Ron Paul wows them in Pa. -- but does it matter?

A story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tells us that Ron Paul's 2008 presidential campaign is still puffing along ahead of the April 22 primary there, even though John McCain is already getting fitted for the coronation cape and crown at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. Paul spoke Thursday before a crowd of about 500 people at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and didn't make any news -- other than the fact that he's still campaigning in a Republican nomination fight that is long over.

The Paulistas like to argue that the reason Paul never caught fire is because the mainstream media (that would be us) froze him out. But with more than $30 million raised and a skeletal staff -- which means limited overhead -- Paul had plenty of cash to buy airtime in meaningful places to get his message out. In fact, he raised about half of what McCain raised.

And the Paulistas' savvy use of the Internet gave him yet another avenue to proselytize his political beliefs of a minimal, non-interventionist government. But those arguments just didn't resonate with enough Republican voters to get him the nomination -- Mike Huckabee, with half of Paul's cash, won 270 delegates to 14 for Paul.

So why do people still flock to hear Paul? Well, that's the interesting question. Judging by the comments lodged on this and other blogs, there's a fervent belief that Paul alone among the presidential candidates understands that something like U.S. disengagement from world conflicts, and the U.S. government's disengagement from the economy, is the only way to avoid economic disaster.

But there's also a touch of personality cult to it all -- similar to what we hear from fervent Barack Obama supporters. As Paul told the Pittsburgh paper, "steady determination" has marked his character over the years. "I think, if I should be compared to somebody," Paul said, "it might be called a true believer."

Maybe. But so are the supporters, many of whom use similar phrasing to talk about their embrace of Paul and the Ron Paul Revolution. The question is, where will these voters be in the fall?

-- Scott Martelle

Comments

[Shane Savoie]

I don't think we'll be where we were in Nov. 2000 or 2004. Most of us were sitting on the couch bemoaning the lack of credible candidates. This year I have talked to everyone in our Meetup group, learning that about half haven't voted in years, about a quarter vote GOP no matter what, and the remainder being split between Libertarian, Constitution, and Green Parties in descending order. NONE of them are planning to vote for McCain. Most are looking at third party options, with a few tinfoil hat-wearers that swear they'll never vote for anyone but RP, which leaves them with a write-in vote.
That's where we stand, united as individualists can be!

[Marty]

"The question is, where will these voters be in the fall?"

I am a state delegate working to go to nationals. In the fall, I intend to be at national voting for Ron Paul.

After that, I will continue to work within the local fake Republican party, and will be on city council. Yes, I am a Ron Paul Republican involved in the grassroots and was just elected to city council.

[michael adamucci]

Scott Martelle, you say Ron Pual had enough money to buy spots in the currupt, lazy, wana bee journalist and reporter new stations or main stream media, but what about all of the free advertising that all the other candidates are getting. The new is saturated with mcain,obama, hilary, and they don't have to pay a penny for it. Non stop, if you turn on any of these junk main stream media channels, fox,cnn,abc,nbc, all of them and any other that are on tv, there is a constant brainwashing of the three candidates and once in a while a speck of Ron Paul that is usaully patronizing to him. You all suck, your horrible journalists, your not even journalist, you don't deserve that title, you are all just propgandist who sole motivation is money and fear, it pathetic and you are helping people to maintain the suffering that they are causeing to everyone in this world. you all suck!

[David]

"The Paulistas like to argue that the reason Paul never caught fire is because the mainstream media (that would be us) froze him out. But with more than $30 million raised ..." First, I wouldn't call this blog very mainstream... Second, 30 million is drop in the bucket compared to the hundreds of millions needed to do a real national ad campaign - possibly more than this, considering the only mention of Ron Paul on TV is how kooky he is....

But then pundits like to say Paul is ignored by the media because he doesn't poll well. But if the media ignores you (or call you kooky), no one will know who you are and you can't poll well. Not to mention Paul's name is not even included in most polls.

The media immediately called Barack a "serious candidate" and gave him oodles of positive coverage while they smeared Paul as someone who "can't win" and pretty much ignored him. The predictable outcome is Obama did well in polls and Paul didn't. If all the candidates were given equal treatment by the media, I think it's very likely Paul would be the leading republican candidate right now.

Paul consistently stands by his oath of office and opposes the radical status quo agenda that is destroying this country ... and he is being called "kooky." It's downright Orwellian. Up is down, left is right and pigs fly. The MSM has been a joke for many years, but in 2007 and 2008, it has gone into overdrive in protecting the establishment and destroying its own credibility. As MSM newpapers and t.v. news networks downsize and lose ratings, internet use goes up. It indicates that people are wising up and perhaps someday there will be enough informed people in this country to bring about change for the better. It can't happen until people break away from the MSM propaganda machine.

