Winning over Ron Paul on John McCain's to-do list

John McCain wooing Ron Paul?

That's what the Washington Times reported today. Here's the lead to the story by veteran political reporter Ralph Z. Hallow:

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The McCain campaign, acting through the Republican National Committee, has been negotiating with Rep. Ron Paul to win his support and acquire the names of his sympathizers among the 4,607 delegates and alternates at the Republican National Convention, according to a senior aide to the Texas congressman.

Paul might go along with providing the McCain forces entree to his allies (at which point we imagine the aides to the almost-official Republican presidential nominee still will face a daunting task). But Paul himself seemed to douse any possibility that he'll be sharing a podium anytime soon with McCain and offering himself as a backer.

Appearing on C-SPAN today, before hosting a large gathering of his devotees near the site of the GOP convention, Paul noted that his entire political career has been devoted to three core principles: limited government, a balanced budget and a "sensible" foreign policy.

Referring to McCain, Paul said (in his typically low-key manner) that "it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense" for him to support someone who, in his view, does not adhere to those positions.

Good point.

-- Don Frederick

Credit: Associated Press

Comments

[Bill, a political patriot]

Me support John McCain? Never. And Ron Paul is not going to either. McCain goes against everything Ron Paul stands for. Chuck Baldwin, presidential candidate on the Constitutional Party will get my vote!

[bruce]

Chuck is not a bad choice, but I'm going with Bob Barr. I like that the libertarian party is the third largest and it represents my feelings the most of any of the parties.

http://www.bobbarr2008.com

[Eric Finnerty]

Ron Paul would never support McCain in anyway!

McCain IS PART OF THE C.F.R.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[woody]

Alan Keyes in 08

[Darryl Schmitz]

I had the pleasure of watching the entire Rally for the Republic on CSPAN-2 yesterday. Fantastic! And in typical Ron Paul fashion his speech began rather low-key, and as as it progressed, the fervor with which he holds his convictions gradually showed in an icrease of the intensity of his voice until he was on a roll, delivering an oratory every bit as polished as a Clinton or Obama. Except that I would vote for Ron Paul, not a Democrat or John McCain.

[Jim Brown]

I will never vote for McCain or Obama. The democrats and republicans are destroying our country one piece at a time.

[Jim Brown]

I will never vote for McCain or Obama. The democrats and republicans are destroying our country one piece at a time.

[Old Ben Franklin]

I would be dumb struck if Ron Paul allied himself with John McCain! But, he won't do it. There lies Ron Paul's integrity and his character in this matter.
Regardless of what old smooth talkin' John McCain may say or do at this point to get votes, keep this in mind, he will, if elected, greatly expand the war in the middle East. John McCain is bloodthirsty. He will get tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers killed in the Middle East, before the combined forces of Russia, China and Iran are finally compelled to drive the U.S. forces completely out of the area... My God help us if John McCain manages to weasel his way into the Presidency.

[Paul K]

Denying Ron Paul, a sitting Republican congressman, access to the Republican Convention floor while featuring a speech by Democrat Joe Lieberman, is a strange way to "win over" Dr. Paul. After all he has dozens of officially delegates but apparently that doesn't count.

Frankly, I don't see how Rep. Paul can maintain loyalty to a party that has ridiculed and shown disrespect to him at every opportunity. The Republican party today has no interest in liberty or respect for the constitution - core values for Paul supporters and every true American.

[Zephram Stark]

I offered my hand in friendship to John McCain on his MySpace blog before I had ever heard of Ron Paul. I respected many of the things he said in the movie "Bush's Brain" and thought we could find some common ground. Instead, he censored my serious questions, deleted my comments and refused my friendship. That's when I went looking for someone willing to deal with the issues that face our country. I found what I was looking for in Ron Paul.

I voted for President Bush in 2000 and have been a lifelong Republican. I have not left the party, but the party elite have left me and hundreds of thousand of other true conservatives.

[Julie]

You are all crazy for splitting the Republican party. Look back and you will find that it is exactly how we ended up will Bill Clinton for 2 terms. Do not split the votes or we will end up with Obama.

[ron moss]

If MCain would change government to a constitutional limited government and swear to defend it like all military subject's are required to, abolish the federal reserve, free political prisoners of ther IRS and restrict the CIA, FBI and ATF to be servants of the "Soverign" citizens. Then and only then would Ron Paul possibly consider an endorsemant of McCain and Sarah Palin republican ticket.

[MJ]

Ron Paul, I believe, will never compromise his values to support McCain, and neither will I!

Chuck Baldwin 2008!

[logicprobe]

I have two stand-out memories of John McCain during the primaries. McCain and Giuliani snickering at Ron Paul during the debates, and Maverick John singing, "Bomb, bomb, bomb... Bomb, bomb Iran," to the tune of the old Beach Boys hit "Barbara Ann".

And John McCain thinks he can get my support? Dream on!

[Tea Party]

John McCain, LOL What a Joke. DOWN WITH THE N.W.O. DOWN WITH THE FED DOWN WITH THE IRS

LIBERTY, PEACE, PROSPERITY!!!!!!!!

