Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Feels like King George III sticking it to the colonists

From an email exchange with a friend:

K:
Right now, I'm not sure who to support and haven't had much time to figure it out. I feel like our current Congress is the culmination of a failure of our basically 2-party system. In a country that's supposed to be a representative republic, we have a bunch of career politicians and bureaucrats representing themselves while screwing the people. I'm not happy with either party since there's not much of a distinguishable difference between them at the moment. Its like déjà vu back to 1775 with King George III and Parliament sticking it to the Colonists! They just keep passing laws and levying new taxes to curtail our freedoms. And I'm not all that happy with the Executive Branch either.


Me:
Did you happen to notice who won the GA-10 special election to replace Charlie Norwood a couple weeks ago? A doctor named Paul Broun, who came from WAY behind to beat out the well-funded establishment frontrunner candidate Jim Whitehead. Broun's platform offered four basic rules: 1) is it constitutional? 2) is it moral? 3) can we afford it? 4) (I forgot the fourth one). He pledged to carry a pocket constitution with him at all times to refer to in any legislative matter. He ran as a constitutionalist republican, had a fraction of the budget as Whitehead, and WON.

That victory was the first crack in the coming earthquake that's going to shake the foundation out from under the Washington elite and replace it with fresh blood under the leadership of this century's Thomas Jefferson. That would be Ron Paul, "the champion of the Constitution."

When you get a chance, google "ron paul revolution".

Big Bush Donors shifting to Dem frontrunners


It's no wonder the liberal blogosphere has such disdain for Hillary as the media-appointed Democratic frontrunner. She's a neocon trying to pass herself off as progressive (something I figured out a long time ago). For more proof of that, look at which candidates the big Bush donors are throwing their money behind. It would appear Obama and Edwards are nearly as corruptible as their queen.

The bold new claims from these Bush donors that the GOP has lost its way is one of the most perversely sickening aspects of this thoroughly corrupted political process.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Most diverse Ron Paul group ever

The South's gonna do it again! Yes it is.

This Atlanta, Ga Ron Paul group just totally rocks! Check it out.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

GOP Candidates' YouTube Stats - 07/15/07

Little late posting this update, but the data used was collected on July 15 and I just now got around to putting it all together. Initial observations are that the growth for some of the second tier candidates seems to be dipping a little (see growth charts here). Paul's on a rocket to the stars and Romney is the only other candidate with any hope of coming to within half of Paul's YouTube success. And the media says McCain is all but over, but according to this data, his YouTube supporters have not yet abandoned him.

The Charts
First, the cumulative views (inspired by TechPresident's Youtube charts) and other cumulatives for the frontrunner candidates.





Now for the averages sans outliers to reflect true user loyalty to each candidate (an explanation on the outlier data and why they're removed can be found here).






Here are the growth graphs showing actual growth in various user activities for each candidate since May 22. All candidates have been now been added to these growth charts.
Channel ViewsCumulative RatingsCumulative Comments
Cumulative ViewsSubscribersRatings Averages
Comments AveragesViews Averages

As usual, Paul's numbers are blowing the curve. If you want me to remove Paul's data to look at the actual growth of the other candidates, let me know in the comments.

Previous entries:
July 1, 2007: GOP Candidates YouTube Stats - 07/01/07
June 21, 2007: GOP Candidates YouTube Stats - 06/21/07
June 11, 2007: GOP Candidate YouTube Stats - 06/11/07
June 2, 2007: GOP Candidate YouTube Stats, Charts (Followup)
May 22, 2007: About those Youtube Stats...

Friday, July 06, 2007

Debunking the "Ron Paul can't win" Myths

-Updated July 6, 2007-

It's become a standard component of all discussion surrounding Ron Paul's presidential candidacy: "..but he won't win the nomination." Stop saying it, because it's not true. I'll tell you why, without even mentioning his unshakable voluminous internet support mob (well, except to say his avid supporters have completely taken over Digg and Youtube, and he consistently wins every online poll that's offered - see how this internet support translates to actual feet on the ground here).

