Have you heard about Ron Paul?

[t3rmin]

Sorry to bring up politics, but have you all heard about Ron Paul yet?

Here's a guy who's principled, honest, has integrity, and is in politics. Personally I've never heard of such a thing, but it's true. He's a 10-term congressman from Texas. Word is lobbyists don't even bother to visit him, because he can't be influenced/bought like the rest. Agree or disagree with his views, you have to respect a guy who votes for what he believes, every time.

I could usually give a rip about presidential primaries, but this time I've sat up and taken notice. Ron Paul is really something else, and his campaign has got me hopeful about the USA's future again.

He's running as a Republican, but only because being successful as a 3rd party candidate is impossible. He's a philosophical libertarian. As such he's pulling crazy amounts of support from all parts of the political spectrum.

Check him out: http://www.ronpaul2008.com/about/

[prometheus578]

Been monitoring him... like I monitor everybody.

Have found no flaws. Doesn't seem to have any.
Which means, according to our handlers, he doesn't stand a chance in hell of getting anywhere.
One can always hope, though.

[t3rmin]

Like John Stewart said to Dr. Paul:
"You’re known as an honest man of integrity and principle….American voters don’t usually go for that.”

But in all seriousness, he's looking like he may have a chance. Have you noticed his fundraising numbers? If today's giving trend continues, by the end of the day he will have surpassed Rudy McRomneyson's 3rd quarter figures. And he's still got a month to go in this quarter.

That's more than just internet hype. That's real money. And behind the money is real people, not huge infusions from a personal fortune or corporations or networks of fat-cats. Pure grassroots, baby.

Anyway, I'm excited and hopeful. At least let it not be said we sat back and did nothing, eh?

[JWSanders]

If you spend any time on the internet, you can't help but hear about him. He has a growing, but very vocal following. Any site that says anything even partially negative about him gets plastered with hundreds of comments within hours.

I like a lot of his libertarian philosophies, but the sad truth is he will have a hard time resonating with the mainstream public. At least, IMHO. He seems to me to be a slightly calmer version of Ross Perot. Let's hope he uses the money he's made recently to get his name and message out as strongly as possible. He may have a chance if he can get a lot more recognition.

Being from TN, I have a soft spot for ol' Fred Thompson. I wrote him once when he was a senator. Got a signed letter from him back pledging to block any extension of the AW ban and to block any further assaults on the 2nd amendment. He may be a little corny, but I respect him. He served TN well.

At this point, I almost don't care who ends up getting the Republican bid. I'm likely going to vote for them. Anything to stop the Socialists from taking over. I'm just glad Dr. Paul has chosen not to go independent (at least, so he says right now) if he doesn't win. Him being independant would guarantee a Billary/Obama win. Woe to us all if either of them manage to get in office.

[TopCatGr58]

Yeah, I think I've seen him before?

Here he is mingling with the common man on the street!



Looks like he would have both the black and women vote.


Oh...my bad, you said RON Paul, not RU Paul !

Now please don't take offense, this was just to lighten things up. We've seen several posts get extremely heated when they ventured into Politics and such.

I haven't read/heard much substantial about him, OR the other candidates for that matter.

Feel free to voice your opinions, but remember to PLAY NICE! Abusive, taunting, belittling comments directed towards fellow Xsives will NOT be tolerated. You can slam the candidates all you want!
T.C.

[planedick]

Me too

I believe he would be a great president, but at this point he doesn't stand much chance. We all know the presidency is bought these days and he needs lots more money. So far he's just a spoiler that would ensure the lobby'erals in office.

[prometheus578]

"Should have known better..."

I was gonna go that route, T.C., but I didn't think anyone else would get it.
I also didn't want anyone to think..."Why does Prom even know about this guy?"
Sort of double-edged, huh?

