The Ron Paul Juggernaut

AOL News ^ | 11/6/07 | David Knowles

[George W. Bush]

The Ron Paul Juggernaut

By David Knowles
Nov 6th 2007 8:14AM

This morning, a collective gasp of dismay was heard coming from the Republican party candidates for president. The news? Texas congressman Ron Paul has set a new GOP single-day fundraising record. In a 24-hour period Mr. Paul raised $4.2 Million dollars through on-line donations. The astonishing total suddenly has people wondering: Is this guy for real? Though he may not win the Republican nomination, his candidacy can no longer be written off as "the longest of long shots." He's raising top-tier money, and attracting thousands of new supporters every week, in part due to a strong performance on the Tonight Show (see below). Much to the disdain of the GOP establishment, one thing has become certain about Mr. Paul, he will have an effect on the race.

So how did Paul do it? Who are these hordes of internet supporters that he is reaching? Well, according to Reuters they are all around us. A recent survey found that 80% of adults now regularly use the internet. And many of them are impressed with Paul's candor and consistency. Say what you will about the merits of his positions, but he is nothing if not steadfast in his reasoning.

Greg McNeilly had a good post about Mr. Paul's transparent approach to fundraising and spending, and it underlines a central aspect of the Texas congressman's appeal. With "Dr. No," as Paul is known, you know what you're going to get. He's certainly not a flip-flopper.

As to whether abandoning Iraq and Afghanistan, or abolishing the IRS and the Department of Education are good ideas (never mind whether the latter items have a snowball's chance in hell of passing muster in congress) almost seems beside the point. Mr. Paul has become a symbol of revolt for voters tired of politics as usual. This modern day Guy Fawkes is rising in stature faster than any other candidate. Will he play the role of spoiler? Win the nomination out right? Even become president? Yesterday showed that ignoring Ron Paul (Ron Paul George and Ringo, as i like to call him) is not a smart move.

More information on the author can be found at his website.

[George W. Bush]

Interesting comments reflecting the media's slowly changing attitude toward Ron Paul.

They still want him out and they seem frustrated they can't get the job done and that his fundraising and MeetUps just keep growing. They're pouting because it might ruin their little liberal-vs-liberal Hitlery-vs-Rudy election sham.

[George W. Bush]

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A "collective gasp of dismay" bump. LOL.

[rineaux]

So will Fox News have RP on the debate that may or may not happen in Iowa in Dec?

Thanks for the ping as always. Got an email from the guy who set up the 5th of Nov email thanking for everyone’s support. Another seems to be coming next week and the last push for the 4th quarter in Dec. Know much about it?

[from occupied ga]

His candidacy has forced two of the three stooges (Julie Annie and Romney) at least to bother to lie about their 2nd amendment stance. The Republican attitudes toward gun owners is “so what if we pas gun control, where else are they going to go?” (I forgot which Republican said that Bush I, Dole?)

[Ditter]

juggernaut n. large heavy motor vehicle; overpowering force or object.

Nope, don’t think so.

[darkwing104]

As in a hollow force...a paper tiger...Vapor patrol...

[Wolfie]

I like Paul, I’d vote for him if I got the chance...but Juggernaut? Let’s get real. The only candidates who’ll ever even get a whiff of the general election have already been bought and paid for by The Powers That Be.

[wolfcreek]

If he doesn’t get the Repub nomination, his supporters will undoubtedly demand a 3rd party run. This will take votes away from somebody but, just who is the real question.

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

RP is a loon. So are his supporters. His backers are people who need to put down the bong. They are too stoned to have even the most remote clue.

[George W. Bush]

I like Paul, I’d vote for him if I got the chance...but Juggernaut?

$4.2M in one day and an army of 60,000 well-connected supporters really can't be ignored in a year wher both parties are looking at their candidates and holding their noses. Especially if the guy raising so much money and with such a groundswell of young people supporting him was someone the libmedia and D.C. political establishment has written off as an also-ran.

Sorry to disagree with you. But it's a Juggernaut all right.

We might very well start to see some endorsements and congressmen and senators moving toward RP's positions. They don't really like him. But they are very political creatures and they see the money and the support and are facing election in a year where the Dims will run against Bush in many states and congressional districts. Many of them have quietly planned to shift to a withdrawal policy in Iraq after their primary to run for the general. But Ron Paul's performance will likely encourage some of them to switch sooner.