[Scott]

Ron Paul could have purchased all of the airtime in the world. That would not have changed the fact that the moderators at the debates barely acknowledged his presence, so the MSM comment is valid. By NOT letting him participate, the major networks essentially decided for their viewers that his positions were not relevant. It is terribly difficult to call them the media. Once upon a time, the press reported and the people decided. It is no longer that way...

[the problemwithcaring]

The fact that you report passionate supporters of Sen. Obama - a man who has received support of more than have of Democratic voters in 40+ states - as cultists, really, says more about the assumptions and predications of you and your newsroom than it does about the candidate and the voters.

How many states, primaries, pledges delegates, congressional and Senatorial endorsements, and presidential endorsements has Ron Paul had?

[D]

Once again; More evidence that main stream media has counted Ron Paul out from the start. Even more so, the main stream media undermines the Ron Paul suppoerters making the entire Ron Paul Revolution sound like some hippie fest with crazies demanding change. Not So.

The Ron Paul supporters continue on the good fight because more and more evidence of political corruption and law breaking among other candidates continues to surface.
I.E. http://www.dailypaul.com/node/44227. <- (To those that try and discredit the source; read the article and look up more information. You will be astounded to what the main stream media will not report to you. )

To tell you the truth if Ron Paul doesn't get elected to office, the Ron Paul campaign, the Ron Paul supporters, and the Ron Paul politics will NOT be to blame. It will be the Americans brainwashed by media outlets over glorifying a black man and a woman as symbols for change. It will be because of the same media outlets not reporting on the facts about a horrible man, a corrupt politician, a war hungry, rich white Republican who stands for what 90% of American's don't want. And it will be beacuse these media outlets are not being paid for 'enough air time' to fairly report on a candidate whos voting record, politics, and supporters all demand change. Good change. Change for bringing America back to what it stood for a long time ago. Freedom. Perosnal Liberty. Justice for law breakers (including politicians) If Ron Paul doesn't become the elected President; which he might not because look, George Bush wasn't elected by the people he was elected by the elitist members of the electoral college. I fear this will happen again; His politics, his ideas, and his supporters are out there now.

Dr. Paul's Revolution will not stop with this election. It will carry over to congressional elections. To Senate elections, until there are more elected members out there, involved in the political prosess slowly but steadily, bringing America back onto a right track.

[Tess]

I just love this (sarcasm of course):

"The Paulistas like to argue that the reason Paul never caught fire is because the mainstream media (that would be us) froze him out. But with more than $30 million raised and a skeletal staff -- which means limited overhead -- Paul had plenty of cash to buy airtime in meaningful places to get his message out. In fact, he raised about half of what McCain raised.

The problem was that all the other candidates received plenty of "FREE" airtime, with the exception of Ron Paul, and when you media types did write about him, with the exception of a few, the story always started with either longshot, darkhorse, unelectable, or has no chance of winning. It is no different than the Federal Reserve lying to the American people, and saying everything is okay a few months back, when in fact our economy is falling apart at the seams, just as Ron Paul has been saying all along, but you media types decided to ignore him. I guess it doesn't pay to tell the truth like Ron Paul has, and that is sad.

The mainstream media sounds no different than the Federal Reserve, they just want to tell us what they believe, and it is rarely the truth. All we ask for is some fair coverage, the same McCain is currently receiving. Oh, and McCain illegally got his name on several state ballots by saying he was taking FEC matching funds so he would not have to acquire the necessary signatures to be on these ballots as everyone else did. Tell me how fair is that, and why is that not making media headlines? McCain is no different than Bush, in fact McCain is 10 times worse. Personally, I cannot support or vote for a candidate (McCain) that cannot keep his Presidential campaign out of debt, just imagine what he would do to our country's economy, especially since he has publicly admitted he knows nothing of the economy. Our country can no longer financially sustain a war, or troops overseas, and Ron Paul is the ONLY Republican candidate who is man enough to admit this, and announce it to the American people.

By the way, Ron Paul will have my vote, and support this coming November 2008, he is the only Conservative Republican running. I will be voting with integrity, and principle. http://ronpaul2008.com

[Brandi]

I registered to vote just so that I could vote for Ron Paul in the primaries. If he is not on the ballot this November, and there is no way to write him in, I will not dare vote.

[D]

Once again. Another main stream media 'journalist' who misrepresents the views of the American public by making a pathetic attempt to not only discredit Ron Paul, but he takes it a step lower and hits the Ron Paul supporters below the belt as he writes this article and discredits us as well.

