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

[Matthew R]

Ron Paul "never caught on" among the masses for one reason, primarily. The overwhelming number of people in this country never think about politics, policy, or any other such thing until about a month before they vote. Then one day, as they're watching MTV or FAUX News or some other such dribble, someone reminds them that it's their sovereign duty as Americans to go "Rock the Vote" or whatever. They decide on a candidate like most women decide on a football team to support in the super bowl, and vote for them.

People who actually follow the REAL issues - from monetary policy to government encroachment upon our freedoms to engineered perpetual wars for perpetual peace are AUTOMATICALLY Ron Paul supporters. People who get caught up in the emotional hoopla of electing the first black or woman president obviously vote Democrat, and those who swallow the "fight 'em over there so we dot have to fight 'em over here" line of fear-laced arsenic obviously support McCain.

Paul didnt "catch on" enough to win because America always gets the leaders we deserve.Therefore, in November, we will choose an idiot to lead a nation of idiots. The amazing thing is that there are so many people in this purposefully dumbed-down populace who actually know what's going on, and what must be done to stop this country from falling headlong into the precipice that we are currently headed toward at breakneck speed.

[Another Patrick]

I support Ron Paul's liberterian ideals and his campaign has raised my interest and support of those ideals, that do in fact mimic those of our original revolution. But, I believe in supporting a war that our soldiers are fighting. So I was not able to support his candidacy.

They are fighting every day, including as i type this stupid opinionated comment, and for American politicians (who are largely b.s.) to talk about leaving the war, really only supports those who question us and want to bring us down. This war was not orchestrated by us, but was jammed down our thoughts by these crazy jihadis. Maybe it's because i'm a new yorker, a male, or that i lived outside of the US for awhile, (guess what, people have hated Goliath for centuries) but I'm all for defending our ideals after an attack. More so than changing the beast that our Washington and our sell-out media have become.

Where have all the third party candidate cowboys gone? Our two party system sucks.

[Heather]

I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER vote for McCain. He is not even a conservative!!!

The grassroots are rebelling and it's going viral.....

http://nowaymccain.com/

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WHEREAS the Republican Party is founded upon the conservative political philosophy derived from the principle that individuals are endowed not by the government, but by the Creator, with certain unalienable rights; and

WHEREAS the Constitution of the United States is designed to guarantee the unfettered exercise of those rights by strictly limiting the power of government, whose authority is derived only from the consent of the governed; and

WHEREAS the Principles of Conservatism promote Liberty, Prosperity, and Individual Freedom; and

WHEREAS the leading presidential candidate for the Republican Party, Senator John McCain, has consistently demonstrated a record of public service counter to the philosophy and principles of conservatism and the Republican Party as evidenced by the following facts:

1. He has a consistent pattern of shocking verbal abuse, including screaming profanities, against Senate Republican colleagues who oppose his bills in any way; and

2. He has exercised scandalously poor judgment by intervening with the federal regulators on behalf of Charles H. Keating, Jr. in the Savings and Loan Crisis of the 1980s; and

3. He has worked against the principles of the Republican Party, promoting greatly expanding federal regulatory authority in order to combat global warming in ways that would greatly burden the American economy, contrary to free market forces; and

4. He has fought the Republican Party to create the Patients Bill of Rights, which allowed the government to impose a set of burdensome mandates on insurance coverage; and

5. He has undermined the principles of a free market economy by voting for an amendment that would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement price controls on prescription drugs under Medicare; and

6. He has worked against the Republican Party to make a mockery of the rule of law, promoting amnesty for 20 million illegal immigrants; and

7. He has voted to subvert American Sovereignty by granting consulting rights to Mexico concerning the erection of a southern border fence; and

8. He has undermined the Constitution and opposed the Constitutional duties of the Vice President to break a tie on judicial nominations; and

9. He has worked against Conservative principles, undermining the First Amendment by abridging the free speech of citizens partaking in the political process; and

10. He has consistently led efforts undermining Second Amendment rights by promoting bills which regulate all sales at gun shows; regulations which force gun-owners to purchase trigger locks, making their firearms useless for self-defense; regulations which restrict the legitimate transfer of firearms over the internet; and regulations which extend the restrictions of the Brady bill to pawn shops and gun repair shops; and

11. He has voted to use taxpayer funds to harvest stem cells from human embryos; and

12. He has refused to take immediate and direct action to protect the life of the unborn; he opposes the repeal of Roe v. Wade; and he opposes a constitutional amendment to protect all human life; and

13. He sponsored and voted for a 282% tax increase on cigarettes that would have unconstitutionally violated the First Amendment and increased the size of the federal bureaucracy exponentially by giving the FDA unrestricted control over nicotine; and

14. He supports raising Social Security taxes; and

15. He has broken with the Republican Party in strongly opposing President Bush's tax cuts in 2001 and 2003. He also joined leading liberal senators in offering and voting for amendments designed to undermine the tax cuts,

THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED that I, as a Republican voter, oppose any effort to promote, support, or endorse Senator John McCain as the Republican nominee; and

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that I, as a Republican voter, will only support candidates who promote the philosophy and principles of conservatism in government; who promote smaller government, fiscal discipline, and greater economic and personal freedoms; and whose records of public service are evidence of their principled beliefs.