[George W. Bush]

If he doesn’t get the Repub nomination, his supporters will undoubtedly demand a 3rd party run. This will take votes away from somebody but, just who is the real question.

Well, he did promise his wife that he wouldn't run third-party. OTOH, I've noticed how much the Paul family and Mrs. Paul in particular is enjoying the huge outpouring of support and all the enthusiastic young people. So, in the end, she might give him permission or even urge him to run. You know, she's been in much better health since she got that pacemaker installed on the day of the Ames straw poll.

Currently, many Republicans are urging Bloomberg to run to split Hillary's vote in NY/NJ/CT. I don't think he'll fall for it.

However, if they become convinced that Bloomberg won't run (and I think he won't) and that RP could draw more antiwar types in key Dim states to a RP third-party run, they might well urge him to run third-party and pledge $20M-$50M of seed money to help him do it. Naturally, this wouldn't happen unless they actually ponied up all the cash. Ron Paul is crazy, you know. Crazy like a fox.

RP might not be so easy for the Dead Elephant Society to convince though. Playing a spoiler to help the GOP after they've treated him so shamefully and repudiated so much of the GOP platform during the Bush years won't be too appealing to Dr. Paul. And I don't think he'd do it unless he could see the possibility of grabbing the presidency for himself. He's no Pied Piper and thinks a lot of his supporters, especially those young people. He won't spoil all that he's done so far with just some split-the-vote-for-the-GOP maneuver.

[Tatze]

Don’t you mean the Ron Paul Juggernut?

[hellbender]

The original meaning of "juggernaut" is much more appropriate and frightening, given Ron Paul's suicidal posture of appeasement of Islamofascism, and the cultishness of the Paulistas and other Libertarians:

"It used to be said, apocryphally, that worshipers of Krishna threw themselves under the wheels of the Juggernaut wagon in an access of religious ecstasy, so juggernaut came to be used metaphorically in English for an irresistible crushing force. The British application to large trucks did not become firmly established until the late 1960s."

[hellbender]

Here's another historical note on the origin of the word "juggernaut":

Juggernaut \Jug"ger*naut`\, n. [Skr. jagann[=a]tha lord of the world.] One of the names under which Vishnu, in his incarnation as Krishna, is worshiped by the Hindoos. [Written also Juggernnath, Jaganath, Jaganatha, etc.] Note: The principal seat of the worship of Juggernaut is at P[^u]ri in Orissa. At certain times the idol is drawn from the temple by the multitude, on a high car with sixteen wheels. Formerly, fanatics sometimes threw themselves under the wheels to be crushed as a sacrifice to the god.

[Ditter]

LOL! Excellent, thanks! All I had at hand was my Little Oxford Dictionary.

[Dead Corpse]

Not sure I could vote for him as POTUS. I REALLY don't like his stance on the WoT. It's a pretty big issue, even if I agree with almost everything else Paul has on his platform.

The WoT is retaliatory. We did nothing to provoke it and yes I've heard a thousand arguments as to why we suck. None of it holds up to scrutiny. Either people like Paul figure out that the war must be fought "over there", or it WILL be fought on our streets and in our Cities. Either way, it will be fought.

I'd rather blow "their" sh*t up rather than having to fight them in downtown Anoka, MN or in Johnsonville, TX.

Duncan is my next choice followed up by Fred. There are no other options for me.

Rudy, Willard, and John are not viable options. And no, I don't give a fart about how "electable" they look to the MSM.

[jd777]

People should just give up this Ron Paul stuff and get behind (Gay) Rudy!

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvV-upQVoFs

May I suggest a campaign song for all of you Paulistinians in Paulistine.

[KosmicKitty]

Ron Paul is being set up as the 2008 election’s Ross Perot. Only way Hillary could win is to split the Republican vote since she won’t get 50%. Just like her husband, she’ll coast in wih a low 40%

Wonder how much of Paul’s donations are from Soros and othr Hillary backers?

[jmc813]

His backers are people who need to put down the bong. They are too stoned to have even the most remote clue.

I honestly doubt you people even know what a bong looks like.