Ron Paul scales back hopeless effort, refuses to back McCain

He's not really quitting. He's not really suspending his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. He's not promising victory, just to keep on keeping on. But, in effect, Rep. Ron Paul, at 72 the oldest candidate for president and the only GOP candidate to oppose the Iraq war, is facing reality.

In a statement to supporters on his website, first mentioned here early Saturday, Paul admits, "With Romney gone, the chances of a brokered convention are nearly zero. But that does not affect my determination to fight on, in every caucus and primary remaining and at the convention for our ideas, with just as many delegates as I can get." In a new 14-minute campaign video, Paul says he wants to clarify some confusion

His campaign currently claims a total of 42, 1,149 shy of the total to win and some 650 behind the GOP leader, though other estimates give him only 16. He took third in Washington over the weekend and fourth in Kansas behind even Mitt Romney, who'd dropped out. Even if he won every delegate still available, Paul could not capture the party's nomination in September in St. Paul, which is no relation.

Despite ridicule by other GOP candidates, despite getting significantly less time to speak during debates and, in one instance, even being barred from a GOP debate by Fox News although....

he'd collected more votes than those included, Paul repeated his vow not to attempt a third-party bid, which would drain priceless conservative votes from the party's nominee. "I am a Republican," he said, "and I remain a Republican." He did say he'd be reducing staff and offices.

Now, whether the 10-term congressman with the libertarian ideals, actually endorses Sen. John McCain is something else. Paul has said we should bring overseas troops home and invest the saved money in fixing America; McCain has vowed to stay overseas, especially Iraq, as long as it takes for success.

This morning Paul told one of our sister newspapers, "I cannot support anybody with the foreign policy he advocates, you know, perpetual war," said Paul. "That is just so disturbing to me."

In his website statement, Paul then alludes to probably the largest factor for his refocused campaign: He's trying to run simultaneously for president and his House seat in Texas' 14th Congressional District and faces a challenger in the March 4 primary, Chris Peden, a city councilmen from Friendswood. So Paul will be on two ballots that day.

"If I were to lose the primary for my congressional seat," he said, "all our opponents would react with glee, and pretend it was a rejection of our ideas. I cannot and will not let that happen." In a new 14-minute campaign video, Paul says he needs to clarify confusion over his dropping out, that he is just altering his schedule to allow primary campaigning in his home district and he intends to compete fully in all remaining primaries and on to the convention.

Although largely ignored as irrelevant by many media outlets, though not The Ticket, the story of Ron Paul and his thousands of determined, sometimes aggressive, usually good-natured followers is one of the more interesting of the current election season.

Virtually spontaneously, disaffected Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians and newcomers to the political process began gathering around the plain-spoken Paul last summer and with their nearly $20 million in smaller donations turned him into the most successful GOP fundraiser in the last quarter. On one day he raised $6 million online and was the only Republican to increase his contributions in every quarter of 2007.

With some 1,400 meet-up groups across the country, letter-writing and sign-waving campaigns and creative publicity stunts, they helped Paul to some second, fourth and fifth place finishes in states such as Nevada, Montana and Maine. He beat Rudy Giuliani in Iowa and Fred Thompson in New Hampshire and financed an eight-state advertising campaign.

His boosters, who worked the Internet assiduously to right wrongs and make Paul's case, maintain that a corporate-media conspiracy to ignore him prevented the former ob-gyn from getting his less-government message out to most Americans. He certainly was ignored and, only recently, included when providing poll results on TV. But additionally, his strict constitutionalist ideas for reducing the federal government and abolishing the IRS and Federal Reserve Bank and returning to the gold standard may be just too radical for a country today facing international terrorist threats and the current economic uncertainty.

Even the tone of hundreds of comments left here by Paul supporters changed in recent days from aggressive advocacy to reluctant acceptance of the disappointing reality of continued single-digit poll results.

It would be interesting if those supporters took the time here now to leave comments explaining why they think Paul never caught on to a wider audience (we already know about the media conspiracy) and what they think about his refocused campaign and their spent donations.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[roman]

Why has Paul gotten such disappointing results.

Continuing apathy "even several people I know who like Ron Paul DID NOT VOTE FOR HIM because they thought he had no chance. About 10% of the people I knew said this.. Very sad

people are more interested in football and yet feel the need to vote, even though mostly uninformed. They feel the need to vote for someone that sounds or looks most presidential. Or of their same sex or race or because someone is a democrat or a republican. This is where i think the country is best served when these people simply dont vote.

Media bias. It has been difficult to refute this. It is so obvious for all but the most ardent pro war supproters to admit.

Corruption. there have been some reports of vote fraud. However I would not claim that this would put Paul in the lead. It still seems to be a fact of any major election.

In another sense Ron Paul has already won. By teaching thousands of people, myself included, the principles of liberty and the constitution. This movement is in a position of potentially explosive growth. In any case I will continue to pursue my sharing of this knowledge with others. And will continue to be active in my local, regional and federal election process. Looking for the next generation of Libritarians and constitutionalists.

[Boris]

What a cute story. Good try to lead our sentiment for this Revolution. It is nothing less than that, a Revolution. And Dr. Paul has "caught on" unlike you say. And he keeps on catching on and everyday at a faster rate.

But cute try! Watch out, here comes a train with thousands of carts running in thousands of rails.

Boris

[goldaura]

RON PAUL WILL NOT QUIT AND NEITHER WILL HIS PEOPLE...THE VOICE OF AMERICA .

IT ONLY TAKES ONE MAN TO CHANGE THE WORLD FOR THE BETTER.

YOUR LAST CHANCE PEOPLE TO PUT YOUR OWN MAN IN THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!

[tim, minnesota]

Andrew,

First things is Ron Paul campaign made some large political miss steps like not expecting and responding to the huge increased interest in November and December. Other events have effected the campaign. That said I have real issue with your written comment above Ron Paul received appropriate and proportional MSM coverage of his campaign relative to his primary results. Rudy Giuliani left Iowa for Florida and sat on his thumb for 6 weeks spending millions of dollars in Florida waiting for voting day down their. Ron Paul consistently beat Giuliani for six states and received virtually zero coverage. Yet every state primary or caucus the press was all over Giuliani interviewing him and discussing strategy propping up and minimizing Giuliani losses state after state. Just go back and look for yourself. Even go to the internet sites of CNN, MSNBC, FOX News and type in Ron Paul under site search. Then check out Giuliani prior to Florida vote. Just look at the total article and the posting dates. The hypocrisy of the media trying to excuse editorial decisions of exclusion of Ron Paul over Giuliani via voting results is flagrant and inexcusable.

