Ron Paul's campaign may be out of T-shirts but not dedication

This just in: The Ron Paul 2008 campaign store is closed indefinitely. Apparently this week's special "End of Primary Season Blowout" sale decimated the inventory.

The special offer was $25 for a Ron Paul T-shirt plus an unspecified collection of Ron Paul buttons, Ron Paul stickers, Ron Paul key chains, Ron Paul magnets, Ron Paul wristbands, Ron Paul hats and Ron Paul mouse pads.

It looked like a campaign close-out.

But with his $5-million remaining political kitty, the 72-year-old, 10-term Republican representative from Texas continues to make his combination political-book signing rounds of the country and speaking to crowds of his determined followers, many of them new to the political process.

Paul will have ample time to do that this year because he's running for his 11th House term unopposed. There simply is no Democrat in southeast Texas stupid enough to take on the old man who inserts bounteous spending earmarks for his home district into legislation certain to pass and then votes against the bills so he can maintain his anti-spending reputation.

Paul didn't do all that badly in the meaningless Republican primary votes this week, if you deal in percentages. Paul captured ...

... 17% of GOP ballots in South Dakota, 14% in New Mexico and 22% in Montana. Unfortunately for the Revolution, that adds up to something around 50,000 votes total.

But that's about 50,000 more than awarded to that ex-New York mayor fellow who the know-nothing media dubbed the Republican front-runner for so long. Same goes for that ex-Massachusetts governor, that ex-Arkansas governor, that ex-Virginia governor, that ex-Wisconsin governor and that ex-Tennessee senator. They've all gone bye-bye.

And Paul proudly remains standing. Or sitting when he's signing book after book.

But in case you think a million or more Paul votes and a million or more votes for Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate, don't matter, just remember the name Ralph Nader and the words: Florida 2000.

In case you've fallen behind on your Ron Paul news because you were paying attention to the endless silliness over on the Democratic side of the country's political spectrum that may well determine the Nov. 4 outcome, the Ron Paul campaign has assembled a 22-minute and 35-second videotape of the former ob-gyn signing lots of his books at the head of long lines of excited fans.

The tape also includes adoring excerpts of his extemporaneous, repetitious remarks before modest but enthusiastic and cheering crowds.

Paul says he is even more optimistic today about the prospects of revolution in America than he was when he reluctantly began his presidential bid a year ago and found himself the beneficiary of nearly $35 million in donations from hundreds of thousands of vocal supporters and trolls who prowled the Internet on his behalf, provoking some political websites to ban them as comment-posting pests.

The Ticket, on the other hand, welcomes all commenters except those who swear a lot or write about bodily functions or talk about our parents, who weren't from Texas. To be honest, most of the Paul people are great.

We'll put a copy of that special video at the end of this item in case anyone needs a nap.

Paul, who was the unsuccessful Libertarian Party candidate for president in 1988, is against a lot of things: big government, the Iraq war, abortion, the Federal Reserve and giving up any rights whatsoever in the name of national security. Also, Paul is against the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party that he refuses to leave, Sen. John McCain.

Paul is in favor of drastically downsized government and bringing all U.S. troops back stateside. He's also in favor of selling his new book, "The Revolution: A Manifesto." And he's been quite successful at that, according to numerous best-seller lists.

Even if each of the 1-million-plus primary voters who supported him bought only one copy of the book, Paul will do better than those smarmy, New Age authors that Oprah chooses for her book club. (And we all know which candidate she supports, and which Democrat she does not support.)

Many Paul backers have left comments on The Ticket saying they've purchased six or seven copies of Paul's treatise to foist on friends.

On the videotape, Paul says he is also in favor of countless thousands of his supporters descending on Minneapolis in September to demonstrate calmly and peacefully but in extremely large numbers to show the Republican National Convention and the national media the scale of those people who truly want the lost GOP to return to its conservative, strict constitutionalist roots.

Unfortunately for Paul, if those countless thousands do indeed show up as he urges in Minneapolis, no one will notice. That's because the Republican National Convention is next door in the city of St. Paul.

--Andrew Malcolm

 

Photo Credits: Associated Press; Nick Wass/Associated Pres

Comments

[Pablo Escobar]

"We'll put a copy of that special video at the end of this item in case anyone needs a nap."

Andrew,

When will you endorse Ron Paul for President and stop pretending you don't like him? :)

(It really is a fascinating campaign, but his supporters intrigue me more. :-) )

[CD]

Who is Andrew Malcolm? I'd never know if it weren't for Ron Paul.

[ellen]

I have enjoyed, over this season, how you have reported the essentials of the Ron Paul r3VOLution, carefully balancing each positive you report with a negative twist. I have always taken this as humorous and stylistic. It is not how everyone sees it, and you post angry comments as part of the show--an additional part of the story.

