Here comes Ron Paul's call to reject both Barack Obama and John McCain

Ron Paul is preparing to speak and it appears what he has to say won't be welcome news for Barack Obama (no surprise on that count) or John McCain (causing him, perhaps, some chagrin).

Paul himself may have passed on an outside-the-lines run for the White House after his insurgent bid for the Republican nomination fell way short.

But the Associated Press reports that at a news conference Wednesday in Washington, the iconoclastic politician will urge others to support an alternative candidate of their choice.

The AP story relates that in his prepared remarks, Paul says: “The strongest message can be sent by rejecting the two-party system. This can be accomplished by voting for one of the nonestablishment, principled candidates.”

Perennial candidate Ralph Nader, who has curried favor with Paul backers, is to join him at the morning news conference at the National Press Club. And, according to the AP, other presidential contenders Paul invited to the event include Bob Barr of the Libertarian Party and Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party.

Here's hoping they take him up on the offer, because that will make for one memorable photo op.

The McCain camp reportedly made efforts to woo Paul, but that seems to have amounted to little. And they have little agreement on issues.

Meanwhile, all is not lost for hard-core Paul supporters who yearn for the chance to vote for him in November -- they simply have to reside in Montana. His advocates there have gotten Paul on the ballot as the Constitutional Party's presidential candidate (which could actually affect who wins the huge state's miniscule 3 electoral votes, as the Helena Independent hashes out).

-- Don Frederick

Photo credit: Bloomberg News

Comments

[dave]

it seems that RON PAUL's assertion was correct all along, that a majority of the people are not awake at this time to see and fully grasp what they're doing, what they're suffering, what they're doing to themselves and each other...so they cannot yet be counted on to make responsible choices in their own interest.
the fact that millions of people did not and do not protest in alarm and outrage, at the multiple and massive fraudulent actions perpetrated in plain view, by those that perversely seek their votes and support by insulting their intelligence and corrupting their integrity, sadly shows this.
but those that are now awake and have forever left the bubble of self-destructive mass hypnosis, are aware of the immense obligation this entails to pursue their efforts helping others to wake up, by assuming responsibility for their own actions.

[FormerLPMember]

How do you write in someone on the electronic voting machines?

[JesseO]

You lost me at "fell way short." I think he was the second most voted for Republican. I know everyone is entitled to their own wrong opinion, but you guys who bash someone who's already out of the race really take the cake. Hope it tastes sweeter than your bitter personality.

[Gary]

To those of you suggesting that Ralph Nader somehow handed the election to Bush in 2000, please take note:

1) Gore did not carry his home state,
2) 250,000 Florida Democrats voted for Bush, and
3) it has been documented time and time again that Gore actually won Florida in the first place.

Never thought I'd say it, but here is a case where I support Ron Paul. Let's hope this inspires real public debate, election reform, and so much more.

[LV]

Ron Paul got 1.2 million votes in the Republican primary. In a general election with 2 candidates that offer no real alternative to continual war, and have no clue about the economy, his message could attract millions more. I do believe that 99% of Ron Paul supporters will NOT vote for Obama, and consider McCain and the Republicans even worse, and will not vote for him, either, but they will vote to make their disgust with the faux democratiic system known. The Republicans, with their dirty tricks at the state level and at the convention to disenfranchise Republican voters will not be forgotten or forgiven. It would give me tremendous satisfaction for Ron Paul to be the factor that denies McCain the White House.

[tito]

Chuck Baldwin is not even mentioned anywhere because he represents the greatest danger to the establishment and the NWO.

--- Google Chuck Baldwin!

[WendyM]

Vote fearlessly this year! Reject the establishment's non-choices! Vote for a candidate who can bring the REAL change America needs so much!

[Tony Pivetta]

Don't waste your vote on either of the two vetted and kept Establishment candidates. You'll only encourage them. Your only sane and moral option is to refrain from voting or to vote for one of the minor candidates.

There's nothing loony about a noninterventionist foreign policy, hard money or self-medication. What's loony ("crackpot realism," C. Wright Mills called it) is perpetual war, Federal Reserve counterfeiting and incarcerating people for smoking, injecting or ingesting the plant products of their choice.

[Bob Robertson]

You at the LA Times were either ignoring or putting down Paul the entire time he was running. Now you get to say "see, he didn't win the nomination!" Of course he didn't win the nomination, you and the rest of your big media friends chose Obama, and needed a non-winner to run against him. But Paul refuses to go away. Good for him! Oh No, you cry now, he's such a spoil-sport! The Revolution is not going away. Ron Paul was the last chance for "electoral politics" to roll back Leviathan, and it didn't work in large part because of the lap-dog press. And you wonder why your newspaper sales are dropping into the toilet?

[Mike]

lol @ "Michael the Conservative"

Did you really just imply the job of the President is to "manage the free world"? And you don't see anything contradictory with that statement?

Perhaps you should spend less time telling the world how educated you are and more time reading books or something.

[Jake in Salt Lake]

There is tremendous value as well as personal satisfaction to be found in voting one's conscience, which is why I will be voting for Bob Barr in November.

