The speech Ron Paul has to make if he wishes to win the GOP nomination
Sean Scallon
April 17, 2007
John McCain gave a speech last week at VMI defending the war in Iraq and urging for the U.S. to stay the course for final victory. While he never quite did define what final victory would look like, the speech was an important one to try and revive the flagging fortunes of his campaign. A vigorous defense of the war and an attack on the Democrats may very well lift his poll numbers if, and only if, a majority of Republicans continue to support the war by the time the Iowa caucuses roll around. McCain is staking everything on this.
Ron Paul is staking a lot on the war as well, his opposition to it. Running an underdog campaign, it’s probably the only way he can win the GOP presidential nomination by carving out this niche. Right now a majority of Republican voters support the war in Iraq, but only because of the “surge.” Forget thinking of the surge as a military strategy. It is a political strategy. After the 2006 elections, there were many Republicans ready to head for the exits in Iraq. But Bush II quickly fired Don Rumsfeld as defense secretary, shook up the general staff in Iraq, and announced the “surge” strategy. The end result is Republicans stay loyal to the President’s war policy because the President successfully sells it as a strategy for “victory” even if they can’t define what victory is or the means to achieve it. Again, militarily deficient but politically brilliant.
But there’s no Plan B if the “surge” doesn’t achieve whatever goals are set for it. Either it’s successful or everyone’s back heading for the exits once again. If nothing changes in Iraq from now until fall, it’s doubtful even Republicans are going to maintain support for a war that has no end in sight or any concept of final victory either clearly defined or on the horizon. Republican voters didn’t support U.S. involvement in similar wars in Korea and Vietnam when they reached similar stages, why would they support the war effort in Iraq? Especially when it’s soldiers largely from rural and small and mid-sized towns, the kind of places that you would find a lot of Republican voters, who are the ones doing the dying.
That’s what Ron Paul has to convey to the Republican voters in the upcoming primaries and caucuses. His Congressional district in southeast Texas has many small and mid-sized communities like Victoria, Angleton, Bay City and Lake Jackson. He should know from first hand experience what the Iraq war has done to such communities and if he can make that connection and share those feelings to voters in small towns in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina who weary of the war and all the upheaval its brought to their communities, then he can gain their trust, gain their support and gain their votes as well. He has to make a speech from his gut as to how the war hurting this country.
So Ron Paul needs to make a big speech about the war the way McCain just did to convey his thoughts. I will happily deputize myself as a speech writer for this task. The speech should go something like this:
“…My Congressional district in Texas includes a lot of small towns and mid-sized communities that have many of its sons and daughters in the military and serving overseas. For some its family tradition to be soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen as their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers were. For some the military offers them a chance for patriotic Americans to serve their country by answering it call to duty. And for some it’s a way to have opportunities to broaden their horizons, see the world and become better people through their service.
But when our military is put in harms way, especially in Iraq, it can have devastating affects upon our small towns. War robs such communities of its best and brightest. It robs them of their leaders and upstanding citizens. Maybe he was the class president, or the quarterback who led the local high school team to the state title. Maybe she was the prom queen. Or maybe she was a sheriff’s deputy, or maybe he was the head of the local volunteer fire company or a skilled mechanic. Whoever they were, they’re loss is felt deeply.
War leaves scars that are both visible and invisible. Maybe it’s the kid you knew on the track team that could run the 100-meter dash in 10 seconds flat and returns back home with just one leg. Maybe they were voted the most handsome in their class and yet return home disfigured from a head injury caused by an IED explosion to Humvee that wasn’t properly armored. Or maybe the y're someone who comes back in physically in one peace but are mentally and emotionally scared and can’t get the help they need from the local VA hospital. That person’s family and friends try their best to help but he or she can’t be helped. Their life just spirals downward until they end their life suicide or drug addiction and they too, become another casualty of the war.
War can also break up once solid families. Maybe it’s that young family with children that you knew from church who’s husband, a National Guard member, has been sent on several tours in Iraq. The wife can’t take being separated anymore and they get divorced when he gets home. Or maybe it’s a family you know from school or club function whose members are bitterly dived over the war itself and whose parents and children, brothers and sisters no longer speak to each other or attend reunions or family gatherings together anymore.
No matter the conflict, it is the small communities that bare the brunt of war’s burden. In some wars like World War II they shoulder it well, because they know the purpose is clear, the sacrifice needed and the final victory is in sight. But in other wars, like the one in Iraq, that burden becomes crushing when it is not shared equally around this country, when the purpose is no longer clear or has lost its meaning and when victory is not only invisible, but can’t even be explained. It becomes even worse when the reasons given for our small communities to bare that burden turn out to be false or manipulated or that injuries and deaths that we’ve grieved for or dealt could have been avoided if our men and women had better equipment or were properly trained.
I say the damage to our small towns across this country from the war in Iraq has gone far enough. It is long past time now that we find a way to withdraw our troops from the internal warfare and political intrigue that now envelops Iraq and bring them back home with the honor they deserve. There can be no middle ground when it comes to war. Either go all out, all of us in this country together, or stay out. We can no longer expect or demand small communities to carry the war effort upon its back alone while others safety stay away and go about their lives as if the war is in some distant place away from their comfort. It’s not their kids who are dying. It’s not their families that broken apart. It’s not their men and women who suffer debilitating injury. It’s not their jobs that go vacant or their businesses that go bankrupt and it certainly not their war memorials that have new names carved into them.