(Good points, Tim. Thanks for taking the time.)

[Freeboy]

"But additionally, his strict constitutionalist ideas for reducing the federal government and abolishing the IRS and Federal Reserve Bank and returning to the gold standard may be just too radical for a country today facing international terrorist threats and the current economic uncertainty."

LET me get this stragith...The Founding Fathers were WRONG, they would not have been elected today. They would have been FORCEBLY BLACKED out from the Media.

WARMONGERS who waste tens of BILLIONS of dollars on a FAKE war, give millions of jobs away to outsourcing, allows tens of millions of Third World foreigners to pour into the country, allow corporations to control the Banks/Media/and the nation, while liars...are the preferred politicians to Americans.

And they wonder why we are so HATED and despised around the world.

[Mac Stevens]

"why they think Paul never caught on to a wider audience"

1. Many people still don't know who he is or what he stands for, based on my conversations with people.

2. Socialism is popular. I think we haven't seen enough socialist societies fail yet. A lot of people think it's A OK to make me pay for their school, their doctor, their house, undeclared war, etc. and happily send me to jail if I don't.

"what they think about his refocused campaign and their spent donations."

Refocused campaign? I'm happy he didn't quit. Donations? It's some of the best money I ever spent.

And as far as "hopeless effort", yeah, I'm bummed he didn't do better. But, I'm still in. The goal is to return the United States to the principles in the Constitution. That's not a one or two year project. How can we give up hope on that? Without basic freedoms and sensible financial policy, we're screwed.

[Vicki Erickson]

Dr. Paul,
You have the support of one very important man-
you see-he thinks your the light in the darkness that
the Bible talks about-like George Washington or Abe
Lincoln or Joseph In Isreal or like Leif Ericcsen, we
Swedish people of America support you. Your fight
for the Constitution is the extended inspired word of
the creator God who gave men like you and me the
voice and actions that molded this union 1999 years
ago today, Glory is sure to follow you all the days
of your life as his eternal protection has followed me
alll the days of my life.
Donald ( A good name is well chosen like a crown,
and Paul is sure a good name as is Erickson)

[Jessica]

I wouldn't call it a media "conspiracy". It's actually pretty blatant. And if you already know about it, why do you ask? The majority of voters refuse to vote for someone who they think cannot win. If they don't hear anything about him in the media, they assume he has no chance. I am a precinct captain and have spoken with a large number of people who say that they really like him, but won't vote for him because "he can't win". It's not that people don't like him, it's that people let the media choose their candidate for them, and the msm won't acknowledge him as a legitimate candidate.

[private, thanks]

Ron Paul has not been understood because he has not backed off his strong stance of pulling Americans out from abroad. This day and age when terrorists drool to break down the fundamentals of America, you can’t cower and run home to hide. While I will agree our Foreign policy is broken, pulling strategic military presence is as vital for America’s allies as it is for America itself. Had he not been so stubborn and assured the country he plans to keep Americans where Americans are needed, he would have done better. His economic ideas are genius. His constitution ideas are genius. His smaller government and increased states rights are genius. What a shame the media shut him out. What a shame he did not assure he would not pull America from all foreign bases but work with military experts to work on the fastest, safest way to pull out from Iraq while preserving Americas interests and safety from radical terrorism.

Poor planning for such great ideas and media (fueled by the GOP no doubt) kept the best man down. The country best start to learn how to say President Obama. McCain is the worst choice the GOP could have supported. McCain a guaranteed loser where Paul was supported by many Democrats. Even super pro-conservative (borderline conservative freak) Ann Coulter even said she would support Clinton over McCain. Way to go GOP. You first lose the seats on the Hill then you back someone who will never be in the White House.

[Todd - Sacramento, CA]

Who's quitting? We're just getting started. The only way to take down the Establishment is by continuing to fight for freedom and liberty. It's amazing how the masses are swept away by the media's ability to influence their behavior. It reminds me of an experiment in a lab only with people instead of mice. The MS-media has been following their orders well. Here is a quote from David Rockefeller thanking them for their participation in destroying our freedom and liberties over the years.

David Rockefeller, founder of the Trilateral Commission, had this to say at a Bilderberg Meeting in 1991: "We are grateful to the Washington Post, The New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications, whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost 40 years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the bright lights of publicity during those years. But, the work is now much more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries."

Here is what Barry Goldwater had to say about David Rockefeller's Trilateral Commission:

"The Trilateral Commission is international, and it is intended to be the vehicle for multinational consolidation of the commercial and banking interests by seizing control of the political government of the United States. The Trilateral Commission represents a skillful, coordinated effort to seize control and consolidate the four centers of power – political, monetary, intellectual, and ecclesiastical." - Senator Barry Goldwater

David Rockefeller, former chairman of the CFR, and his global banking friends have a plan in store for all of us.
That's why I support Ron Paul and his message. I don't like David Rockefeller and his plan for globalism.

Do your own research on the CFR, David Rockefeller, and the Trilateral Commission, and you will certainly begin to understand why Ron Paul was treated so unfairly by the media.

"The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is the American Branch of a society that originated in England... (and)... believes national boundaries should be obliterated and one-world rule established." - Carroll Quigley, CFR member and author of Tragedy and Hope

I don't think very many people realize that McCain, Obama, and Clinton are all members of the CFR. And please understand that the CFR is the Anglo-American branch of the Royal Institute of International Affairs - A British organization dedicated to destroying American freedom and liberty and taking economic and political control of the whole world through their Central Banks.

So I say again, who's quitting? We are just getting the R3VOLution started. I am more excited about it now than ever. I never thought Ron Paul would win the election but I did understand that by running as a Republican (and continuing to run) he has and will gain more support for the cause of freedom and liberty.

