What's this? Ron Paul runs a conservative campaign with no loans?

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas and his thousands of fervent supporters may be fighting more over the soul of the Republican Party nowadays than they are for the actual presidential nomination, seeing how the congressman is more than 1,000 delegates shy of what he'd need to head the ticket.

And John McCain has already wrapped up the September nomination so tightly he's not even campaigning and has headed off on an overseas trip this week with congressional colleagues.

This just so happens to provide photos back home of him talking to foreign leaders like a president and praying at the Wailing Wall while Democrats argue over Florida again.

McCain's entourage includes Connecticut's Joe Lieberman, former Democratic vice presidential candidate, former Democratic senator, current independent senator and probably McCain's future secretary of defense. Although that hasn't been officially announced yet because McCain first has to win this little thing called a presidential election.

The 72-year-old Paul has plenty of free political time now because no Democrat, not even in Texas, is dumb enough to take him on in the November House election, which will award Paul his 11th term. On March 4, Paul vanquished his main Republican challenger in the 14th District by capturing 70% of the vote. Other than that, it was close.

Paul says he'll continue to take his conservative message of...

smaller government, more personal freedoms and an end to American troops abroad wherever his followers are strong and loyal, places like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, maybe Idaho. But they're actually all over, even allegedly liberal California, where one branch posed nearly-naked for a Hotties4RonPaul pinup calendar. Others did a music video.

As noted here earlier this week, Paul's volunteers are winning GOP influence the old-fashioned way, at the grassroots level county by county, tedious meeting after tedious meeting, largely under the radar of the national media, except The Ticket. Paul's volunteers, many of them new to politics, hope to exert some influence on the platform in St. Paul and go from there, the way the 1964 Goldwater generation of conservatives finally won in 1980 with Ronald Reagan.

This is supposed to be a bad year for Republicans, whose turnout in caucus states, for instance, has been low compared with Democrats. But although Paul has yet to win an actual primary or caucus, he's taken some fourths, fifths and seconds.

And with a minimalist campaign organization and a ton of money from about 400,000 dedicated donors (just watch the comments section below for their bounteous vows of loyalty), Paul has won about 803,000 votes. Which, in case you didn't notice, is more than that New York mayor guy with all the ex-wives got, and more than that tall, slow fellow from Tennessee who was a prosecutor and also played one on TV.

In fact, Paul, a former OB/GYN, raised more money in the fourth quarter of 2007 -- nearly $20 million -- than any other Republican candidate, including those rich guys from the East who were supposed to walk away with the nomination. In fact, Paul's website has a delightful photo display of all 11 Republican presidential candidates.

Nine of them have big black Xs across their face because they're gone. And guess who's not? Paul even outlasted (and easily out-fund-raised) that Arkansas governor who stayed around forever.   

Speaking of money, Paul has now filed his required monthly campaign finance report with the Federal Election Commission. Knowing how interested The Ticket remains in the Ron Paul Revolution, The Times' dutiful Dan Morain dug out the Texan's new report.

Not only does Paul talk the conservative talk, it seems he walks the conservative walk. He reported having raised $34.65 million since he launched his (get ready, Paulunteers) long-shot White House bid last year. Paul reported spending about $29 million as of Feb. 29. And he reported having an impressive $5.57 million cash left in the bank.

Now, get this: The Ron Paul presidential campaign reported no debts. Not a dollar. Not even a penny. What has this country come to when half the members of Congress run for president and fully one of them campaigns within his means? This conservative revolution will not be run on funny money like the Federal Reserve system they want to abolish.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo: John A. Bowersmith / Killeen Daily Herald

Comments

[KProctor]

I wish to leave a heartfelt Amen, to Darryl Schmitz's comment. Thanks Darryl, you did this subject justice.

[Dave]

There was a very long period of time when this nation had zero debt, and did not tax personal incomes in order to pay interest on one. To bad debt and the taxes that fund it are all this generation has ever known. *tear*

[Sara]

Wow, Ron Paul! That's the kind of President that I want, not Mccain! Can we redo this election?

[Joseph Bergrath]

If you don't belong to globalist CFR you cannot be president. The elections were rigged against Ron. The media either ignored or derided him. There favorite question was when are you going to quit and will you run as a third party candidate.
The voters in this country are so stupid that they think they decide who the President will be.