Now, J.W.... I'm surprised.
You analyse Paul... You look at Thompson's policies(both commendable acts), yet you go on to state

I almost don't care who ends up getting the Republican bid. I'm likely going to vote for them

Oh, the joys of the powerful "Two Party" system... being only given two choices from which to choose.
I'm sure what you meant to say was...
I look at where an individual candidate stands on the issues that are important to me and I vote accordingly.
H. Ross Perot's demise was brought about by the "critical thinkers" critically thinking..."He doesn't stand a chance, I want to belong to a winning team so I'm gonna vote for one of the big two."
What about...

American Party
American Centrist Party
American Fascist Party
American Heritage Party
American Patriot Party
American Reform Party
American Whig Party
Christian Freedom Party
Christian Falangist Party of America
Citizens For Reform Party
Commonwealth Party
Communist Party USA
Democratic Socialists of America
Expansionist Party
Freedom Road Socialist Organization
Independent American Party
Jefferson Republican Party
Labor Party
Liberal Democratic Party (United States)
National Nihilist Party
National Socialist Movement
New American Independent Party
New Union Party
Pacifist Party of America
Party of Commons
Personal Choice Party
Populist Party of America
Progressive Labor Party
Revolutionary Communist Party, USA
Socialist Action
Socialist Alternative
Socialist Labor Party
United Fascist Union
Workers Party, USA

Bet not too many people have researched their issues and platforms.
Why?
They're not given any exposure... would upset the system.
Works the same way in local politics as it does for national.
Our elected officials here in Washington State are always either Rep or Dem and get all the media coverage.
Independants have to use local cable access shows (sometimes using "sock puppets" to get their message across) like Prophet Atlantis does, who once got 10% of the vote.
I vote for the under-dog. They try harder and have more balls.

[snowdog51]

underdog

prom truer words have never i heard.
as ever bill

[mro]

Been monitoring him... like I monitor everybody.

I new it..
I NEW IT!!!
It's a XS.com conspiracy!
I can just feel you guys watching
___

One man, makes not a nation
May be you have not noticed..
A president has thee bully pulpit , but Congrease spends the money.
America be changing day by day and the real question is where were going.
Citizens voice has been heard, example “Emigration Reform” bill shot down.
BUT the sheeple did not get what was wanted and it’s been swept under the rug.
So as usual the politicians won and got what they wanted, not the sheeple.
Something of interest is the Supreme Quart may make a definitive ruling on what the second amendment means.


mro
History has shown that sheeple from time to time turn into a nasty snarling beast when certain conditions are meet. Wonder if it could ever happen here?

[t3rmin]

Originally posted by JWSanders
[B]If you spend any time on the internet, you can't help but hear about him. He has a growing, but very vocal following. Any site that says anything even partially negative about him gets plastered with hundreds of comments within hours.

Yeah, as with any group, there's some bad seeds. The majority of "Pauliticians" are nice, civil folk. That's excepting me, of course. ;-)

I like a lot of his libertarian philosophies, but the sad truth is he will have a hard time resonating with the mainstream public. At least, IMHO. He seems to me to be a slightly calmer version of Ross Perot. Let's hope he uses the money he's made recently to get his name and message out as strongly as possible. He may have a chance if he can get a lot more recognition.

Well somebody has sure heard about him, because this evening he just met and then exceeded Rudy, Romney, and Thompson's 3rd quarter fundraising figures (I think McCain and the rest were stomped some time ago). And since the average donation is only $100, $10.3 million adds up to a lot of folks! And there's still a whole month to go in the quarter. I think he's got more support than the pundits let on.

Being from TN, I have a soft spot for ol' Fred Thompson. I wrote him once when he was a senator. Got a signed letter from him back pledging to block any extension of the AW ban and to block any further assaults on the 2nd amendment. He may be a little corny, but I respect him. He served TN well.