First off, how much does the media establishment really control the message? Let's look at a little recent electoral history: at this point in 1975, Jimmy Carter was at 1% in the national polls and went on to win the Presidency. In 1980, amidst a crowded field of GOP contenders, Ronald Reagan was flat out told he couldn't win, but he did. In mid-1987, Dukakis was at 1% in the polls and went on to win the Democratic nomination. In 1991, Clinton was at 2% in the polls and went on to become President.

How will it happen for Ron Paul?
Two years ago, Republicans made up 50% of the electorate. Indisputably, Bush's bungling of the war has shrunk that number down to 30%. Did that 20% just vanish, was it absorbed into the Democratic party, or did they drop off the radar as disenchanted conservatives because there was no one in leadership representing their views?

Who are these people that make up the missing 20%? From my own observations, about half of them are what is known as paleo-conservatives, small-government traditionalists who opposed the war from the start, but opposed Democrats even more, whose votes in 2004 were primarily anti-Kerry votes. Another quarter of them are Christian conservatives who've painfully recognized the liberal nature of this administration's policies and failures of its execution of the war in Iraq, the Birchers and Buchananists. Some of them are the free-trade libertarian-minded conservatives who've grown tired of government interference in matters of the economy. A small handful of them are anti-immigration conservatives seething from Bush and the GOP leaders' refusal to protect the borders. All of these groups are primed to embrace Ron Paul's message with enthusiasm, and together they comprise a full 20% of the electorate.

The Voting Electorate
Roughly 35% of the electorate self-identify as Democrats, and a dwindling 30% call themselves Republicans (see chart below). Media polling organizations often limit themselves to voters in these two groups, leaving out the voices of the 35% who claim neither party as their own.

Using the latest polling data, Giuliani has the support of 18% of self-identified Republicans, or about 5.4% of the overall electorate. McCain has 14% support from Republicans, or 4.2% of the electorate. Further, a full 30% of republicans (and 30% of democrats) are undecided, expressing great dissatisfaction with the media-anointed frontrunners. That figure alone equals a whopping 18% of the electorate (9% Republicans, 9% Democrats).

Now let's take that 20% of the electorate that is comprised of traditional conservatives who've abandoned the GOP since 2004 for various reasons. Combine that with the 9% of undecideds from the republican base and what you have is vast potential - 29% of the electorate - for Ron Paul. This gap between the dwindling base and mass of conservatives as a whole poses insurmountable odds to the likes of Giuliani's puny 5.4% or McCain's 4.2%, provided Paul's message is able to penetrate the media din of celebrity frontrunners.

In addition to this obvious GOP chasm (which is intensifying steadily over current immigration issues), we have another layer of influence to consider in how the country will vote. With nearly 3/4 of the country now opposed to the war in Iraq, and only one candidate offering to end it conclusively and expeditiously, odds overwhelmingly favor that very candidate. And there are lots more anti-war conservatives than the media give you privy to.

Remember, Paul consistently ranks very high in conservative credentials as determined by major conservative organizations and pundits alike. Early on, conservative support for Paul was vocalized, while some of these conservatives have already formally endorsed Paul for the GOP nomination.

Disenchanted Liberals
Coming straight out of left field, a third level of opportunity emerges from liberals writhing in their perceived betrayal of the newly elected Democratic majorities. Recent actions by the Democratic congress concerning war and trade issues have party activists livid, as a cursory scan of the liberal blogs will reveal. An undercurrent of Paul's common sense policy proposals already flows through these environs, and can easily separate the more frustrated liberals from the party, motivating them to vote for Paul in the primaries. The reasons are varied in their explanations, but more and more liberals are mentioning Paul in a surprisingly favorable light. Here's one liberal who believes that a Paul nomination will greatly improve the quality of discourse in today's acrid political environment. And another who embraces the taboo amongst liberal peers that comes from supporting Paul.

