READER COMMENTS ON

"Brad on RT TV: 'Republican Party Establishment Hates Democracy (and Ron Paul Supporters)'"

(17 Responses so far...)





COMMENT #1 [Permalink]

... JH said on 3/20/2012 @ 7:07 pm PT...





Brad, That isn't fair what you said about 'the Ron Paul folks' call fraud when they lose... Because she was talking about RON PAUL himself saying when he gets 2500 people at a rally in a county and only less than 200 people caucus for him he wonders, but doesn't have facts so he doesn't want to say anything. His supporters don't speak as a group and an excited person or to saying whatever is not 'the Ron Paul folks.' Great interview otherwise.

COMMENT #2 [Permalink]

... Roland said on 3/20/2012 @ 7:41 pm PT...





Brad... I don't disagree about the FRAUD because we all see it too and I'm not a Ron Paul supporter for President. However, I do hate democracy, and so should you. We do not live in a democracy. We live in a Republic. A democracy is majority rules. A Republic has representatives, and the rights of the individual outweigh a majority, and it supports the rule of law, not a mob, as in a democracy. Your argument weakens when you use the word democracy to describe out system of government. Our Declaration of Indenpendence, our Constitution and the Constitution of each of the 50 states, do not include the word democracy. "I pledge allegiance to the flag, and to the REPUBLIC..." US Constitution

Article IV Section 4

Section 4 - Republican government The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence. A better title would have been, "Are Republican party officials committing fraud?" Change Democracy to Republic and you got a winner. Thanks for being a voice for liberty.

COMMENT #3 [Permalink]

... David Lasagna said on 3/20/2012 @ 9:52 pm PT...





Brad,

Were you really in a New York studio like she said? What were you doing in a New York studio? That wasn't L.A. behind you? Nice job, dude!

COMMENT #4 [Permalink]

... David Lasagna said on 3/20/2012 @ 9:55 pm PT...





Just looked at it again. It says below you that you're in their Los Angeles studio. Guess for some reason she wanted you in New York.

COMMENT #5 [Permalink]

... Ernest A. Canning said on 3/20/2012 @ 10:52 pm PT...





Roland @2 wrote: We live in a Republic. A democracy is majority rules. A Republic has representatives, and the rights of the individual outweigh a majority, and it supports the rule of law, not a mob, as in a democracy. Actually, Roland, you are only partially correct. A Republican form of government, as envisioned by the framers of the U.S. Constitution is a form of "representative democracy," but it is a form of democracy in which certain unalianable rights "cannot be voted away by a majority of voters." But, except, as so limited, it is a democracy --- as observed by James Madison: we may define a republic to be, or at least may bestow that name on, a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people…It is essential to such a government, that it be derived from the great body of the society, not from an inconsiderable proportion, or a favored class of it; otherwise a handful of tyrannical nobles, exercising their oppressions by a delegation of their powers, might aspire to the rank of republicans. Substitute a handful of tyrannical billionaires at the pinnacle of corporate power (think Rupert Murdoch, Charles & David Koch) for a "handful of tyrannical nobles" and you begin to understand the perversion of "Republicanism" by the 21st Century GOP. In a constitutional democracy --- which is precisely what we have --- there is no inconsistency between the existence of "democracy" and the "rule of law." BTW, the Constitution reads: "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government." It says nothing about the form of the U.S. government. However, Madison observed that "the House of Representatives...is elected immediately by the great body of the people." The Constitution was subsequently amended to provide direct election of U.S. Senators. "Elected immediately by the...people" sounds like democracy to me. What do you call it? Oh, and Roland, the Pledge of Allegiance is not part of the Constitution. The words "under God" were not adopted until 1954. Those words are at odds with the First Amendment's Establishment Clause.

COMMENT #6 [Permalink]

... Adam said on 3/20/2012 @ 11:33 pm PT...





Speaking of tallies, how do you get 627 Comments but only 301 YouTube views? I've long suspected (but have no proof) that Google games its YouTube video view count. Adam8 (Unjustly banned from RawStory comments by RawStory's Dear Leader, Roxanne Cooper)

COMMENT #7 [Permalink]

... JPP said on 3/21/2012 @ 12:49 am PT...





