Dr. Paul comes to SW Missouri. The Good and Bad

Well, last evening was quite an experience. I am certainly glad I went. In fact, I can honestly say I came, I saw, and I have the button to prove it!



Ron Paul was also incredible to see in person. From television and the way the media chooses the footage and editing to portray him much of the time, I expected someone who would appear much older and even a bit frail. Instead, I found him to to appear very energetic and strong. I was taken aback by his voice among other things. He sounds younger than I was expecting.




Oh and look closely.... What is missing from this picture?



Could it be, teleprompters? Why, indeed yes. Not a teleprompter to be seen anywhere. That was downright refreshing. The notes visible on the lectern were from the state guy who came before him and introduced him. I didn't see Dr. Paul looking down any more than I noticed him looking in any other direction as he panned the crowd.

His speech was natural and it showed. The occasional half hitch or catch in the speech just affirmed how genuine and sincere he came off. That was refreshing. Very much so. After the very scripted delivery of Obama and bumbling nature of Bush, I really enjoyed the down to earth and normal approach Dr. Paul takes. He received more than one standing roar of support and the energy was definitely there.



I had a neighbor's son with me and he was able to attend the caucus orientation lecture that came before. I think this whole event was one of the highlights of his memory and I know it's one I'll certainly remember.

This is the lecture I attended before the speech which was given for people to be delegates at the caucus. (It also got people priority seating on the lower half of the room Dr. Paul was facing.)



I have to admit that it was a bit of a shock to learn that Missouri holds both a primary AND a caucus. I knew our primary was "non-binding", which basically means it held absolutely no meaning other than PR points and bragging rights for the couple that even bothered to show up in our state for that. Santorum spent the dough in the Metro areas and was one of the only ones to come at all...so it was no surprise he carried that waste of a primary.

To find out we *ALSO* have the caucus system and this is the ONLY binding one is more than surpising. It strikes me as a rather blatant scheme to bamboozle all but the most alert and informed of the voters. The primary gives the *SENSE* to everyone that our 'duty' as voters is pretty much done and thats it 'till the election.

Everything else is just party business or whatever...and that is an impression I've certainly never seen any real effort to correct. I'll absolutely be at the caucus this year. It would be downright helpful if this were as widely discussed and reported to the public as the primary is. Actually. MORE so would be the reasonable thing, given that this is the only one that actually decides anything and this decides everything.

It doesn't take more than a moment to consider at least some basic things like flyers at the college bulletin boards (We have at least a half dozen major College/Universities) and grocery store boards. Little things..but I've been here through 4 Presidential elections. I voted the primaries and I've voted the generals.

I didn't know this caucus business before this. MY bad, indeed...but it demonstrates how UNHELPFUL the system would seem to be in working to inform people to this rather important detail.

This was the good, and it far out weighed the bad. At least from my perspective. I've put what I saw as the major issues in the next post, so there is some separation. One really didn't draw away from the other for me. Just don't ask the people that sat across the Gym. They may not be so generous. ..err..

...Continued

Now the bad.

This may ruffle some feathers, but so be it. This ruffled mine. This is the Show-Me state. We didn't show very well, and I'm awfully glad Doctor Paul is as down to earth as he is. Nevertheless, I felt awkward, if not a little ashamed of how this was all handled. Let me show a couple pictures I took that may help illustrate what I mean.







Okay, I've put a lot of thought into how to be fair..and put this in a balanced way. Hmmm.. Well... I can only go so far in being politically correct here, no pun intended. This is United States Representative Ron Paul, not someone running for City Council or the School Board. He's running for the Presidency.

I had to wonder to myself if those were special blue folding chairs or did those just come from the pile of the rest of butt breaking industrial folding chairs? Which classroom was missing their podium? Ummm..... Hey, I hope no one forgot to invite him out to a quality dinner at the Waffle House down the street and maybe a quick trip to the Wal-Mart for some local color?

This is a man we all hope and would like to see elevated to the most powerful office in our nation and among the top 3 most powerful men in the world. He has spent a good part of his life as a Congressman. I suppose I expected a little more than a set up thrown together in a haphazard way. Sound checks were happening with feedback when the place was almost full and the first part of his speech was with a microphone which had some kind of problem. The second one worked.

By contrast, I happened to have some pictures on the same SD card from the Occupy protest camp in St Louis I'd shot.



This was just one evening in a fairly continuous line of live entertainment. Everything there was donations, hand-me down junk that could be given a second life...and 3/4 of the labor was motivated only as much as the dinner portion had then figuring it was worth.

Above / Presidential Candidate's welcome to my beloved Ozarks.

Below / Occupy camp working on charity and duct tape

Yikes. If I have to elaborate more on the contrast this draws..I give up.

There was a much bigger issue though. Ron Paul faced the 'Priority Seating' and it was almost entirely packed by 7pm. MOST was gone 15-20 minutes before that. The event was set to start at 7:30.

This is where those arriving anywhere near the time sat:



and this is what they got to see of the event:



From my perspective (upper level, far side..as other photos show perspective) this was rather disturbing to see once it became obvious the seating that would view and not just hear the speech was so quickly filled. To the people who had nowhere left but there to sit because they actually got there 45 minutes early (I added 15 minutes for the park and hike in time by that time but this was about it by around 7..maybe a bit after), I'd imagine the feeling was a bit more......colorful. It was actually amusing to watch a few down in the front of that side yelling slogans or things loudly enough to where I watched one of the Secret Service guys turn and look real hard at them. I suppose I'd have been emotional too....

