Are Ron Paul Supporters Real?

Blogger News Network ^ | November 7, 2007

[theothercheek]

Second-tier presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) pulled off a first-rate fundraising coup, netting $4.3 million in online contributions from 38,000 donors in a single day, bringing his total haul to $7.3 million in 4Q 2007. No other Republican comes close to Paul’s 24-hour feat, but Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) has him beat at $6.2 million.

Paul supporters flashed their cash in honor of Guy Fawkes Day, which commemorates the would-be assassin of England’s King James I on Nov. 5, 1605. Guy Fawkes was also the inspiration the novel-turned-movie "V for Vendetta," in which the lead character takes on a fascist government in England. In several GOP presidential debates, the libertarian Paul has all-but called George W. Bush a fascist – taking issue with the Administration’s policies on domestic spying, for instance.

So does this mean Paul has a shot at the nomination? In a word: Nah. The Stiletto agrees with WaPo political blogger Chris Cillizza’s: take:

Paul was widely seen as a political gadlfy when he entered the race, but through skill, luck or a little of both he has built himself into an Internet phenomenon. …

It's not yet clear that Paul's online national community can deliver actual votes for him. … While Paul is at the center of a national movement, it won't help him in Iowa or New Hampshire if thousands of people from California or Illinois are backing him. …

There has always been a pot of money that exists for unconventional candidates who believe the system is fundamentally broken and are only tangentially affiliated with a party. …

[H]is money and his message make him a actor in New Hampshire ... he remains a decided longshot ... the excitement and attention he is drawing would seem to be a perfect lead up to a third party candidacy if and when he loses the Republican nomination.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Jonathan Bydlak, the Paul campaign’s fundraising director posted a message on the candidate's Web site that the ka-ching means just one thing: “Ron Paul is for real." Maybe. But it appears his supporters are real (second item).

Note: The Stiletto writes about politics and other stuff at The Stiletto Blog.

[norton]

"Anyone with a minimum IQ could easily see that it would be impossible to set up a network to make thousands of small donations which would add up to over $4M."

Paging Mr. Hsu, paging Mr. Hsu....

[darkwing104]

I have to admit that I have met some Ron Paul supporters and, to tell you the truth, they are hurting your cause. They come off a lot like "LaRouchees" and that concerns me.

[oldfart]

Sorry, norton, but Hsu didn’t make a bunch of separate donations of $100 or less. He tried to make $2300 donations that he claimed were smaller amounts ‘bundled’ together.

[RockinRight]

who happens to be an anti-war kook, who sympathizes with “9/11 Truthers” and is stuck in 1885 economically...

[mvpel]

Exactly what I was thinking. I would not doubt that HRC campaign includes a third party strategy to split conservative vote.

News Flash - Ron Paul is not running as a third-party conservative, he is running as a Republican, and not a single primary or caucus ballot has been cast yet.

[George W. Bush]

(PS: Ron Paul is a babbling loon and probably hopes for some perks under a Hillary regime.)

Due to his holdings in gold and the gross irresponsibility of the Fed in deflating our currency and the flagrant dereliction in granting unsound loans by banks who knew the Fed would bail them out at the taxpayers' expense (again, like in the S&L bailout) which has driven the price of gold to $800/oz, Dr. Paul is now one of the richest men in Congress.

Naturally, being a patriot and a man with a passion for sound Austrian economic principles, he would prefer a sound currency but he must take some satisfaction in having grown rich by the system failing exactly as he predicted, making him a rich man despite his longstanding steadfast objections and opposition to their ill-founded currency-manipulation and debt policies.

Ron Paul...laughing all the way to his subterranean lair and gold vault located under his campaign HQ.

No, Ron Paul doesn't need the money. He never has. And he can't be bought, perhaps the main reason the GOP and libmedia have closed ranks to try to exclude him, ridicule him, expel him and destroy his chances. Fine.

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Mahatma Gandhi

[Zevonismymuse]

His money is coming from THE LEFT, desperate to make Republicans look bad, and most definately from STORMFRONT...

I live in Santa Barbara County in California and Ron Paul support is BIG on college campuses. Ron Paul is a modern day RFK. My kids are young adults and Ron Paul is the most popular candidate with their friends, most of whom have a natural left bent. These kids know that there is no difference between Republicans and Democrats.

I could support Ron Paul EXCEPT for his position on the WOT. These kids are fired up. There is tremendous passion for his candidacy. No one else running has that.

[mvpel]

This is why at a Guy Fawkes celebration they burn him in effigy. Often, they burn an effigy of the pope as well. That's not a "commemoration" in the sense of a celebration. Guy Fawkes Day is a very Protestant, somewhat anti-Catholic, and very anti-terrorist kind of holiday.

The founders of the US were considered terrorists by the Crown. They accomplished 170-some years later what Guy Fawkes couldn't - an overthrow of the rule of the English monarchy.

Treason against tyranny is loyalty to liberty.

[George W. Bush]

I have to admit that I have met some Ron Paul supporters and, to tell you the truth, they are hurting your cause. They come off a lot like "LaRouchees" and that concerns me.

Well, thanks for your concerns. Really. It's clear how badly you want to help Dr. Paul and his supporters.

[MWS]

I like Ron Paul. I believe that he is honest in his beliefs and might have made a decent president at one time.

Unfortunately, Ron Paul is behind with the times. His candidacy seems to be based on the notion that 9/11 never happened, which really has quite dangerous ramifications in this day and age.

9/11 didn’t refute the ideas that Ron Paul is running on. It would probably be sound policy in normal times, were we living in them.