Ron Paul people are not your typical voters either. We are committed to what we believe in and are willing to make sacrifices that ordinary people won't make. A vote for Ron Paul is more valuable than 25 for other candidates. Those people will simply go back to sleep and watch the tube for the next 4 years. But not us. We are activists for freedom and liberty, and we will be in every congressional district raising hell with our elected representatives. Ron Paul will lead us with his knowledge as a Congressman and we will be more effective than the president. The results in the primaries across the country are giving us enough support to accomplish this effort. We will dominate the House of Representatives!

[valerie]

Who in the heck would ask such a question of Dr. Paul as he is still in the race? The march on washington is comming.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ryMliyeIDp4

[Deco]

To engage in a debate about the future with a sleeping giant (the American people), is not something that will be attained overnight. The debate has started. America is weakening from within, and Ron Paul has asked people to consider what is happening to American society, and how big government and big business are fermenting the rot.

Ron Paul is doing what can be done. If you read the book by the Scottish Author, Ferguson on the US, you will see that the average American has a very short attention span in the media. Everything is in short bursts. Ferguson proposes that this is a weakness in the American psyche that Americans need to understand. Ron Paul is facing this short attention span. Guiliani is the master of this short attention span media output. But Guiliani has been 'found out' as a result of the Fire Officers of the FDNY revealing how he failed to provide proper radios for those brave heroes, who died saving their fellow citizens, in the second tower collapse in 9/11. Thanks to a long running FDNY campaign, Guiliani will no longer be lying to the people. Americans are losing patience with the politics of the past, as Obama has correctly pointed out. Obama is beating Clinton, and Obama will beat McCain. Obama is more articulate and more intelligent. Ron Paul is the only Republican who has wide appeal. Huckabee will not win any states outside of the South. McCain will lose the states, where he outscores Huckabee in the GOP nomination. Ron Paul is the only option for the GOP. The GOP has it's collective head in the sand, if it thinks that anybody other than Ron Paul, will even come close to Obama. Ron Paul is the GOP canididate that is best capable of engaging in an intellectual debate with Obama. Obama has momentum, and will win the Presidential nomination. Then the GOP will have another '1976 moment' when it realises that the candidate with the best hope, failed to get the nomination.

[Ken]

The messager is just as important as the message and Dr. Paul has been a poor messanger. He is a poor debater who often seems to be rambling.

Secondary is the 'fervor' of his followers who have slammed the Internet and on-line polls on his behalf. Hard to listen to someone who shouts all the time.

What responsibility does the main stream media have for reporting on a minor candidate who stands virtually no chance of impacting the outcome?

[Southernman]

What are the alternatives? Mc Cain ? He belongs to George Soros. Ron Paul is the only candidate who seems to care about the working class and our military as well as our OWN borders. These neo-cons are using up our military and do not care about the families they break up. The media has a responsibility to cover the issues at hand. Ron Paul is the only one who has really scratched the surface of that topic. I noticed that the media also does not mention the fact that the military has been a BIG supporter of Ron Paul's ideas. It is time to rid this country of the enemies within and I do not mean terrorists either. I am talking about any politician who does not follow the Constitution in his law-making. The Patriot Act is a treasonous bill and should never have been passed had it been examined throughly in the light of the Constitution. If you think the Federal Reserve is any better, just Google the statement made by another congressman named Louis T. McFadden. He called it for what it was way back then. God help this country because if Ron Paul does not make it, He is the only one who will be able to.

[Sarah]

Ron Paul is victorious.

He moved many people to the polls -- many of those are young people. Though he will not gain enough momentum in this Presidential Election, those young people have many more election years ahead of them. Change is coming -- it's just one small step at a time.

[MagicBill]

I voted for Ron Paul, even though I knew that he would probably not get many votes in the People's Republic of Maryland!

Ron Paul scares the media, who is controlled by the powers that be that do not want Ron Paul in office because he'd eliminate their power. Our founding fathers did not want a central bank and fought against the Bank of England. Now we have the Feds and the Bank of America and look at the mess we're in. Only Ron Paul talks about inflation and controlling spending.

The people did not vote for Ron Paul because they were not TOLD to by the media. The sheeple will follow the voice of the media, promoting Obama and McCain.

Obama will receive the Democratic nomination, not Hillary. Then it will be Obama vs. McCain. The Republicans will bring out the muck on Obama at the 11th hour and piss off the people so they'll vote McCain. Then we'll have a littler Bush in office. Business as usual.

America has fallen and most didn't even see or hear it go. They are too busy watching Britney's and Paris Hilton's antics while the real strings are being moved elsewhere. I wouldn't be surprised if there was another "attack" staged like 911 to fire up the people's patriotism to "fight the war on terror."

It's going to be a long summer. Stock up on food and water.

MagicBill

[Joseph Doaks]

The problem lies in your own words: "...a country today facing international terrorist threats... "
You, along with most of your journalist colleagues, are guilty of misrepresenting the entire world situation! The country today does not "face international terrorist threats" --- this is the neocon lie that the mass media has bought into and supported since Don Quixote Bush launched his "war on terror."
By now it's clear that we have illegally, unconstitutionally, and immorally wasted a trillion dollars and killed uncounted thousands of people while trying to conquer two countries, neither of which ever had anything to do with any kind of terrorist attack against the United States, all in the name of this "war on terror."
But you continue to repeat Bush's justification! Of course Ron Paul seems radical to so many people --- he is completely out of step with the "reality" they are constantly fed by the mass media.

[Kent]

Ron Paul is the only honest reasonable down to earth candate in the race. He truly is the real mccoy. I am writing him in Nov. 4th. To heck with the lamestream media and both political parties. I will not throw my vote away on Dem or Rep candidate who is going to bankrupt my country and continue to take away my personal liberty. To hell with NAFTA, CFR, WTO, UN, Federal Reserve, Illegal immigration, Policing the world, IRS and all the rest of DC bullhockey.

[Michael Makula]

Ron Paul's message is a 'WAKE UP CALL' to all American Citizens. Do you wonder why this country is in such a mess in the year 2008, with all the technology, intelligence, knowledge, information, and wealth, we have. It Is no accident, Someone and/or something is trying to get rid of the middle-class in the United States. The Values Ron Paul is promoting, and his supporters are fighting for are the reasons we need to 'WAKE UP' and take responsibility for and be accountable to ourselves, our states, our country, and our world. We fell asleep or something, and we're losing our freedoms. If we don't stand up for our freedom NOW, whatever we fall for will surely HURT us more and more. Let's support Ron Paul NOW, so we don't have to come up with a plan B, and make it harder on ourselves!

