Ron Paul reactivates GOP candidacy, vows to fight this year and beyond

Wait, hold on! Don't toss those Ron Paul signs quite yet.

The 72-year-old, 10-term Republican congressman has just vowed to continue his current campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. There's been some confusion in recent days since Paul sounded like he was, in effect, withdrawing to refocus his political efforts on a well-funded House primary challenger in his home Texas district near Houston on March 4.

His vocal online supporters have been less evident, effusive and at times abusive in the last couple of weeks. But now they have reason to refocus themselves too.

But Wednesday he struck a different note. "I will stay in as long as my supporters want me to," the Texas congressman promised CNN. "And I say as long as the number of volunteers continues to grow, and the money comes in, and there are primaries out there, and they want me to be involved, I am going to stay involved."

And if, say, there's a scandal or illness among the two remaining Republican candidates ahead of Paul in delegates, he'll be in a pretty good political position for the convention in St. Paul.

Also, guess what The Times' campaign finance guru Dan Morain just discovered....

tonight in records of the Federal Election Commission? Of all the Republican candidates left in the field at the end of January none other than Ron Paul had the most cash in hand -- some $6 million. And, like a true conservative, Paul reported not a penny in debt.

So he's got the money to keep his campaign going, despite being at loggerheads on many issues with fellow GOP candidates. And more funds flowing in each day from his loyal followers, despite being largely ignored by the major media, being barred by Fox News from a debate and receiving short shrift in speaking time there.

That's not likely to have much impact in the actual GOP voting, which Sen. John McCain has almost wrapped up. Paul has been drawing in the single-digits recently, getting 5% of the Wisconsin vote and 7% in Washington state this week. He did score a couple of second place finishes, including the Nevada and Montana caucuses, and beat Rudy Giuliani in Iowa and Fred Thompson in New Hampshire.

But his new re-affirmation of an active candidacy will be exciting news for hundreds of thousands of his diverse supporters scattered about the country in some 1,400 meet-up groups that demonstrate for him and raise money in numerous imaginative ways, including hotties 4 Ron Paul pin-up calendars. Their devotion and noticeable online enthusiasm had waned in recent weeks after Paul forced Mitt Romney from the race and then spent more time in his own district.

Starting last summer the seemingly spontaneous assembling of hundreds of thousands of Paul supporters, many new to politics, has been one of the more remarkable aspects of the current political season.

Although the major media have consistently treated him as a fringe candidate, Paul has raised more money recently and outlasted several more famous Republican competitors once given a good chance of winning the nomination.

In December, the Paul campaign broke the online one-day fundraising record by taking in $6 million and made Paul the most successful GOP fundraiser in the fourth quarter with nearly $20 million in donations. And he was the only Republican candidate to increase his take during each quarter of 2007.

So far this quarter, Paul's website reports in excess of $6 million more in donations, which the candidate said he would use to drive what he called a movement. In the CNN interview he portrayed the movement of Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians disaffected with large government and foreign entanglements as unstoppable, although mathematically the 2008 nomination is beyond their reach.

Paul, a former ob-gyn who recently drew a crowd of 1,400 at North Texas University, said he was overwhelmed by possible congressional candidates who could form a bloc of strict constitutionalists in Congress and carry the movement on beyond the unsuccessful 2008 nomination struggle. But although he refuses to endorse McCain, Paul also continues to reject the possibility of a third-party run.

Paul said students he talked with "hear other candidates talking change and they know it's the same old stuff over and over again. There's no difference with the other candidates. They know it's going to take time. But as I travel, I find something very significant going on around the country. They know we need to turn this country around."

"I couldn't stop this movement if I tried," he added.

Then, noting Fidel Castro stepping down from Cuba's leadership, Paul repeated his call for an end to the U.S. trade embargo on that country. "Fifty years of the embargo haven't worked," he said. "This is a wonderful opportunity to undermine communism."

--Andrew Malcolm

Photo: Bruce Crummy / Associated Press

Comments

[Ana]

Shouldn't McCain be discualified for being born in Panama and not in the U.S.??

