Ron Paul
 

Issues

http://www.ronpaul2008.com/img/on-the-issues.jpg
Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) is the leading advocate for freedom in our nation’s capital. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Dr. Paul tirelessly works for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary policies. He is known among his congressional colleagues and his constituents for his consistent voting record. Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution.

Debt and Taxes
Working Americans like lower taxes. So do I. Lower taxes benefit all of us, creating jobs and allowing us to make more decisions for ourselves about our lives. (more...)

American Independence and Sovereignty
So called free trade deals and world governmental organizations like the International Criminal Court (ICC), NAFTA, GATT, WTO, and CAFTA are a threat to our independence as a nation.
(more...)

War and Foreign Policy
The war in Iraq was sold to us with false information. The area is more dangerous now than when we entered it. We destroyed a regime hated by our direct enemies, the jihadists, and created thousands of new recruits for them.
(more...)


Border Security and Immigration Reform
The talk must stop. We must secure our borders now. A nation without secure borders is no nation at all. It makes no sense to fight terrorists abroad when our own front door is left unlocked. (more...)

Privacy and Personal Liberty
The biggest threat to your privacy is the government. We must drastically limit the ability of government to collect and store data regarding citizens’ personal matters.
(more...)


Property Rights and Eminent Domain
We must stop special interests from violating property rights and literally driving families from their homes, farms and ranches. (more...)

Up for discussion...
 

Sunday, June 17, 2007 - Page updated at 02:03 AM


Ron Paul: nowhere in polls, but everywhere on the Web

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Among candidates, only Barack Obama gets more YouTube hits than Ron Paul, right.

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ORLIN WAGNER / AP
Ron Paul's MeetUp groups, with 11,924 members in 279 cities, are the biggest in the Republican field.



WASHINGTON — On Technorati, which offers a real-time glimpse of the blogosphere, the most frequently searched term last week was "YouTube."
Then came "Ron Paul."
The presence of the obscure Republican congressman from Texas on a list that includes terms such as "Sopranos," "Paris Hilton" and "iPhone" is a sign of the online buzz building around the long-shot Republican presidential hopeful — even as mainstream political pundits have written him off.
Rep. Ron Paul is more popular on Facebook than Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Paul has more friends on MySpace than former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Paul's MeetUp groups, with 11,924 members in 279 cities, are the biggest in the Republican field. And his official YouTube videos, including clips of his three debate appearances, have been viewed nearly 1.1 million times — more than those of any other candidate, Republican or Democrat, except Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
No one is more surprised at this robust Web presence than Paul, a self-described old-school, pen-and-paper guy who is serving his 10th congressional term and was the Libertarian Party nominee for president in 1988.
"To tell you the truth, I hadn't heard about this YouTube and all the other Internet sites until supporters started gathering in them," said Paul, 71, who noted that he raised about $100,000 after each of the three debates. Not bad considering that his campaign had less than $10,000 when his exploratory committee was formed in mid-February. "I tell you, I've never raised money as efficiently as that in all my years in Congress, and all I'm doing is speaking my mind."
That means saying again and again that the Republican Party, especially when it comes to government spending and foreign policy, is in "shambles."
However, while many Democrats have welcomed the young, fresh-faced Obama, who is trailing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., in most public-opinion polls, Paul barely is making a dent in Republican polls.
Republican strategists note that libertarians, who make up a small but vocal portion of the Republican base, intrinsically gravitate toward the Web's anything-goes, leave-me-alone nature. They also say Paul's Web presence proves that the Internet can be a great equalizer in the race, giving a much-needed boost to a fringe candidate with little money and a shadow of the campaign staffs marshaled by Romney, McCain and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
An obstetrician and gynecologist, Paul is known as "Dr. No" in the House. No to big government. No to the Internal Revenue Service. No to the federal ban on same-sex marriage.