[Charlotte Juett]

Unfortunately, the United States citizens will have no one to blame but themselves, when once again, they elect to have more of the same in the next 4 years.
The Ron Paul supporters are working hard in the county and state conventions to have their platform adopted by the Republican Party in September and if they can elect enough delegates to the National Convention and McCain makes a mistake, we may still be able to have an honest statesman running for the presidency in November. At that point it will be IMPOSSIBLE for the MSM to ignore Dr. Paul and this country may still have a chance to change it's course and bring back to full flower the Constitution of the United States, which has been ignored in Washington for so long.
We will not give up the fight and even if Ron Paul does not secure the nomination, we will continue to push for his platform to be adopted by the party. We are in involved and awake now and will work to make sure that local and state elected officials are of Ron Paul Republican variety. Little by little, we will take back this country.

[Albert]

Thanks for your continued fair coverage of Ron Paul. Just as Ron Paul is a breath of fresh air in the political arena, your column is one in the corporate controlled media.

[Ed Ram]

I just would like to meet some of sub-IQ voters that continue to vote for people that are not even running in the primary anymore. If you don't have anywhere to throw you vote send it to Ron Paul, we would be happy to count it!

[Tony Hughes]

But I want to vote for a Conservative!

[Tony Hwang]

First and foremost, I want to thank LA Times for actually being fair in representing all the presidential candidates. Although it seems that there are alot of Americans that are STILL unaware of Ron Paul. I wouldn't say this is a bad thing because it seems to me personally those that don't know about him have no passion or even care about politics. Most don't even vote. Those who did in the primaries are unlikely going to "have time" for the caucuses. Unlike Ron Paul supporters, we are zealous in our constitutional ways. We're not just internet jocks that talks alot of talk. We actually show up!

[Toni]

Wow, Andrew, do I detect grudging respect for Ron Paul and his supporters in this last column? To be fair, you've at least written about Dr. Paul and the Patriots without adding the word "kook" or "nutcase" in your columns, so overall I think you've done a decent job. Too bad you can't educate the rest of your coherts in the press to at least do the same. Nevada republicans have even invited Dr. Paul to be a keynote speaker at their state convension. This, as well as the large gains that Ron Paul Patriots have made in the state republican party organizations in MO, AK and other places, is to me most encouraging and inspiring. People were wrong to have thought that with McCain's coronation, the Patriots would split apart. The r3VOLution is just beginning.

[Ronald]

Nice article, Mr. Malcom. It seems you have caught on (early, I might add) that we have our sights set far beyond just the Republican National Convention. We want a complete reformation of the GOP. We want to take the GOP back at its grassroots level and work up from there, to wrest it from the neocons and restore the Old Right ideals of personal liberty, fiscal restraint, and limited constitutional government.

We had many successes at our state republican convention in Alaska, also, this past weekend. The Alaska Republican Party platform now largely represents the Ron Paul Platform. We managed to do this with under 1/3 of the delegates.

Why? Because Ron Paul's message makes sense. The WAR blinds people to the other issues. So many Republicans see that Ron Paul is against the war, and they dismiss him out of hand.

Yet when 120 Paulunteers got elected as delegates to the State Convention and showed up, representing just under 1/3 of all delegates, our platform planks and resolutions mostly sailed through committees to the floor, where a few met with nominal opposition, yet most all were passed easily.

When divorced from the war issue, everything else Ron Paul stands for is exactly what the GOP grassroots stands for. Our State Party platform now condemns the PATRIOT Act, it calls for abolishing the IRS and the income tax, among many other issues only Ron Paul has been bold enough to raise. I think if it weren't for the war issue, Ron Paul would easily have won the GOP nomination. But so many GOPers are blind as to the reality behind the war, which if they knew, they'd throw GWB and his neocon hacks out on their ears. It will take some doing, but we Paulunteers intend to educate our fellow Republicans who may be a bit misled. Four years from now, expect great things!

The American populace loves Ron Paul. It was the die-hard neocon-hoodwinked loyal GOP members who could not separate the war from their Republicanism who sunk Ron Paul's chances to rescue us.

[Christy]

Darryl - Truer words have never been spoken.

I absolutely <3 Mr. Malcom's witty & playful "tongue in cheek" writing style. May I say it is no offense at all to be called "long shot" or Paulunteer by you sir!

Besides, I've already set aside funds to purchase my "Don't Blame Me, I Voted Ron Paul" bumper sticker to replace my Presidential bumper stickers. I was thinking something along the lines of ... Don't blame me I actually checked out my candidates voting record... haven't quite got the wording down the way I want it.

Another excellent article Mr. Malcolm thank you for your journalistic honesty!

[Carlo C]

Andrew,

Why do you speak like an outsider? if you understand the Constitution, what civil/economic liberty is, the FRAUD that is the IRS, our flawed monetary system with a Federal Reserve Bank not more 'Federal' than Fedex.