1) As soon as we end our perpetual war to "save the world for DEMOCRACY," then we can debate the correct terminology to describe our own, collapsing system. 2) The meme of "democracy as mob rule" is analogous to the "Saul Alinsky is Stalin incarnate" hysteria. ANY notion of individual/community empowerment is constantly suppressed by the plutocracy. The masses are to take orders and surrender their money to their self-proclaimed masters but are NEVER to think for themselves nor organize for political power. 3) The list of peoples/entities the GOP hates is long and more comprehensive each day. Ron Paul should not feel like the lone wolf.

COMMENT #8 [Permalink]

... bill budges said on 3/21/2012 @ 7:46 am PT...





Fraud is fraud.. The proof the video's show it is going on. What concerns me is the fact for every video showing the proof there has to be many other instances where no one was able to get the proof. Voter fraud has been going on in this country for years. Backed by both Democrat and Republican party's. The people running the country are not the ones the people truly elected. Mark my words, The radicals in power will assassinate Ron Paul before they allow him to be president. God.. I really hope and pray that i am wrong but i fear i am not.

COMMENT #9 [Permalink]

... Ernest A. Canning said on 3/21/2012 @ 8:33 am PT...





Bill Budges @8 writes: Voter fraud has been going on in this country for years. Not to be a stickler, Bill, but you really need to be precise. "Voter Fraud" is extraordinarily rare. In person voter impersonation is virtually non-existent, and individual acts in casting illegal absentee ballots or, as seems to be a problem with a growing number of high level Republicans, voting in precincts where one does not actually reside, are rare enough that it is exceedingly doubtful that these could influence the outcome of any but the closest election. The risk of "Election Fraud" in which a single insider with access to either the source codes of a 100% unverifiable, touch screen voting system, or brief access to the central computer tabulators of an optical scan voting system, is such that it can produce any numbers that insider desires. The only way to insure that the candidate who received the most votes actually "wins" the election is through transparency --- an example of which can be found in the Iowa GOP caucus where the GOP establishment's effort to rig the result for Romney ran afoul of the photographs of the individual caucus results posted after a public hand-count of the paper ballots. No doubt, the St Charles, MO GOP establishment understood that --- hence, the first order of business --- shut off your cameras or be arrested.

COMMENT #10 [Permalink]

... Shaun Lewis said on 3/21/2012 @ 9:08 am PT...





I was a delegate from the Athens-Clarke County Convention (a Ron Paul supporter) and I would like to join the gentleman from Missouri on your radio show today. I am the man who's picture you see prior to clicking play on the youtube video. Email me back and I will be happy to join if you have time.

Shaun

COMMENT #11 [Permalink]

... Dr. TCH said on 3/21/2012 @ 3:55 pm PT...





Where, the hell, did my message go?!! Very impressive story!! Yes, we have (or maybe HAD) a republic. I have heard (not yet verified) that Obama just signed yet another National Security initiative, which--if true--is very worrisome. When is America going to wake up and JUST SAY NO??!!!! BOTH Bush and Obama are obviously fascists and globalists. Yikes!!!

COMMENT #12 [Permalink]

... David Lasagna said on 3/21/2012 @ 7:31 pm PT...





Rachel Maddow is in LA, April 10, 11,

Bay area April 12, 13,

Seattle April 14,

Portland April 15. Her first book tour. Maybe if we could have someone present her with Brad Friedman dolls every step of the tour to try to get her attention?

COMMENT #13 [Permalink]

... George Hancks said on 3/23/2012 @ 8:36 pm PT...





Important piece of reporting, Brad. As one who has endorsed Ron Paul and one who would like to see the Republican elites swept out the door, I find this story very disturbing. As to your allegation GOP is trying to block Democrats and non-elites from voting, it was too blanket for your style. There certainly must be voting hanky panky going on, various methods, by both GOP and DEMs. With more facts on that we might find some of that is fraudulant and much of it legal tricks of strategy, ie., not encouraging opposition to register, conveniently failing to get the word out, that kind of thing. Otherwise, I would like to see more and hear interviews from vetted Ron Paul campaign leadership.

COMMENT #14 [Permalink]

... Brad Friedman said on 3/24/2012 @ 2:25 pm PT...