"I'm for the individual," Paul said. "I'm not for the government."
If he had his way, the Homeland Security and Education departments, among other agencies, would not exist. In his view, the USA Patriot Act, which allows the government to search personal data, including private Internet use, is unconstitutional, and trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement are a threat to American independence.
But perhaps what most notably separates Paul from the crowded Republican field, headed by what former Virginia Gov. James Gilmore calls "Rudy McRomney," is his stance on the Iraq war. He has opposed it from the beginning.
After the second Republican presidential debate last month, when Paul implied that U.S. foreign policy has contributed to anti-Americanism in the Middle East — "They attack us because we're over there. We've been bombing Iraq for 10 years," Paul said — he was attacked by Giuliani on stage, and conservatives such as Saul Anuzis were livid.
Anuzis, chairman of the Michigan GOP, threatened to circulate a petition to bar Paul from future Republican presidential debates. Although the petition never materialized, Anuzis' BlackBerry was flooded with e-mails and his office was inundated with calls for days. "It was a distraction, no doubt," he said.
The culprits: Paul's growing number of supporters, some of whom posted Anuzis' e-mail address and office phone number on their blogs.
"At first I was skeptical of his increasing online presence, thinking that it's probably just a small cadre of dedicated Ron Paul fans," said Matt Lewis, a blogger and director of operations at Townhall, a popular conservative site. "But if you think about it, the No. 1 issue in the country today is Iraq. If you're a conservative who supports the president's war, you have nine candidates to choose from. But if you're a conservative who believes that going into Iraq was a mistake, Ron Paul is the only game in town."
Added Terry Jeffrey, the syndicated newspaper columnist who ran Pat Buchanan's failed White House bid in 1996: "On domestic issues like spending and taxation and the role of government, Ron Paul is saying exactly what traditional conservatives have historically thought, and he's pointing out that the Bush administration has walked away from these principles. That's a very attractive argument."
Especially to someone such as Brad Porter, who obsessively writes about Paul on his blog, subscribes to Paul's YouTube channel and attended a Ron Paul MeetUp event in Pittsburgh last week.
The 28-year-old Carnegie Mellon student donated $50 to Paul's coffers after the first debate, and an additional $50 after the third debate.
"For a poor college student, that's a lot," said Porter, a lifelong Republican. "But I'm not supporting him because I think he could get the nomination. I'm supporting him because I think he can influence the national conversation about what the role of government is, how much power should government have over our lives, how much liberty should we give up for security. These are important issues, and frankly, no one's thinking about them as seriously and sincerely as Ron Paul."

I like Ron Paul. Doesn't seem like the Libertarians plan to nominate anyone this election...

Wonder if it's too late to change party affiliation so I can vote for him in the primary?

I need to check on that.

That's a good idea.

I saw him on the Colbert Report. He's a pretty funny guy. I really like his ideas and his view on government.

danny

I registered to vote almost 30 years ago, but I never registered as anything, for any party.

I've always heard the expressions "registered democrat" or "registered republican", but never knew what they are talking about. How do you register as anything?

It depends on the state. Some states use a "closed primary" system. If one wishes to vote in the Democratic primary, then one must be registered as a Democrat.

There are other systems, including "semi-closed" and "open" primaries.

Register to vote, vote in the GOP primary, and contribute to the campaign: https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate/

In my state we have a graveyard vote.

are you sure it isn't the graveyboat vote...

Perhaps.
Results indistinguishable.

Ron Paul is not afraid to tell it like it is. Too many politicians out there can't even get the talk right, let alone the walk.

No one else would ever talk about the fiat economy. If you get a chance, watch this clip on Ron Paul on Federal Reserve:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji_G0MqAqq8

Hope he gets a chance to show us he can walk, too. He's got my vote.

Interesting how so many of us "different" types here on the Mercedesshop like him. I only hope he gets a real chance at a run.

Ron Paul is awesome! He is really big in Austin. He's been on Colbert, The Daily Show, and Bill Mahr (repeatedly). Bill Mahr says he is the only Republican he would ever vote for.

He stomped Rudy in the debates and then several times on each of those shows afterward. It's like how does the 9/11 Mayor of New York know so little about terrorism when it is his running platform.

Yet the mainstream media have never heard of him. Sad, really.

Some of you may enjoy this -- Interview transcript and video: The Raw Story | MSNBC's Tucker Carlson invites Ron Paul to give 'freedom tutorial'

This is really great feedback.

To me Ron Paul's got it by the roots, esp. when it comes to the monetary system.
You' ve got to rip the weeds out of the ground including the roots.

America's monetary system needs to have an overhaul and a few adjustments in order to bring this country back on track.

Yet on the other side, He's challenging the Untouchables directly, which is surely and truly a brave act, because they're not going to like it.

Yeah, Ron & Ron !

Thanks for posting!
This is way too important to pass unacknowledged!

Wow I like him! I hope he gets a chance to run I'd vote for him.

The two parties will probably make sure he doesn't run, maybe some billionare will get behind him and bank roll his run.

Maybe he could get Bloomberg as his VP? Who knows...

I like Richardson as well. At this point I'm not even concerned with ideals or policies, I just want somebody with some credibility that isn't going to run the country into the ground with more of the same.

