Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich just can't get respect

LAS VEGAS -- As our colleague and Las Vegas Bureau chief Ashley Powers points out, you're nobody in Vegas until you get used in a promotion.

The Las Vegas Motor Speedway says it will refund the purchase price for the first customers each day with presidential surnames who buy passes to its Neon Garage zone for the Nascar weekend coming at at the end of February.

But like debate sponsors, they have a cutoff point. If your last name is Clinton, Edwards, Obama, Giuliani, Huckabee, McCain, Romney or Thompson, you're eligible. If you're a Kucinich or a Paul, forget about it.

But at least Dennis Kucinich got a mention in the release. Ron Paul's name was nowhere to be found.

"We gave strong consideration to anyone named 0Kucinich," said Chris Powell, the track's general manager. "But the poor showing of Dennis Kucinich in both Iowa and New Hampshire simply made that impossible."

The Neon Garage is billed as an entertainment center at the track, giving fans access to drivers and racing teams and the occasional celebrity. The promotion ends with the caucuses on Saturday

Oh, and the candidates themselves can get the refund just for showing up. Couldn't hurt to do it -- especially for those trying to campaign in South Carolina too.

-- Scott Martelle

Comments

[tim]

If only. If only I had the money to purchase American media outlets and promotional like your story. I could enjoy the hypocrite blackballing of other presidential candidates running for president. Ron Paul campaign should receive a Nobel Prize for doing so good in the elections considering the willful blackout in media.

[Dave]

If you want to know why Ron Paul can't get respect look at what the Federal Reserve would loose if he were to become president:

"All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise, not from defects of the Constitution or Confederation; not from any want of honor or virtue, as much as downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation." John Adams wrote to Thomas Jefferson in 1797.

Today, two hundred years later, his statement still holds true. And because of this the United Stats has allowed and continues to allow the Federal Reserve, a paper corporation, to control the flow of money; making it tight and creating unemployment or printing more and creates inflation.

Article I, Section 8, Clause 5 of the United States Constitution states that the Congress shall have the power to coin money and regulate the value thereof and of any foreign coins. As you may know, this is not the case anymore. The United States government has no power to issue money, control the flow of money, or to even distribute it; that belongs to a private corporation registered in the State of Delaware, the Federal Reserve Bank, created by Congress in 1913.

Even though Congress created this monster, former presidents Jefferson and Jackson believed, just as Ron Paul does, a central bank is not only unconstitutional but also causes inflation by printing money with no backing causing US citizens to issue T-bills to support the created money. Unfortunately it is our children that pay for the treasury bills we issue to prop up the markets. Any money the Fed releases to "curb market jitters over sub-prime woes" is a tax on unborn children who will be paying the interest on the debt we have accrued.

When the Fed injects more money into the system, then you have more money chasing the same number of goods which causes inflation. Inflation exists from the uneven change in the volume of money, say, when it is printed and given to a defense contractor. For the moment the contractor's suppliers do not realize the money volume has changed, the recipient of the printed money experiences increased purchasing power. The workers end up receiving the wage in old money, but then are faced with prices in the new money after the vendors adjust to the new money supply. Inflation is the enemy of our prosperity as it causes the cost of living to go up faster than the pay increase for the large majority of people.

Generations ago it was free for citizens to turn their gold and silver into money, which increased the money supply as a wealth to the people. Now dollars are created out of thin air and loaned into circulation as debt against future production, not exchanged into circulation as production performed. Money has been switched from an evidence of wealth to an evidence of debt. The whole principle and function of money has been switched.

Thomas Jefferson was concise in his early warning to the American nation, "If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."

Back in 1963, then president John Kennedy wanted an end to the Federal Reserve System and with a simple stroke of the pen he ordered the U.S. government to restore its Constitutional mandate of controlling the money. President Kennedy was dead three weeks later. When President Lyndon Johnson took office, he immediately rescinded Kennedy's order and the Federal Reserve won another round.

Slavery is the price of ignorance.

[DenisL]

We each seem to have our own major issue(s) that make their choice for President seem like the best one. My question is: Would someone tell me why we should NOT elect Ron Paul?

The rest, with Richardson out and Kucinich low in the polls, seem to be talking crazy talk about our military adventures in the Middle East. Additionally, no one else seems to understand the problems with the economy, inflation, and out of control deficit spending. Inflation is going to eat us alive, as it has already started to do so. Do you really believe that the REAL inflation rate last year, the rate that was used by the government for Social Security check increases this month, was 2.3%? Just look at the price of gold up 30% in 2007, now at an all time high and getting higher!