~Heather

[hollase]

People in this country are afraid of the Constitution because it means they might have to take some responsibility for themselves. More and more are wanting the US to be a "nanny state" run place, but this cannot exist under a good Constitutional government and leadership under which we are each responsible for our own destiny. Dr. Paul is all about bringing back the Constitution and it scares people---both the people who are wanting to be babied AND the elite who enjoy being the all powerful parents!

The media has hurt Dr. Paul, but not as much as they have hurt people like Mitt Romney----the media single handedly resurrected McCain's campaign. Now the only question is why were they so anxious to save him?

[Ryan]

The reason Ron Paul didn't catch on is simple. Many people are apathetic when it comes to politics. If many people don't see your face on TV and hear your name in the press, they tend to make no effort to learn about you or vote for you.

It's sad, because if most of us examine our own personal beliefs and then examine each of our current presidential candidates, I firmly believe that a majority would side with Ron Paul. His message is positive. It's deeply rooted in American ideals.

Unfortunately, he's disliked by most of the mainstream media and too many people were too lazy to learn more about him. That's a combination that dooms you from the start.

People have long forgotten the original principles of this country - liberty is given to all people by God and it is our right to embrace it and live our lives as free men and women. Ask most folks who John Adams, Thomas Paine and James Madison were and you'll likely elicit only a blank stare. The ones who can answer that question are the ones who voted for Ron Paul.

[TforP]

Dr. Paul's campaign exceeded many expectations, but did not acheive the highest hopes.

Many are discovering Ron Paul's themes for the first time.
But like several other campaigns, it did not gain enough traction.

It appears that the general primary voters are reluctant to vote for a candidate who is not a Senator nor a Governor. He also did not do as well generally with women voters as with men.

Personally, I prefer when his message is upbeat about what greater freedom allows. The warnings about the war policy and economic policy may be difficult for most voters to digest.

Also, it helps to have more allies who know the political machinery well. Outside campaigns face greater odds.

Better wishes for Liberty and Peace.
Thank you Dr. Paul for your continued efforts.

[Tony]

Ron Paul is nearly as nuts as his followers. I am glad he lost and I am happy to be part of the conspiracy to beat him and the 9/11 Truth Losers who support his lame candidacy. rEVOLution = REVOlution

[getusoutoftheun]

The Ron Paul rLOVEution is far from over. Many Americans do not realize that ABC, Timewarner, Newscorp are controlled by the same Council on Foreign Relations members that hand pick our political leaders to forward the United Nations goals of gloabalization. Which would mean, goodbye American Sovereignty, hello aggressive supression!

[MME]

I'm a Ron Paull supporter from Pennsylvania! Ron Paul will be on the ballot! Huckabee barely squeeked by and had to beg for help to get him on the ballot which required a mere 2,000 signatures

Word is that most of the Republicans didn't want to sign a petition for McCain and did so grudgingly or just refused.

Ron Paul has a lot more delegates than the MSM is reporting and I think many will be surprised at the convention.

In politics; anything can happen! The Revolution is going stronger than ever in Pennsylvania! Nice try, Andrew, but we're not buying what you and the MSM are selling.

Cheers!

[Marie]

I think many of us Ron Paul supporters have been more energized by the process itself, rather than single-mindedly focused on the icing on the cake, the nomination. I've been a big fan of his for about seven years, so for me it's just been really refreshing to see him in the news at all, and to have his message reach more people than was previously the case. I consider his run for the presidency the potential beginning of a paradigm shift in this nation. I don't think it will happen overnight, but I think something has been stirred and will likely continue to be stirred in the future. So am I sorry he didn't do better, numbers-wise? Of course, but that really doesn't dim my enthusiasm for what Ron Paul talks about. His message of freedom, improved foreign policy and fiscal responsibility will, I believe, continue to grow long after this election is over.

[Steve]

The tinfoil hat wearin' RP moonies should give up what ever delegates they have to McCain and get over it. After that they can all go to Area 51 and wait for the mother ship.

[Marie]

I think many of us Ron Paul supporters have been more energized by the process itself, rather than single-mindedly focused on the icing on the cake, the nomination. I've been a big fan of his for about seven years, so for me it's just been really refreshing to see him in the news at all, and to have his message reach more people than was previously the case. I consider his run for the presidency the potential beginning of a paradigm shift in this nation. I don't think it will happen overnight, but I think something has been stirred and will likely continue to be stirred in the future. So am I sorry he didn't do better, numbers-wise? Of course, but that really doesn't dim my enthusiasm for what Ron Paul talks about. His message of freedom, improved foreign policy and fiscal responsibility will, I believe, continue to grow long after this election is over.

[Martin Gibson]

Sadly, few people recognize how far this nation has actually departed from the US Constitution. This includes our never ending military & political adventurism, our trade & taxation practices, our lax immigration policy, a growing police state with lost individual freedoms, and our departure from a fiscal responsibility that leads to a sound currency.

