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Ron Paul supporters outside the Ron Paul Freedom Hall in Ocean Springs, Miss. Each Saturday they stand along the highway waving signs supporting the longshot Republican candidate. (Photo by Sara Frye) |
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Posted on 01/29/2008 2:22:49 PM PST by Incorrigible
By AMBER CRAIG
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Ron Paul supporters outside the Ron Paul Freedom Hall in Ocean Springs, Miss. Each Saturday they stand along the highway waving signs supporting the longshot Republican candidate. (Photo by Sara Frye) |
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OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. — The Ron Paul Freedom Hall speaks louder than words.
It pops up suddenly out along U.S. Highway 90. The building's red and blue stripes, blue and white round concrete steps, and American flags scattered across the front lawn, coupled with its location in a sparsely populated area of the highway, make it nearly impossible for motorists to ignore.
"We have people pull off the highway and say, 'Hey, can I have a sign?'" supporter Theron Furr said on a recent afternoon while standing inside Freedom Hall.
It's the headquarters of a local Ron Paul for President campaign, where two weeks ago, about 20 volunteers began painting the outside and creating what has become a loud voice for the longshot GOP candidate.
According to Michelle Liles, the Freedom Hall was born after her father, Stanley Fountain, heard about Paul and wanted to start a local campaign. Her father approached a friend, Robert Conner, who said the campaign could operate at no charge out of a building that he owns.
Inside the hall, a table is set up with bumper stickers, business cards, fliers and a sign-in book. Nearly every flat surface is covered with a red and blue plastic sheet. Calendars hanging on the walls display iconic patriotic symbols — the American flag, the bald eagle.
Paul, a congressman from Texas, is running against Republican candidates Arizona Sen. John McCain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Although Paul has yet to win a primary election, he placed second in the Nevada and Louisiana Republican Party caucuses.
Those at Freedom Hall say Paul supports the same things they do: veterans and the military, crackdowns on illegal immigration, the Second Amendment and homeschooling.
Furr said Paul's core message — a strict reading of the Constitution and a limited government — resonate with the average voter. Furthermore, Furr is not deterred by those who tell him Paul is a "second tier" Republican candidate who doesn't have a shot at winning.
"If everybody thinks that way, then he won't win," Furr said.
Michael Campbell, a U.S. Marine and a three-time veteran of the Iraq war, said he first started supporting Paul online by posting MySpace messages and blogging about his platform.
Paul supports an immediate U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq, which Campbell said is wise because the nation is "wearing thin" on troops and commodities.
"I got the word out on the Internet as soon as I heard he was running," Campbell said.
But now Campbell believes the "canvass operation" — passing out information at events and holding up signs along the side of the road every Saturday morning — are the kinds of efforts making a bigger impact than the Internet.
"We're making a visible effort to be seen," Campbell said.
Liles said her father makes it a point to drive down U.S. 90 and Interstate 10 every day in his red pickup truck adorned with American flags and a sign reading "Ron Paul for President," along with the address to Paul's Web site. Fountain has given away 27,000 short fliers called "slim jims" at local events, Liles said.
Liles, the mother of a 2-year-old daughter and wife of a Marine, has followed her father's lead and has poured much of her free time into setting up and staffing Freedom Hall.
"I've put in, like, 80 hours at least," Liles said.
Yet, the campaign nationwide still depends on the Internet to spread Paul's platform and to help locals organize their grassroots groups. The Freedom Hall group even uses a "Google Ron Paul" sign to point people to his campaign Web site.
Furr explained that supporters don't need to convince people to vote for Paul. They just need to get his name out there.
"I think Ron Paul can sell himself," Furr said.
A self-described conservative "wary of the Republican Party," Furr said this is the first time he has ever donated to a presidential campaign.
Ina Alderman said the average person's involvement in political issues has changed from just 50 years ago. At one time, even children felt they had a voice in the political process, Alderman said.
"I remember when I was a child, we would skip along the sidewalk and say, 'I like Ike. I like Ike.' I don't see that anymore," Alderman said. "I see a lot of apathy."
But, when inside the Freedom Hall, Alderman she sees the nation changing back to the way she remembers it.
"I think that this work here is America at its best," Alderman said.
(Amber Craig is a staff writer for The Mississippi Press. She can be contacted at acraig(at)themississippipress.com.)
Not for commercial use. For educational and discussion purposes only.
There's a lot to like about most of Ron Paul's positions. Alas, he's a bit kooky and his supporters run the gamut from the misguided like in this article to the, let's say, disingenuous.
I imagine he would be more popular around here if he didn't keep company with LIHOP/MIHOP theorists of 9/11.
This is because of the strong white supremacist contingent in Mississippi, right?
..or Stormfronters, or vote to defund the troops in the middle fo a battle, or oppose border security.. If he was just the kooky Paul of the 80s, we wouldn't be having these discussions.
Well even here in Mississippi we have kooks....
Hey now, watch it....
Hmmmm. I never posted a Ron Paul thread before.
Does RLC Liberty Caucus forum = Ron Paul’s Smokey Back Room?
:-D
Nope, the RLC is a grassroots, nationwide organization affiliated with the Republican Party. What I've seen is that threads pertaining to RLC member congressmen go there. The funny thing is that the RLC Texas Chapter was started by a guy named Eric Dondero who used to work for Paul but quit after 9.11 because he said Paul went off the deep end starting getting real antisemitic attitudes and a lot of Truther statements.. makes you wonder if Paul should still be in RLC considering the founder dumped him.
Well, that explains it somewhat.
Usually I click on News/Activism so when my thread got moved to RLC Liberty Caucus I clicked on the link that led to all the threads in the forum.
Seems like every thread is related to Ron Paul! I still think this is the Smoky Backroom for Ron Paul threads!
” I still think this is the Smoky Backroom for Ron Paul threads!”
I think you’re right, but look on the bright side, it makes them easy to find; once you know where they’re hidden of course.
I wish more people would try to understand that “every last one of these candidates” with the exception maybe of McCain, IS going to start bringing troops home. NO ONE, including Ron Paul, is going to do this overnight, it will be a gradual withdrawal.
Since when do Republicans go to war, anyway? That was always the Democrat’s bag. Democrats=War=Boom Economy whereas, Republicans=Peace Time=Recession.
And the McCain fluffer shows up. Congrats on tonight. Enjoy it while it lasts.
He didn't quit, he was fired. That probably explains the bulk of his anti-Paul comments.
He also endorsed that champion of liberty: Rudy Giuliani.
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