One can not talk about tax cuts without ALSO talking about cutting spending. We have a $9 trillion debt (nearly double since 2000) that must be paid so we can afford Social Security and Medicare. The interest payments will go sky high when we begin to fight inflation with higher Federal Reserve bank rates.

And we must stop inflation or everyone's life savings will go down the tubes, along with the middle class, like what has happened to the middle class in most countries south of our border. And do not forget National Health Insurance, which is coming down the tracks right at us, unless Republicans begin to understand the seriousness of runaway deficits and inflation. And start educating the country. A Democratic President will surely not fight inflation like Volcker and Reagan did!

Please vote Ron Paul and save the country from bankruptcy abroad and at home!

[Andy K. Kuo]

You guys are great. As a Ron Paul supporter, I scour the news sites using Google News and you guys consistently talk about Dr. Paul and Kucinich. Ideologically, I am completely opposed to Kucinich, but he is a principled man like Dr. Paul so he's probably the candidate I respect most after Dr. Paul.

If democrats voted their conscience, Kucinich would win their nomination. Same for Dr. Paul on the GOP side.

My dream is a November election with Paul and Kucinich. Imagine what those debates would be like.

[Yukon Dave]

HA HA HA Paul got 4th place in the largest primary to
date. Michigan has more voters than all the other
primaries to date combined. They are the 8th largest
state. What is interesting is that Ron Paul is still
getting a lot of votes. He spent less time and money
then Giuliani in Michigan but pulled more votes than
Thompson and Giuliani combined. Does that mean that
Ron Paul has more supporters that voted in real
primaries than Giuliani and Thompson combined.

Also remember that he still has 8 Million dollars in real money. Remember he
will not win but he stands a chance of having his
issues become more important. He is still on the
stage and that means he is still getting his message
out.

So I did something that no one in the media dares put
in written form. I counted the total number of votes
for a candidate to date in all primaries. Here are
the numbers.

442,595 – Romney 37.07%
361,235 – McCain 30.25%
206,281 – Huckabee 17.27%
84,335 – Paul 7.06%
50,542 – Thompson 4.23%
49,114 – Giuliani 4.11%

Here are the population numbers for the following
states that have had primaries.

As of January 15th 2008:
9,938,444 - Michigan
2,926,324 - Iowa
1,235,786 - New Hampshire
493,782 - Wyoming

January 19th, 2008
4,012,012 - South Carolina
2,495,529 - Nevada

January 29th, 2008
15,982,378 - Florida

[Ron Paul supporter]

Ok - here is a question -- Who would be the best Presidential candidate to help an injured race driver ????? Answer: Ron Paul - why ? because he is a DOCTOR --- The other candidates would just talk or pray and are of no use to a race driver and actually are of no use to running the USA either . WAKE UP PEOPLE !!!! Ron Paul is now the only hope to get the USA back into the hands of "WE THE PEOPLE " NOT " WE the Corporations ( MEDIA ) Why do people let the
Corportations decide who will be President ???? Give Ron Paul a few $$$ on Jan 21st and show the Corporations and major media that you will not be lied to and told who to vote for . Go Ron go

[Anthony]

They're afraid Paul supporters will throw snowballs at them and chant "Ron Paul" during the entire race. What can I say we are an intimidating bunch.

[Seth M]

Thanks for the truth. Articles like this garner much respect from us nobodies.

(Thanks for the nice words. Obviously, the Ron Paul story is an interesting one to watch, which is why we write about it so often. Hope you check back often. We've got another one coming soon on a special Ron Paul supporter and her project.)

[ByeByeMissAmericanPie]

Who cares? This country is going down the tubes with a government that is so thoroughly corrupt even a Paul or Kucinich couldn't save it.

[Rhys]

This is one of those few times where it pays to be forgotten.

[Drew]

"We gave strong consideration to anyone named 0Kucinich," said Chris Powell, the track's general manager. "But the poor showing of Dennis Kucinich in both Iowa and New Hampshire simply made that impossible."

Hahahaha...as opposed to the unbelievable showings of Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani in New Hampshire and Iowa, right?

Thanks for reaffirming the stereotype that Racing fans really are at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to intelligence, Mr. Powell.