His common sense message of freedom, liberty, small government, non-intervention and reduced taxation, so deeply devoted to the Constitution, is uniting people across the political spectrum. Birchers and liberals united in common cause? Yes, it's happening. Despite pundit attempts to discredit Paul with the "he can't win" disclaimer, the vast pool of voters across the landscape who are hungry for strong, proven, Constitutional leadership is Ron Paul's for the taking.



Now say it with me: He can win.

No it will not be an easy task, and no you cannot sit back and relax and just watch it happen. Paul needs our support every minute of every day to carry his campaign into top tier status to help introduce him to the uninspired, quasi-apolitical conservative masses.

One more time: He can win. But only with our unequivocal enthusiasm and support.

Once Paul becomes the Republican presidential nominee, how do you think he'll fair against big government Hillary and billionaire corporatist Bloomberg? In this matchup, I predict a landslide victory for Paul. Though to become the 44th President of the United States, he only needs 33% + 1. It's no longer looking so impossible now, is it?


Update July 6, 2007:
For those still not convinced Ron Paul is the people's only choice for the 44th President of the United States, consider these points:

51% of this country voted for Ron Paul's message when they elected George Bush as president in 2000, because Bush ran on the traditional conservative platform of small-government, states rights, lower taxes and a humble foreign policy. And now for 2008, Ron Paul is the only GOP candidate in a crowded field who is bravely carrying the torch for that philosophy. The difference between Paul and Bush is that Paul has the solid record of 20 years of conservative, Constitutional leadership to back up every single thing he's saying. The people voted for this message just 7 years ago, and with a candidate of impeccable character like Paul leading the way, they'll vote for it again.

Also,
70% of Americans want the war in Iraq to be over, and our troops home. Only one candidate has the temerity to initiate that process on the first day of his presidency, Ron Paul. Ron Paul has been against this illegitimate war since it was first conceived in 1998, and has bravely spoken against it in his writings, in his speeches on the floor of the House, and in his public speaking engagements. There is no doubt where he stands regarding the war in Iraq, and the subsequent build-up of aggression towards Iran. He brings forth the leadership that a full 70% of this country wants.

81% of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, and in the same poll, 72% believe our Founding Fathers would be disappointed with the state of our nation today. Our current course is set for perpetual war, imminent bankruptcy, the continued weakening of our borders, our sovereignty, and our individual liberties, regardless of which party's media-designated "frontrunner" takes the helm in 2008. Only one candidate is offering to put us back on the course our Founding Fathers designed. That candidate is Ron Paul.

A new Zogby Poll has found that 9 in 10 Americans - 90% - believe the U.S. Constitution is still relevant in today's world. Only one candidate has adhered strictly to the Constitution throughout his entire political career. That candidate is Ron Paul. When God-fearing patriotic Americans listen to him speak, they know in their hearts that he's right because the language of liberty touches an inalienable instinct in all red-blooded Americans. We know that both the GOP and our government have lost their way and only one man, with the strength of his convictions, as well as our own, can return them both to the correct path.

There is absolutely no mistake: this country wants Ron Paul as its next president. What have you done today to help make that happen?

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Ron Paul in 2nd place in NRSC poll

Screenshot taken July 4, 2007 of the NRSC website collecting votes for the GOP presidential nomination preference:

Monday, July 02, 2007

Won't get fooled again

I know there are alot of conservative voters in this country who believe in decent values, smaller government, respect for states rights, non-interventionist foreign policies and minimal taxation, because they elected George Bush as President in 2000. His campaign adhered closely to these traditional conservative ideals, but once in office the facade wore off and the true liberal nature of the new president became apparent.

Remember that he refused to take a stand on the California energy crisis because it was a states' rights issue, but as President directed his Justice Department to go after Oregon's Death with Dignity law and California's medical marijuana laws. Remember he looked right into the camera and stated, "I trust the American people," several times, but his administration initiated domestic surveillance activities very soon after he was elected, followed by the Patriot Act and Real ID.

