Ron Paul Supported by Racist Western Men [headline not supported by article]

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2007/10/ron_paul_supported_by_racist_western_men_/

Who supports Ron Paul’s bid for the presidency? White supremacists and men from the West Coast, apparently.

Through no fault of his own, Rep. Ron Paul’s anti-globalist, anti-government campaign for the Republican presidential nomination has become a magnet in neo-Nazi networks, pulling in activists and supporters from the fringe white nationalist community where anti-Semitism, anti-black and anti-immigrant views are commonplace.

In some cases, these internet-based activists acknowledge that even though the Paul campaign does not have a racist or anti-Semitic agenda, it can serve as a vehicle to find sympathizers and to recruit new loyalists drawn to the Republican congressman’s opposition to international trade agreements, federal police authority and to the income tax.

Such web-based organizations as Stormfront (motto: “White Pride, World Wide”), Vanguard News Network (”No Jews. Just Right.”) and the Nationalist Coalition (”working to create the relationships that will lay the foundation for the White community that is necessary to our survival”) have become sources of support for Paul’s bid for the Republican nomination, and in some cases have set up separate Ron Paul discussion groups.

As Edsall’s wording constantly emphasizes, this is essentially happenstance. It’s natural, to be sure, that white supremacists, which see the federal government as their chief nemesis, would support the most anti-federal government candidate. The only odd thing here is that anti-immigrant groups would support Paul, since stopping immigration, illegal or otherwise, could only be accomplished through the exercise of federal power.

Still, as Jeff Commaroto points out, this is the down side of a decentralized Web strategy. “That might seem like a great idea at first but when messages are not vetted by an official source, it is only a matter of time before some people rise up and exploit them.” Josh Levy agrees, seeing this as “an inevitable outgrowth of giving control of your message to your supporters.”

Meanwhile, Patrick Ruffini has done some analysis of Ron Paul’s donors — using information provided by Paul’s online effort — and finds that they are overwhelmingly (83 percent) male and come predominantly from the West and Northeast.

This really is a Western movement, with some of the Northeast thrown in. Basically, these are the places where you would expect libertarians to be strong. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen a data set this good about the state-by-state strength of libertarianism. And the data gets more reliable every day .

The Paul movement is weakest in the Deep South and the Ohio River Valley. Ohio (and surprisingly New York) are Paul’s weakest big states.

The differences are also fairly dramatic. One is 4 times more likely to be a Ron Paul donor in Nevada than in Mississippi. And more than twice as likely in blue Washington state than in blue New York. Alaska and Hawaii, which are not on the map, would also be colored the darkest shade of red.

I’m not sure what to make of that but it’s interesting. Essentially, Paul’s support is strongest in states that tend not to vote Republican. Does that mean that a theoretical nominee Paul would win in a landslide (after all, one doesn’t expect the South to vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama if Paul is the alternative)? Or are the numbers just too small to matter?

Ron Paul & The White Supremacist Recruiters

http://www.electiongeek.com/blog/2007/10/16/ron-paul-the-white-supremacist-recruiters/

An interesting story from Thomas B. Edsall at the Huffington Post which claims neo-nazi groups are flocking to the Paul campaign as a recruitment tool.

It makes sense with Paul’s anti-government, anti-IRS, anti-trade messages. Though the campaign doesn’t seem happy with the support.

The Paul campaign dismissed the pro-Paul activities among these groups. “We don’t know who these people are,” said Jesse Benton, Paul’s communications director. Their support has “nothing to do with Ron Paul, and what he stands for….His message of freedom, peace and prosperity - that’s why people support him.”

The problem is, it seems like the campaign has been more than happy to welcome outsiders to spread its message online. That might seem like a great idea at first but when messages are not vetted by an official source, it is only a matter of time before some people rise up and exploit them.

I have been skeptical that there is any real support for Paul beside a small contingent of libertarians who are going around fixing online polls and sending in a couple of bucks to the campaign. Now I guess this is evidence that the campaign is growing.

No, the headline shouldn’t connect the west with racists. The fact that support comes from non-Republican areas is no surprise.

An no, I’m not saying Paul is a racist. A political opportunist who will take support from wherever he can get it, you be, his campaign admits that. IMO there are not areas the Republican Party should be associated with.

The Paul campaign dismissed the pro-Paul activities among these groups. “We don’t know who these people are,” said Jesse Benton, Paul’s communications director. Their support has “nothing to do with Ron Paul, and what he stands for….His message of freedom, peace and prosperity - that’s why people support him.”

Not exactly what Reagan had to say under similar circumstances, he clearly rejected the ideology of the KKK, but better than nothing. The idea that racists support Paul over a message freedom, peace and prosperity is laughable. His articles do appear in their publications. But as his campaign stated regarding an indicted drug dealer, we take support where we can get it.

Mr. Nathaniel J. Friedman
August 23, 1980
Dear Mr. Friedman:

Just a line to thank you very much for your letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Times. It was kind and generous of you to do this, and I am most grateful.

It wasn’t until I left the South and was in New York that I learned the Klan had endorsed me. I immediately made it plain in a press conference that I do not want such an endorsement and that I repudiate it and everything the Klan stands for. I guess Mr. Young didn’t pay much attention to that.

Again, my heartfelt thanks.

Best regards,
Ron

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April 30, 1984

Dear Morris:

While in China, I have been distressed to learn that some individuals back home have questioned whether my views on the Ku Klux Klan have somehow changed since 1980. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In 1980, I said that I have no tolerance for what the Klan represents, and would have nothing to do with any groups of that type. If anything, my feelings on this subject have only grown stronger. The politics of racial hatred and religious bigotry practiced by the Klan and others have no place in this country, and are destructive of the values for which America has always stood. Those of us in public life can only resent the use of our names by those who seek political recognition for the repugnant doctrines of hate they espouse.

I firmly believe that there is no room for partisanship on this question. Democrats and Republicans alike must be resolute in disassociating ourselves from any group or individual whose political philosophy consists only of racial or religious intolerance, whose arguments are supported only by intimidation or threats of violence.

We must, and will, continue our unified rejection of such elements of hate in our political life, for while there are many issues which divide us, it is fundamental principles such as this which will always draw us together.

Sincerely,
Ronald Reagan

[The Honorable Morris B. Abram, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 1121 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20425]

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Marc Emery agrees his campaign-organizing effort for some 2008 U.S. presidential candidates is a bit unorthodox. He's Canadian, his political base of operations is the B.C. Marijuana Party in Vancouver, and he can be arrested if he sets foot into America.

Still, "We have a saying up here: 'American politics is far too important to leave to the Americans,'" says Emery, 49, who is trying to raise cross-border support for dark-horse White House candidates. He likes liberal Democrat Dennis Kucinich well enough, but prefers Republican Ron Paul, a longtime libertarian who, like Emery, opposes the U.S. war on drugs.

Paul's communications director, Jesse Benton, says the fledgling campaign welcomes all support. But Emery shouldn't necessarily expect amnesty from a Paul administration. "You would see a cooling of the federal war on drugs [under Paul]," Benton says. "But Ron believes in the rule of law, and I don't think this guy should look to Ron for him getting off scot-free."

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	James Joyner \| Tuesday, October 16, 2007