NYT: Ron Paul for President... of the 'Wackos'? [Birchers, Israel-Haters, etc.]

Editor and Publisher.com ^ | 07/20/07 | E&P Staff

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

NEW YORK A feature piece in this coming Sunday's New York Times Magazine on Republican candidate for president, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, portrays his followers as including a wild mix of "wackos" on both ends of the political spectrum. Paul, a libertarian, has been gaining media and public attention of late.

The cover line reads: "A Genuine Radical for President." The headline inside: "The Antiwar, Anti-Abortion, Anti-Drug-Enforcement-Administration, Anti-medicare Candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul."

The article closes with the author, Christopher Caldwell, attending a Ron Paul Meetup in Pasadena. The co-host, Connie Ruffley of United Republicans of California, admits she once was a member of the radical right John Birch Society and when she asks for a show of hands "quite a few" attendees reveal that they were or are members, too. She refers to Sen. Dianne Feinstein as "Fine-Swine" and attacks Israel, pleasing some while others "walked out."

Caldwell notes that the head of the Pasadena Meetup Group, Bill Dumas, sent a desperate letter to Paul headquarters: "We're in a difficult position of working on a campaign that draws supporters from laterally opposing points of view, and we have the added bonus of attracting every wacko fringe group in the country....We absolutely must focus on Ron's message only and put aside all other agendas, which anyone can save for the next 'Star Trek' convention or whatever."

Asked about the John Birch Society Society by the author, Paul responds, "Is that BAD? I have a lot of friends in the John Birch Society. They're generally well-educated and they understand the Constitution. I don't know how many positions they would have that I don't agree with."

The writer concludes that the "antigovernment activists of the right and the antiwar activists of the left" may have "irreconciable" differences. But "their numbers -- and anger -- are of considerable magnitude. Ron Paul will not be the next president of the United States. But his candidacy gives us a good hint about the country the next president is going to have to knit back together."

Among many other things, we learn from the article that Paul had never heard of "The Daily Show" until he was a guest and referred to the magazine GQ as "GTU." It also notes that he was the only congress member to vote against the Financial Antiterrorism Act and a medal to honor Rosa Parks, among many others tallies, based on principle, not politics. He also is praised by liberal Rep. Barney Frank as "one of the easiest" members to work with because "he bases his positions on the merits of issues."

[George W. Bush]

Since Ron Paul appeared on This Week (and dozens of other programs recently), does that make Stephanopoulos and all the others antisemites as well?

How about the Daily Show with Jon Stewart? They had to explain to Ron Paul just who Jon Stewart is prior to his appearance there because he's too busy to spend time watching cable shows, much as Mitt Romney had no idea who Mark Levin was when he appeared on Levin's show. So is Jon Stewart pursuing some antisemite agenda as well?

Just how far has Ron Paul's antisemite agenda spread through the media anyway?

[Rodney King]

Just how far has Ron Paul's antisemite agenda spread through the media anyway?

You are wasting your breath. Ron Paul has voted against foreign aid for Israel, therefore he is an anti-semite. Nothing you can say or do will cause the people who believe that to stop believing it.

[Lirona]

"It's very very rare for doctors to self-dope"

says who?

the statistics that are usually kicked around is that anywhere between 10-15 percent of physicians are addicted to either alcohol or drugs.

I'm not saying that proves or disproves anything about Ron Paul, but your statement in his defense is simply not true.

[George W. Bush]

You are wasting your breath. Ron Paul has voted against foreign aid for Israel, therefore he is an anti-semite.

He votes against all foreign aid. He hasn't singled out Israel's welfare check. So he must hate therefore also hate blacks (and maybe homosexuals too) when he votes against the earlier $15 billion for "AIDS" in Africa, now being expanded by Beloved Leader to $30 billion. Et cetera.

[attiladhun2]

And you might also be an Antiwar.com lurker and support Ron Paul.

[George W. Bush]

the statistics that are usually kicked around is that anywhere between 10-15 percent of physicians are addicted to either alcohol or drugs.

So a doctor who takes a drink is then a "doper"? (The remarks you're addressing were about an accusation that Ron Paul is a doper.)

I read Ron Paul as a lifelong teetotaler, though I wouldn't be particularly shocked if he took a medicinal like a few ounces of wine daily as many people do. Or he might be a total teetotaler. Since I don't care about his personal habits it wouldn't change my support either way. I support Ron Paul's liberties just as he supports the personal liberties of all citizens.