Unfortunately, times are not sound. We are in the midst of war with a dangerous enemy which ultimately wants us to convert or die. We are at war with an enemy who will go to any length and means necessary to cause as much destruction as possible in order to obtain its goals. For a while I myself thought this was hyperbole, but reflection on the facts reminded me that it is quite true

Our enemies want us out of the Middle East so that they can seize control of the governments there. They want control over the world’s oil, as it will give them tremendous leverage in dealing with the rest of us. If they are allowed to progress to these stages, they WILL wage a “convert or die” jihad against the rest of us, and will most likely have the means to do it. Terrorism is just about implementing the first stages of their operation.

Ron Paul does not understand this. He spoke of “blow back” in a debate a few months ago, but failed to note that the reason we’ve been active in the Middle East for so long is the fact that a very vital resource is at stake which cannot be allowed to fall into unaccountable hands. We push for representative governments and free markets in the Middle East because they ultimately benefit us and everyone else. The terrorists don’t like us there because we stand in the way of their own goals.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - Ron Paul, if somehow elected, may very well be successful in dismantling the structures set up amidst our War on Terror. If he does so, there will most likely be another catastrophic event and it will be on his head. He will be a lame duck as he tries to scramble to reinstate the policies that President Bush has wisely implemented, as he was the one who imprudently took them apart in the first place.

The last thing we’ll need in that situation is a lame duck president.

[Hatband]

He’s certainly no worse than a liberal, gun-grabbing transvestite who is stuck in 9/11/2001.

[John Farson]

No, Paul just doesn't participate in the mass delusion. Our dollar is worth less than the Canadian now. We are borrowing money from China to pay for counter-productive wars.

Unlike the other candidates, Paul doesn't just pay lip-service to the issues (small government, anti-tax, pro-gun, pro-family) -- he has conviction and belief.

Single-issue voters, manipulated by fear, would throw a true conservative under the bus and vote for Hillary.

Stop being afraid and vote for your values.

[r9etb]

You ARE kidding, right??????

Nope. What Republicans would be tempted to go 3rd-Party for a guy who opposes the Iraq War, and whose foreign policy ideas are basically insane?

Now, whackadoodle leftist Democrats, on the other hand.... those ideas are pretty attractive to them.

A 3rd-party Ron Paul would never get more than 4% anyway (and that's being extremely generous), and a lot of that 4% would be Nader-style Democrats.

[mvpel]

“He’d probably hurt Hillary as much or more than he’d hurt the Republican candidate”

That is the funniest comment I’ve read in days. You gave me a big laugh. You ARE kidding, right??????

Over a third of self-identified Republicans oppose the Iraq situation according to a national poll. Over seventy percent of independents do, and 90% of Dems.

And even after a drubbing in 2006, Republicans are still charging forward with a slate of presidential candidates all but one of whom differ only on how soon and how much we should bomb Iran and broaden our military involvement in the Middle East, and maybe some variations on the proper use of torture.

Who's "insane" here? Who has a very poor grasp on reality?

[KDD]

I am seeing the same thing at the swamp in Gainesville, Florida.
The kids are passionate about Paul...sometimes embarrassingly so.

[George W. Bush]

These kids are fired up. There is tremendous passion for his candidacy. No one else running has that.

You got that right. LOL. I'd forgotten what being in your twenties was like. Not the gentle hills of middle age but the mountains and cliffs and valleys of youth.

They're great kids. And when I look around the various Ron Paul forums, I've yet to find a single pro-Hitlery poster. They don't like and don't want the Xlintons. In fact, one of them a couple of days back posted a bit on "CRUSH THAT BITCH!". Now, normally, I disapprove of such posts (only a little) but it inspired me to make an even more assertive post with the same kind of language here at FR today (mine included words like "die, already, lying, commie..."). It only survived the mods for 10 minutes. LOL.

Those kids are great, no matter what some loser Paul-hater thread trolls on FR say about them. I think serious Republicans had better start to think about a new crop of Republicans because the RNC/Bush/Rove/etc. have run our name brand right into the ground.

We'd better find something exciting for 2008 or you might as well start typing "President Hillary". Me, I think it would be a lot less grating to type "President Paul" instead, no matter your views on foreign policy and Iraq.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

The most realistic thing Paul has a shot at is shoring up the election for Hillary.

You know that the only way Paul can do that, is to run as a 3rd party candidate, which he said he wouldn't.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

From an anti-war rally in Chicago detailed here

Doesn't mean anything.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

It worked well for Bubba with a third party Ross Perot and 42% of the liberal vote.

If Paul does run as a 3rd party candidate, why do you care? Funny how you guys DON'T want Paul to run as a Republican but deep down you DON'T want him to run as a 3rd party candidate. Make up your fricking minds.

[George W. Bush]

Our dollar is worth less than the Canadian now. We are borrowing money from China to pay for counter-productive wars.

Yeah, but China just announced it would divest its future holdings of the dollar.

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Nov. 7 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar slid to record lows against the euro and the Canadian dollar after a Chinese government adviser said plans to diversify foreign-exchange reserves will involve buying better-performing currencies.

The currency slumped to a 26-year low against the pound and a 23-year low against the Australian dollar. Cheng Siwei, vice chairman of China's National People's Congress, told a conference in Beijing the country ``will favor stronger currencies'' when adjusting its $1.43 trillion of reserves. He later added that doesn't mean buying more euros.

"We're likely to see further pressure on the dollar,'" said Thomas Harr, senior foreign exchange strategist in Singapore at Standard Chartered Plc, a U.K. bank that makes most of its profit in Asia. "The potential for diversification is quite big. This a structurally negative story for the dollar."

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Ron Paul was right all these years. Soon, everyone will know it.