[Kelly]

"Here in Washington State, it has just come out that Ron Paul has won at least twice as many more statewide delegates than any other candidate."

"McCain may have won the straw poll, but it now appears that Ron Paul has won what counts: the committed delegates to the convention."
This is very interesting, people need to stop being led by the corrupt main stream media.We also need to fix our current corrupt,broken voting system. I live in Washington state, and am going to the convention as a delagate for Ron Paul.I attended the caucus, and have never seen such caos, there were not enough forms or ballots for everyone that was there.People were turning in their worksheets (if they got one,some people had to share) and hoping to have someone transfer their votes from the worksheet to a ballot...which propably never happened.So many people that were there to vote,voices were never heard. In addition until we start requiring ID in all states, in person to vote we will continue to have ficticious people, dead people,and illegal immigrants voting.This is no democracy,there is no power of the people anymore, its taxation without representation.

[Brian]

And people still don't know who Ron Paul is. Most of the major networks and newspapers still don't mention his name even though he is still in the running with 3 left. That's not a conspiracy that is a fact. Not only Paul, but what about the others? The Debate Commission is private, so the public will only get to see the Republican and Democrat candidates debate.... Sad. Like Mike Gravel said in the first Dem debate, "You want to know who is running your country, follow the money!" Who is funding these candidates?

~b

[Clarence Jaeger]

There has been a contingent of us, from the old school, that have supported Ron Paul for a long time. The Ron Paul revolution was ignited from the extremely little exposure the liberal controlled press gave him. They were going to treat him like a novelty, even an object of ridicule.
After almost 100 years of government controlled educational indoctrination into governmental paternalism, the liberal establishment had no idea that the, natural urge for freedom, was still latent in the soul of so many. All that was necessary was a spark to ignite an explosion for freedom. In the ensuing panic the liberal establishment exposed the extend of their controll of the media to even the most naïve.
This has been a fatal mistake for the liberal impresarios of the new world order. Now that the freedom genie is out of the bottle there is no way they will be able to put it back in. The Ron Paul freedom revolution has not only energized the freedom seekers in the United States but the freedom seekers throughout the world.
If we can keep the Ron Paul Revolution going it may well mark the end of 200 years of secretive planning to enslave all of mankind under a one world tyrannical government. Their dream to gain controll of all natural resources and the means of production so no one could buy or sell without bowing to their beast, may fail.

[HM]

I am 30 years old and for the first time ever, I donated to a political candidate: Ron Paul. And not just once, but 3 times. I believe my money was very well invested in him.

Unfortunately the majority of the people in this country are not TRUE freedom loving, independent, self-sufficient men and women anymore. They may SAY they are, but when you boil it down, they really aren't. It was this type of TRUE freedom loving people who founded our country and who made it great. Over the past 50-60 years however, this has changed. People have become more greedy and more concerned with "what can I get from the government." They rely too much on the government as a crutch and simply stated have become lazy and apathetic in many ways. And our government has them right where it wants them: dependent and willing to give over more freedoms and power to the government.

I believe this is the reason that Dr. Paul's message wasn't more generally accepted. More people in this country need to realize that it isn't the people in Washington D.C. that can "fix" things and make things better. It is "we the people" who have the power to change things. If only there wasn't so much apathy and laziness infecting so many Ron Paul may very well have been our next President.

God bless Ron Paul for stirring things up, waking up millions and sending a message to Washington and the country that the PEOPLE are in charge. Maybe not enough to win the election, but enough to start making a change for the better and back to the great country that this was once was.

[jatcagirl]

my memory ain't so good, but i distinctly remember a media surge on huckabee BEFORE the iowa caucus. i wasn't sure of the reason at the time, but i believe it was shortly after his article appeared in the CFR magazine...

i was also aware at the time when the MNM didn't (much) report news concerning ron paul events most would consider newsworthy. i was very disappointed about how little coverage the blimp received. shouldn't that have been a REALLY big story? (andrew, i know it was mentioned here and there, but huckabee's shave and haircut got more MNM coverage!)

[tippingpoint]

While the mass media deserves much of the blame for RP not getting fair coverage, but the Republican party must bear their part of the blame and shame, both in the way they’ve distanced themselves from RP, but largely in the way that they’ve abandoned Republican principles (constitutional law, small government, humble foreign policy, sound and conservative monetary policy, the list goes on). Perhaps the most disturbing part of the mix as to why RP has not caught on lies with the American people themselves.

I read a terrific bumper sticker early on during the build up to Iraq. It basically said this: “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.” And I think that is part of the sad answer to your question, its that many Americans are in denial and are not paying attention to the way we’ve surrendered our economy and privacy under the various disguises that the Bush administration has led us off a cliff. Our country was for a very long time looked up to as the place of freedom and opportunity. The actions under the Bush administration have greatly undercut that admiration to the point where America is widely loathed around the globe, and it is arrogant of us to simply thumb our noses at them, since we are essentially thumbing our noses at ourselves, at the principles that we believed in that made this country great and respected. And I can only believe that John McCain will only make things worse with his ideas to expand the military and extend our presence around the globe.

I am glad that RP will be actively defending his Congressional seat at the expense of a presidential run, but because we need him in congress to continue to fight the good fight. I certainly hope that Hillary does not get back into the White House where she’ll want to start garnishing my wages to pay for health care. And regards Barack Obama, I’d like to paraphrase a writer from the Modesto Bee who said that while “Obama’s experience may be as skinny as his is, but his ability to articulate his ideas and hope (over fear) for America is as big as his ears. And you can bet that if he is elected President the (tarnished) image of America around the world would change overnight.”

[Julian Carswell]

It's simple. Americans are too stupid because of their public education and too brainwashed by the media to recognize a true conservative from among the professional hacks and politiwhores. Ron Paul was offered and they chose a nutcase and a huckster instead. No, it's not "Morning in America", as some lousy actor once said.