That will be hard to find ... :cool:

Depending on the party, credibility will be rubber-stamped by 30% of the voters; credibility will be impossible with another 30%; and 40% couldn't find their own butt-cracks with both hands.

B

assuming their hands can reach behind them...

Autsch ...!

he is running, that's what this is all about. get out and vote in the primary.

Danny

I don't think Bloomberg is looking to play second fiddle...

Ron Paul, the Right Man With the Right Message at the Right Time
by Dana Gabriel
If you've never heard of Ron Paul, you probably have by now. This defender of American sovereignty and the Constitution is injecting his ideas into the Republican Presidential campaign and debates. The mainstream media have tried to ignore him, there have been threats to exclude him from the debates, and some have called him a nut. Nothing seems able to stop the Ron Paul revolution. His momentum is not manufactured and he has the most room to grow out of all the candidates. His appeal crosses all party lines and his message of non-intervention is such a contrast to the warmongering neo-cons. People are responding to his pledge for liberty and are sick of the government's lies and propaganda.


Ron Paul is a veteran, a physician, and is in his 10th term as a Congressman. He currently represents the 14th district of Texas. He is a libertarian constitutionalist and ran for president as a Libertarian candidate in 1988. By using the Republican party as a vehicle in becoming president, he is being included in debates and is getting more exposure than any third party candidate would receive (unless they are a Ross Perot with tons of cash). He is conservative by nature and has never voted to raise taxes or for any congressional pay increases. He has been likened to the founding fathers. This is a man of integrity and principle who is not swayed by lobbyists, and does not accept money from any political action committees. His grass-roots support and appeal is not only coming from disillusioned Republicans, but those tired of the Democrats dog and pony show. Many believe that he is the only Republican candidate who can defeat Hillary Clinton by drawing away the anti-war vote from the Democrats and from the center. He is one of the few politicians who hasn't been compromised and who votes according to the Constitution.


It is hard to disagree that the sheer size of government and its spending is out of control. It is becoming too intrusive, and most of the money being spent is going to the financing of wars, nation building, and security. Ron Paul believes in a smaller government and recognizes that one of the greatest threats to our individual liberties is controls being enacted through the war on terror. He envisions a society that is less dependent on the government. He believes that the purpose of government is to protect the life, liberty, and property of its citizens. He is opposed to U.S. membership in the United Nations and the WTO as they both severely undermine American sovereignty. In the past he has introduced legislation to withdraw from both organizations and is against any type of world government. He is pro second amendment and opposes gun control as he thinks it will make people less safe. He is against the death penalty and believes that the government should not control the Internet. He was one of only a handful of Republicans who voted against the Iraq war as well as against the National ID and Patriot Act. Dr. Paul has vowed to eliminate the IRS, CIA, and the Federal Reserve if elected president. He preaches a non-interventionist foreign policy and wants to return America to a republic. Unlike other candidates who wish to destroy the Constitution, he wants to preserve and restore it.


Ron Paul is one of the few politicians who practices what he preaches and truly understands the role of government. He wants the U.S. out of bad trade deals like NAFTA and CAFTA and is against the North American Union on the principle of national sovereignty. He is a rare gem in politics- someone who means what he says and doesn't flip-flop. Although one may not agree with everything he says, one must acknowledge the fact that he is consistent and passionate about his convictions. This is a man who for the most part has been unappreciated, and has pored out his heart and soul for a country he loves. He takes his oath of office seriously and votes according to the Constitution, not by party affiliation and is not swayed by public opinion. Dr. Paul is taking the Internet by storm winning several on-line polls and has been one of the top searches on the net. He is a threat to the other establishment candidates and there has been a real effort by the mainstream media to censor his message.


It is obvious that Ron Paul is not one of the establishment media-preferred candidates, but after three debates with limited speaking time he has managed to distinguish himself from the others. His message is simple, but refreshing and in the process, he is making the other candidates look like fakes, phonies, and liars while he comes across as genuine, sincere, and honest. He clearly won the first debate and in the second one was further bolstered by Rudy Giuliani's ill-fated attack. Ron Paul was right that American foreign policy was a major contributing factor leading to 9/11, but he never suggested that we invited the attacks. Giuliani's assault signaled that they thought Ron Paul could become a threat and therefore wanted him neutralized, but it backfired. After the debate, the Michigan Republican Party chair Saul Anuzis called for the barring of Ron Paul from future debates, but backed off because of thousands of petitions and phone calls. Dr. Paul did not back down, and questioned if Giuliani had ever read the 9/11 commission report. A few days after the debate, he was on the offensive, holding a press conference where former CIA officials agreed with his statement and assigned a list of books for Giuliani to read on the subject. Nothing seems to be able to derail the Ron Paul campaign as he gains more momentum. Although he is polling in single digit numbers, if he were able to finish in the top three in the New Hampshire primary, it could set the stage for him becoming the Republican presidential candidate in 2008.


