Ron Paul launches eight-state ad blitz

Get ready, California. Here comes Ron Paul! Literally.

After thousands of radio and TV ads bombarded the early-voting states for months, Californians' ears are about to be exposed to the biographical story of Paul, who's gained growing attention in recent weeks for his amazing fundraising success; Paul's fervent followers raised nearly $20 million in the fourth quarter alone, including a new online one-day donation record in excess of $6 million. With those funds, the 72-year-old, 10-term Texas Congressman with the libertarian ideals is launching an eight-state ad campaign on radio stations in California, Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, North Dakota, Louisiana, Maine and Florida this week.

The ad is biographical, detailing his background and hinting at his longtime opposition to increased government spending. Here is the ad text:

"Who is Ron Paul, the Republican candidate for president?  Ron Paul served his country as a flight surgeon after the Cuban missile crisis. As a young doctor, Ron Paul worked nights in the emergency room of an inner-city hospital, taking care of everyone, whether they could pay or not. As an ob/gyn, Ron Paul delivered over 4,000 babies. Dr. Ron Paul knows our healthcare system needs real change,   where patients and doctors are in charge, not big corporations or government bureaucrats.

"As a congressman for almost 2 decades, Ron Paul knows our Constitution is there to protect our freedom and limited government. He has never voted for a tax increase or an unbalanced budget. His record clearly shows he will cut taxes and stop runaway spending. People who know him call him the taxpayer's best friend."

Paul, who finished fifth in Iowa with 10% but well ahead of Rudy Giuliani's 4% and could beat the ex-mayor again in New Hampshire, did not have a particularly good weekend. Despite campaigning there, Paul won none of the GOP delegates chosen in Wyoming's caucuses (Romney won there) and he was excluded from Sunday's Fox News debate.

Paul is counting on a strong showing in New Hampshire on Tuesday, where he's been advertising and mobilizing volunteers for weeks, to propel him to an even higher profile heading on to South Carolina and Michigan. His vocal followers have formed more than 1,200 meet-up groups across the country and appear to be an eclectic, determined collection of disaffected Democrats, Republicans and libertarians, including numerous previously uninvolved in active politics who like Paul's idea of smaller government and bringing most American troops home.

“We are the people who care about the country and the Constitution,” Paul said the other day. “I don’t think we’re going to let it die.”

And tonight, Paul himself will be in California. It seems his exclusion from Sunday's Fox News GOP debate resulted in an invite for his second appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno"  on NBC. Hey, it worked for Mike Huckabee last week, who chatted with Jay on the eve of the Iowa caucus and then won.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Louis Lambert]

Andrew, thanks for this excellent informative article and helpful links

[farnk]

How did this person even get elected to Congress? What's wrong in Texas?

[Talcott]

Good...job Mate!

I live SoCal, and his support is gaining.

Does the author know which stations the spot's are

being played on?

[tony angel]

That's a nice ad, but there is no sense of how his policies are so removed from the norm that he's got some truly different answers. If I didn't know of the man I would assume that he was just some Doctor with a tax cut policy.... ho hum.. yeah yeah righto...

It is almost laughable how his official stuff is so pap yet the surrounding online hints of a radical shakeup.

I think he's great! Bring on the Revolution Ron!

[Robin Dicken]

Good reporting. Very odd other MSM outlets do not mention Ron Paul's exclusion/censorship is not mentions AND that the NH GOP backed out of sponsoring the event without Paul/Hunter. AS DID THIS ARTICLE. Perhaps this is the best thing to happen for Paul-Jay Leno seems to think for.

[Tess101]

Once again thank you Mr. Andrew Malcolm for this write up on Ron Paul.
I have to say I was very disappointed this weekend while traveling from Central California into the Los Angeles area on the way to take family to LAX. I thought I would see at least one sign supporting a presidential candidate, the only thing I saw was graffiti on the over passes, it looked like something out of a Mad Max movie. I felt like I was driving into Tijuana. My husband and I have a huge magnetic Ron Paul for President sign on the side of our truck, and of course bumper stickers, we did get a lot attention by the way. Ron Paul will do well in New Hampshire with or without debating the other 5 neocons with foxnews. The ABC debate held on Saturday was good for Ron Paul, and his televised one hour Townhall meeting held on Sunday was a great way for the people of New Hampshire to listen to him without all the childish snickering from war mongering John McCain and Giuliani. I would like to post here the real reason why Foxnews and the other 5 candidates are trying to keep Ron Paul out of the press and debates and I hope you will print this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uk-T46soz8

BTW, Huckabee and Mccain are the worse offenders of our freedom and the truth, next is Giuliani. Please see what the troops really think about Iraq, and this not coming from just one member, I too am a former US Air Force member and agree 100% with Ron Paul. The time is right America to have a leader for the People of America, and that person is RON PAUL.

[Joe]

gee I guess I'm "eclectic" because I support Ron Paul! Well, no time to type, have to get moving to support the warfair, welfare state this morning! So I'll take my "eclectic" rear end to work.

[Elizabeth]

Mr. Malcom,

Again, nice job! Thanks for covering some of his platform.