[Jason]

I would never vote for McCain even though Obama is 10 thousands times worse. But for those McCain supporters that will eventually find their way to this page, I say, by ridiculing Ron Paul and his supporters, you're increasing the anger I feel for the Republican Machine that has lost its way. So much so that I would almost vote for Obama just to piss you off. So if you want our support you need to open up your ears and and cease your senseless attacks on such an honorable man.

[Carl]

I understand Ron Paul's basic stances and appreciate his views. But, like Bob Barr and other "serious" third-party candidates, I question his and their integrity when it comes to one point. Common to all -- Ron Paul, Bob Barr, and yes, John McCain -- is a basic conservative policy of low taxes, less government interference and more personal freedom. Is it worth it to stick your thumb in McCain's eye by voting for Ron Paul and thus increasing the chances of electing an essentially Marxist idealogue like Barack Obama?

[Eric]

"names of his sympathizers among the 4,607 delegates" when you say "sympathizers" do you mean the people that feel sorry that we only have 2 choices of socialists to choose from? Or do you mean that America has strayed so far from the Constitution of the United States and that our FREEDOMS are in PERIL? Or that the common American is literally a slave until our national debt of 10 TRILLION is paid off? Or perhaps you meant that people should have sympathy because our elected leaders or public servants have sold the American people out and we have no idea what is ahead for us?
I know when you used the the term "sympathizers" in your little article it was because of people feeling sorry for the underdog, and let me guess the underdog is Ron Paul? Perhaps you could replace the term "sympathizers" with the word patriots. Those amazing "Ron Paul" delegates had to go through a lot of Republican crap to get to be where they are, there is no way they could be persuaded now.

[I love ron paul]

Long time Ron Paul supporter here, I love his foreign policy. I think right now it is the most important thing that this country needs. But because he didn't run third party and I really hate McCain's guts, I will vote Obama. At least Obama is willing to talk to other countries rather than sing bomb Iran, or make crude jokes about one-way plane tickets and burkas! I hope this will be a huge slap to the GOP's face. I want McCain to be landslided. Maybe then they will wake up and return to their roots. Jessie Ventura 2012!

[ANTI-VICHE]

Amnesty McCain = NEVER
`typical white person` Obama= NEVER

[undecided libertarian]

I am a registered libertarian and am currently undecided whether i will go with my party this fall. my indecision comes from my worries about the obama candidacy. Libertarians should rightly bash mccain, but an obama presidency would have MUCH more devastating affects on this country. Obama would completely F up the already struggling economy. He will expand government social and entitlement programs. While mccain will still spend significant money in the ME, this at least has a foreseeable end (despite the 100 yrs comment), whereas increases domestic gov't spending only will serve to further exacerbate the current trend. This is why I may vote mccain instead of barr, i'm about 50/50 right now...

[MsAnna]

McCain IS C.F.R.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So is OBAMA!

Down with the NWO and the Federal Reserve!

[Chuck]

If the Republicans wanted to be re-elected, they should have done what they ran on in 2000. Smaller government, humble foreign policy, sound money. They did none of the above and we the people will reap the results. Obama for 4-8 years. Don't run saying you believe in The Constitution and then throw it in the garbage for 8 years and expect no one to notice. You will get the same thing in the next administration whether it's Obama or McCain. The democrat/republican and liberal/conservative paradigm is nothing but a con game. Both parties have gotten us deeper in debt, more governmental interference, and less freedom by ignoring and having nothing but contempt for The Constitution. It is really our fault due to apathy, but the people are awaking and we want our Republic back. Republicans better figure that out as well as the democrats are both parties are headed for the dustbin of history.

[littlepear]

Something big is coming.
Why else would my apathy be cured?

[Andrew]

Boy are the media out of touch! Even if Ron Paul did shout from the rooftops that McCain was the messiah himself not one of Ron Paul's supporters would vote for McCain and a lot of us would go running to help Dr. Paul out of the chair he must be tied to with a gun to his head.

You keep using the words liberal and conservative and you miss the whole point. That is not the axis which any of us are on. Try statist vs. non-statist. That might help you understand it better. Go look at the "world's smallest political quiz" and find out where you stand. I bet you don't know.

Obama and McCain are very strong statists. That is they believe the State, the Federal Government knows better than you how to run your life and they believe they have the right to steal as much of your money as they can to use on their friends and pet projects (Iraq war for example).

Non-statists - Ron Paul, Harry Browne, Lew Rockwell, to name a few believe that the government does not have the right to steal from you and that your efforts deserve to reap you the rewards not the government. They believe what the founders believed, that we are a nation of free men and that when our liberty is being stripped from us, it is our duty to get it back. They believe in the individual.

Despite what the media seems to think and despite this constant reliance on old labels that don't fit the paradigm, most of the people in this country believe in liberty. That is what our soldiers put their lives on the line for, not whether or not we should more or less options in the medicaid prescription plan. You make a mockery of every person who ever died in a war when you ignore our liberties or why people are so upset about losing them.

There was another country once that started out with great intentions and pushed for socialism as much as Obama and McCain. After a while their whole society deteriorated so badly that they started murdering people. You can read about that fallen society in a book called the Road to Serfdom. It is now over 50 years old and shows amazing parallels between our society and that one. If we don't wake up, we are doomed to repeat history.

Sadly, only a few of us have managed to break out of the government mandated education slag and have read actual books on the subject and see the dangers ahead. For a good start, I would read the Lew Rockwell website daily. That is if you want to open your eyes.