[Helen]

Thank you for your kind article.

The true Ron Paul supporters never thought for a momemnt that he had quit his run for the President.

Too many folks, including some of the press intrepreted his letter as a withdrawal. The true supporters saw it as a very Paul message. He had to take care of making sure he could win his Congressional seat again, incase he didn't win the Presidential campaign.Thet was a wise and strategic decision on his part. .

He is the one person running for president that isn't afraid to speak his mind and doesn't waffle on issues. I don't agree 100% percent with everything he stands for ........but, of all of the candidates, .....I support his views and directions for this country the most.

This country is in a "perilous" state of affairs. Ron Pauls' plans and views, if implemented would move us in the right direction, so we could continue as the USA for at least another 200 years.

A dedicated Paul supporter.

[Ed. Chevalier]

My vocabulary is not expansive enough to adequately comment on the eloquence of the L.A. Times regards Dr. Paul and the superb comments thereafter. Particularly the comment from 'The American Family." Proceed Ron Paul, do not look back, we are following you. We have been stepped on long enough.

[LeoM]

Comment to : Cherry
| February 21, 2008 at 04:14 AM :

Second to Agenda , the dismantle of American
Middle-class must forego before conquering the
rest of the World.and what of a speed they have
succeeded after 9/11..

[sean truitt]

cherry, kudos to you.

we'll take it back. the founders did it with less.

revolution love.

[mj]

Thank you for mentioning Ron Paul and demonstrating that his voice is being heard!! I am a war veteran and thought I was alone in my concern about how far we have strayed from the CONSTITUTION but then I heard RON PAUL!!! Now I know I am not alone. Thank you RON PAUL for standing for us and by us in streets, in congress, online and everywhere you can.

My family, friends, coworkers, and I had not been contributing to the congressional campaign but we will step it up.

The CONSTITUTION is the SOLUTION. Go RON PAUL - R3VOLUTION!!!!!

[ghost_dog]

McCain has been doing dirty under the table deals for the past few years and even some during this election season... we need to have all of it spilled out in front of everybody soon. McCain will be his own undoing. why pass that law about not allowing negative statements against candidates a few months before the election? what is he afraid of? if he were a suspect in a criminal investigation that would be considered suspicious behavior, it would also be probable cause for a police officer to stop you and search you. so why don't we stop and frisk McCain and see what he is hiding.

[Doc Hogan]

Dr.Paul,
We those displaced American,You know the ones,the taxpayers,Want a change and you are our best hope.
Please keep it up.We(the followers) will stick with you as long as it takes to turn our country Around.

to the writer,
We don't expect equal treatment,we have become used to being slighted but,when the rest of this Circus of 2008 blows up,don't be afraid to say"I you told them so"..Ron Paul's folks will welcome you in.
So far we are a peaceful group,just a little excited about the possibility of taking our country back. Back from both Political Parties as well as the MEDIA ,( henchmen for Big Offshore Business).
It is to late in the game to point fingers,they know who they are.Now is the time to get our sleeves rolled up and get started at our Rescue Mission.America is worth any risk and the Ron Paul backers already know that,including the Military.
writer,,
If you choose,you are invited to endorse Ron Paul.There is a spot on his website for that.Tell the rest of your colleagues that they better fallow suite or they maybe left in the Chaos that is this 2008 campaign.
As followers most have turned off FOX for very good reason,many have turned off all the Media and are spending that time campaigning for Dr. Paul.
I would like to congratulate you on your slow but positive approach.Look as you will,this armor has very few flaws If any. I guarantee there is a volunteer covering that spot.
I guess you understand where we are at,come join us.Its very exciting.
Thanks,
Doc

[Revolutionary]

What's great is that you're right, the Ron Paulites have been quiet on the web. THat's because we are active in our communities getting ready for the conventions. We are moving forward, not in the beauty contest, but in the delegate contest. That's the one that counts.