It seems to me that a growing segment of our residents are so miss-educated and distracted, and so many new immigrants have no concept of the processes and traditions that made the country great, that too many empty suits get elected with empty promises and charisma backed by a manipulated media that promotes ideas as it purports to report the news. Then the political system assimilates each novice politician into its culture of power, and hence the nation is swept along the same path, whether democrat or republican rules.

Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, and Fred Thompson each had a message for thinking minds. Unfortunately there is no electoral power left for this declining portion of our modern society. In some ways, this nation is a rudderless ship, swept along by the changing winds of societal and political whim. A whim that currently espouse our assimilation into the global community.

How much we need a Ron Paul to turn this ship of state around.

[trevor]

Andrew, the media blackout WAS the most devastating cause of Paul's disappointing showing. Actually, I'm very impressed with how well he did DESPITE it. The national media is in most cases a total disgrace, as prime time tv and print outlets weren't even embarrassed to show their bias toward Paul's campaign in refusing to include his polling statistics in reports and address him equally during debates - even after those candidates the media insisted were viable had already dropped out before Ron. It goes without saying that an honest media would at least give every candidate equal time and respect in a debate.

Sadly, most Americans are drones when it comes to national elections and will vote for whomever the media tells them to. The funny thing is that "conservative" pundits don't even seem to understand that McCain was handpicked by the media because he's an easy target for the Dems. And where Americans do take an active interest in really checking out candidates, way too many have suckled at the government teat for too long to give up whatever handouts they receive and "benefits" they've been promised. Any surprise the government continues to grow when it continually addicts us to it?

I'm mostly disappointed that Paul will not run independently. Barring money troubles, I think every effort should be made to get on the ballot in November. Splitting the Republican vote should be the least of his worries, and if I were him I'd even do it as retribution alone for the GOP's consistent mockery at his expense.

[butlmat]

My $2300 spent early in the campaign is well worth it. Because of me and people like me millions of people, especially young college kids, now understand that what they have been taught in college about Economics and the Federal Reserve is a fraud. Only a free market, and a free market for MONEY especially, can ensure the liberty of this great nation. Those millions now know that the FED is not designed to help the people, rather it is designed to serve the interest of government and powerful banking interests. Its a scam and now millions more know it.

Fiat Money well spent!

[Jim Kress]

Ron Paul's lack of success can be traced directly back to the incessant indoctrination of the last 4 generations of children that people are too stupid to take care of themselves and only the Government can solve their problems - the antithesis of the reality of the thoughts and intent of the Founders and their design of our government.

Given that foundation of 'education', it's not surprising that Ron Paul's attempts to return us to a Constitutionally Limited Republic (as opposed to the chaotic, corrupt and nearly Bolshevik rule we have today) falls on deaf ears. The people are conditioned to not believe the truth about our past (if they are even taught it) and the media are so wedded to the current nearly Bolshevik state that they are threatened by his message.

It's a shame to hear other candidates like H Clinton state "I'm glad the era of the rugged individual is dead". Or, as her husband stated "We can't give you retirement accounts for your Social Security taxes. You're too stupid to know how to invest it."

The difference is striking and frightening.

Ron Paul would provide an environment where all people could be free. All the other candidates will provide a perpetuating environment of increasingly oppressive levels of servitude and slavery.

[Brian G]

Its a worn out catch phrase but Dr. Paul cured my apathy. When I first heard Ron Paul speak a few years ago, I finally realized that I had been voting for and supporting a party that was doing one thing and saying another. I preached to friends who were Democrats about low taxes, less government, staying out of UN police actions, the 2nd amendment...Only to have the party spend like drunken sailors and start wars and make bigger government. Ron Paul 'unplugged' me from the Matrix.

I think many reasons contributed to what has happened so far.

It is very hard to overcome a deliberate media black-out and vote fraud. Another reason the primary system in most states where independents and democrats would have to re register Republican. Many weren't aware, some were too lazy, and some just couldn't stomach registering Republican. I truly believe that if anyone could have voted for RP without going through a party switch, the turnouts would have been double. I also wish the money bombs would have happened about 6 months earlier, so we could have had more time to use the money for Super Tuesday.

That being said, I do not view our campaign as a failure. On the contrary, I think the media and the mainstream GOP are scared to death of us. They know we won't go away and they'll have to deal with us in the future, and our numbers will continue to grow. It doesn't matter if RP wins the nomination, because this is not solely about Ron Paul, God bless him, but about restoring the Republican party to the ideals it used to symbolize and more importantly, our great Republic.

[steve r]

The point about a more 'show biz' style is a good one.

Each of the other candidates (except Romney) seemed to have a schtick of some kind and/or were household names from past activities. Ron Paul is so sincere and committed to his principles and outlining his message that he often forgot to smile.

Even the Founders and American revolutionaries, most of them, apparently had a certain panache or charisma beyond their message.

But not all. For example, Sam Adams, Patrick Henry and Tom Paine, by all accounts, were seen in their day as anything but charmers: serious, focussed, intense, strategic, and pretty much pains in the rear. (Even though the Revolution would not have gotten off the ground, much less succeeded without them, history has relegated them on some kind of second tier behind some others who were rather thinner on strategy and substance.)