Say what you will, the inroads that this political campaign has made--and is making--are permanent, and real. I live in Virginia, and saw it firsthand at the Convention. I'm a newbie and don't "get" it all, but I saw enough to convince me that people are starting to think differently about the issues.

I believe that is the goal. If one would be educated about the Ron Paul r3VOLution, reading "The Revolution: A Manifesto"- all 167 pages of it--is the best start.

That's why we buy multiple copies. The ideas are surely spreading with each book that gets out there, and it does not require begging a snooty, hostile media to report them.

Not you guys, of course : )

[Jenn]

Wa! Those supporters don't look like old hippies and rag-tags the news said they were..

What's UP?

[Baba Padmanabhan]

Andrew - you jackass, Minneapolis and St. Paul are called twin cities for a reason...you better believe it they are going to notice us.

I just ordered 100 yard signs from www.ronpaulstickers.com and guess where its all going - you got it, Minneapolis/St. Paul.

[pete]

I won!

[Ed]

With every Ron Paul article you Mr. write, Mr. Malcom, you sounds more and more like a curmudgeon in the style of Andy Rooney.
Are you vying for an new job to take his place, "old man"? :-)
Or maybe you should just take your hit-job talents and write these same articles for The Spoof? You'd be in better company there than among actual journalists at the LA Times.

[Carlo C]

Andrew,

You are a corrupted journalist. Pathetic!

[Thomas]

Andrew, I sometimes get discouraged about the direction our country is going (loss of freedoms, lack of respect and all that) and then I read your humorous and revealing comments and I feel better.

[Brian Randall]

I wish Ron Paul would take the best candidate from the Libertarian Party, Mary Ruwart, and ask this wonderful, smart, fascinating woman to run with him as an INDEPENDENT or as part of a new party dedicated to old fashioned AMERICAN ideals. I would call this new party the AMERICAN DREAM party. The AMERICAN DREAM ticket. What does everyone think? Am I running on all cylinders or am I off my wagon? Please do tell.

[pmorlan]

Mr. Frederick and Mr. Malcom,

I just read about the sharp cuts that the Tribune is planning for you guys. What a shame that the corporate bean counters who are so focused on generating short term profits to make themselves look good have absolutely no clue about how to run a news organization. Through their short sighted thinking they have managed to ruin just about everything they've touched. I only hope that one day soon there will be a way to fund competing newspapers and television stations where newspeople actually run news operations so that all the faux news operations run by these corporate hacks will be put out of business.

I hope both of you survive the cuts or even better land yourselves a spot far away from these phony corporate owners who seek to turn our best newspapers into something only fit to line the bottom of bird cages.

[Rhys]

You used to be cool, Andrew.

Ron Paul is FOR Liberty. He is FOR National Security. He is FOR not being a globalist tool like the South Americans are forced to be. He is FOR babies living through pregnancy. He is FOR the Constitution of the United States of America. Incidentally, he's the only candidate FOR that. The rest are seemingly against it. He is FOR presenting a conservative to GOP voters, even in the face of the tragic nomination of John McCain. He is FOR Congress appropriating the budget instead of the executive. He is FOR sound currency so that holders of US Dollars can save their money for their posterity. He is FOR a firm understanding of economics within the electorate. He's probably even FOR kittens, Andrew!

[Tess]

Dumb Americans wasted their votes for Socialism in this year's Primaries, but oh well, we the Ron Paul supporters are prepared when it all comes crashing down, and the depression hits. We Ron Paul supporters have been paying attention for several years, and have prepared for the financial, and economical collapse of our America.
I sure hope Obama can make good on all his promises of the government saving us all, unfortunately our government is broke/bankrupt, so if he is elected it will all be a fairy tale, and if elected he can at least say he was the first minority elected as President but he will also say he was given a mess too big to fix.
In the end we all lose because our America will be completely sold off to foreign investers, and we will all become slaves, not just the black folk-oh and this is coming from a minority btw.

[spinnikerca]

St. Paul - Minneapolis.... maybe the digs were better in Minneapolis.....

Funny, though.

However, on another point, I am sure you know the difference between meaningless 'earmarks' and actual budget increases, despite your comment:

"There simply is no Democrat in southeast Texas stupid enough to take on the old man who inserts bounteous spending earmarks for his home district into legislation certain to pass and then votes against the bills so he can maintain his anti-spending reputation."