[Dave Kwis]

My friends, all the slogans which have been seen and heard in Dr. Paul's presidential campaign are true. He has cured many people's apathy about governmental affairs and its politicians. He is besmirched, ignored and completely unheralded by the media because he has no corporate strings attached which direct his ideals. He is the start of a new American revolution --- not one of violent protest, but instead a call back to the fundamentals of a constitutional republic (and not a democracy based on majority ((mob)) rule).

His message will continue to gain momentum regardless of the outcome of this presidential election, but it will be up to us as his supporters to continue the message's momentum. I will proudly continue to wear my Ron Paul supporter button, and keep the magnetic signs on my car, proclaiming that I "Choose Liberty".

We must all be vigilant, active, and vocal. There are tough times ahead for this country, and we must keep the fires burning so that this revolution that Dr. Paul has started will continue to spread, eventually sweeping the nation as the ONLY solution to runaway spending proposed by Nanny-state collectivists here at home, and for pre-emptive wars and unnecessary foreign entanglements overseas as suggested by the neo-cons. Neither view is "typically" American, but both are steps toward a world where choices are few and liberties are fewer.

God bless America, and good luck to all of you fellow patriots!

Dave Kwis
Orlando

[Sam]

"But his new re-affirmation of an active candidacy will be exciting news for hundreds of thousands of his diverse supporters "

His supporters never bought the MSM line that Ron Paul was out, even when he was left out of super-Tuesday front pages (ie the LATimes) all across the nation. We were not daunted and we will not be going back to sleep. We listened instead to the campaign which, by the way, never said they were dropping out or suspending. Simply, they had to deal with Peden's mudslinging campaign.
Our unique Constitution must be our focus if we are to return to freedom, peace and prosperity.

Vote for yourself and for your children this November, elect Ron Paul!

[angel]

The media has had all the dirt they needed on John McCain for years and that's why they wanted him to have the GOP nomination. It's because they knew Obama or Hillary could beat him. They forgot that the RNC hasn't happened yet. They forgot that this is not the general election. They broke their first scandal piece a little early. Make no mistake, there is plenty more scandal and dirt on John McCain to come. Ron Paul is squeaky clean, has a ground-swell of grass roots support, he is well financed, and his supporters will NEVER vote for McCain. This is a battle for the hearts and minds of Republicans. It's the classic fight between good and evil. Republicans must come down on the side of right in this, or accept defeat in November.
VOTE RON PAUL!

[NoMoreBlatherDotCom]

No "scandal or illness" is necessary. All Ron Paul supporters need to do is go to McCain campaign apperances and ask questions like these:

http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/007456.html

If someone really presses McCain on those issues and then uploads his response to video sharing sites, it will get hundreds of thousands of views and everyone will have to admit that he's not qualified to be the nominee.

[Tannim]

Well, the McCain scandal is one thing, and there is another one coming. It's actutally already out there. More on that in a moment.

As for Dr. Paul, he never left, and rumors of his demise were greatly exagerrated. His opponent, Peden had raised about $165K, but only $12K of that came from outside him or his own family. In the meantime Dr. Paul raised over $1M for that race this past 2 weeks. Peden himself had actually endorsed Dr. Paul in the past.

Back to McCain and his scandals. The latest one is summarized as follows:

So, tying it all together:
1. The 14th Amendment and matching regulations limit citizenship to natural born and naturalized.
2. John McCain was born in 1936 in the Canal Zone to citizen parents.
3. 8 USC 1403(a) declares naturalized citizenship in 1952 on persons born in the Canal Zone to citizen parents.
4. Therefore 8 USC 1403(a) applies to John McCain at age 16.
5. Therefore John McCain is a naturalized citizen.
6. The Canal Zone was not part of the United States.
7. Therefore John McCain was not born in the United States.
8. Therefore John McCain is a citizen not born in the United States.
9. Therefore John McCain is not a natural born citizen.
10. Article II of the Constitution states to be President a person must be a natural born citizen.
11. THEREFORE John McCain is not eligible to be President of the United States under Article II of the Constitution.
12. THEREFORE John McCain should be disqualified from running for President and should be decertified and removed from all present and future Presidential ballots, and his past results should be disallowed.