In terms of style, Ron Paul has more in common with those irreplaceable heroes than he does with their more celebrated counterparts such as Jefferson, Franklin and John Hancock.

But the key thing here transcends Ron Paul and his personality in front of a camera.

It's rather like the first rumble of change when Alfred Kahn, an obscure professor named to head the Civil Aeronautics Board during the Carter administration managed to persuade that President (who wasn't particularly enthusiastic about it) to deregulate the fat complacent airline industry in 1978. Within a few years a sea-change occurred in terms of deregulation.

The other reason that Ron Paul has caught on with only an element of the voting public [many outside the largely neocon GOP or GOP primary process] is that while things are deteriorating in America at an alarming rate, in the lives of most Americans this rapid-fire erosion hasn't yet had so much impact. Polls show most Americans think the country is on the wrong track. The inevitable consequence of remaining on the wrong track or speeding up the train is a wreck somewhere down the line.

Most people aren't willing to consider major direction changes except during times of upheaval. None of Roosevelt's program would have been enacted but for the dire situation by 1932 which made the quackonomics of FDR's Brain Trust seem like a viable way out.

Things haven't gotten so bad so fast that national complacency has worked past the sense that the country is on the wrong track. One hopes an all out train wreck won't required to get their attention.

But the good news is that a significant and growing segment of the population -- albeit probably not quite enough to win Paul the 2008 GOP nomination -- senses the looming wreck and have coalesced around the appropriate solutions.

And the news is even better than that: most of those who have figured this out are decades younger than those who have made the problem. And they are from all over the political spectrum, the core of a veritable Party of National Unity.

If a trainwreck (or hopefully a near-miss that may be scary but reasonably recoverable) should occur, the ascendant patent medicine salesmen in both the GOP and the Democratic party whose bad medicine created most of the problems will be left to play catch-up with the program of sound solutions that the Congressman has already largely defined.

The old guard will have to mount a rear-guard effort to persuade an increasingly aware, sophisticated and motivated electorate that more of the same imperial ambitions financed by printing press money and debt will solve the very problems that they caused.

They will have a very tough time doing so.

Tom Paine's Common Sense provided the popular underpinnings of the first American revolution. Ron Paul's common sense is providing the framework for the second whose time is drawing near.

[Tony]

I feel sorry for Andrew Malcolm. He thinks he is doing a noble service by sticking with the party line. If he really did his research he could break the story of this election cycle, which is what is happening behind the scenes right now. It does take a little research, which Mr. Malcolm has proven incapable of doing, to understand the delegate process. He doesn't understand the passion of the grassroots organization and the message that Ron Paul gave without actually saying it: Ron Paul empowered the grassroots organization. He basically said that he's taken it this far and the next step will be determined by what we do with it next. Let it not be said that we did nothing.

[Chip]

The sad truth is that being pro freedom is a minority in America. Most political bases are built around restricting others freedom. A political base built around not trying to run others lives isn't all that popular in America.

[Chris W]

This country will lose it's rank as the greatest country in the world by 2100. Why? Because the politicians are to drunk with power to care and the people are too dependent to rise up.

Once we become a Latin nation we will decay into a country where the citizens don't remember what freedom is and frankly can't grasp the concept as to why they should be in a rage.

We are lost....and will eventually collapse under the welfare and judicial system.

Sometime I fell regret that I have brought children into a country that no longer values independence, self-governance and entrepreneurship. I can only tell them stories about the day before me when men walked freely and were able to make their own decisions without idiotic laws. When you you didn't pay HALF of your income to the government just because you wanted to own your own business. A time when those who came here (like my ancestors) CHANGED THEIR LAST NAME because they wanted to SOUND like an American.

F*CK the hyphen...it's killed us.

[Josh Berg]

The $100+ that I contributed to Ron Paul's Presidential campaign was the most satifying money I've spent in my life. Hello, I'm a 20 year old from Virginia that has never voted for president.

There is disease of apathy laying on our country today, where people don't care and beleive that they don't matter. The rEVOLution is the cure. People are waking up to the ideas of personal liberty, a PEACEFUL foreign policy and an America that provides for its own citizens.

If I knew the truth at a younger age, I would have laughed when my teachers told me that the US is the greatest country on earth. The US government, for the most part, is run by self-serving elitists who care only for power. No more. WE are the movement. WE will be heard. WE will not stop. Love live the new American Revolution.

[Anonymous]

Andrew, you've touched on one of the problems a few times. Paul's campaign staff needs to take a large part of the blame. They dropped the ball at every turn--to the point where MANY in the grassroots were begging for a change.
If Paul had hired a more experienced staff, would it have gotten him more press? I don't know, but it sure should have been tried.

[Cindy]

To Patrick with the media I need to correct you first.. Huckabee was also ignored by the media until, 3 weeks prior to the Iowa caucus, during which time he recieved constant positive support from the MSM. They gave him Iowa and put him on the map.