Remember he said that we shouldn't police the world or arrogantly tell other countries what to do, and our government would have a humble foreign policy under his leadership, but as we now see his legacy is firmly built on his defiant plan to convert the entire Middle East into a democracy. And regarding his small government, fiscal responsibility campaign positions, our nation can now boast almost twice the size of federal government than when he first took office, with spending levels to match it. His legacy will also have the added benefit of single-handedly redefining compassionate conservatism to be a policy of torture and denial of habeus corpus.

Now it's time to consider his replacement. The majority of candidates from both parties are offering their own plans to cure what ails us, all of which will continue to grow the government, expand our global empire, increase spending and further degrade our respect for human life. But their campaign rhetoric is designed to sweet talk us into believing that our very existence depends on electing them to the office of president, and they'll say whatever we want to hear to achieve it.

There is one candidate however, who talks the traditional conservative line that George Bush used in 2000, believes strongly in the simplicity of our Constitution, and has a verifiable 30-year record to back it all up. His name is Ron Paul, Congressman from Texas. He made quite a splash in the first three GOP debates, so much so that the organizers of the latest GOP forum in Iowa intentionally omitted him from their June 30 program. The news coming out of that event sure enough reveals that one by one all the other candidates are slowly adopting Paul's message that we need to closely follow the Constitution to guarantee the health and longevity of our faltering nation. Well, they can suddenly start praising the Constitution and speaking in all the small-government rhetoric they like, but this voter won't get fooled again.

Sunday, July 01, 2007

GOP Candidates YouTube Stats - 07/01/07

I'm a couple days late with this update, but other than the tedium of adding the remaining candidates to the minutiae charts, only a little has changed since last time. Rudy almost doubled the number of videos for his campaign this week, but that doesn't seem to have helped his numbers much. With 41 videos now in his profile, he's still averaging only 2 comments per. Mitt "double Guantanamo" Romney slowed his production down to a trickle, but I'm sure he'll break 200 videos by the next update. And for what, exactly?

One of the pieces of data that I had originally overlooked is the average score of the ratings each video receives, which roughly indicates whether a candidate is producing high quality, well-liked, engaging videos. I've added that element to the tracking just to see whose videos are rating the highest quality. And, though none of the candidates are really tanking in this department, you probably don't have to actually look at these numbers to know whose videos are drawing in an average of almost 5 stars across the board (Ron Paul).

Before we get to the charts, here is how the candidates' videos are graded by the masses, from lowest to highest:

Rudy Giuliani:2.79 stars
Sam Brownback3.30
Jim Gilmore3.40
John McCain3.44
Tom Tancredo3.83
Mike Huckabee3.88
Duncan Hunter3.93
Fred Thompson4.12
Mitt Romney4.27
Ron Paul4.89


First, the cumulative views (inspired by TechPresident's Youtube charts) and other cumulatives for the frontrunner candidates. I'll be adding the remaining candidates to these charts in one of the next updates because most of the rest are starting to show a little rustling in their Youtube popularity. But for now, the established frontrunners:





Now for the averages sans outliers to reflect true user loyalty to each candidate (an explanation on the outlier data and why they're removed can be found here).





Here are the growth graphs showing actual growth in various user activities for each candidate since May 22. All candidates have been now been added to these growth charts. This is what tedium is all about:
Channel ViewsCumulative RatingsCumulative Comments
Cumulative ViewsSubscribersRatings Averages
Comments AveragesViews Averages

You can't really tell what's going on with the other candidates as long as Paul's numbers keep blowing the curve. I couldn't decide whether to remove Paul's numbers or not, just so people could see the steady pace at which the also-rans continue to grow without being scrunched up at the bottom like they are. But then, if these candidates can't catch up and carve their own visible paths on these charts, that's not mine nor Ron Paul's problem.

Previous entries:
June 21, 2007: GOP Candidates YouTube Stats - 06/21/07
June 11, 2007: GOP Candidate YouTube Stats - 06/11/07
June 2, 2007: GOP Candidate YouTube Stats, Charts (Followup)
May 22, 2007: About those Youtube Stats...