Either we fight as one nation or do not fight at all. That is the way a republic goes to war and if you honor me with support to be President of the United States, I promise to you that is the way we defend our country in the future, all of us together as one , hand in hand, sharing the burden and sacrifice until victory is won. Thank you."
Sean Scallon is a freelance writer and journalist from Arkansaw, Wisconsin
Ron Paul is staking a lot on the war as well, his opposition to it. Running an underdog campaign, it’s probably the only way he can win the GOP presidential nomination by carving out this niche. Right now a majority of Republican voters support the war in Iraq, but only because of the “surge.” Forget thinking of the surge as a military strategy. It is a political strategy. After the 2006 elections, there were many Republicans ready to head for the exits in Iraq. But Bush II quickly fired Don Rumsfeld as defense secretary, shook up the general staff in Iraq, and announced the “surge” strategy. The end result is Republicans stay loyal to the President’s war policy because the President successfully sells it as a strategy for “victory” even if they can’t define what victory is or the means to achieve it. Again, militarily deficient but politically brilliant.
But there’s no Plan B if the “surge” doesn’t achieve whatever goals are set for it. Either it’s successful or everyone’s back heading for the exits once again. If nothing changes in Iraq from now until fall, it’s doubtful even Republicans are going to maintain support for a war that has no end in sight or any concept of final victory either clearly defined or on the horizon. Republican voters didn’t support U.S. involvement in similar wars in Korea and Vietnam when they reached similar stages, why would they support the war effort in Iraq? Especially when it’s soldiers largely from rural and small and mid-sized towns, the kind of places that you would find a lot of Republican voters, who are the ones doing the dying.
That’s what Ron Paul has to convey to the Republican voters in the upcoming primaries and caucuses. His Congressional district in southeast Texas has many small and mid-sized communities like Victoria, Angleton, Bay City and Lake Jackson. He should know from first hand experience what the Iraq war has done to such communities and if he can make that connection and share those feelings to voters in small towns in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina who weary of the war and all the upheaval its brought to their communities, then he can gain their trust, gain their support and gain their votes as well. He has to make a speech from his gut as to how the war hurting this country.
So Ron Paul needs to make a big speech about the war the way McCain just did to convey his thoughts. I will happily deputize myself as a speech writer for this task. The speech should go something like this:
“…My Congressional district in Texas includes a lot of small towns and mid-sized communities that have many of its sons and daughters in the military and serving overseas. For some its family tradition to be soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen as their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers were. For some the military offers them a chance for patriotic Americans to serve their country by answering it call to duty. And for some it’s a way to have opportunities to broaden their horizons, see the world and become better people through their service.
But when our military is put in harms way, especially in Iraq, it can have devastating affects upon our small towns. War robs such communities of its best and brightest. It robs them of their leaders and upstanding citizens. Maybe he was the class president, or the quarterback who led the local high school team to the state title. Maybe she was the prom queen. Or maybe she was a sheriff’s deputy, or maybe he was the head of the local volunteer fire company or a skilled mechanic. Whoever they were, they’re loss is felt deeply.
War leaves scars that are both visible and invisible. Maybe it’s the kid you knew on the track team that could run the 100-meter dash in 10 seconds flat and returns back home with just one leg. Maybe they were voted the most handsome in their class and yet return home disfigured from a head injury caused by an IED explosion to Humvee that wasn’t properly armored. Or maybe the y're someone who comes back in physically in one peace but are mentally and emotionally scared and can’t get the help they need from the local VA hospital. That person’s family and friends try their best to help but he or she can’t be helped. Their life just spirals downward until they end their life suicide or drug addiction and they too, become another casualty of the war.
War can also break up once solid families. Maybe it’s that young family with children that you knew from church who’s husband, a National Guard member, has been sent on several tours in Iraq. The wife can’t take being separated anymore and they get divorced when he gets home. Or maybe it’s a family you know from school or club function whose members are bitterly dived over the war itself and whose parents and children, brothers and sisters no longer speak to each other or attend reunions or family gatherings together anymore.
No matter the conflict, it is the small communities that bare the brunt of war’s burden. In some wars like World War II they shoulder it well, because they know the purpose is clear, the sacrifice needed and the final victory is in sight. But in other wars, like the one in Iraq, that burden becomes crushing when it is not shared equally around this country, when the purpose is no longer clear or has lost its meaning and when victory is not only invisible, but can’t even be explained. It becomes even worse when the reasons given for our small communities to bare that burden turn out to be false or manipulated or that injuries and deaths that we’ve grieved for or dealt could have been avoided if our men and women had better equipment or were properly trained.
I say the damage to our small towns across this country from the war in Iraq has gone far enough. It is long past time now that we find a way to withdraw our troops from the internal warfare and political intrigue that now envelops Iraq and bring them back home with the honor they deserve. There can be no middle ground when it comes to war. Either go all out, all of us in this country together, or stay out. We can no longer expect or demand small communities to carry the war effort upon its back alone while others safety stay away and go about their lives as if the war is in some distant place away from their comfort. It’s not their kids who are dying. It’s not their families that broken apart. It’s not their men and women who suffer debilitating injury. It’s not their jobs that go vacant or their businesses that go bankrupt and it certainly not their war memorials that have new names carved into them.
Either we fight as one nation or do not fight at all. That is the way a republic goes to war and if you honor me with support to be President of the United States, I promise to you that is the way we defend our country in the future, all of us together as one , hand in hand, sharing the burden and sacrifice until victory is won. Thank you."
Sean Scallon is a freelance writer and journalist from Arkansaw, Wisconsin