Ron Paul tucks America into bed tonight

Rep. Ron Paul had 10 of his 15 minutes of fame this afternoon during the taping in Burbank of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," now a regular stop for political candidates. And he got several rounds of applause. They will echo out of television sets across the country's time zones all this evening as Americans climb into bed.

Jay was a gentle questioner, leading the 72-year-old libertarian through his resume -- 10 terms in Congress, Air Force veteran, ob-gyn who delivered 4,000 babies. "Just NBA players?" asked the host.

"How'd you get into the the sleazy business of politics?" asked Leno. Paul said he became fascinated by economics and realized, "We're on the wrong road and you can't print money out of thin air." (Applause.)

Paul said yes, he was in favor of abolishing the Internal Revenue Service because the country had gotten along fine until the income tax started in 1913 because "we didn't have an empire to worry about." (Applause)

He said: "It was a mistake to go into Iraq." (Applause) He said: "We should follow the Constitution."

He said American troops are unhappy, disenchanted and the country is not safer but is more vulnerable. He said he was not an isolationist, that he supported "the Founders' admonition of peace and commerce with all but entanglements and alliances with none." (Applause)

He said his support was growing "by leaps and bounds" because "the message of liberty is powerful." And that he was a lifelong Republican except for a break to run for president as a Libertarian in 1988.

Then, he added, "There probably is a risk I could win." (Laughter)

He said he probably would not accept an offer of the vice presidential slot, that none of the Republican candidates would support it. But "I'd certainly consider it."

"Good luck to you, sir." (Applause)

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Gene Trosper]

10 of his 15 minutes of fame? Wow. There's a statement that's about as off base as one can get. He is all over the internet, is appearing in mainstream media more and more often and I am starting to see more of his signs and bumperstickers on the road. I even know two people at work who are big supporters of Ron Paul. His popularity is only going to grow and grow.

[jarnkm]

Ron Paul, by far, passes the other candidates by addressing the "real" concerns of We the People and our United Republic. It is past time for someone with common sense to be in the White House. What we are experiencing today is the result of having leaders who did and do not have the true interests of We the People and our country at heart but, are dancing to the beat of a totally different and "self-destructive" drum. Apathy and complacencey has controlled the minds and hearts of We the People and Ron Paul might just be the last chance that We the People and America have to survive and possibly return to our past standing in the world.

[Lee Bostwick]

As a student looking to head into politics, this man is an inspiration to me. We need more politicians like him. If we did our country would be even greater.

[Tannimi]

Except for the minutes of fame crack, decent synopsis.

But you forgot that the audience was there for Dr. Paul, not the Sex Pistold and not Tom Cruise either.

You also missed his campaign ad that aired just before he came out at that commercial break...

[Dion]

This article shows the bias of the mainstream news in the US. One must go to the internet to find the real stories. Ron Paul is the only candidate worth considering and voting for, I am. He will have more than 10 minutes of fame. When elected, he will be responsible for changing the course of the US and putting this country back on track with the constitution. Get real Andrew and report the news as it is not as your corporate leaders dictate.

(Dion--A reminder: This is a blog. NOT a newspaper story. Big diff. Thanks for reading.)

[Karl]

The first paragraph tries to convince you that somehow that is all Ron Paul will get or has gotten. Wrong again. Obviously the pundits and the hacks still live in fantasy land and not amongst the people.

How about 10 or 15 minutes of fames for several months now.

[Bethesda MD]

Ron Paul might not win, but he deserves the support of every American who believes that government is too big, taxes are too high, and that our foreign policy is overreaching.

[Stephen]

"Rep. Ron Paul had 10 of his 15 minutes"

I pray his next 5 minutes will be from January 20, 2009 till January 20, 2017 as President of the United States.

[Lou]

We The People are rapidly reaching the point where we'll gladly die if necessary to defend our Constitution from its domestic enemies.

We're taking back our Republic.

We're taking back our Republic from the Communists, the Socialists, the neo-cons, the Constitution-haters.

We're taking back our Republic. There is NOTHING the mainstream media puppets can do to stop it.

[Democrats Against Hillary]

Ha ha. The Ron-Paulites always swarm when their man is mentioned. I like the 15 minutes of fame crack. The guy has an interesting message, best understood as: leave Iraq (blind foreign policy isolation at any cost) and starve the poor (economic libertarianism). This message seems to appeal to the nut segment of our society (Lefty 9/11 Truthers and crazy right-wing libertarian dudes with long pony tails). It's fun to watch, but Mr. Paul will have to take his ball and go home after the first two GOP primaries. He might crack 5% in New Hampshire...but most of those indies are going for McCain or voting in the Dem primary for Obama...

[Jacky]

10 of 15 minutes? Maybe in the fantasy-land the LA Times lives in.

Gosh I knew there was a reason why I didn't read your paper.

(Thanks for reading the blog.)

[Jeugenen]

DAWN OF AN AMERICAN REFORMATION, AND THE END OF THE ERA OF THE UGLY AMERICAN

This Ron Paul constitutional rebellion is an escallation and re-orientation of the American Cultural War, by the American People, against the rising governmental tyranny by Neoconservative Republicans and Leftist Democrats. It is sweeping across America like a wildfire - ignited by the illegal and unnecessary invasion of Iraq.

It raises many crucial questions; such as, where does the American Constitution give my government the right to sacrifice precious American wealth and blood, in interests of domestic and foreign lobbies?

And, where does the American Constitution give my government the right to allow my nation to be invaded and permanently by illegal aliens?

And, where does the American Constitution give my government the right to support the sacrificial killing of children, by their own mothers?

And, where does the American Constitution give my government the right to discriminate against traditional religious practices in public schools, universities, marriage institutions, armed forces, and governmental offices?

This creeping governmental tyranny, driven by perverse special interests, has now been going on for so many decades, like the illegal invasion, that the impending American Reformation is regarded with fear and loathing, by those who are to lose their illicit gains.

Like Gandhi, Ron Paul, is drawing his intrepid volunteers from the full spectrum of humanity; and the World is cheering him on to victory.

Note: Evidently, websites such as the NeoCon RedStart, pretentiously offer freedom of speech; in fact they practice press censorship, much as any evil dictatorship.

[Jayed]

I don't understand how you can inject personal bias into your articles like this and expect to be respected as a journalist. Your job is the report the news, not tell us how to interpret it.

All candidates big or small should be getting exposure. The race for presidency is a gallery of choice where you are supposed to pick a candidate whose agenda is closest to yours, so that you, as an individual, can be represented in our government. Narrowing the choices down only serves to hinder this choice, forcing people to vote for someone whose ideals are not that which the individual wants to be represented by.

Mainstream media constantly 'coloring' stories like these by reinforcing that a particular candidate has no shot only causes people to abandon their plans to vote for that person, because they feel it is a lost cause. Without this biased coverage, people would simply vote for the person who represents them best, not the person who is a better odds-on to win.

[Sara]

RON PAUL is the hope of this great, beautiful country. We need him. I wish the rest of the US would come to realize this.

[samantha smart]

Just to counter a few claims in previous comments... I was in the audience for this show, and no one knew who the guest was until the day of the performance. So the audience was not packed with Ron Paul supporters, he's just a popular guy and fairly charming in person. I bet half the people cheering didn't actually vote for him, it was just friendly support for an outside candidate.