I'd like to inform you, sir, that as a journalist, even an opinion writer, you should be informed about the subject you are writing about. And Im not just saying look up what your other main stream media buddies are writing because it's all a bunch of garbage any way. Expand your resources. Let me explain. You and your fellow 'reporters' want to over glorify a black man and a woman as symbols for change in America. You also report only the good facts about a war hungry, rich white Republican so it doesn't seem like you take sides. (If I offend any McCain supporters read this:
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/44227 and you will feel offended by the underserving candidate you support.)

Since Bush has throughly screwed up the economy (didn't you know 'we built too many houses.') American's are hungry for any candidate, Democrat or Republican to lead America back to the right track. The Democratic owned media outlets such as MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, and even the Los Angeles Times, don't want the American public out there with a voting records and ideas and a plan to do exatly what we all want. Restore America. Unfortunatly thus candidate didnt 'buy enough air time' and therefore the 'fair and balanced' main stream news media outlets just can't report on him. (For those of you who don't get what Im saying, that's tounge in cheek humor)

Let me remind the uninformed comunist Hillary supporters, the 'flip flop voting record doesnt matter' Barack supporters, and the over zealous rich white former members of the service (not that we don't thank you for protecting America) supporters of Bush's third term, oh I mean, Senator McCain's people that all of these candidates have infinatly more money then you. These candidates have no idea what it means to be a working class citizen worrying about retirement, the environment that we are handing out children, and out children's children. These candidates do not have a solid plan to fix out economy. (Except McCain. His plan is to keep us in the war in the middle east because... that obviously creates more jobs and helps the economy. Proof of that can be seen in the past 5 years how well our economy has been doing) <- tounge in cheek again.

Regardless of Dr. Paul wins the election or not. His ideas, his politics, his dreams for the future will continue on in the form of his supporters. The people he actually won over by sticking to his guns and not waivering even with overwhelming pressure for the GOP to stand down and endorse a candidate completely 180 degrees away from what he stands for. He didn't buy his support like the other three candidates. He didn't 'pay for air time' like they did either. (Thanks for adding fuel to the fire Scott Martelle) When this goes into history books, Ron Paul might be overlooked. But years from now when Ron Paul Republicans have a strong vote in the Senate and Congress, the candidate that wins, be it Hillary, Obama, or McCain will be the same never ending joke that Bush already is. But the punchline of the joke (when that day comes) will be the media outlets, the writers and the people who believed them.

RonPaul2008.com
DailyPaul.com
RonPaulforPresident2008.com

[dave]

when ron paul talks about the comparison to 'a true believer,' he might mean someone who has not lost his love for life and human beings, but has freed himself or herself of popular delusions.
and this is not a personality cult, as some will still maintain, unable or unwilling to understand what ron paul keeps repeating: 'it's about the message.'
but many now, like ron paul himself, have transcended false, blind belief, to honestly and bravely look at things as they might be, and to do what they can to make them better. anyone who's understood the message, won't ever go back on that. this is why ron paul won;
and not the ubiquitously media-crooned mccain, who's
seemingly technically still handled as the allegedly-purported presumptive, immaturely, prematurely and provisionally media-crowned republican nominee (anything else is not possible because he is not electable, not only because of his flawed policies and character, but also because of his failure to qualify as a 'natural born citizen').
the picture of the little engine depicted steaming fast downhill, though neat, for its possible symbolic freight might more aptly be used as an analogy for the deceitful endeavors of obama, clinton and mccain - unless of course it was chosen to suggest the rEVOLution's landslide victory.

('constitutional requirements; citizenship definitions of both article II and amendment 14 apply in terms of mccain running for president:
1. the 14th amendment and matching policy limit citizenship to either natural born or naturalized, but not both.
2. john mccain was born in 1936 in the canal zone to citizen parents.
3. 8 usc 1403(a) declares naturalized citizenship in 1952 on persons born in the canal zone to citizen parents.
4. therefore, 8 usc 1403(a) applies to john mccain at age 16.
5. therefore, john mccain is a naturalized citizen.
6. by treaty, the canal zone was not part of the united states.
7. therefore, john mccain was not born in the united states.
8. therefore, john mccain is a citizen not born in the united states.
9. therefore, john mccain is not a natural born citizen.
10. article II of the constitution states to be president a person must be a natural born citizen.
11. therefore, john mccain is NOT eligible to be president of the united states under article II of the constitution; he's to be decertified and removed from all present and future presidential ballots; his past results to be disallowed, including unbinding all of his committed delegates.')