[RicoSuave]

When I saw the headline "hopeless effort", I thought that the LA Times was writing about its chances of survival . With its traditionally biased reporting (trying to sway people one way or another by using non-objective language), it's no surprise that newspapers such as the LA Times will not survive.

[Scotty Boman]

See

http://ronpaulblimp.org

There are moments in history when timing is everything. We can seize an opportunity, or we can let it pass by. Ron Paul’s decision to seek the Republican nomination for president was a revolutionary shot in the arm for the cause of Liberty in America. He was able to reach out to a generation who had not heard a presidential candidate speak to the principals of liberty upon which this country was founded.

Unfortunately, the current establishment of the Republican party has not embraced Ron Paul’s candidacy nor his libertarian-conservative philosophy. Many of us have been inspired by Dr. Paul to work for the transformation of the Republican Party. This is a worthy undertaking, and four years from now, the people Ron Paul inspired may lead a new kind of Republican movement. I applaud the efforts of those who have embarked on that course.

But that won’t make Ron Paul the 2008 Republican nominee. It looks like the Republican Party will do what it has done too often in the past; offer us the lesser of two evils, rather than a true small government conservative. With the odds of a Republican nomination fading the money clock is running slow. That is the bad news.

The good news is that we don’t have to settle for a John McCain, or other big-government cosmetic conservative. The Ron Paul Revolution can march right into the general election in November. There is already a party that embraces the very philosophy of small government that Congressman Paul has brought to the public consciousness. They have been trying to spread that message for 35 years. They are the Libertarian Party.

Even though the Libertarian platform may not match Ron Paul’s position statement 100%, the philosophy, that Ron has been turning people onto, is as libertarian as it is conservative. Furthermore, he has done more to get the word out than any Libertarian candidate; his positions are as libertarian as most Libertarian candidates, he has the most libertarian voting record of any national office-holder, and he has run as a Libertarian before.

This is time his campaign is different then in 1988. He already has an enthusiastic national grassroots organization. His name is a household word. He has already had extensive national media coverage. His campaign has raised millions of dollars.

Not only could Ron Paul still give us the opportunity to vote for a worthwhile candidate in November, the Ron Paul Libertarian candidacy could help restore the Libertarian party. Furthermore, if supporters knew he would be on the ballot in November, they would be inspired to start contributing again.

I believe the time to start the "draft Ron Paul" effort is now. I don’t expect instant results; it is still in his interest to turn us down for the time being (especially with the Romney pull-out and the MSNBC debates on the 28th).

Even if Ron Paul does not win on the Libertarian ticket, the fact that he can count on a solid 5% wedge between the Democratic and Republican vote, will force them to fight for those votes. Even if it means delaying the national ID card until the next election cycle, it will be worth it. Even if it only ends the Iraq war sooner, it will be worth it. The list goes on.

The idea of drafting Ron Paul is not new:
http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=737
http://www.butterbach.net/kev/kev6.htm

Of course “drafting” Ron Paul, is a poor word choice for Libertarians; as freedom lovers, we need to see this as more of a seduction than a draft. The choice is ultimately Ron Paul’s. Libertarians need to convince him to love the Libertarian Party as much as its members love him. He will need to play hard to get. We should expect that much from a man of dignity. As he resists the idea, more and more Libertarians need to make him feel it is the right choice.

Here is my idea:

Send Ron Paul a Libertarian Valentine on FEBRUARY 14th http://www.dailypaul.com/node/28031#comment-310876 http://ronpaul2008.com

Prior to that date, tell everyone you know to send a message by phone, email and fax to the Ron Paul campaign, and the Libertarian Party, that you want Ron Paul to accept a Libertarian nomination. Send a donation with a message (even a small one like $25 will get their attention. The money clock has come to a screeching halt). Let him know that Libertarians LOVE his revolution.

Ron Paul campaign contacts: http://www.ronpaul2008.com/contact/

Libertarian Party Contacts:

http://www.lp.org/organization/lncdirectory2.shtml

Ron Paul’s contact information:

http://www.house.gov/paul/

Texas-14th, Republican
203 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515-4314
Phone: (202) 225-2831

[Scotty Boman]

There are moments in history when timing is everything. We can seize an opportunity, or we can let it pass by. Ron Paul’s decision to seek the Republican nomination for president was a revolutionary shot in the arm for the cause of Liberty in America. He was able to reach out to a generation who had not heard a presidential candidate speak to the principals of liberty upon which this country was founded.

Unfortunately, the current establishment of the Republican party has not embraced Ron Paul’s candidacy nor his libertarian-conservative philosophy. Many of us have been inspired by Dr. Paul to work for the transformation of the Republican Party. This is a worthy undertaking, and four years from now, the people Ron Paul inspired may lead a new kind of Republican movement. I applaud the efforts of those who have embarked on that course.

But that won’t make Ron Paul the 2008 Republican nominee. It looks like the Republican Party will do what it has done too often in the past; offer us the lesser of two evils, rather than a true small government conservative. With the odds of a Republican nomination fading the money clock is running slow. That is the bad news.

The good news is that we don’t have to settle for a John McCain, or other big-government cosmetic conservative. The Ron Paul Revolution can march right into the general election in November. There is already a party that embraces the very philosophy of small government that Congressman Paul has brought to the public consciousness. They have been trying to spread that message for 35 years. They are the Libertarian Party.

Even though the Libertarian platform may not match Ron Paul’s position statement 100%, the philosophy, that Ron has been turning people onto, is as libertarian as it is conservative. Furthermore, he has done more to get the word out than any Libertarian candidate; his positions are as libertarian as most Libertarian candidates, he has the most libertarian voting record of any national office-holder, and he has run as a Libertarian before.

This is time his campaign is different then in 1988. He already has an enthusiastic national grassroots organization. His name is a household word. He has already had extensive national media coverage. His campaign has raised millions of dollars.

Not only could Ron Paul still give us the opportunity to vote for a worthwhile candidate in November, the Ron Paul Libertarian candidacy could help restore the Libertarian party. Furthermore, if supporters knew he would be on the ballot in November, they would be inspired to start contributing again.

I believe the time to start the "draft Ron Paul" effort is now. I don’t expect instant results; it is still in his interest to turn us down for the time being (especially with the Romney pull-out and the MSNBC debates on the 28th).