I don't regret spending a thing on the Paul campaign and helping him to get his much needed to be heard message out. This rEVOLution is larger then one man and one election cycle. America needs the truth now!

The media continually suggested to the voters that Paul can't win when he was brought up. They further casted doubt with the voters with their constant question, including in the debates, " Will you be running 3rd party?" What a dumb question asked of a man running for the Republican party nomination. The media kept calling Paul a Libertarian as well, not a Republican, further misleading them.

Does every American know that Paul would bring the troops home the quickest, and that he continually received more donations from U.S. Military personel then any other candidate or that in Q4, he raised more then all of them combined from Military personel and Vets? If you say you support the troops, then you should support who they have been supporting with their money, Ron Paul is the troops candidate.

Does every American know that Paul has never taken lobby money, never once voted to raise taxes or for an unbalanced budget, and that he returned a portion of his Congressional salary back to the Treasury every year?

Does every American know that Paul has been speaking out against the war since 1998 when it was first discussed in Congress to take out Saddam, before 9/11?

No where near every American knows these things, not even those who watch the media regularly. Paul supporters had to research it and much much more for themselves. It's no surprise he has the greatest support on the internet. Those using the internet have the greatest access to unbiased information to make an informed decision with and they largely chose Paul with that extra knowledge.

Until every American knows the truth, and integrity is restored to Constitutional government, this rEVOLution will not end.

Thank you for asking for our commentary.

[Carney]

Ron Paul never had a chance in the Republican primaries for the simple reason that he supports giving the enemy in Iraq what it wants: an immediate US pullout. However denied, disguised, or evaded, that means defeat for America, and would be celebrated as such by our enemies. Echoing leftist, Marxist, and Islamist rhetoric about the evil American empire is not going to endear anyone to the heartland, middle class, patriotic voters that comprise the GOP primary electorate.

[Bryan]

It took some enlightened discussion with friends to realize that I really should take an interest in what went on in Washington. But when you start paying attention to politics for the first time, especially in an election year, its hard to wade through the rhetoric and lofty statements candidates use without ever mentioning how they intend to make good.

It took about 20 minutes of reading Dr. Paul's writings and watching him speak for me to figure out in which direction I would take the country if it were up to me. He's the man with not only a plan, but steadfast reasoning to back it up AND ideas on how to make it happen. Dr. Paul doesn't need rhetoric, he just needs a question to answer.

Its clear to me that Dr. Paul's message must be carried as far and wide as possible. And I know that all it takes to spread the word is to make just one more person ask themselves honestly, not what CAN the government do to make my life better, but what SHOULD the government do?

Paul in 2012, if he wants it.

[Jeff]

Although Ron Paul , with almost certainty, will not be the republican nominee fro president; I don't regret anything I've done. We learned in this election cycle that the media is only the loudest sounding board of information, information I read online a day or two before its reported on CNN. More and more people tune in to the internet everyday. We are the minority, but soon we the young and energized will consume the old as statism has led to freedomism has led to statism has lead to freedomism. Ron Paul didn't catch on because the public couldn't fathom him, and ultimately his should have been perfect party has a boner for the warfare state. We now know the power structure is not immune to internal threats. We are going to become the 21st century republican party. No one else is going to be that interested.

[Kelly]

If something is factual and in your face, there is no conspiracy theory to it. I'm sick and tired of people attaching conspiracy theory to anyone who reports inconsistancies.

People that are intelligent and think outside of the box are deemed crazy kooks and painted in a negative light.

I also feel upset how the media is targetting Ron Paul supporters and making them all look bad. Ron Paul supporters are also your ratings!

It's made me so furious that I stopped watching all major media outlets. Thanks MSM. It's really cowardly to go after supporters of a president just because you don't like what a president stands for.

I don't see any bashing of Hillary, Obama, Huckabee or Mccain supporters. Why?

[ucnick]

I am (or was) a Dem, as was my wife, but what I have seen over the past few years disgusts us. Both major parties eat from the same trough, the good of our nation takes a back seat to partisanship, people are branded as non-patriotic by our Administration if they do not believe in the "just cause" of the war in Iraq, the corporations have a greater say than the people, and the choices for leader of our country are appalling. As a result, my wife and I are now independents (Dobbsian independents, to boot) and we will vote for Dr. Paul, as a write-in if necessary, as it appears that the only real hope for our (yes - our!) Republic is a Jeffersonian/Constitutionalist such as Dr. Paul. We need to, in the words of the old saying, "throw the rascals out"! From what I have read (that is NOT expurgated or distorted by the mainstream press) there will be a bit of a surprise at the GOP convention. Wait and see, folks...