Voting for the lesser of two evils (Obama or McCain) is still voting for evil. I know this will anger some Obama fans, but there really is not much difference between McCain and Obama at this point. McCain and Obama both saber-rattle against Iran and Russia, the difference being that Obama pays lip service the anti-war left and McCain relishes in arousing the radical, hawkish right. But when it comes right down to it both are very interventionist and believe in flexing our military's might. Both McCain and Obama support big government and by extension inflation. Both McCain and Obama have similar stances on the environment. There is very little real difference between the platforms of the major two candidates.

Remember, elections are not horse races where the goal is to pick the winner so that you can brag to your friends about how you were right. Elections are where you can vote your conscience. If anyone votes for either McCain or Obama when they know that there is a better candidate out there (Barr, Baldwin, Nader, McKinney), then they are the ones who have thrown away their vote.

If your establishment candidate (read: McCain or Obama) fails to get a plurality of the votes, don't attack Independents, Libertarians, Constitutionalists, Green Party, etc. If a candidate loses an election, they have no one to blame but themselves.

[SGSeattle]

Oh FormerLPMember - we are in so much trouble!

If you don't live in a swinge state your vote means nothing in our ridiculous "electoral college" system. I am using my vote to make my point.

[Jared]

After reading comments from a "Christian" individual on this talk about "Torture him," etc... Is that what Christianity teaches? Evangelical politicians shouldn't be doing Gods work! It isn't about what YOU think! Remember the constituition says, "We the people..." Not "Me the Christian."

[Bill NM]

I have news for you, Rusty. You can be a Christian; argue for a young earth; and still be a patriot. Neither McCain or Obama deserve to be President.

[tsarina]

I plan to vote for Ralph Nader. He is on the ballot in California. He supports Single-payer Healthcare which our governor vetoed even though it passed both houses of our State Legislature. He is concerned about the environment and the rights of individuals more than the rights of corporations. He has a plan to pull out of Iraq safely for both our troops and the Iraqi people. I know some people think he is kooky, but right now, he is the candidate that best represents me. I can't say the same for Obama or McCain. I plan to vote for someone I believe in.

[Keith]

I completely support Ron Paul. However, he ran with the Republican party because he knows he must leverage the system to make any changes. Third parties will help and the "lesser of two evils" is getting old, but by fragmenting the vote and clearly costing Obama votes, voters will help to elect John McCain. Sure Obama is a socialist but if we don't step back from the aggressive foreign policy there won't be an America to save. McCain will ruin this nation. There is a better time-one where our standing is again strong-to bring in a third party. One other thought, in Italy they have 14 parties and all kinds of choice but it makes no difference and they are embroiled in scandal and corruption. You are NOT going to succeed in electing one of these candidates. I know, I know that attitude is why they don't win, but look at reality. Your average American doesn't get it and until we can get them too, they will absolutely continue to elect one of the two parties. That brings the choice back to war vs. less war. I vote less war.

[Larjerr]

I'm really dissapointed in this whole election process....
It really bothers me that we'll be splitting votes between various third-party candidates when we had the perfect choice in the Doctor all along....
I think most of the sheeple have the horse -race mentality...they want to pick a winner, which they think is either of the republocrats.
Alll third parties should unite and nominate Dr. Paul..
I think it's the only way to send a strong message and possibly win this election for the people. Please....let's do it America...last chance?

[kritarchist]

Want to really get rid of the duopoly? Have all the federal government revenues go directly to the parties in proportion to the popular vote for president rather than to the general treasury. Then the parties would be forced to be accountable for what they individually spend on government projects. Can you spell "fiscal conservative"?

[daddysteve]

I am a republican and would vote for Obama over McCain. Don't worry though, I have no intention of voting for Obama. Unfortunately, Barr has shown himself to still have neo-con leanings so he is out also. Too bad, he could have been a contender.

[Kim]

The fact is the USA is by far it's own worst enemy . Just what the results of the election are going to be will be just how much damage it does to itself . It has the opportunity to reverse the current massive damage that it has done to itself and the World . If it doesn't I'm afraid that the rest of the World will have to , as a matter of survival , isolate itself from the collateral damage and the side effects of the US actions - essentially a quarantined USA - that's how serious it is .

[Harvey Cohen]

How delicious to see know-nothings characterize our Presidential candidates as "socialists". Neither of the major US parties has ever run a candidate as socialist as the most conservative of Prime Ministers in the European Union. The US is the least socialist developed country in the world, and neither Obama nor McCain threaten our standing at the bottom of that list.

[Barney]

Wouldn't it be great if Paul took Montana?

Please Montana, be the Yorktown of this rEVOLution!

[belle]

Hooray to Ron Paul for having the guts to tell the GOP (Grand old Pharts) to shove it. Paul has more principle in his little toenail than McCain or Palin have in their whole body. Paul would not sell his soul like Palin did. That phony doesn't fool this chick.

I plan to vote for a third-party candidate (not Barr) and will do so proudly. No holding my nose and voting for the evil McManiac or Obamaniac.

Get grounded in reality, people. Stop the oppression!

[Andy White]

I'm glad Bob Barr didn't show up. Now I know for certain I won't vote for him.

[Jeff Daiell]

A vote for either Obama or McCain is a vote for more war, less privacy, and ruinous fiscal policy. I'll be voting Barr for President and Yvonne Adams Schick for the U. S. Senate.

Jeff Daiell