Ron Paul wants all Americans to become Austrians

[Tender Branson]

Traitor ! Treason !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFznkB7Rv1I

ca. 4:35

[Jackson]

"We are all Austrians now"-Ron Paul

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I'm in!

[Brandon H]

This thread made me think of this video where people are asking if Obama is a Keynesian.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBrHkxqNT7s

Perhaps some Democrats, still angry that people are accusing Obama of being born in Kenya, will start accusing Paul of being born in Austria.

[Oakvale]

That was the weirdest part of a very weird speech. Not only did his crowd know to boo "Keynesians", but it was followed with "we're all Austrians now yuckyuckyuck".

[Stranger in a strange land]

This thread made me think of this video where people are asking if Obama is a Keynesian.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBrHkxqNT7s

Perhaps some Democrats, still angry that people are accusing Obama of being born in Kenya, will start accusing Paul of being born in Austria.

WHERE IS THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE?!?!?!?!?!!??!!?

[angus]

Best line of any speech that night.  That was one of the highlights of my booze/CNN aftercaucus letdown.  I'd considered posting a thread then, but I was on a liberating four-week Forum-free streak and I didn't want to risk. 

Now that the seal is broken, though...

"We are all Austrians now."  It's like the little DARWIN fish/mammal thingy, you know.  New twist on an old theme.  It's clever.  Not as clever as sliced bread, but clever.

I'm surprised MSNBC hasn't had more fun with that.  Ron Paul in SS uniform.  Ron Paul with black toothbrush mustache, giving the roman salute.  Heil!  For all I know, they may be.  I don't ever park it on that channel so I wouldn't know.

[argentarius]

I felt that line had a bit of comedy value, because people who follow the Austrian school get really annoyed when people say "we're all Keynesians now".

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

"You know who else was a Austrian...HITLA!"

Can't remeber where I heard that one

[angus]

I felt that line had a bit of comedy value, because people who follow the Austrian school get really annoyed when people say "we're all Keynesians now".

well that was the whole point, wasn't it.  

I actually thought it was the best speech of the night.  That line was the most memorable soundbite, but there were several others (e.g., "It turns out that Freedom is popular!")  In fact, the whole tone of the speech was positive.  And realistic.  It was quintessentially Republican, in every sense.  Hopefully he'll get a bounce.

But because it was such a Republican speech, I'm also surprised that the left-of-center talking heads haven't made more of it.  The erstwhile hero Winston Churchill and his conservative party was easily replaced just after World War II by Clement Attlee's successful attempt to associate Churchill with Friedrich August von Hayek.  Attlee kept saying von Hayek's name in every speech, pronouncing it in a very German way.  Of course, the UK had just lived through a nasty war with the Austrians so it was easier for the people to connect Hayekian economics with animosity and bleakness.  

[Beet]

Well, it had more to do with the fact that Britain had just won the war by organizing itself along Keynesian lines.

[angus]

Well, it had more to do with the fact that Britain had just won the war by organizing itself along Keynesian lines.

That's the usual analysis, but the effect of negative campaigning can't be overlooked.  Churchill himself tried it as well, when he compared Labour Party initiatives to the Gestapo.  That backfired, of course.

My point was that you now have a soundbite of Ron Paul to use against him.  And not some second-hand, race-baiting newsletter articles from antiquity, but something out of the horse's mouth, and recent.  If we really are "all Keynesians now" then it should be relatively easy fodder for a 30-second PAC ad organized by the Romney people or the Santorum people, should they ever consider Ron Paul a serious threat.