So... All in all, it was mixed, indeed. Seeing Dr. Paul in person was priceless and the experience only reaffirmed my feeling that in the current times, he is to some...was to others..the last best hope our nation has before we go into economic collapse, I'll do all I can in my limited position as a citizen to help his election, however unlikely it looks. I can at least live with it. I can't stomach voting for Dumber or dumber.

If he comes back though, perhaps we can at least go rent a roll of red carpet. I can't help but think that participation might be a bit higher if there were more a sense of substance and structure. It all ..well.. It just had the feeling of a small town event. Greater Springfield has over 400,000 people as of 2010. This isn't Dog patch in terms of resources. Sometimes it sure feels like we earn some of the stereotypes though. Geeze.. Little things matter.

Two more short things to add. I had a high quality camera and tripod with me, but for various reasons and some confusion, it was left in the car. These were taken with something less than what I'd have liked. A few shots had blur deliberately put into the shot for some general effort at privacy, although it's a public event so general effort is where that extends and ends.

The other is that the level of quality to image and how this all seemed to come together isn't something I'd hold against Ron Paul any more than any of the others. They all have staff and state/local people who plan these things and they don't micromanage the little things. Local image is a local challenge with local sources....IMO. I wouldn't mean to suggest otherwise on the national candidate making a brief stop in our community. I think everyone was very glad he came.

Pretty neat that you had the opportunity to witness such an event. Something to always remember, no matter who the candidate. That crowd looks larger than what Romney had in Detroit

now if he only had the guts to run as an ayn rand libertarian, he'd get more respect and maybe even more votes

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Paul doesnt have a bunch of billionaires funding him, so he has to spend his money very wisely. He should spend more money on bringing in new people, not bedazzling the ones who already support him.
But thats just my take.

Originally posted by VonDoomen
reply to post by Wrabbit2000

 

Paul doesnt have a bunch of billionaires funding him, so he has to spend his money very wisely. He should spend more money on bringing in new people, not bedazzling the ones who already support him.
But thats just my take.

I had considered that and I really was torn on how to present this. I was so put off and struck by the sheer mickey mouse, seat of the pants feel to everything that I simply can't ignore that side of the event. I'd seriously considered it...but if my wife and I had been among those relegated to staring at the back of the banner screen placed on stage, after hiking in the distance people at that point had to hike, I'd sure wish SOMEONE would say something about it in the coverage afterward.

Now, I get the impression we weren't exactly dealing with some of the most creative, out of the box thinking to ever grace my local town, as about the nicest way I can put it. So, let me break my back in bending over to be fair on that here. After all, at least a couple local folks from the event are members here too. It's not strictly a cold issue I'm commenting on for pure anonymity of those it's about.

I'll note one way this could have been night/day different and with little to NO cost. First, we have 3 *LARGE*, accredited and fully functional University or Colleges I'm aware of which have the relevant degree programs, students who would almost certainly volunteer for the novelty and experience (I absolutely would have) and the creative power/building skill to have done absolute wonders. Printed material, design, presentation in the Gym and just the basics of packaging the whole event so it came off as people MEANING for it to happen as it did,.....not that any success was a happy coincidence to the controlled chaos of bad planning. Sorry guys, but that IS how the general feel came off. Controlled Chaos....and not terribly well controlled or thought out, at that.

I'm really glad you got to go. I went to the rally in Kansas City a couple of weeks back. They said we had around 3000 people at that event in Union Station. It was packed. The majority of the people were standing, shoulder to shoulder. lol But it was intense.

I also realized that NO ONE should ever go to a Ron Paul event and expect to hear something different. His message is always the same. He repeats things I've heard on the news and in his books a million times. lol But the intensity of knowing I was standing maybe 20 feet from him, 4 feet from his wife and granddaughter and in a crowd of 3000 supporters was the best feeling in the world.

Also, just to clarify, those men aren't Secret Service. He refused their services. He does have security but not Secret Service.

Ron Paul rejects Secret Service protection

reply to post by EagleTalonZ

It will certainly be something I'll always remember, indeed. That was incredible. In almost any other politician, I'd think of the same things being said as just being a cheap speech tactic. Ron Paul's life outside of politics has reflected his voting inside it though, so with him I call it far more a case of one version of the truth as he sees it.

Thanks for the clarification. I'd wondered about that with the security and I had recalled seeing something like the story you linked about Ron Paul declining the Secret Service early on. I understood he just doesn't want the over-the-top pomp and circumstance of long caravans and parts of a city closing down...etc etc. They just had the appearance of being more than private security... Well, maybe that's what secret service people do when they retire. lol...

Here is hoping that somehow...in some way...this works out to see him in the middle at the end. If only his name can somehow be one to vote for, I believe he'll get the votes he needs. He's the only decent one in the bunch.

Originally posted by VonDoomen
reply to post by Wrabbit2000

 

Paul doesnt have a bunch of billionaires funding him, so he has to spend his money very wisely. He should spend more money on bringing in new people, not bedazzling the ones who already support him.
But thats just my take.

I was looking at CNN's "Meet the Candidates" webpage. Their campaigns are all in debt, except Ron Paul's and Mitt Romney. Romney grows money on trees, so no fair.
www.cnn.com...

Also they show the election results for the Virgin Islands. Right now the total votes shows 0% and only shows the delegates won.
www.cnn.com...