[Georges]

For those of us that are religious,i sincerely believe this is the last waring from GOD,as i tell people,GOD gave us the prophets and we killed them all,but in his abundant grace he gave us another chance,he gave us Dr Ron Paul.
Folks,we all which machine we are going against,and i gotta tell you,i don't believe we can defeat this machine and get our country back without extra help(for me that extra help is GOD).
I'm glad i'm fighting this fight,cause i know i know i'm fighting the good fight.In our churches today,they preach to us that fighting the devil is gathering every sunday and shout,or act up as if we are fighting invisible spirit,but for those of us that are still asleep,the fight is not in the churches,Jesus and his followers didn't lock themselves in some synagogue pretending to fight the devil,no,they were in the streets shouting at people,warning people.If you have read your bible you'll noticed that the devil wasn't some strange looking creature or spirit that pretended to attack people in churches,but he is this evil thing that has darkened people's hearts.
So to you religious folks,in particular christians,get out there and fight the good fight,fight for justice as the prophets told us to,for we all know what will happen if we don't.
I thank GOD for Dr Paul

[R.J.]

The election isn't gona happen anyway. Shrub is gona bomb Iran and invoke NSPD51 (national security presidential directive 51) that he signed last year, which gives him the authority to declare martial law, suspend the constitution and the election. He will crown himself king until he wins his war on terrorism, which will never end just like the war on drugs. Don't think it's real? Google it.

[Bob]

I'll write in Ron Paul before I vote for McCain, Obama or Hillary. I'm sorry, but I just can't pick which of the 3 liberals (see previous sentence) left in the race will do the least amount of damage to the country. Any one of the three would be an utter disaster. We know Hillary and her baggage, we know McCain, who sounds real Conservative until he's in office, and we don't know about Obama, which is fair because he doesn't know what to do. Obama is all fluff, the only words he knows is "hope" and "change". Well, you can hope in one hand... you know the saying.

Our country is doomed.

[Steve Dasbach]

My wife and I are both maxed out donors to Congressman Paul's campaign. He did an outstanding job of challenging the conventional wisdom on a host of issues and we have no regrets about our donations.

In 20/20 hindsight, I think the campaign would have had more of an impact if several million dollars had been devoted to national TV ads in December and early January. This would have likely raised Paul's national poll numbers into double digits and made it more difficult for the MSM to marginalize his candidacy. In turn, I believe that would have improved his results in the early states.

Most of the people supporting Paul's candidacy are relatively inexperienced in politics, including most of his staff. I expect to see many of his supporters turn to running for local party offices and/or elective office, including Congress. Paul is now has a massive donor base that he can use to help elect candidates who share his views.

The Ron Paul Revolution isn't over -- it's barely just begun.

[Jerome]

I know this is overstated, by I really believe that the lack of media attention is what kept the Ron Paul campaign on the ground.

The sad fact of the matter is that few Americans take the time to research the issues and the candidates on their own, rather they allow the media to do that job for them. If they don't see and hear a candidate 24/7, they're not going to vote for him.

I'm definitely sad to see Dr. Paul's campaign winding down, but I think his real contribution has yet to be seen. Ron Paul has succeeded in energizing a new generation of political activists who hopefully will remember his ideas as they begin to take over the reigns of leadership.

As long as they continue to advocate for a constitutional government and liberty, then Ron Paul's campaign can't be seen as anything less than a brilliant success.

[Dan]

Today only about 1 in 1,000 Americans can name the 5 rights guaranteed to us by the first amendment:
Freedom of Speech, Press, Religion, Assembly, and freedom to petition the government.
When a majority of the people don't know their rights, they won't notice when these rights go away and that also explains why someone who supports the constitution like Ron Paul did not have the support he needed.

[L'phant]

Sorry RP supporters... I cannot support the surrender "cut-n-run" policy.

[Vince Hugh]

Ron Paul made a vital mistake in this election. He assumed that the NY media's anti-war, hate Bush agenda represented all of America. It didn't, look at McCain's success. In fact the majority of Republicans support Bush's war efforts and there was no way Paul was going to get the support of Republicans with an anti-war/ anti-Bush stance.
Ron Paul has some good 'idealist' approaches to government, but he is unable to separate that from realism. He gets his little following of 'groupies' from short sighted Bush haters who latch onto a couple of Paul's ideas they think makes sense, but are incapable of looking at the bigger picture and the effect on everything else.

[Ruth]

I have to say that I don't really understand why Ron Paul's campaign didn't do better. I for one support Ron Paul and will vote for him if I bother going to vote in the Texas primary. I think we as a society are leaning more towards socialism than democracy. Health care for all, classifying a large portion of our society as being poor or working poor (this is just based on a dollar amount set by the government), social security - these are all ideas that to me seem socialist. Who is now left that is for smaller government? Who left is for less military intervention around the world? I am now left with no one to vote for come the election in November. I just hope some third party candidate is worth voting for.

[Paul Bird]

RP was running on the wrong ticket. There is just no support for a antiwar candidate in the GOP.

Another problem I experienced is the tendency of his supporters to label any Republican that didn't agree them a neocon. Most Republicans are not neocons. A neocon is a converted democrat who is for war with Islamic fundamentalism. "neocon" has morphed into a slur and the Ron Paul supporters use it early and often. His supporters are also bad mouthing conservatives which is strange.

Take away the looney idea of going back to the gold standard and RP's agenda is virtually identical to Fred Thompson. Conservative darling before Mitt Romney that also had no traction.

[Colin]

I hope Ron Paul can still pull out a victory but if not then here are my predictions...