See the full research findings at http://muddythoughts.blogspot.com/2008/02/panmanchurian-candidate-mccain.html and judge for yourself.

[FLC]

Ron Paul has reinvigorated the movement to take back this country...

[Rhonda]

Wow, all I can say is that Andrew once again wrote a fantastic piece about Dr. Paul. His article probably is the bst ever anywhere because out of the thousands of comments I have read around the internet pertaining to the good docto since the beginning of his presidential campaignr, I have never read such passionate ones as what has put up here. Obviously there are other factors added to the ones who wrote these comments, but even so, unless Andrew wrote such an article, those passionate commentators would not have gone that deep into their own souls to be willing to write such great works. I do hope they are taken and presented to others widely.

Dr. Ron Paul all the way along with his supporters and the messages that are being more known and accepted!

Rhonda

[CANADA LOVES RON PAUL!!!!]

Excellent News -- simply excellent!!

Go Ron Paul --

Finish the days of those spending neocons for Canadians too!

[mike s]

McCain doesn't have a hope in hell of winning against either Hillary or Obama...when will the republicans wake up to this fact...Paul as GOP candidate for president would steal a lot of democrat voters away from Hillary and Obama and would return many disenchanted republicans who are independent back to the party

[Craig]

Just because Paul won't run third party doesn't mean he won't endorse a worthy third party candidate. And he can be a huge asset to said candidate and continue the movement.

[rudy]

ALL WE WILL SAVE A BUCH OF MONEY SWITCHING TO RON PAUL PRESIDENT 2008....PEACE ...FREEDROM AND PROSPERITY.....I WILL SEE YOU ON WASHINGTON DC GAYS...

[warispeace]

Ron Paul is already my President.

[Majority Rule Moral Majority]

If only one man (Ron Paul) stands alone in our government trying to do what is right then so be it! The two parties that have taken our government away from us , and I know Ron is a member or one of them, should be abolished and we should start over with a new form of electing our government! Ron Paul does not take orders from the party rulers and thus, they do not support him. Like Ron my family has to be conservative in everything we do especially when it comes to paying the bills. Perhaps if nothing else comes of this, some of the idiots running this country will learn how to manage money and get rid of debt as Ron Paul has done!

[AKK]

Yes, we Ron Paul acolytes are here to stay. We will take back our country. Ron Paul's 2008 campaign is just the beginning. You ain't seen nothing yet.

[Sharyn Keller]

Ron Paul and his freedom message is alive and well and is capturing the imagination of the world!!! We are on fire!

I ask you, what other presidential candidate, be they Republican or Democrat, does the world ACHE for?

The MSM is not telling you this, but I want to thank the wonderfully fair journalist and proud American who is taking a stand, the great Andrew Malcolm, who brilliantly realizes the power and uniqueness of the Ron Paul r3VOLution, and is allowing me this opportunity to prove my point...

Please...do this exercise!

Google: (name) Meetups in Europe

Edwards has 2 countries
Barack has 1 country
Hillary has none

...Ron paul has 25 European countries!!!

[and Worldwide Ron Paul Blogs and Websites in
Asia, Brazil, Canada, India, Pakistan, and Venezuela]

...1551
Ron Paul 2008 Meetups Worldwide...

www.europe4ronpaul.blogspot.com/

www.ronpauleurope.net/

_________________

...Potent letters from our European friends testifying to the power of the r3VOLution:
______

http://people.ronpaul2008.com/campaign-updates/2008/01/24/the-look-on-john-mccains-face/#comments

Dear Ron Paul

My name is Tom and I would like to share some thoughts from a distant country in Europe. I am amazed by the movement you have made and I am a big fan of you and your freedom ideas.

I agree that you are silenced by mainstream media in the USA, but let me say that in my newspaper I have read that in Nevada McCain was second. You simply do not exist at ALL!!!