[attiladhun2]

You can be a radical anything and everyone who cannot compromise is nothing but a dogmatist. Haven’t you ever heard the expression that the letter of the law kills, it is the spirit of the law that gives life? I am an admirer of Lindberg, but that does not extend to his obvious fascination with Hitler and Nazi Germany.

[George W. Bush]

via NYT Magazine today: "Thin to the point of gauntness, polite to the point of daintiness, Ron Paul is a 71-year-old great-grandfather, a small-town doctor, a self-educated policy intellectual and a formidable stander on constitutional principle. In normal times, Paul might be — indeed, has been — the kind of person who is summoned onto cable television around April 15 to ventilate about whether the federal income tax violates the Constitution. But Paul has in recent weeks become a sensation in magazines he doesn’t read, on Web sites he has never visited and on television shows he has never watched."

Apparently, RP doesn't know about all those other pop culture and political junkie hangouts. But according to SJackson, he must have known who the obscure Carto was and is his "columnist" when Carto reprinted Ron Paul's uncopyrighted weekly congressional column.

Strangely enough, SJackson has discovered RP's antisemite agenda when the New York Times couldn't discover it. Or even the ADL.

The Antiwar, Anti-Abortion, Anti-Drug-Enforcement -Administration, Anti-Medicare... of Dr. Ron Paul

[SJackson]

I'm honestly not that interested, I'm comfortable with the facts, but I wouldn't be surprised if Charley Reese looked for support amongst all sorts of moonbat groups were he running for office. Including AFP readers.

As to your suggestion that Ron Paul doesn't know about Willis Carto, or doesn't know about AFP/Barnes/IHR publications, or doesn't know that his column is being printed there, then he's as dumb as a lump on a log.

I have an idea for you.

Rather than wasting your time trying to convince me RP is either ignorant or politically incompetant, call his HQ, he must have a attorney on staff, point out that AFP is publicizing his presence as a columnist to advitisers despite the fact that he hasn't granted permission for his columns to be reprinted. They'll end that in a heartbeat.

[SJackson]

Apparently, RP doesn't know about all those other pop culture and political junkie hangouts. But according to SJackson, he must have known who the obscure Carto was and is his "columnist" when Carto reprinted Ron Paul's uncopyrighted weekly congressional column.

As I noted in my last post, if he doesn't know his columns are being posted by Carto, and that he's being touted as a columnist by Carto's rag, for years, he's too incompetant to be dogcatcher.

[Lirona]

I'll say it again since you ignored it the last time:

I'm not saying that proves or disproves anything about Ron Paul, but your statement in his defense is simply not true.

I wasn't addressing the remarks about whether or not ron paul is a doper, I was addressing the false statement you made in defense of those remarks.

I couldn't care less if Ron Paul smokes crack, it matters not, since he is not going to be elected president, I posted because your statement was false and I wanted to point that out to you.

While we're at it, let's look at what you said here:

So a doctor who takes a drink is then a "doper"?

hate to be the one to point this out but... a doper is someone who uses drugs to alter their mood and their mindset... and... alchohol is a drug that is certainly used by most to accomplish that goal.

[SJackson]

So anyone can sell their publicantion based on Ron Paul as a columninst.

The definition of rank stupidity.

Your chart, yes, Jews vote overwhelmingly for Dems.

I may not, but I'm a Jew, so no matter

I'm not sure the relevance to the thread.

Are you suggesting that Jewish voting patterns are an issue for Ron Paul?

Face it, more Jews are opposed to the Iraq war than any cultural demographic.

Ron Paul, his #1 issue, he's solidily against the Iraq war, in line with the Dem position, in line with the DNC position, in line with the Jewish position, I don't see the Jewish problem you seem to be raising.

I pass on most Paul threads, those I post on I do address the issues. This one is about wackos he associates with, and while I might consider Carto a bit darker than wacko, he's one Paul associates with.

[SJackson]

It would appear from the voting patterns that the only candidates that can look for support from the powerful AIPAC lobby are our leftist democratic politicians. Why is that Jackson? They are more dedicated as a voting bloc to a socialist America run by democrats then even the African American voting bloc. And your underhanded efforts to smear Dr. Paul as anti Jewish smells of AIPAC tactics...and the tactics of the DNC. I always thought you to be above that Jackson.

BTW, what's with this AIPAC nonsense, everyone knows AIPAC is behind the Iraq war, the puppetmasters of the Bush administration. You need to read your subscriptions a little more carefully.

And yes, I admit when the nutballs don't like something that is a leftist position, they're back to AIPAC mastering the left.

This conspiracy stuff, it's so confusing.

[George W. Bush]

I'm honestly not that interested, I'm comfortable with the facts, but I wouldn't be surprised if Charley Reese looked for support amongst all sorts of moonbat groups were he running for office. Including AFP readers.