Brack Obama crushes John McCain with land slide victory of epic proportions. Or possibly he just wins by a bit... regardless a Dem wins the nomination (obvius why).

After Obama becomes president, he fails to solve all of the world and US problems (duh). Everyone suddently realized they were conned (neoconned that is) into another presidency of perpetual war and the economy slides into teh abyss. People realize that Obama speechs were basically meaningless as the only subjects they tend to cover are "dreams" and "change". No specifics.

To try and fix the economy, Barack does some stupid shit (no surprise) and winds up pushing us into a hyper inflationary type event similar to the New Deal prolonging the great depression.

America effectively will get what it deserves for isregarding Ron Paul's warnings.

[Robin Mozingo]

I said this before and I will say it again

Evil is at foot and no matter if Hillary or McCain win the agenda remains the same... this Revolution of ours is permanent......................

This revolution will NOT go away, it will not end at the convention, it will not end in November!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The people DEMAND a revolution and we will settle for nothing less! It takes a great man to stand against many, and a even greater man to keep on standing no matter what the odds but it is not up to Dr. Paul alone to keep this revolution going, it is up to the people who beleive in him, ask yourself why you beleive in him? Take those reasons and run with them, keep fighting even when no one else will!!!

So to those of you who are mad and want the money you donated back and to those of you who are talking badly about him now

WHY?

He woke you up, he made you care, he is the reason so many people are starting to remember why this country was great in the first place, he is the reason so many Americans came out of political hibernation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He did not quit on us, he is still there to point us in the right direction, it is up to US to make things happen. It can not all rest in the hands on one man!

The way I see it, if you are not active in your community and you do not make the extra effort to fight for what is right even after other people have given up, you have NO place to complain. I will not take the easy way out and the road that lies ahead is long and hard but I am willing to sacrifice some of my time to give anyone who will listen to me a political re-education!!!!!!

Do not forget what Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Washington and all their fellow patriots fought for. OUR FREEDOM and we OWE it to them and our children to restore this country to it's greatness!!!!!!!

Time to bring your pen to the voting booth and write in Ron Paul!!!!!!!

If he does not get the GOP nomination we need to make history this year. It is up to US to make him our first write in President!!! So DON'T give up, it is time to take back America and restore the constitution!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Terry]

Well, Well, Well

The MSM “conspiracy” it isn’t a conspiracy. It was blatantly obvious. Even Barak Obama admitted publicly that Ron Paul was being banned.

Doctor Ron Paul and his supporters are sitting in a very good position. We got rid of Rudy and now our sights are on McCain. McCain will crack. He is a hot head, and it won’t take much for him to lose his temper. I Can’t Wait!!!

Now the MSM is like “Where is Ron Paul”. What, they couldn’t cover him at all before the “super” Tuesday race. Oh no, the MSM covered speeches from McCain, Romney and Huckabee….but heaven forbid ANY RON PAUL coverage.

Now they are pressing Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee to throw in the towel. WHY?

Let’s be perfectly clear – John “Juan” McCain WILL NOT BE PRESIDENT.

He is no “conservative” and just because President Bush calls him one – doesn’t make him one. Anyway – a Bush endorsement should tell the American people something.

I believe that Huckabee, again, is blocking for John McCain. If the Huck got out, the American People would have a clear choice. Ron Paul or John McCain. HMMM.
Ron Paul wins!

This election is FAR FROM OVER. The Doctor needs to finish a little business at home, (beating a neocon Republican warmonger), before setting his sights again on the Presidency. We need to support him 100% on this effort. Whatever he needs, we should help him!!!

I don’t know why the Republican Party would run another Republican against an incumbent. Well I take that back – I do know why. They do not want him. They don’t want his message to get out….well it’s too late.

There is A LOT of time between now and November. I believe that McCain will be forced out – by the PEOPLE!!!

RON PAUL SUPPORTERS ARE IN THIS FIGHT. WE WILL NOT GIVE UP – WE WILL NOT QUIT!!

We are gonna get Ron Paul in the White House and we are going to throw those Neocon corporate elite bastards OUT!!!

GO RON PAUL. WE CAN WIN. WE WILL WIN!!

WE WILL NOT STOP. GO RON PAUL.

[MCM]

Go ahead and vote for Obama, You'll be sorry, and it will be too late to get Ron Paul back. Everyone had a chance to really make America a better place and we blew it. Way to go.

[Loyd Tyer]

After 41 years of voting for the "lessor of two evils" I now am in agreement with Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, James Madison, John Adam, etc. that the citizens of this country are getting what they deserve. "We the people" are totally responsible for the horrible mess this country is in both here and abroad. A man with the conviction, principle and honesty of Ron Paul has been ignored by the people. Maybe 4 more years of the "RepubliCrats" will bring enough pain to the people that we will wise up. Pain is the great motivator that brought this nation to the big dance. Our forefathers responed by putting their lives on the line for individual liberty so there is still a great risk to this nation that a "Ron Paul" will somehow be elected in the future and get the government out of our lives. This is the first time in 41 years that I actually have a choice for "CHANGE", which every so called candidate has voiced. Thank you America for giving us another 4 years of "RepubliCrat change". Rejoice in your policy of War and economic destruction. As a patriot that loves this nation I no longer fear my government as much as I fear the ignorance of my fellow citizens that have robotized themselves as "RepubliCrats" and are no longer willing to stand up for our constitutional republic. My children and grandchildren will be tormented with unlawful, unconstitutional government as we reek havoc on other nations to the benefit of the movers and shakers that control our empire.