[winter32842]

Stupid Media, why don't they give respect to Ron Paul, who fund raised the most money in the Republican race, who gets about 10% of Republican vote, who beat Thompson and Giuliani TWICE and yet Thompson and Giuliani get so much respect from the media especially from Faux News.

(Can't answer your question about TV, but can remind you that we cover Dr. Paul often here because he and his followers are such an interesting story. Hope to see you here again soon. We'll keep at it.)

[Canada Guy]

In my opinion, Ron Paul is the only candidate that should have anyone's respect.

However, it's obvious that all these other talking heads that are also members of the Council on Foreign Relations have the world's media heavyweights influencing them...

The USA seems to be in deep trouble...

[Chris Future]

Totally. I'd love to see the NON-PAUL memo which is currently circulating. Don't ever mention Ron Paul if you value your job.

(We mentiion him here all the time.)

[NH_GOP]

Who cares what these morons do. Those of us who are serious about restoring our country will still respect and vote for Dr. Paul.

[jane rahn]

A democracy only works with a well informed public. The masses are so easily fooled by sound bites and opinions in the newspapers. Civics is no longer even taught in high school, The people of calif elected the terminator so what does anyone expect? Ron Paul and Kucinich are the only candidates who will make a change, so therefore the media makes a mockery of them. Let the masses, or mobs proceed.

[Jeffrey]

I'm seriously thinking about moving to Canada.

(Well, if you love big govt. and large taxes, including an 8% federal sales tax, you'll love Canada!)

[Rick Toone]

I thought the socialists did a great job of explaining why we should vote for Dr. Paul.

[MLeclerc]

It seems many are still confused regarding the "inflation tax", and I remain stunned that people can't connect the dots between what is happening on Wall St. and the explaination Ron Paul has been providing to anyone who will listen! It seems we're about to nominate candidates who don't know jack about our money system and won't do a thing to fix it... just as the MSM and Fed hopes.

Poster Dave gave an excellent description regarding the history of how we are getting screwed by the Fed. I encourage ANYONE to google "Money as Debt" and "Freedom to Fascism" as videos to start learning about the fraud.
You'll see they are both in the Top 20 most viewed videos on Google.

To put the inflation tax into a one liner: "the dollars you earn working today will buy and oil change in the car you won't be able to afford to drive when you retire".
Yes you are making more dollars than your dad or mom, maybe your neighbor... but what will you be able to afford to buy with those dollars 20 years from now? Please wake up before it is too late.

[tanah]

Ron Paul is the man!! The other candidates are "boys" compared to the maturity he has about the economy and foreign policy.
If anybody else wins besides Ron P. -We should pray -pray pray!
The recession is here-not "if it comes" like Huckleberrry said 2 days ago...
Ron Paul's middle name in my book is : "substance"... He stands tall above the rest.
That's why FoxNews deleted the scene on the debate where the disrespectful moderator asked Ron Paul if he was a "viable" candidate....
Ron Paul put him to shame with his response!
It was so enbarrassing how Fox news was exposed that they decided to "delete" the question and Paul's response so people can't agree with him!!!

www.ultimateronpaul.com (best website i've seen so far).

www.thecaseforronpaul.com

[Terri]

Can you explain that if the poor showing of Dennis Kucinich in both Iowa and New Hampshire simply made that impossible that he be added, that Rudy Giuliani's name has been added to the list? Considering that Giulani did receive less votes in both Iowa and New Hamphire than Ron Paul.

[Fazsha]

Thanks to Ron Paul, I have received an incredible education. I have learned about Austrian economics, Frederic Bastiat, Robert Taft, Grover Cleveland, the ideological divide between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, and the Civil War debate on secession.

From Romney, not so much.

[arthur]

As an outsider from the UK. Ron paul is completely ignored over here too. Look at the suposetly independent BBC.CO.UK website and they will not mention Ron Paul in any of the corespondence of the US ellection.

[Doug]

I can see why they might have dissed Kucinich, since his vote totals have trailed the Democratic field, but Ron Paul has actually received more votes than some of the people they are including, like Giuliani and Thompson.

I guess the Neocon Garage can blame CNN, for now showing Ron Paul's "piece of the pie" in their Iowa caucus coverage -- it was that large gray area with no label on it.

[MC]

My mistake, Clinton is on the LATimes homepage 5 times.

I have yet to see Paul on there once.
(and I bet if they do/did it was a smear article)

Good job BLOGGERS! The rest of the LATimes should follow your example.

(Well, that's what happens when you get 30+% in an election. We'll see what Dr. P. does this weekend.)