Even if Ron Paul does not win on the Libertarian ticket, the fact that he can count on a solid 5% wedge between the Democratic and Republican vote, will force them to fight for those votes. Even if it means delaying the national ID card until the next election cycle, it will be worth it. Even if it only ends the Iraq war sooner, it will be worth it. The list goes on.

Of course “drafting” Ron Paul, is a poor word choice for Libertarians; as freedom lovers, we need to see this as more of a seduction than a draft. The choice is ultimately Ron Paul’s. Libertarians need to convince him to love the Libertarian Party as much as its members love him. He will need to play hard to get. We should expect that much from a man of dignity. As he resists the idea, more and more Libertarians need to make him feel it is the right choice.

Here is my idea:

Send Ron Paul a Libertarian Valentine on FEBRUARY 14th

Prior to that date, tell everyone you know to send a message by phone, email and fax to the Ron Paul campaign, and the Libertarian Party, that you want Ron Paul to accept a Libertarian nomination. Send a donation with a message (even a small one like $25 will get their attention. The money clock has come to a screeching halt). Let him know that Libertarians LOVE his revolution.

[helena]

Cannot the American People realize that they are being LIED to and manipulated by the MSM and our current administration???

WE WANT PEACE NOT WAR!!!

This is NOT Just a campaign, IT IS A MOVEMENT!

LONG LIVE THE RON PAUL R3VOLUTION!!!

THANK YOU RON PAUL FOR BRINGING HOPE OF PEACE, LIBERTY AND FREEDOM TO AMERICA, LONG MAY IT LIVE!

[Tim]

This is a dark time indeed for The United States. Ron Paul is our only chance to turn around the disaster that our country has become. I tell my three children to enjoy life and living in America as much as they can, because unless some sort of miracle happens, our country will decline into chaos and all individual rights will be gone. They support Ron Paul also.

[Michael Thompson]

Perhaps the reason Ron Paul's message has not caught on is because a large number of Americans have become so dependent on the government and less self reliant that they don't agree with the message.
As sad as this is for me to say a lot of my fellow countrymen have already been reduced to sheep.
Maybe someday they will look up from the public trough before they become totally enslaved.. I have my doubts about that though and believe they'll only look up for the first time when the trough is dry.

[Douglas Brown]

Right message, wrong time (and sometimes I think, wrong messenger). Those of us who believe in Dr. Paul's message need to step away from our computers and get more involved in local and national politics at the grass roots level. You don't build a movement from the top down (it's always easy to let somebody else do it), but from the bottom up. I went to a local Republican Party convention for the first time, and I was expecting something far different from what I saw: only a few people in attendance, and the party basically begging people to attend the state convention. The party is ripe for the taking by a determined minority, and we can do it.

[Kay Levitan]

Shalom, Thanks for your article and the chance for numbers of DR.RON PAUL for USA PRESIDENT 2008... supporters to tell you and the world the truth: WE JUST STARTED OUR FIGHT FOR CONSTITUTIONAL FREEDOM IN USA AND FOR ISRAEL. ...This is the start of a long til the end of time REVOLUTION for Hebrew Scriptual principles to be upheld here and hopefully around the world against TLC,CFR,NWO, etc. and Islam and communism. There is ourCREATOR -YHWH- WHO IS THE JUST JUDGE OF THE UNIVERSE WHO HAS GIVEN US A GUIDEBOOK FOR HUMAN RACE; TORAH-TENACH.HEBREW SSCRIPTURE, so called O:T. ; His plan wins. THANK YIHIWEH !! KAY

[Dan]

Considering the media bias against Dr. Paul I would have to say his campaign was a major sucess. The reasons Ron Paul is not the current leading candidate are that most Americans have been turned off to politics for a long time. The system has not been serving the majority of Americans for a long time but the incremental attacks on liberty and the lack of fiscal responsibility have not been blatant enough nor restrictive enough to cause a complete revolt. Or, maybe it is that bad, maybe people are finally ready to take back the government and the Ron Paul Revolution is just the begining! Let's say no to world governments and treaties that denigrate the sovereigntyof the United States of America. Let's say no to paying for the empire that allows us to be the patron of other nations. Let's say no to the every increasing intrusions on our constitutional rights, the creation of the nanny state and lets put the power back to the states to control the needed social programs, educational programs, and infrastructure needed without the puppet strings and waste that the federal government attaches to these programs. Let's say yes to the land of the free and the home of the brave. Let's say yes to a strong national defense that can easily defeat any attack utilizing the newest technologies. Let's say yes to a monetary system based not on four unelected gurus but on solid gold. Let's say yes to the Ron Paul Revolution!!! and to the constitution on which this country was founded!!!
Maybe Ron Paul isn't winning because those ideas are just silly and irrelevant. I don't know but I have to go because baseball great Roger Clemens is testifing to Congress about something important.

[Sam]

This is no time for an ISOLATIONIST to be running the country! He's akin to an ostrich sticking his head in the sand i.e., if I ignore them, maybe they'll go away. NOT! Terror is here to stay and we MUST deal with it on all levels.
I imagine most of the bloggers on this site are under 25 and it's great to be idealistic when you're young, but you will see things more clearly when you have a few years under your belt and have lived through a few hard times. You've been raised on easy street and think that's what it's all about. NOT! You'll all be republicans in 30 years - if we last that long!

[Dan]

Thank you again Main Stream Media for some more self fulfilling prophecy. As far as I know and understand from the very complex delegate system here in the US, the nomination is not made until September. And with McCain not even close to having enough delegates how is anyone's campaign hopeless? Dr Paul has done unbelievably well despite the obvious blackouts of his campaign and his message. It's your OPINION how hopeless or not someone's campaign is. This is not news.

[Lookup]

The wheels fell off the Cllinton Machine with Bill Clinton at the helm.

Hillary should trow in the towel at this point.

John Glenn and Julian Bond will be of no help for her.

Obama win Texas by 60%

Posted

[Sean Garvey]

I have followed Congressman Ron Paul's career since i first learned about him about 14 years ago and he has consistently been one of my favorite politicians ever since. Although my first choice was Congressman Tom Tancredo as he did more for America as a presidential candidate than Bush has done as an actual president, I also supported Dr. Paul's campaign because he is a true conservative. After Tancredo dropped out, I labored over who I should support and considered very thoughtfully who was the most conservative, the most trust-worthy, the most ethical and who had the most integrity. The answer is Congressman Ron Paul. He has never wavered from Principle, and right now he is the only one who can save America from falling.