Did ya know Ron Paul has a *perfect* record on 2nd amendment rights? Gun owners love RP! He doesn't pussyfoot around, either; he believes gun rights aren't just important for shootin' squirrels, they're essential for the people to protect themselves from tyrannical government.
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/gunowners/

At this point, I almost don't care who ends up getting the Republican bid. I'm likely going to vote for them. Anything to stop the Socialists from taking over.

The trouble (IMHO) is these days the dudes with the R in front of their names are only slightly less socialist than the dudes with D. And even the ones who aren't won't stand firm on anything. That's what attracted me to Ron Paul. He's (1) a *real* conservative and (2) he's a statesman, not a politician. He's a known quantity.

I've been voting for people for years who *said* they believed what I do, but acted completely different when they got into office. The best we can expect out of those losers is a nice happy "bi-partisan" *slowing* of the spiraling of our country into socialism and/or authoritarianism.

I was fed up with politics as usual and planned to vote for a third party. Then I found Ron Paul.

[t3rmin]

Did you know:

Ron Paul Meetup groups are coordinating personal letters to each of Iowa's 700,000 "no-party" registered voters? I've sent 50 myself.

Grassroots folks organized and executed a $4.2 million dollar ONE DAY fundraiser on Nov 5th? And on Dec 16th there's an even bigger one planned?

Plans are underway (contracts signed, money pledged and now being collected) to fly a Goodyear-style Ron Paul blimp across the East coast? Again, grassroots -- no official campaign involvement.

A bunch of people left their jobs and daily lives to live together in rented houses in New Hampshire and canvass entire cities for Ron Paul? They finish one city and move on to the next. Every day, all day, knocking on doors and living on a shoestring budget. (No official campaign support -- totally volunteer).

A dude is riding his (pedal) bike from CA to DC on his own dime promoting Ron Paul.

Another guy paid for a full page USA Today ad ($100,000) out of his own pocket. A successful guy, but not a millionaire.

Ron Paul on Meetup, Digg, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, etc., is the envy of top tier Republican and Democratic candidates.

Ron Paul won or placed highly in tons of those straw polls.

And that's just scratching the surface.

We've been asleep at the wheel, our freedom has been stolen and we didn't even realize it. I was a "neo-con" not too long ago myself. People like me are waking up all over the country and they're hungry for freedom. This thing has ballooned beyond my wildest expectations. I actually believe he's got a chance.

[prometheus578]

"Uhmm... no."

I can just feel you guys watching

Sorry, MRO, but you've never been of significant interest to me(or anyone else, I can imagine) that you bear watching, monitoring, or even thinking about.
In the big scheme of things, sort of like the begging homeless guy I have to push out of my way to get into Starbucks to buy a $4.75 cup of coffee.
He's there... but he's really not.
If you really want people to pay attention and listen to you, MRO, might I suggest that you stop wearing that little skull-cap beanie that you made out of aluminum foil and quit walking around downtown muttering to yourself.

Ok, I'm back. Left for a moment.
Had to get my "fix'. Went to the gas station for cigarettes and candy bars. And then it hit me, the answer to MRO's dilemma of nobody paying attention. (see... I do think about you, MRO)
Chocolate!
Here's how you can get noticed and make a political difference.
You're probably like me, MRO, too poor to make a substantial monetary political contribution... but you can give candidates gifts.
So, what you need to do is.... buy a bunch of chocolate and donate it to the cause.
Hey, better yet...
Melt it down and form it into something of political significance.
Hey, that's it! You're a gun guy, so I can assume your favorite political candidate is pro NRA, too.
Pour the melted chocolate into a home-made candy mold... in the shape of a gun, say, a Beretta 92F.
Now, take this "chocolate gun" gift and go to one of this guy's campaign fund raisers.
When he walks through the crowd shaking hands, yell his name several times... or something like "I've got a present for you!"
Then... push your way through the crowd and rush up to him really quickly and hand him your gift.
This will surely get you the attention that you deserve.

I hope, in some small way, that I've helped you.