George Hancks @ 13 As to your allegation GOP is trying to block Democrats and non-elites from voting, it was too blanket for your style. There certainly must be voting hanky panky going on, various methods, by both GOP and DEMs. For a start, whether there is "hanky panky" going on by DEMs is, for the moment, entirely beside the point. We don't do false equivalency here. If you'd like to make the case for that "hanky panky" by DEMs, feel free to do so. That has nothing however, to do with my argument that the GOP establishment hates democracy and is doing anything and everything to undermine it --- from passing laws to make it illegal for previously-legal voters to excercise their right to vote, to railroading Ron Paul supporters at their very own caucuses. Those well-documented, independently-verifiable points are undeniable and should be whole-heartedly condemned. Period. Not justified by that "they all do it" nonsense. You, sir, are better than that. At least I'd have hoped. Now if you have evidence of DEM "hanky-panky", I'm always happy to hear about it, and happy to verify and report where I can add anything to it. But, again, it has absolutely nothing to do with what I am speaking about in the RT conversation posted above. Otherwise, I would like to see more and hear interviews from vetted Ron Paul campaign leadership. I provided some of that the following day after my interview on RT. You can listen to my interviews with Brent Stafford (the one arrested after the St. Charles County, MO caucus was aborted) and Lori Bone (the one who tried to hold party leadership accountable for stealing the delegate convention in Clarke County, GA the week prior). Video of both of those events can be seen here. My interview with Stafford and Bone on KPFK/Pacifica Radio last Wednesday can be heard here.

COMMENT #15 [Permalink]

... George Hancks said on 3/25/2012 @ 10:58 am PT...





In further response, Brad, we can agree it is aggregious to comprise anyone's ability to vote. But to alledge the GOP is anti-democracy (blanket statement) would include me, a staunch Conservative who is a registered Republican who condemns what I saw happening in the caucus video you reported on. Furthermore, I would oppose and refuse to participate in any kind of ballot fraud, voter intimidation, or legislation to block any citizen from voting. Therefore, I do not fall under that blanket statement, even though I am a registered GOP person and precinct captain. I would hope we can sweep GOP elite out of the party and clean that kind of unprincipled thing up. There may be some legislation voted in by Republican state legislators that is intended to ensure honest voting and block hanky panky. Always, that kind of legislation will come under scrutiny, as it should, and have supporters and detractors. It may be good, bad, or questionable law. If bad it remains law until it is changed, and should be changed. That, Brad, is democracy as well as the process of freedom to vote without cost or special processing or meeting any other qualification other than being a legal citizen. This is where I stand. You may argue with it all you want. It is where I stand at this time. I do reserve the God given right to alter my position in the future based on an aggregation of new evidence. I am right wing on this, therefore, I will not likely lean to the left much or at all.

COMMENT #16 [Permalink]

... Brad Friedman said on 3/25/2012 @ 10:58 pm PT...





George Hancks said @ 15: In further response, Brad, we can agree it is aggregious to comprise anyone's ability to vote. But to alledge the GOP is anti-democracy (blanket statement) would include me, a staunch Conservative who is a registered Republican who condemns what I saw happening in the caucus video you reported on. I choose my words very carefully, George. You should know that. My comment was about the "GOP establishment". Obviously, Ron Paul supporters, who I am obviously supporting in the video above, are also Republican. Why would I say they hated democracy?? Furthermore, I would oppose and refuse to participate in any kind of ballot fraud, voter intimidation, or legislation to block any citizen from voting. Therefore, I do not fall under that blanket statement, even though I am a registered GOP person and precinct captain. Glad to hear it. Then you oppose and condemn GOP polling place Photo ID restrictions? As one who opposes "legislation to block any citizen from voting", that's surely a no-brainer for ya, but I'm just checking. Let me know. There may be some legislation voted in by Republican state legislators that is intended to ensure honest voting and block hanky panky. I'll bite. Like what? Always, that kind of legislation will come under scrutiny, as it should, and have supporters and detractors. It may be good, bad, or questionable law. If bad it remains law until it is changed, and should be changed. That, Brad, is democracy Actually, it's the opposite of democracy. Or, at least, our constitutional democracy which guarantees certain rights which may not be violated or removed by legislative whim. I am right wing on this, therefore, I will not likely lean to the left much or at all. "Right wing" on what??

COMMENT #17 [Permalink]

... Jorge Correa said on 3/28/2012 @ 11:11 am PT...