[Rich]

Dr. Ron Paul Has Pointed Out To We'll Informed People That their Views Of The Corrupt Federal Govt and The So-called Free Press (Totally Biased and Censored) Are all True! The Fact That Dr. Ron Paul's Message did Not gather Any Momentum Is That American People In General Are 'ignorant' and un-Informed About How Wrong Things In America Are And they Swallow George Bush's Lies about Terrorism And Why We Were attacked On 9/11. As A Viet-Nam Vet, Ive Learned That America DOES LIE About Its Involvement In Wars And Aggression.(Gulf Of Tonkin Lie) I Don't Support The Iraq War ( Another Lie.WMD, Nuclear Fision Material,Etc,Etc) And Think That Saddam was None Of Americas Business. America And Our Soldier Citizens Are Not The Worlds Policeman. Nor should they Do The Dying For Corrupt Politicians. As Is,The Liar George Bush. John MCain Is a 'Time Bomb' A War Supporter. A Traitor To His American citizens On Support For Illegal aliens In our Country. This Republican Will NEVER Vote For McCain! I don't Support American Imperalism. No mattter How You, Senator McCain, Tries To Wrap It In Americas national Flag'!

[Chuck Hobbs]

As a retired military member I am acutely aware of what our troops are going through. Ron Paul is the only candidate to posit a valid plan to extricate us from the illegal, immoral and most importantly, un-Constitutional war we find ouselves prosecuting.
We are sacrificing our prosperity and the future of this country policing the world and to what end? We are now despised in every corner of the world because of the belief that the world's destiny is our's to dictate.
The Ron Paul campaign has started an educational process that will continue regardless of the outcome of the presidential elections. I only hope the populace awakens before it is too late to salvage our once great nation. We must return to the principles espoused by the founding fathers.

[Greg]

The reasonwehy Ron Paul was shunned by the media is because he shunned them. He could have used the $20 million to buy TV ads, newspaper ads, and billboards. Where has he been outside of the Internet?

Because Paul chose to make the Internet his primary source of advertising instead, and knowing how the media hates blogs and other non-MSM news sources, they painted Paul as the "Internet candidate," and that, my friends, is why he did not carry any currency with the mainstream media.

If the media viewed his policies as potentially generating revenue for them, they would have plastered his face all over the place.

The media also does have a preference for liberal and left-leaning candidates, which Paul is definitely not. His ideas were also too radical for their tastes.

It is s less a matter of conspiracy and more a matter of media mindset at work here.

[Jonathon Moseley]

Unfortunatelly for the Baby Doctor (who has 0 expertise in either law or economics), there were just not enough MoveOn.org cross-overs, white supremacists, KKK members, Aryan Nation, neo-Nazis, Jew-haters and 9/11 conspiracy nuts in the United States of America to vote for Ron Paul. We did learn something very valuable from the Baby Doctor's candidacy however.... the number of White supremacist kooks in America is less than 4% on average spread across all States.

The Baby Doctor said he would vote against the Civil Rights Act, for legalized prostitution, for legalized drugs, and for open borders and amnesty. OH SURE, he always changed the subject to welfare any time anyone mentioned illegal immigration. But Ron Paul is a libertarian. Libertarians at their very core reject any regulation of economic relationships. Open borders and unregulated immigration is the very core of what Ron Paul believes.

Ron Paul then adopted the foreigh policy of Barbara Streisand and Jane Fonda, and wonders why Republicans did not flock to him. The legally illiterate Baby Doctor opposes the U.S. Constitution, wanting to go back instead to the Articles of Confederation which the Continental Congress rejected in 1789.

The only reason the Baby Doctor got as far as he did is because Soros and MoveOn.org agitated for him to try to embarass the Republican Party.

[Leonard]

I am going to vote for Ron Paul when our Wisconsin primary is held. I hope that he is able to address the republican convention, he should be able to. His message is a refreshing breath of air, with its concern for the Bill of Rights. It hopefully will be a seed planted that will bring good fruit.

For why it did not catch on better, I would say that the lacking of media coverage certainly has a strong effect in terms of him being known. Other candidates were also relatively ignored, like Thompson, or on the democratic side, Biden or Dodd. This is what is properly called memoriam damnatiae, although all of these candidates did get some amount of coverage.

The media seems to be afraid of Ron Paul, for one. The media has slid far from when in the 1960s, it called itself "The watchdog of liberty".

[torqued]

Ron Paul the oldest candidate running? By 1 year and 9 days?? They make him sound like he is older than George Washington would be now.

I am so frickin fed up with this crap.

I am surely going to change my ways after this presidential election. Never spending my money to further the lies of this machine!

I am forever going to look at the media in this country in a WHOLE new light. Canceling the cable TV in 2 weeks. Keeping the internet, but always going to surf with a watchful eye for them damn chicken hawks.

[torqued]

Malcom,

Why not mention the march on Washington D.C. coming in the following months? That was a major ending to the last video released by Ron Paul. Wasn't really that big of a point made by Ron to be mentioned here, huh? Well it is in the works. We will see what kind of reaction that brings about. 2 MILLION people could probably show up, and guess what? Not even a peep from the MSM. Even the Washington D.C. TV news and newspapers wouldn't even cover it. Sickening.

Just do me a favor.... just eat your own bile.

Dogs.

[SW]

Malcom's point that moderates aren't ready for extreme-sounding statements is well-taken, although mainline candidates are even crazier when you figure out what they advocate. RP supporters are right about the boycott, by media and others who feed off the system. The man lacks movie star quality, comes across as a congressman rather than a president. Many want to believe false promises and be told what to do; he's not their man. I'll write Paul's name on my ballot since he's the most sane of the lot. Any of the others will do much more damage. I'll continue to work for principles I share with him, and I'll march on Washington DC with him.