If you are a small government conservative who believes in states rights, you will be against federal spending for, oh, farm subsidies, altogether. However, if a bill is going to authorize $50,000,000 for that, while you may vote against it entirely, there is no reason on earth why you wouldn't want your own constituents to have as much of that $50,000,000 as the costituents of a district in New Mexico, assuming you lose on trying to scrap the whole thing. It is an 'earmark' of authorized funds, rather than 'new money', and is precisely what Congress has the power of the purse to do. The authorization of the larger budget altogether, he votes against.

Those running on an anti-earmark economics platform are running on a 'do nothing platform' (or worse, are running on an 'unconstitutionally increase the power of the executive even further by giving him/her a line item veto' platform.) It is the size of the budget that is key to our economy and intrusiveness over local policy making, not the 'who gets the already authorized funds and goodies' (believe me, SOMEONE will).

Ron Paul is absolutely consistent in representing his district. He works for the people, as PART of his adherence to uphold the Constitution. Competition was and is a mainstay of the separation of powers protection for the people. Competing for already authorized funds on behalf of his district is merely doing his job.

[MJ]

Thank you for posting this video...it certainly woke me up. I am a veteran and I had been concerned for some time about the state of our nation. Hearing Dr. Paul's message really helped me today. Dr. Paul is right we need to redouble our efforts. Please all Paul supporters remember this is just the beginning.

Thank you!!!

With LIBERTY and JUSTICE for all! The CONSTITUTION is the SOLUTION!!! R3VOlUTION!

[El Capitan]

Ron Paul started something that might take a while, but his Revolution is unstopable. LIBERTY will prevail! Not your worst article, Andrew, but definately not your best. PEACE.

[AKK]

Who is Andrew Malcolm? I'd never know if it weren't for Ron Paul.

(You guys are the greatest. And so well-educated, too.)

[Darren D.]

Hi Andrew,

Dilusional Paul supporter here. Today (D-Day) we are celebrating my sons 9th birthday. I also have a 12 year old son. In 2003, when this rediculousness started in Iraq, they were 7 and 4. We are no closer to solutions in Iraq now then we were then and Iran is around the corner.

Those two countries have never been a THREAT to the United States. They are not a threat to Israel. Israel could wipe either of them off the face of the earth with the arsenal we have provided them with.

Five years from now my boys will be 17 and 14. The democrats are talking about bringing back the draft. If President McCain (God forbid) has his way, we will be bomb-bomb-bomb bomb-bombing Iran. When will it end.

My fear is that in 10 years from now, I will be burying my sons who were forced to fight in a desert against people who pose NO THREAT to us here in the United States.

Yesterday, I paid $4.21 a gallon for gas. Today, the unemployment rate had it's biggest raise in 20 years. The dollar is in the toilet and debt (personal and national) is out of control. Voting for a status quo candidate like the two left who are not addressing these issues doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

[D in Las Vegas]

Andrew Malcom is a pathetic excuse for a journalist.

If you go toRonPaul2008.com & click on store, you will see that the store is NOT closed indefinatle.

Good job misleading people, but you fail Andrew because most people are much smarter then you.

Retire. You pathetic excuse for a journalist.

(No way. This is way too much fun! Thanks for reading.
:-) )

[Shane Savoie]

Decent article, as usual, Mr. Malcolm.
You would do well to brush up on your geography, though. The difference between St. Paul and Minneapolis is as distinguishable as the difference between Anaheim and Buena Park.

[Lennon Zamora]

"...who inserts bounteous spending earmarks for his home district into legislation certain to pass and then votes against the bills so he can maintain his anti-spending reputation."

So the taxpayers of Texas congressional district 14 do not deserve to have their money returned to them? I suppose their tax money is better spent on unconstitutional wars and for providing welfare of illegal immigrants? Good point.

[Michael Shanklin]

Ron Paul is the best candidate for saving our country and our constitution!

[thebuz]

"Unfortunately for Paul, if those countless thousands do indeed show up as he urges in Minneapolis, no one will notice. That's because the Republican National Convention is next door in the city of St. Paul."

Good try at belittling the effort. But the only thing between Minneapolis and St. Paul is a river, physically, its the same metropolis.

Unfortunately for Andrew Malcolm, the misunderstanding of the small details such as this make him look like an idiot.

[Rick]

Liberty...so delicate, so precious. If we are to truly defend our nation and our liberty we must do so against even our own government. Thank you sir, for writing about Ron Paul so many times in so many articles. Whether you support him or not does not matter; through your articles and the interest that is raised, you have already proven yourself a true supporter of the message of liberty. See you all in St. Paul (don't you have to fly into Minneapolis?).

[Andrew]

All of you guys at The Ticket do a great job, but there's nothing quite like a Malcolm post on Ron Paul to brighten my day.

(Gee, how dare you leave sarcasm on this blog! It's unthinkable. :-) )