[Phil]

"But those arguments just didn't resonate with enough Republican voters to get him the nomination."

What the Hell is this crap? Most people I talk to at work, in the neighborhood, at the store, wherever, don't even know who he is, much less what his message and arguments are. They are attached to mainstream television like rats to drip-feed. They are chemically dependant on television and dumbed down by government-sponsored education. They lack the ability to think critically. No amount of paid TV advertisement would open their eyes to Ron Paul's Freedom message. Give me a break, Scott. Where's Andrew Malcolm?

[Tharms]

You say, "Paul could have bought what we gave away to the others for free, so shame on him." Just how stupid do you think we are?

[Darrin]

Anyone remember the UTUBE video where if a user posted a Ron Paul bulletin, their myspace account was immediately hacked. That means the powers of myspace.... aka Murdoch policed the internet freeing itself of Ron Paul support knowing good and god damn well Ron had a strong avenue of support was via internet. Look deeper journalists... be honest, when Ron Paul debates he makes sense, is accurate, and is not covered. If he is mentioned, it is marginal coverage or belittlement.

Earned a Journalism Degee and I still feel the media today is a gross misrepresentation of what is on going.. Too many buzz words and shotty practices. Read on any subject for five days in a row and watch the story ultimately change. We cover Hillary making a joke about her dumb ass lie and sniper fire. Spin doctor at its finest... and oh yeah each campaign manager for each of Obama, McCain, and Clinton all have ties to our lending crisis. Yeah this is gonna be interesting, and how many times must we hear fear mongers able to paint a very diff picture then what the facts support.

[Keith]

If you are born abroad to citizen parents you are a citizen of the US. End of story.

[valdis]

What does it cost to have one sane, principled and competent person on the stage at the republican primary debates?

$30 million

[John]

Ron Paul didn't catch with the American public because the vast majority does not understand his message of liberty and limited government. I think it would take a multi-billion dollar re-education program to make the masses understand that most of the time government is the problem, not the solution.

[Diane]

It doesn't matter how much money Ron Paul would have spent on advertisement. The mainstream media, in bed with the establishment, was absolutely threatened by Ron Paul. Ron Paul busts this corrupt entangled mess wide open and exposes it for the sham that it is.

Ron Paul is the only candidate that speaks the truth and understands how to fix America.

But, the sheep, led by the mainstream media, picked 3 stooges instead.

History is going to be very kind to Ron Paul. God Bless him. He truly is an American hero.

[Baba Padmanabhan]

The problem wasn't that the weren't spending the money that they raised to get his message out. The problem was - MSM like yourself - left him out completely when covering the election news. Just to give you a few examples, his unaired 20/20, unaired Larry King Live show day before IOWA caucus, left out of fox news debate weekend before NH primary, numourous news organisation including a lot of local papers that get their material from big new corporations, left him out when talking about candidates and their views.

The r3VOLution continues folks...

[D]

'KEITH' You are an uninformed moron. Read the laws. You know what, read DAVE's comment if you are too lazy to look it up yourself.

It is better to stay silent and be thought a fool, than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.

[DX10]

Actually it would have done no good whatever to do more advertising. In fact not one penny should have been spent on radio or tv, rather it should have all been spent on grass roots organization.

The Gillette method of one man tells another would have been the only way to bring the masses on board. Where there was strong organization and education Dr. Paul won!

Remember that most of us went to government schools and got our subsequent information from the tv. Re-education was/is our only hope to understand what the egalitarians have been doing to us.

As Jefferson said, ........time to inform their discretion.

[shawn]

Where will I be in the fall...? Voting for the Libertarian.

[Carol]

Though I had considered writing-in Ron Paul's name, I now realize that it will only be counted as a spoiled ballot, not a vote for Ron Paul. Just as we did in the caucuses, we are voting for the electors in the electoral college, not the president directly So I'll be voting for the Libertarian candidate.

If the Republicans are sincerely worried about a 3rd party spoiling their chances against Obama, and are seriously worried about a liberal Whitehouse, then they can all vote Libertarian too....

[Edward]

I'm not sure how you can make an arguement that Ron Paul has not been at a huge disadvantage with the MSM lack of coverage. Sure, $30 million buys him some air time, but that is utterly dwarfed by all the free, and positive, air time the other candidates got.

And I don't really appreciate the sarcastic tone this blog frequently takes with Ron Paul subjects. It's patronising and detracts from some of your valid points.

[Anon]

my meetup group of about 140 people will not be voting for McCain, a handful for Obama because he will at least bring the troops out of Iraq. We are now working on taking back the local GOPs one at a time!!