cut government. 
Lower taxes.
Ignore the enviromental whack jobs that want to emulate Pol Pot and make us all ride bikes and farm organic rice.
and redirect useless programs to rebuilding infrastructure.

[Singleshotsam]

But I'll also make a deal with you guys.  If Paul doesn't win the GOP, I'll agree not to cast my vote for president. 

 
That is the same as voting for another 4 yrs of the obamination. I will vote againnst obummer by voting for the rep nominee. That is the only way to beat him. POWDERMAN. 

Ok so that goes completely against what other people are saying in this thread.  What's it matter if Obama gets re-elected?  It all ends in socialism one way or another.  Wheter it's one vote cast for D or one vote cast for R. 
 
I'll do my part in voting on a local level, but as I said before, if Paul loses the GOP nomination, I'm declining to vote for president.  So I guess my one vote on a local issue matters but I really don't think from reading some peoples post on this thread that my one vote will matter on a Presidential scale.
 
 

[powderman]

50 trillion in 8 years is possible.
I think we can do it based on simple things.
Cut government. 
Lower taxes.
Ignore the enviromental whack jobs that want to emulate Pol Pot and make us all ride bikes and farm organic rice.
and redirect useless programs to rebuilding infrastructure.       
 
 
 
 BINGO. POWDERMAN. 

[Ranch13]

Powderman, you're right. They can cut 50 billion or more. There's a number of bills that have come out of the conress and are lanquishing in the Senate. Those of you that live in states with Democrat senators that are up for reelection this year need to do double duty to get those Dems voted out of office.
 If the dems can loose control of the senate, the repuplicans hold control of both houses, with the number of "teaparty" folks in there, things should happen to the good even if Obama gets reelected.
 If with control of both houses the republicans don't get the necessary things done to get this country back on its feet , by 2014, I believe there will be a third party revolution that will replace both parties, and rightfully so.

[nw_hunter]

50 trillion in 8 years is possible.
I think we can do it based on simple things.
Cut government. 
Lower taxes.
Ignore the enviromental whack jobs that want to emulate Pol Pot and make us all ride bikes and farm organic rice.
and redirect useless programs to rebuilding infrastructure.       
 
 
 
 BINGO. POWDERMAN. 

I'm with PM.............We start a nation wide bingo game with all proceeds going toward paying off the National Debt, and getting this country back on it's feet!

BINGO! Why in the heck didn't I think of that

Don't think I'm pickin on you PM......Just wanted to try and bring a little humor to this gloom and doom, and your Bingo opened the door.