Can you give an example of what proper bedside manners would look like?
I will take this for an honest question... and I'll make the attempt. Magnum Opus warning (thanks for your indulgence Rambone).
Let's say that there's 25% of the Republican party that is voting for RP right now... Then let's say that there's a big bunch more that are 70-80% in agreement. Let's say they are all for less government, all for the constitution - but are still hung up in a couple of areas - maybe their hang up is that they are still feel that we should be have a strong defense (I know - RP HASN"T said that we DON'T - but remember this is all about PERCEPTION), or they cling to the war on drugs (at least for harder drugs), or whatever their hangup is between their current position and pure libertarian constitutional thought....
These people (and there's a crapload of them that are 3/4's of the way into the RP camp.) are moving in the RIGHT direction to get them to your cause. RP comes out with the following: "AUDIT THE FED! PULL ALL OF OUR TROOPS OUT OF EVERYWHERE!!! LAY OFF every government agency you can find! Strap on your tinfoil hats! Call up the Wookies! **I'm being a wise guy, but you get the point**" Look many of us may find nothing wrong with that... But it is NOT the way to sell it...
Oh - and if these voters don't get behind EVERYTHING and EVERY part of the cause, then they're just a bunch of worthless $%^&ing Statist Pigs. They've been called so on this very forum. Many times. The are not intellectually PURE. They deserve nothing but the gas chamber. They're as bad as Obama.
Maybe - just maybe - RP and some of his more rabid supporters should consider turning down the volume of the shouting. Not turn down the conversation mind you - just the rabid shouting. Realize that much of the country is on their way - they see the valid points that RP and the gang are raising. But this is NOT a 100% or %0 sort of situation.
Instead of playing all of the cards right now out of the chute - maybe reserve judgement a little. There's a big difference in HOW things are said. It's one thing to say - "I have some concerns with how the Fed is being run" and another to say - "The Fed porkers are pure EVIL and need to be out on there collective arse...". I would submit to you that Rand Paul would say something more like the former, while Ron Paul would go towards the latter... Both of them MEAN the same thing - but one is saying it in a much less hysterical manner. That's why I believe that Rand Paul might be better suited as the messenger - but alas - he is in the Senate, not the run for the Big Job.
Think about it - this really is similar to a revolution that took place 200+ years ago, right? Many of the changes that RP is pushing for NEED to happen. People agree. Then like now, there were people that saw it faster than others did. And there were people that pushed for Drastic. Action. Now. This time, it's a battle of ideas, and patriots ARE coming to their senses. But if we yell and scream at everyone who isn't 100% intellectually pure as the driven snow -are we helping the cause? If we propose pulling all of the troops out of everywhere IMMEDIATELY - are we going to scare a bunch of people off? These are people that otherwise would support us! Far better to simply say that "as a principle - we should avoid these sorts of entanglements". These statements mean the same thing - but how they are delivered MATTERS.
Win the battle of ideas - THEN move the chains - and march steadily down the football field. Don't just throw the Hail Mary and bet the game on it.
My point is this - I don't think ANYONE questions Ron Paul's sincerity, or the religious-like zeal of his supporters. If they would/will ratchet back on the inflammatory approach to things, they will win a LOT more support. Not everything you believe must be shouted from the rooftops. And not everyone that may disagree with one point of what you may say is your mortal enemy. They may well be your friend and agree with every other point you make.
That's why I say that Rand Paul's "bedside manner" is more effective than his father's. Your don't need to scare the bejeebers out of the patient to get them to take the medicine - even if the medicine is really nasty! The patient is feeling sick enough already after the last 10 years of gross mismanagement of the country. And arguably a lot more... They KNOW that the medicine is needed. Smart doctors have no need to scream at their patients. It's generally counter productive. That was the "bedside manner" that I was referring to.