[JWSanders]

LoL, well Prom, I know of at least a few of the other parties (though I can't say I follow that many), but have yet to see a candidate I cared much for in any of them. Not a one has a chance in hell of beating the Dems, and right now it's very important to me that that happens.

The sad reality is that no matter what I think (or who I vote for) the two main parties will still get 90+% of the overall vote. Unless Ron Paul doesn't win the primary and goes independent...then it will be 1992 all over again.

In so many ways I still believe a 3rd party (a viable one) is really going to be the thing that truly helps this country the most. I was a big fan of Ross Perot, and yes, I voted for him. However, after all was said and done, it was a big part of what led to 8 years of Clinton hell. Until someone with enough charisma comes along, it really is the choice between the lesser of two evils. I haven't seen that level of charisma yet, even from Ron Paul.....as popular as he is.

I do believe that at least in this election, one side is WAY lesser than the other. Listening to HC and BO (he stinks ) talk about how much they intend to expand the government makes me want to cry. It's like being a chicken and watching two weasels fighting over your eggs, talking about which one is going to make the best omelette out of your children.

When someone comes along that I can feel confident enough in, I will happy to cast aside either of the main parties. Until then, I just hope to stave off socialism in what little way my individual vote can. Once that can of poop is opened, it will take total upheaval to re-can it.

Who knows, maybe Dr. Paul will get enough of a following to make some headway. He's very much a Libertarian in a Republican's clothing. If he keeps his mesasage going, by 2012 he might actually be strong enough to carry a majority. I do not believe he will be able to in '08. If I thought he could, I'd vote for him in a heartbeat.

Right now I'm in a tug of war between Ron Paul and Fred Thompson for the primary vote. I probably wont make the final decision until the minute I step in the booth. For the final election however, as I said, as long as it isn't a Deomcrat I don't care who wins. Any of them would be preferable to Clinton or Obama.

Being for the underdog is admirable, hell, I voted for Lyndon LaRouche in '88, if that says anything. He was in prison at the time, if I remember right. It was my first vote (I was 18 and voted for the person every adult I knew hated the most), and I absolutely despised the 2 major candidates. But there is a lot at stake in the coming election, and if I can play some part, however insignificant, in stopping the liberals from having a presidential/senate majority...then I will do what I feel I have to.

Mro, I'm looking very forward to that Supreme Court ruling. Hopefully, the issue will be decided before the election. Given the current crop of justices, I can't see how the 2nd will not be determined to be an individual right, just like all the others. Here's hoping, at least!

The trouble (IMHO) is these days the dudes with the R in front of their names are only slightly less socialist than the dudes with D. And even the ones who aren't won't stand firm on anything.

Can't argue with that at all, but it's not like some aren't a bit more flaming about it than others. Had a chance to listen to the one-upmanship the Dem's are planning with your money? They don't even bother hiding it anymore. Regardless of who gets the primary, beating the Dems is an absolute priority.

[t3rmin]

Jack Handey is rolling over in his grave.

That's especially notable since he's not dead.

[t3rmin]

Can't argue with that at all, but it's not like some aren't a bit more flaming about it than others. Had a chance to listen to the one-upmanship the Dem's are planning with your money? They don't even bother hiding it anymore. Regardless of who gets the primary, beating the Dems is an absolute priority.

Oh yeah, I've heard. We *used* to hate commies in this country...

Yes, the Republicans are generally slightly better, but they're so weaksauce I'm still convinced they only slow the tide, at best. But sometimes it's much worse than that. You know for the past few years now Republicans are spending more money than Democrats, right? And we've got folks like the Governator and Rudy who are liberals in disguise, and Tax Hike Mike Huckabee (www.taxhikemike.com) who's a liberal in even BETTER disguise. As far as I'm concerned, when compared to somebody like Ron Paul, they're all the same.

I've decided I'd rather split the vote, or whatever, have a few years of pain until somebody wakes up (maybe the Republican party, maybe not). In the end, at least I'm voting my conscience!