[miles]

By the way, this is a reasonably fair article, but I have to point out 1 thing:

Sure, he's the oldest candidate, but he's 72 and McCain is 71. They are almost exactly 1 year apart.

Not a huge difference.

[Chris W.]

I have added to and corrected a few mistakes from my previous post. Here is the final draft:

This country will lose its rank as the greatest country in the world by 2100. Why? Because the politicians are too drunk with power to care and the people are too dependent to rise up.

Once we become a Latin nation we will decay into a country where the citizens don't remember what freedom is and frankly can't grasp the concept as to why they should be in a rage.

We are lost....and will eventually collapse under the welfare and judicial system.

Sometimes I feel regret that I have brought children into a country that no longer values independence, self-governance and entrepreneurship. I can only tell them stories about the days before me when men walked freely and were able to make their own decisions without idiotic laws. A time when a man didn't pay HALF of his income to the government just because he wanted to own his own business. A time when those who came here (like my ancestors) CHANGED THEIR LAST NAME because they wanted to SOUND like an American.

F*CK the illegal invader, the arrogant politician, the apathetic citizen and most of all….the hyphen...they have all played a part in the death of America.

[Eddie]

Honestly I never expected Ron Paul to win and I'd think most Paul supporters know that even if they aren't willing to admit it. I'm surprised he did as well as he did and I am encouraged by it because it bodes well for the next cycle. Perhaps next cycle the Ron Paul faction will do even better (like McCain). No the Ron Paul campaign was a war of ideas it was the voice of a disperate group of people who passionately believed in limited government (in one way or another) who were demanding a seat at the table in the American political dialouge.

So I don't think most Americans (and especially journalists) understand the libertarian/limit government ideal very well and it's hard for anyone to accept a radically new idealogy they don't understand in the space of an election cycle. Ron Paul's idealogy while (I think) extremely compelling to many however isn't a simple concept. When asked about how are you going to fix problem x, y, or z it's extremely easy to just say 'Government'. The government will provide it, fix it, buy it for you is very easy to understand. It's much more complicated to say "I will design our system of laws and property rights such that they unleash the creative power of market driven competition that will provide for x, y, and z. The issue with x, y, and z is either:

1) the artificial intrustion of government and regulations into this natural competition which has created the problem or
2) Poorly deffined property right are allowing the abuse of other's private goods or a common good"

Next the winner take all voting system is a huge problem that encourages voters to violently osilate preference towards a candidate they percieve to be a 'front runner'. If you noticed the breathtaking decline in the Guliani campaign or the dramatic rise of Huckabee and McCain the reason is that people only support someone who has a decent shot of winning. Huckabee was at 2% most of the second half of 2007 because no one thought he was a real cadidate. Then at some point he recieved enough exposure and credability to become a 'real' candidate and he shot up dramatically. This just increases the power of the media because if they believe someone is a 'real' candidate chances are the public will as well and this is where the media labeling Ron Paul as having 'No Chance' really hurts him. If the US had an approval voting system (for example) you wouldn't have this problem.

[Shawn, Norfolk, VA]

To answer the question:

Ron Paul has not caught on with the American voter because frankly, the typical voter is not smart enough to understand his message. In a time where at least one complete generation has been raised with the thought of government's high taxes, virolent spending, global military escapades, and rampant intrusion into the lives of citizens, very few people actually understand where Ron Paul is coming from. It would be interesting to know how many Americans, if forced to actually read the U.S. Constitution and develop their own understanding of the same, would still dismiss Ron Paul as a hack or just a senile old man. I would even pose that question to the author of this article. Have you read and considered the Constitution? If so, how do you now view the campaign of Ron Paul vs. every one else? I personally find no conflicts between Ron Paul's campaign and the Constitution, but I find massive dichotomies between our founding document and both the words of all other candidates and the actions of the federal government.

[SWibbie]

Ron Paul is a kook who never had any kind of chance to win anything. To those supporters who think his "message" has been heard...you people are delusional. There never was any "message" to be heard. He will be delegated to the laugh bin of history. 20 years from now he probably will be the question to a trivia question that NOBODY can answer.

A message to all you Ron Paul supporters. You people have been abusive, arrogant, and shallow. Not only that, but the lies you have told on message boards could fill a room the size of John Edward's house. I am thankful that this man has been rendered totally irrlevant.

[Lawrence]

Dr. Paul's and Rev. Huckabee's biggest problem is that both men are too wedded to the Republican Party. Either one of them should spin off their campaigns into a third party run for the presidency. What our country needs is more politicians who have the fortitude to run as third party candidates...it would shake up the status quo in the District of Columbia's two party monopoly.