It is exciting to see more people embracing the Ron Paul message, but it is unfair to pin all our hopes on just one man. Win or lose, we have him to thank for the issues he has brought to the nations attention. He started off reluctantly, running not because he wanted to, but because he felt he needed to for the sake of his country and has become more confident with each debate. In his own words, “I know the message is powerful. There's no limitations on the philosophy of freedom. People are begging for it.” Ron Paul is the right man with the right message at the right time.

Although i spoke in defense of Hillary, I too feel that Paul is the right man with the right message at the right time.

We need to evaluate politicos on "what have you done to make this a freer country?" Because, we've tried to evaluate them based on making the country safer... Safety is a nonexistent entity. Freedom, however, is quite quantifiable.

Hear, hear!

We need to get back to basics in this country!
...And stop following those so called ""LEADERS"" :smash:

Hillary is a dangerously smart woman, she's got my respect, but she won't get my vote.

Can you vote?.............

Definitely!

:DSWEET!........:D

How sweet can it be ... :)

Ron Paul on the Daily Show:

http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/index.jhtml?ml_video=87974

On the Colbert Report:

http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/index.jhtml?ml_video=88505

I'd recommend getting it started and then pausing until it loads completely. I was getting a bunch of fits and starts til I did that.

That's a good one! It's great, Ron Paul is such a sport!

My Ron Paul bumper sticker just arrived, so I will be representing on my MB.:cool:

There's a real patriot!

Don't get too invested in the man or you'll find yourself disappointed when he turns out to be just that, a man: Flawed and incomplete. he may appear to be the best fo the lot so far (I think so) but he ain't Jesus Christ and he probably ain't George Washington though these are the times that try men's souls.

So far the whole 'debating contest' is for entertainment only, anyways.

And what's going on over there in the 'H. Clinton' thread? A bunch of boys rascaling over the only female candidate?:laugh3:
Actually, everybody got sidetracked, into the old 'George W' curb...
Boy, this odd couple Bush/Cheney being out of the office ... I only believe it when I see it ...

Perhaps not, but he does sport an 18+ year voting record that consistently forwards the position of the Constitution to the exclusion of obvious partisanship and personal bias. He's certainly no deity, but he just may be the cure.

He certainly has what I would call "a postive attitude", for that matter ...
He also knows the system and isn't shy to put it out there.

The sense I'm getting, He's the rare kind from who I get the feeling, He is truly concerned with the Country's issues and not just another 'sales pitcher' trying to rough it down shark-alley, selling out the nation and it's sources by the cubic foot ...;)

On the Dollar
 

Check this out:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6954340279773665730

It maybe worth a buck or 2.

06/28/07 interview with Ron Paul
 

http://www.muckrakerreport.com/image...out/spacer.gifhttp://www.muckrakerreport.com/siteb...ph_Murtagh.JPG
Joseph Murtagh
An Interview with Presidential Candidate Congressman Ron Paul