Do you know what hope feels like? We supporters do. It's like being a kid again.

Thanks for being part of our nation's rebirth.

[Dave]

Inflation Steals our wealth, earnings, and retirement benefits.

[Nydra Karlen]

Ron Paul was actually TDY in Pakistan in 1964 when he served as a flight surgeon. He said on a trip to Afghanistan, someone pointed up at the snow covered peaks and said, there independent tribes up there that have never been conquered. When do we learn to leave people alone?

[Bob]

GO Ron Paul GO.... our best hope for America! Google or U-tube him.

[Don]

I am happy to see Ron Paul is starting his california campaign, unlike the national media I believe the media in california will be far more fair and balanced in their coverage!

[JeffnDallas]

It never ceases to amaze me how "fair and unbalanced" local media outlets have been to Ron Paul vs. the larger corporate media (hint at Fox, given their recent UNfair and UNbalanced exclusion of Ron in Sunday's forum).

It's nice to see that good old fashioned reporting and journalism is alive and well, at least in local markets around the country.

Thank you for showing them how it's done, Andrew and LA Times!

[Tim, Minneapolis]

Thanks for the info on Ron Paul. He is a true hero and patriot. He speaks truth, something we really need. I like the sound of "President Paul" Nice and easy to remember.

[E. Schulz]

Thank you for the nice article. We need journalist's like you all over the country.
Ron Paul has been censored and blacked out by the major media outlets ..it is to the credit of his grassroots movement that he continues to only GROW and increase every day.
Thank you for being fair.
We all appreciate any kind of media attention we can get.
Sincerely,
E. Schulz
mississippi

[Jay]

Nice article! Way to go, Leno! I've been waiting for one of his ads to point out that as a medical doctor, Dr Paul is in a better position to understand the problems with healthcare than the other candidates. It is amazing to me that people consider his ideas to be so fantastical. I'm college educated but really have respect for someone who got a medical degree. I have been surprised several times when I researched Ron Paul's positions that I didn't initially agree with (pulling troops out of S Korea for example). When I found out S Korea has 40 times the economy of N Korea it made a lot more sense that they should be permitted to run their own country. Those moments increase my respect for Dr Paul.

[Whiteyward]

We have experienced a crazy prez. and now we seek a really crazy Prez. Ronpaul will not get any Electoral College votes. The fringe candidates never get near the EC votes necessary to win. Many of those votes are already decided so he must split the rest of the votes with the pack. But he is fun to watch, voting NO and those "Paulets" are such a circus of followers.

[brian Kuszmar]

Andrew, finally a fair and balanced report. Nice article, keep up the good work!

Regards

[Wendy M]

Now this is what I call Fair and Balanced. Thanks again, Andrew for your unbiased coverage of Ron Paul.

I only disagree somewhat that he "did not have a particularly good weekend". It actually seems to have worked out pretty well. Oh no, Brer Fox - don't kick us out of your forum - please, Brer Fox, not that!

Ron Paul held an hour long town hall meeting in New Hampshire yesterday while the snarky FauX News forum was being held. It was recorded and can be viewed on YouTube.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxldrCsVByA
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VQcpmfT0f4

Looking forward to Leno tonight!

[Gary]

Thanks for talking about the only man I can really get behind... even after he's in the WhiteHouse... knowing that his supporters would still have to work for him and this potentially great Country. I want to be proud of the USA again.

[Gene Trosper]

I believe that the exlusion of Dr. Paul from the debate is going to have no negative effect upon his campaign. The Tonight Show has a much wider audience than Fox News and certainly, the ink he has garnered from this is worth much more than a few paltry minutes in a hostile debate.

[mketcher]

Ron Paul is the only true grass-roots candidate. Less than a year ago, he was a vitrual unknown, wondering whether or not he should run for president in a party now dominated by big-government, pro-war neocons. Since then, his campaign eploded on the Internet, he has more Meet-up group members than any other candidate, Democratic or Republican, he's out-fundraised all of the other Republicans in the last quarter, and now he's making his second appearance on Jay Leno. Still, Ron Paul can't get no respect. He's the Rodney Dangerfield of the Republican Party.

For a great satire on the president, the mainstream media, and the war on terror, see this YouTube music video from the international award-winning zombie musical feature film, “Song of the Dead.” It’ stars horror movie veteran Reggie Bannister (Phantasm, Wishmaster, Bubba Ho-tep) as the president of the U.S. The filmmaker, Chip Gubera, is giving a share of his profits from DVD sales to the Ron Paul campaign. Go to:
youtube.com/watch?v=qQmkkoxSKYw

[Bill Henderson]

Welcome to California Dr. Paul. I'm voting for you in the
California primary. You had me at "freedom."

[evangeline wollmar]

http://elections.newsvine.com/

polls nationwide, both democratic and republican have Ron Paul winning

1600 polls I am so afraid the polls will be corrupt like they were with Bush. God help us....Ron Paul is needed now to save the USA

[w. david charleston]

i feel this is all working in his favor...the general distrust in our gov't is growing and just the idea of a non-established candidate gets most honest hears open to new ideas, potential, and change

new hampshire is the place to start this revolution