Why Reforming the GOP is Not the Answer

"We are gonna work to reform this organization from the inside"
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This shocking report of how the folks who run the Texas GOP literally cheated Congressman Ron Paul out of delegates to the Republican National Convention should convince any fair observer of the futility of trying to "reform" or "take back" the Republican party. The problem is in no way limited to Texas. The Nevada GOP Chairman simply took essential documents, walked out of the convention hall, and turned out the lights without a call to adjourn once he realized that Ron Paul had enough support to win most of that state's delegates. His claim that the hotel would give them no more time has been discredited. As of this writing the situation with Nevada's delegates has not been resolved.

Similar but less blatant examples of cheating could be cited in many states across the nation. Arkansas is an exception in that the state GOP followed its own rules. The dominance of favorite son Mike Huckabee took much of the drama out of the process.

The pattern is clear, try to use the rules to keep the corporate insiders and their tools in control. Should the peasants successfully navigate the rules and get in position to win the contest, break the rules.

The Republican Assembly has been trying to "retake" the GOP for years, and has been losing ground every election cycle. The Republican Liberty Caucus has tried the same thing since 1990. Ron Paul was on the board of that organization. Now Paul has launched his "Campaign for Liberty". Will it succeed? If the goal is the same as the Republican Assemblies and the Republican Liberty Caucus then I would say "no". The good folks in both of those organizations have attempted to work within the Republican Party to effect change in America. They have been continually frustrated and are further from their goals now than when they began. The reason is simple. They were wrong to channel all of their energies and place all of their eggs in the same flawed basket- the Republican Party.

The Republican party is firmly controlled by well-funded interests who are cunning and ruthless. You cannot win playing a game which they control. You can work your heart out like Paul's supporters did to beat them fairly, and they will still win unfairly. The only way to win is to start your own game, and quit playing their rigged one.

Paul's campaign for liberty shows promise: If and only if they avoid the fatal mistake of trying to funnel their energies through a single party do they have a chance for success.