June 28, 2007

Muckraker Report:You seem to have a stronger anti-war stance than even many of the Democratic candidates: unlike Hillary Clinton, for instance, you voted against the Iraq war. In terms of foreign policy, what would a Ron Paul presidency look like?
Congressman Ron Paul: Well, it certainly wouldn’t involve going to war with countries that pose no threat to us. The 2002 Iraq war resolution transferred the authority and responsibility for waging war from the legislature to the executive branch, which is a total breach of the principles of the U.S. Constitution. James Madison pointed this out in 1798, that because the executive is the branch of government most interested in war, the question of war must be vested in the legislature – “with studied care,” I believe his exact words were. You can’t have presidents waging war willy-nilly for reasons that are fundamentally at odds with the basic interests of the American people. I voted against that resolution because I believe strongly that we should avoid getting entangled in foreign alliances and instead seek peace and trade with all nations. This is a reflection of the wisdom of the Founders, who advocated a non-interventionist foreign policy, the most eloquent expression of which can be found in George Washington’s Farewell Address. So to answer your question, if I were president, I would do my best to follow in the footsteps of the Founders by abiding by the rules laid out in the U.S. Constitution, which means limiting the power of the executive to wage war.
Muckraker Report: Each year, the U.S. gives billions of dollars in foreign aid to Israel, which, many academics have argued, not only fuels anger and hostility towards the United States among Muslims in the Middle East, but places a heavy burden on the U.S. taxpayer. As president, would you do anything to address this imbalance in America’s foreign aid policy?
Congressman Ron Paul: I’m with the academics on this one. Anyone who is even remotely aware of the facts knows that American foreign policy in the Middle East has stirred up enormous anger among Muslims, our support for Israel included, and you’re correct to say that it’s the American taxpayer who’s shouldering much of the burden. Also, the sanctions in Iraq during Clinton’s presidency, which killed nearly as many Iraqis as have died under the Bush presidency, and the presence of our military bases in Saudi Arabia – together with the situation in Israel, these actions are used by extremists and jihadists as justification for killing Americans. Just look at bin Laden’s public statements throughout the nineties. Can you imagine what it would be like if parts of the United States were occupied by a foreign power, if China was building military bases the size of the Vatican in Kansas? People would be up in arms! This isn’t to say that we “invited” the attacks of 9/11, or any other terrorist attacks, but simply that our policy decisions have certain consequences that we might wish to avoid. The CIA has given a name for this – “blowback.” This was the subject of my recent disagreement with Rudy Giuliani in the debate, who has no idea what he’s talking about. On a global playing field, deeds can have a way of rebounding on the doer, which is why the older imperial powers tended to be very cautious in their dealings with strange peoples in foreign lands. The Clinton and Bush administrations have been absolutely incompetent in comparison. This doesn’t mean that I’m against the idea of spreading the concept of freedom, just not with the barrel of a gun. Like I said, my solution would be to follow the wisdom of the Founders, which means a non-interventionist foreign policy, getting rid of foreign aid to all nations, including Israel. We ought to lead by example, not by coercion or special interest: this was what the Founders had in mind.
Muckraker Report: Where do you stand on Guantanamo?
Congressman Ron Paul: Shut it down. The current rationale at Guantanamo is based on the false premise that detainees are not entitled to due process protections. I support court decisions recognizing fundamental human rights, such as habeas corpus. Again, this is an issue that flies in the face of our civic and legal traditions as outlined in the Constitution. As such, I see no purpose for continuing the facility.
Muckraker Report: In his book “Palestine: Peace not Apartheid,” former president Jimmy Carter has argued that AIPAC, the so-called “Israeli Lobby” in Washington, exerts an undue influence on America’s foreign policy decisions in the Middle East. Do you agree?
Congressman Ron Paul: The First Amendment grants all citizens the right to petition the U.S. government, and this applies to AIPAC as much as anyone else. However, I oppose certain lobbying groups having more of an undue influence than others, and since one of the main purposes of AIPAC is to lobby for generous taxpayer subsidies to Israel, that portion of their influence would end under my administration.


More here:
http://www.rawstory.com/showoutarticle.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.muckrakerreport.com%2Fid447.html

Bot,
I agree with your assessment. Americans are too unsophisticated in our expectations of governemnt. We look for the white knight mounted on his trusty charger to come and rescue us. Because that is what we want, the politicians are only too eager to provide that stereotype. They all act as if they, alone, will solve all our problems; just like a good daddy.
We need to grow up, not expect politicians to be able to solve all our problems, revert to Constitutional expectations ( and limits) on government, and get on with life.
We are only guaranteed the pursuit of happiness; achievement of that pursuit is beyond the purvue of the government.
Run Ron, run!
or Run, Bot, run.

http://www.melaniemorgan.com/compone...mages/poll.png Who Would You Vote for in '08?

Ron Paul 1887 45%

Mitt Romney 1205 28.7%

Fred Thompson 421 10%

Tom Tancredo 399 9.5%

Duncan Hunter 161 3.8%

Newt Gingrich 43 1%

Rudy Giuliani 35 0.8%

John McCain 20 0.5%

I only vote for Democrats! 11 0.3%

Mike Huckabee 8 0.2%

Michael Bloomberg 4 0.1%

Sam Brownback 3 0.1%

Number of Voters : 4197 First Vote : Monday, 25 June 2007 13:32 Last Vote : Saturday, 30 June 2007 01:19

The poll is flawed---they omitted Bot from the candidates. I smell a conspiracy!

I'm voting for Frank X Morris. Calm, well-grounded, likes dogs more than he likes most people.

I will not decide who to vote for until the day before the primary and again the day before election day.

Personally I think a good 3rd party candidate is going to pop into the mix.