We have had recently election and the candidate and party which shares most of freedom ideas was also silenced and compromited by jurnalist in every and even without occasion. I know it very well, what now happens to you, so let me give you some words of advice.

First you must understand that the majority of voting people are simple people. They will hardly understand what you sometimes speak, so please stop wasting so little time you have in media for this talk and concentrate in every occasion in what is your greatest advantage. Show people your supporters, tell them, that they do it because they think I am honest man, they do that because they want to have freedom.

YOU ARE THE ONLY CANDIDATE WHO HAS SO MANY CONVINCED PEOPLE WILLING TO SUPPORT YOU. You and this page in every occasion needs to promote them, encourage them, give others heroes. Convince others that they can be heroes ALSO!!!! Do you know that after New Hampshire I have searched in Meetup groups and I have seen that one guy have convinced his roommates and ONLY BECAUSE OF THIS IN HIS PRECINCT YOU HAVE WON. Those guys you need to show the public. Everybody wants to be a heroes and you can show them how easy it is!!!!!
I have seen your TV AD and although they are nice, they are no different like the others. If you want a good TVAD please show in TV one of Youtube videos. They are fantastic peace of work. They show mostly your supporters and this is also what you need to show the public. You are the ONLY candidate of the people!!!!

During the debate say that outside of this building you have thousands of supporters, encourage spokesman to show them to the public. Presenting yourself with so strong people support would make others think why is that. What do they see in you? Maybe I also would see something special???

Be different. Act different. Show why you are different!!!!!!!!!!!
Show your supporters and they will be your tube across America.

Sincerelly yours

David W.A. Robertson, Inverness Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 7:01 am

TOM FROM EUROPE IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!! I typed that in caps because it is SO important. Please please please listen to him. This is the ANSWER. I spent most of my working life in marketing and advertising and I know that THE EMOTIONS is what you have to target. Now, watch the video on this link that Sharyn posted on Tommy Christopher’s website:

http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/01/24/gop-debate-liveblog-the-ron-paul-show/

Do you see what is happening? Does that not make you want to find out MORE about Ron Paul? Why on earth are ALL these PEOPLE supporting him? Doesn’t this put the kybosh on all the Old Media trash talk about Ron Paul’s Supporters? The winning ad in the competition last year was along these lines but has it been used?

Marshall McLuhan the famous Canadian media guru is well known for saying “The Medium is the Message”. What most people don’t know is he followed up by saying “The Content is the Audience”. What he means is that the Medium gives the Authority. Today’s Authoritative Media are TV and the Visual WEB. These YouTube videos are WHY Ron Paul is dominating the Internet. The Content MUST be the Audience you are targeting.

This is why you see the People in any commercial are the Audience being sold to. If you focus on the Ron Paul Supporters and they are a complete cross section of the American People, guess what? Right!

I have no idea why it has taken me so long to see this. I have been too busy focusing on other things. I knew there was something amiss and this is IT! Combine these Supporter shots with punchy music and commentary and WOW!!

We live in Scotland and the latest election here was in May last year when the Scottish National Party won for the first time ever. Their campaign commercials were immaculate, focused on the Scottish People working in different occupations, with the theme HOPE for the FUTURE, and used a clock ticking in the background with echoes of the Scottish pipes and the words, repeated at important points in the video, “IT IS TIME”. Even now as I write these words I can recall the power of these commercials.

So, read Tom from Europe’s post again and hear what he is saying. THIS IS THE ANSWER. His comments about making the Supporters the Heroes is exactly Ron Paul’s message. IT IS BRILLIANT! AND IT IS TRUE!

[Shannon]

It is so nice to see something written by the mainstream media that isn't full of charged language. Too often the stories I read are written so as to sway the reader to imagine Dr. Paul or his supporters as some sort of psychotic fringe group. These same people go on to describe Obama supporters as highly educated and affluent. Leading one to believe only Ph.D.'s with nine figure bank accounts vote for Obama. Wouldn't it be nice if the media could just report on the facts and let the country decide who is best for us? I am so pleased to see an article written without obvious bias. Maybe there is hope left for the media in this country.