If you understand the fact that we are a Constitutional Republic (not a Democracy or an Empire),... if you understand all these things it will take you no time to become a Ron Paul supporter.

So, do you understand everything i just mentioned?

...and if you do,...

Why do you keep on speaking about the Ron Paul REVOLution as an outsider? giving us names as Paulunteers or Paulites,.. call us 'Constitutionalists' or 'Patriots'.. it would be more accurate.

No more idiotic name calling please.

Carlo C (a Constitutionalist, Patriot and Ron Paul supporter)
Miami, FL

[David]

Thanks for another good article, Andrew. Most Paul supporters know their guy won't get the convention nod, but we really want the issues that caused us to rally around Paul to be brought before the people. The war(s) remains very unpopular, but seems to be moving to the back burner as an election issue in the face of economic news. Perhaps more people will take a serious look at issues like the Federal Reserve, collapse of the dollar, debt, corporate welfare, government spending, the cost of maintaining a global military empire and the other core Paul issues as things continue to worsen.

[Torqued]

Andrew,

I know you've claimed to be fair to Ron Paul over the months, but I have not read a blog by you yet that didn't have some BS or something negative about Ron Paul in it.

Until this one.

It is about time you FULLY came around to good writing.

You finally changed my opinion of you.

[Dave]

Great article Malcolm. I fear there may be some bad blood from Paul supporters after that last one however. The one where you said Paul dropped out. Yeah.

[Timur Rozenfeld]

Andrew, this was an excellent article pointing out the hypocrisy of the status-quo Republican candidates.

[Jake]

Andrew, you are doing a fine job sir. I wonder if your company ever prints some of your wonderful articles in the old media newspapers.

Any chance any of these will go into print? Why or why not?

[Free Speech]

One comment? You've only let one comment through? You must have as much regard for free speech as Vladimir Putin.

(Oh, relax! The gang's all here. I actually went to bed for a few hours. I find my body works better that way.)

[tim, minnesota]

andrew, where did my attempted post from earlier today go?

[Kim Ray]

Darryl, I agree. To do anything other than vote for Dr. Paul would be to denounce the very principles for which he - and all of us who support him- stands. No vote is a "wasted" one if you are voting your heart, mind, beliefs, principles and values. Cognizant of the realities of how much of the MSM conducts itself, it nevertheless has shocked me that few journalists dared to give much deserved recognition of the very important changes that are happening because of Dr. Paul's campaign. Kudos to Top of the Ticket for paying attention. I trust that other supporters will do the right thing. Vote for Ron Paul. Send the message. Change your world, vote by vote.

[Canuck Student]

Andrew Malcolm yet we meet one more time.
Unlike Tucker Carlson who claims to "respect" Ron Paul and support him, yet he makes hit pieces on him in the media like "prostitutes for Ron Paul" and the infamous "racist" letters which he never wrote etc...
You are my new hero in the media in this time of universal deceit. Thank you for a good read. Keep up your good sense of Politics and humor. You will never please everyone including myself for it is impossible. But I do see a journalist of rare caliber and for that you have my respect. Malcolm and Jack Cafferty for prize of most honest journalists.
And Yes ofcourse Ron Paul practices what he preaches.
my regards.

(Welcome back. Good to see you again and all the other regulars. Spread the word we're still here.)

[ThomasJ]

I think one of the interesting things to remember is that Abe Lincoln walked into the convention with only 20 delegates.

Conservatives, true fiscal conservatives despise McCain. I have heard many die hard Republican conservatives say they would vote for Obama before voting for McCain.

(Really? That could make a good blog item because, just fyi, the National Journal recently named Sen. Obama as the most liberal member of the entire Senate.)

[Canuck Student]

Dear Andrew; Have you seen this video. it already got a 100,000 hits. Hope you do a story on this if you have the time. Ron Paul is so inspiring that his supporters are inspired to be extremely creative. Just mind blowing.
by the way this kind of animation takes hundreds of hours of work to make.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-3MLTvYBQy0

[Colt-1]

Hey Andrew-

Where are those bounteous vows of loyalty from Paul's "disciples" as you love sarcastically call them?

And why are you still "covering" Paul? Didn't he call it quits? According to you he did.

You bait and directly insult people who may be a bit naive but at least sincere, then act as if you've done us a favor becuase you write a blog for the LA Times.

You're your own biggest fan, and don't realize how embarassing that is because you relish so much in you own sarcastic stylings. What a joke.

This is how you choose to participate in a democracy, huh big man?

And you're welcome reading, and the comment. Obviously you need them both.

(Just look above yours, bucko. You were late with yours.)