[JJS]

This nomination is up for grabs as long as Ron Paul doesn't end his run for it. Like a previous comment clarified, Romney delegates are partly protest votes against McCain. Here in the real world, Ron Paul supporters realized that the only way to secure delegates was to get in by supporting Romney and Huckabee. This has been the only way that they would be allowed to the convention, and McCain and the GOP know it. In Washington, for instance, delegates have been screened to find associations with Ron Paul.
The threat of removing them because of their presence on The Daily Paul has been reported. This nomination process is nothing more than a powerplay for control of
the party. So, if they won't let you beat them, infiltrate them and show your colors on the second vote. Well done Ron Paul, there are still a multitude of citizens strongly behind you in the election. And a ton of us are delegates. Onward to St. Paul!

[Mish]

My thoughts on Ron Paul (I am a Paul supporter) who realizes he has no chance can be found here:

Where is all the oil money going?
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2008/02/where-is-all-oil-money-going.html

Obama the next president
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2008/02/obama-next-president-of-united-states.html

The morality of walking away
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2008/02/moral-obligations-of-walking-away.html

Mish

[dom youngross]

"It would be interesting if those supporters took the time here now to leave comments explaining why they think Paul never caught on to a wider audience"

Thank you Andrew Malcolm and The Ticket for writing about Ron Paul's presidential candidacy, and the LA Times for providing the public with the online opportunity to comment on it. For your efforts, I have a more-positive image of the LA Times as a newspaper than those out of Washington and New York.

As a Ron Paul supporter, your choice of using the word 'hopeless' in the title of your article doesn't bother me, nor does your choice of the phrase 'facing reality' in the first paragraph. Those choices are your subjective read on the matter -- and they may be a time-tested technique for stirring up reaction. I don't think any reporter should be a cheerleader for any one candidate.

I think it's not specifically the lack of MSM coverage of Ron Paul that prevented his catching fire with the voting public, so far, but rather the underlying, basic psychological fear of belittlement and censure by friends and strangers.

For many, just the thought of having to stand up in front of a crowd and give an innocuous three-minute speech on why dogs are better than cats, or vice versa -- i.e., public speaking -- is enough for them to lose their water.

Consider how much more fearful it would be for the same to stand up in front of a crowd and voice an opinion contrary to the majority opinion, especially when the majority opinion is ubiquitous within and beyond their own immediate personal sphere of interaction.

And these many will seize upon the flimsiest rationale offered to them to avoid confronting their psychological fear of standing out in a crowd.

Open a tab and Google 'cognitive dissonance' for more about this phenomenon.

A prime example of that is John McCain saying that getting out of Iraq would be tantamount to saying, "We surrender."

For many suffering from an inordinate need for the approval of others, that's enough to soothe their fear of opposing the Iraq war and our economic-crippling nation-building policy, even if they have said previously "Getting out of Iraq" is very important to them when questioned by a pollster.

Other prime, and flimsy, rationales for not confronting the personal fear of supporting Ron Paul include substituting the world 'Isolationist' for Non-Interventionalist. I doubt commentor 'Sam' would accuse George Washington , and other historical personages like him who warned against foreign entanglements, of being an isolationist in a direct, face-to-face confrontation.

I think this rail-against-the-Machine but afraid-to-support-Paul falls within the 80/20 limit of the Pareto Principle. Only 20% of the general population, at the very best, would have the basic personal courage to publicly say, "The emperor has no clothes" at a given point in time, regardless of the broader consensus, then act in accordance with their declaration.

And of that initial 20% who would say the emperor has no clothes, 80% of those would fall away from the assertion at the first breeze. So if you apply the 80/20 rule twice, you end up with 4% who say the emperor has no clothes. That 4% is in line with what national polls suggest is the depth of Ron Paul's support nationwide.

Unless there is substantial external reinforcement of the fact that The Emperor has no clothes, such as with widespread MSM reporting of such on TV, the 80/20 ratio will never be surpassed.

So the reason Ron Paul hasn't caught fire, SO FAR, with the voting public boils down to this one thing: It's not the MSM, it's fear of standing out in a crowd, even if overcoming such fear would result in substantial gain.

Those entrenched in power, know what their biggest threat is -- a sudden broad consensus that they have no clothes on. That being in Iraq is wrong. That direct taxation of the public via the income tax is wrong. That the welfare/perpetual-warfare state is wrong.

And they understand that the best way to negate this threat is to just simply poo-poo the initial suggestion that they don't have any clothes on, leaving the 80% up to their own self-limiting devices to keep themselves in power.

On a positive note, once the 80/20 self-imposed limit IS cracked concerning whether the Emperor has any clothes on, it's a whole new ballgame. The 80% who wouldn't initially have had the courage to say, "Hey, no clothes!" will.

(For a humorous sidelight to this, open a tab and Google 'hundredth monkey'. Then don't wait to be the 101st monkey still eating a gritty, unwashed yam. Find out for yourself what Ron Paul does and does not support in his presidential candidacy, then have the personal courage to vote your beliefs.)

The first sign of cracking in the 80/20 self-imposed limit was Ron Paul cracking 20% in WA state.

We are at a Republican primary and caucus activity lull now (15 Feb 08). Let's see what happens next, particularly in the 4 March contests in Texas and Ohio. It's important to note that the MSM may report that McCain may have X number of delegates secured thus far, but that may not be the case in reality when it comes time for those delegates to vote in the Convention.

In the meantime, take note of the type of comments supporting any candidate, specifically how they may be categorized as belittlement, or appealing to fear.

Consider in relation to choosing the next president what your reaction would be if you walked into an auto dealership and asked why you should buy their car, and the salesman said, "Because you'll get into an accident if you buy a competitor's car!" Or, "Because only Neo-Nazis and flag-burners buy the competitor's car!" Or, "If you buy a competitor's car, everyone else will try to run you off the road!" Or, "The competitor's car? BAD CAR, BAD CAR!"

How absurd and laughable would that be?

You wouldn't buy a car on the basis of those reasons, so why select the next president for the same reasons?

Commentor 'Torqued' -- you've got it right. If anyone else out there does not like the way the MSM has marginalized Ron Paul's candidacy (to date) in pure psy-op fashion, stop paying money (even fiat money) for their product -- cancel your print, electronic, cable, or satellite subscriptions. But recognize that the LA Times via Andrew Malcolm and The Ticket has reported on Ron Paul, and maybe send them $5 as a one-time thank you note.

GO RON PAUL!!!