Ron Paul is for real in Iowa. Seriously.

The Washington Post ^ | November 17, 2011 | Chris Cillizza

[Kurt Evans]

Texas Rep. Ron Paul, long dismissed by the GOP establishment as a fringe candidate, has broadened his electoral appeal and emerged as a major player in the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, according to several recent polls and conversations with a handful of longtime Hawkeye political operatives...

In a Bloomberg News survey — conducted by renowned Iowa-based pollster Ann Selzer — Paul was in a four-way statistical tie for first along with businessman Herman Cain, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich...

And, in a new Iowa State/Gazette/KCRG survey, Paul took 20 percent — behind only Cain at 25 percent...

Paul is using the relatively uncluttered airwaves to tell a story of himself as a consistent champion of fiscal responsibility in a field of candidates that have not always hewed so closely to that mantra.

One ad attacks the inconsistencies of Cain, Romney and Perry on fiscal matters — TARP, economic stimulus — before cutting to Paul; “I’ve been talking about these problems for a long long time...now we’re bankrupt and we have to decide which way we’re going to go,” he says.

And, it’s not just Paul’s television ads that have blanketed the state. Sixty seven percent of those tested in the Bloomberg poll said they had been contacted by the Paul campaign via email, direct mail, telephone or someone coming directly to their door over the last year — the highest percentage for any candidate...

“We have a strong ground game in the state that is reaching out at a faster pace than any other campaign,” argued Trygve Olson, a Paul adviser...

“We are picking up support among social conservatives in Iowa -- particularly ones who believe our country’s fiscal situation is in serious peril,” noted Olson...

[Allegra]

Same here. Paul will have my vote in the primary, and if the Republicans decide to stick with their Democrat Lite approach they can stop wasting time reaching out to me...

But the Paulites always do that. They vote for Paul in the primary and then either Libertarian, Constitution or Democrat in the general.

Paulie votes are no loss - we'd never get them anyway, even if we had a good conservative on the ticket.

[John D]

There is nothing worse than a socialist in-charge of what should be the conservative party.

Don't worry, Cut and Run will never get more than 5% of the vote.

[Steve Van Doorn]

Kurt Evans has said over the past few days,
”Cain is a reflex liar"
"Stop Newt Gingrich"
"Cain's other victims"
"media leak to the Perry campaign”

And in the last election you loved the socialist Huckabee.

you can not be a Ron Paul guy AND a socialist it is they are polar opposites

[Liberty1970]

Saying Paul is anything like the fathers of this great nation is bordering on blasphemous...

Saying that you won't start a war against someone who has not attacked you is not the same as saying you'd surrender to someone who has. You're going to have to try harder to defend your attempts to export liberalism.

[Eaker]

[Kurt Evans]

I may also vote for Perry, because of all the reasons these candidates peeve me off, his reason is the least bothersome to me...

Forget tuition breaks for illegal aliens. Perry bypassed the legislature and issued an executive order trying to force every sixth-grade girl in Texas to get a $130 STD vaccination from one of his campaign donors.

[Kurt Evans]

“A democracy is not a form of government to survive. For it will only succeed until its citizens discover they can vote themselves money from the treasury. Then they will bankrupt it.”

—Karl Marx

[50mm]

LOL! Perfect.

[Kurt Evans]

I love that letter (”ejonesie22” put the whole thing in post #88). Reagan’s administration fell far short of Reagan’s conservative ideals, especially in his second term.

[campaignPete R-CT]

STRANGEST THING IS Luther gets the ZOT for being a paultard ... and might be supporting NEWT.

just could not stay away from the BLOWBACK button.

[Kurt Evans]

And in the last election you loved the socialist Huckabee.

Mike Huckabee isn't a socialist.

[TheOldLady]

Actually, Luther lost his posting privileges because he was a “retread spam monkey” — Jim Robinson — a ZOT-on-sight offense.

[Allegra]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Love it!

[ejonesie22]

I figured you would say that...

Amazing thing that Paul runs as a Republican now since we are even further away from that ideal in the party.

Hypocrisy (and insanity) thy name is Ron Paul.

[ejonesie22]

LOL. Perfect!

[campaignPete R-CT]

either way, we touched the button.
remind me not to become a spam monkey. either original or retread.

[TheOldLady]

When and how often should I remind you not to become a retread spam monkey, Pete? Just let me know...   ;-p

[TheOldLady]

Hi, Allegra! Hi, Eaker!

[Allegra]

Hi TOL!

[Kurt Evans]

During his 1978 congressional campaign, Ron Paul was locked in a tough primary battle, and his noninterventionist foreign policy came under attack from Republican rivals trying to paint him as weak on defense. Ron had been one of only four congressmen to endorse Ronald Reagan in 1976 and had led the Texas delegation for Reagan at the 1976 Republican convention, so when he needed some help, Reagan was happy to reciprocate with this endorsement:

“Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country.”
—Ronald Reagan