The Maine Ron Paul Movement’s Uncertain Future

This much is true, you have been lied to. Outrage has sparked nationally over the last couple months in reaction to Jesse Benton, chairman of the Ron Paul presidential campaign. He was seen as a traitor for selling out delegations, conceding defeat over the nomination to the establishment, and overall just being overly friendly with those who opposed the movement. He was weary of the grassroots, the Ron Paul movement’s signature strength, and what he saw as a fringe element. It became a divisive issue for a movement that holds much promise into the future. Following the campaign, Benton has further increased suspicion among supporters of Congressman Paul after he took up a job running the re-election campaign of Senator Mitch McConnell.

While that is more of a national issue, a state issue is unfolding for the Ron Paul movement. A Facebook post circulating, titled “The Uncertain Future of the Maine Ron Paul Movement”, details a number of issues that were creating internal issues and leading to power struggles.

Two issues are highlighted, one being the National Delegation, which was a topic that gained national attention. With uncertainty about a number of internal votes by the Ron Paul delegates about how to proceed, questions began to be raised about the trustworthiness of certain individuals and whether everything was as it seemed.

The second issue highlighted is one relating to the State Chair position of the Maine Republican Party, which is no doubt going to be a hot button topic after the November elections. Charlie Webster, a controversial figure even within his own party, will be up for re-election. Many doubt he can survive it and others are actively working to ensure he doesn’t return. The latter involves even people within the liberty movement and a questionable character named David Jones, someone who is not known in Republican politics or Maine politics in general. It is a choice that leaves many scratching their heads, but one that is being aggressively pushed.

Questions regarding motives have threatened to shred a movement and now things are now becoming heated, a number of devoted and well-intentioned activists are just seeking answers to calm uncertainties and issues. The detailed and long Facebook note, “The Uncertain Future Of The Maine Ron Paul Movement”, makes the point:

The issue at hand is more than a Facebook group, beyond happened in the past. It’s a trust issue. Leaders cannot lead if the followers do not trust their leaders. It has become increasingly clear that trust issues were there and that they were not being addressed. While it is absolutely critical that the focus be on the elections, it is increasingly difficult to focus on the elections when a number of the candidates you are told to support have connections to these unanswered questions. Furthermore, it is more difficult when a number of questions linger relating to the leadership that is pushing these candidates. Overall, the lingering uncertainty distances people from those who have taken the leadership positions. This is bad news for any movement.

Everything came a shocking turn when individuals began to turn on the movement and now things appear to have come unhinged. Many are concerned about the future of the movement, while certain people are more concerned about their positions of power, their positions in politics, and advancement of personal goals. A selfless movement to advance the principles of liberty so that our children may live a free and prosperous life has now been infiltrated and is now threatened. Although the actions of the few do not reflect the Ron Paul movement as a whole here in Maine, it is ultimately going to present a great deal of problems in the near future for them. It’s always been known that liberty would be a fight against the establishment, but who in the Ron Paul knew it would be a fight against their own establishment as well?

Chris Dixon

About Chris Dixon

Chris Dixon is a libertarian-leaning writer and managing editor for The Liberty Conservative. In addition to his political writing, he also covers baseball for Cleat Geeks and enjoys writing on a number of other topics ranging on Medium.