I don't even know where to begin here this morning. I've been lurking here for years now, reading Dkos and I even commented a bit during 2008. I love this place, but I'm mainly invisible here. This is my first (and I suspect only for a long time) diary, but I've been having this bizarro back and forth with Ron Paul supporters and came here to vent.
I figured folks here would be a touch more supportive. Um, follow me over the thingamabob? (And sorry, but I'm sure to most readers this thing is going to be one ugly holy-wall-of-text-Batman! kind of thing as I try to describe what all happened this AM...)
This all got started when I was browsing HuffPo and saw some crap about someone deciding that while they were all for Obama in 2008, they're now totally behind that super awesome libertarian wonderful amazing guy Ron Paul.
Here's a link in case someone wants to be both brave and have a clue as to what I'm talking about.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
I admittedly skimmed most of the article but I did catch such highlights as the author crying when Obama won, and then the flip to Mr. Paul being the only option. Wow. "Ok, from Obama to Ron Paul huh", I thought. My mind boggled at the idea.
Moving on, I decided to check out the comments thinking that surely the HuffPo readers would be all over this nonsense. Nope. And then I read the comment that really started me down this rabbit hole of craziness. Someone posted something to the effect that if only people had used the google in 2008, they'd have known Obama wasn't what he claimed to be. I both laughed and then stopped cold. "Wait a second", I thought. "Isn't the same thing true of Ron Paul the Super Racist?"
See, I stupidly assumed that anyone with a brain knew Ron Paul was not just a casual racist, not just a closet racist - but a full blown, over the top, Civil Rights Act denying, loved by Stormfront Super Racist. I mean, does no one google these days?
So, I went to reply to the "haha! silly no-googler!" comment. I get logged in (what a pain) and I can't find this comment anymore. Now admittedly, it's past midnight and I have been known to be stupid at times, but I can't for the life of me find this comment that caught my attention. So, I made my fatal mistake. I go to reddit (which I otherwise spend as much time whiling away my life as I do here).
I find the HuffPo link has been submitted, and I jump in. I state that I had intended to comment at HuffPo, but no luck, yada yada yada. Then I go on to say how I find this "no one googled Obama" comment funny since a simple google of Saint Ron Paul turns up his ties to racism. I submit my comment and then I realize I'm dead.
I've posted in the libertarian subreddit. Shit. These people live for one thing - Saint Ron the :awesome: Paul. It takes very little time before I'm in the thick of things. Firstly, I'm obviously a brain dead liberal with no critical thinking skills since I've brought up the TOTALLY debunked racism thing. I obviously can't attack his ideas, so I'm attacking the man. Yikes! These folks play rough. For users here in the reddit know - I'm being downvoted. Why? Well I said Ron wasn't a saint.
Things begin to pick up steam. Paul fans tag in and out taking shots at me (the only person not enamored with Ron the Super Racist Paul). I get linked a video of Ron Paul saying he's not a racist - therefore he is OBVIOUSLY not a racist since he said he wasn't a racist. Someone points out how the Ron Paul Super Racist newsletter is claimed by Paul to have been written by someone else. I counter by saying that he has both claimed it to be him, and not claimed it to be him. Which is it? Downvote!
Next up is the guy quoting me saying my post was drivel so he didn't read it. Hmm. Didn't read it, but it's obviously crap? Downvote! (I'm just laughing now at my own stupidity really. Walking into the lion's den and all that...)
I (stupidly obviously) bring up his stance on the Civil Rights Act. Downvote. He wouldn't have voted for it not because he's a racist, but because he's so constitutionally pure he would tolerate racism because we live in fantasy land where racists would be driven out of business. At least I think that's the point someone was trying to make...
Next up is a HUGE wall of Ron the Saint Paul quotes where he says how he's totally not a racist, he just thinks people should have the right to discriminate if they choose. This is followed by my personal favorite - someone mocking me since I've been presented with ACTUAL quotes and FACTS. A fact being that since Ron Paul says the Civil Rights Act is unconstitutional, then it totally is - because RON PAUL said so.
Things now devolve into me making very little sense (though in my tired and caffeine fueled state I like to think I made no sense - with panache!) trying to argue law with what I suspect are stealth Supreme Court legal ninjas - aka, wikipedia armchair internet lawyers.
My point is this - wtf?! is up with Ron Paul supporters!? Here are the reasons why he's NOT a racist according to the flock:
He says he isn't (with video!)
He totally didn't write the Ron Paul Super Racist newsletter (except when he claimed he did) - but he does get a gentle finger wagging (are you kidding me?!) for allowing it to have his name on it
He supports discrimination because we live in fantasy land where racists are driven out of business (this is TOTALLY gonna happen in the South - you know it right?) because racism is bad
Oh, and the reason why he supports this discrimination is because he, Ron Paul legal genius, says it's unconstitutional - therefore it is - because he said so
My comments about his bizarro ties to Stormfront and money received/not given back and his love of the goodness that is the John Birch Society are left unaddressed. Obviously because he's not a racist - because he says so.
Look, if you, dear reader, have made it this far I thank you. This is likely the crappiest diary you'll read (ok, skim - ok open then close because it's a wall of text...) today. But I feel a bit better for having written it all out. This discussion is likely easily found for the redditors here (and yes, I kind of fell off in my refuting abilities towards the end), so anyone inclined to see some of this craziness can do so themselves.
TL;DR - Ron Paul supporters are nuts, and r/libertarian is possibly also known as r/batshitinsane
Edited to add: I have read many a diary so I should know what I'm doing in theory... But I apologize if this is all kinds of screwed up, or my tags are out of whack. It's late, I'm tired, and I admit I've perhaps embellished things a tick for what I hope is a somewhat humorous read. But again - do not mess with Ron the Saint Paul!
6:13 AM PT: Um, wow! You folks have made my morning by honoring me with the rec list. I really should go to sleep now that I've been debating this for 6 hours or something... But thanks a ton!
10:47 AM PT: Just a fun little update here. Because I am so totally going to bed now that it's nearly 2 PM... Over at reddit, I've now accrued the equivalent of about 60-ish HRs for daring to speak ill of Saint Ron of Paul. Never mind the fact I've typed oh, 5k+ words I'd say? It's not like I'm posting "your stoopid!" or some other nonsense. I tried to reply to all the haters. Man do they hate! And not a single f*** was given. Thanks all, fun times.