Oh. So now you want to libel Charley Reese too as trying to recruit antisemites. I don't like Reese much (too liberal) but suggesting he's trolling for antisemite support just to defend your nutty attack on Ron Paul is a bit beyond the pale, isn't it?

As to your suggestion that Ron Paul doesn't know about Willis Carto, or doesn't know about AFP/Barnes/IHR publications, or doesn't know that his column is being printed there, then he's as dumb as a lump on a log.

No, he's just too busy to care who reprints his articles. As a public servant, he feels these messages should be available to all the public, even to reprehensible elements.

I have an idea for you.

Oh good.

Rather than wasting your time trying to convince me RP is either ignorant or politically incompetant, call his HQ, he must have a attorney on staff, point out that AFP is publicizing his presence as a columnist to advitisers despite the fact that he hasn't granted permission for his columns to be reprinted. They'll end that in a heartbeat.

Why should anyone even care? RP doesn't. He thinks it's just fine for all Americans to oppose a Tobin tax to support the United Nations. And why should he spend any time jousting with some nobodies anyway? To make you happy when you would obviously never vote for him anyway?

What, we should all support a Tobin tax for the U.N. just to show we're not antisemites? And what about the part where Israel would probably be destroyed if we ever gave the United Nations that much money and power?

The antisemites are so stupid that they don't see that the U.N. would destroy Israel if given a chance. They're caught between supporting U.S. sovereignty and their desire to see Israel destroyed. But one thing we know about the United Nations: the quickest way to destroy a country is to put its fate in their hands. We may have tricked them in their early days into giving the legal fictions needed under international law but the United Nations is the primary tool used by haters of Israel worldwide to try to harm her. Well, them and our own Foggy Bottom.

[George W. Bush]

a doper is someone who uses drugs to alter their mood and their mindset... and... alchohol is a drug that is certainly used by most to accomplish that goal.

I grasp your point about self-medicaters. I was focusing on the word 'doper'. Let me suggest that if you took a poll, 99.9% of Americans would identify "dopers" as users of illegal drugs. A few might, maybe, say "illegal drugs and alcohol". I'm talking about "doper" as a word and what it means to Americans.

Dopers are dopers and drinkers are drinkers to the average Joe in the street. Joe Blow doesn't include drinkers in the doper category.

[George W. Bush]

As I noted in my last post, if he doesn't know his columns are being posted by Carto, and that he's being touted as a columnist by Carto's rag, for years, he's too incompetant to be dogcatcher.

I simply don't care who reprints his articles. He's not being paid. He's not trying to recruit such supporters. Why should he or anyone else have to embark on your little politically correct crusade. It's inane and meaningless.

[SJackson]

Whether he's too busy or not, he doesn't care who carries his column.

I think thats great.

Most CEOs, most politicians, heck, most true conservatives feel that way about how their name is used. Copyrights are probably unconstitutional anyway.

Feel free to waste all the bandwith you want on this, sometimes I'm entertained by responding to stupidity, but face it, this is at the very least gross political incompetance. Assuming this is an unwanted alliance.

[KDD]

I have been a fan of your posts on Israel and the Middle East here on FR for years and if you look at the comments I've made to you on them then you know that I champion Israel and abhor past U.S. policy of encouraging them to sell out their homeland for an illusionary peace. I don't consider our payments to Israel to be "aid". I believe that it is part of the Camp David agreement with Egypt and Israel that Carter agreed to: an annual payment by the U.S to Both countries of around 5 billion dollars annually. Inflation has whittled that down to about 1.8 billion a year for Israels part but Egypt gets nearly as much. So I part ways with Dr. Paul on this one issue of foreign aid.(the difference is definition) It is not important enough to affect my vote for him. I believe that he will honor all agreements that the U.S. is a signatory to.

I regularly send pizzas to the Israeli troops during times of mobilization.

I also publish Ron Paul columns here without his explicit permission because he does not copyright his material...Do my views on Israel act as an endorsement of Ron Paul on Israeli affairs to you? Censoring a candidate because an extremist group does the same gives the extremist group way too much power. The question for you is...have you read anything Ron Paul has written that would make you think he is anti semitic?

[SJackson]

Your views on Israel are irrelevant.

Posting his columns here are a function of free use, and many columnists/publications restrict that. Paul could, he doesn't, which is nice.

Go back and read my posts, I haven't accused Ron Paul of being antisemitic, he's never done/said anything for me to base that on. His votes on Israel, lots of his votes are moonbat stuff to me, so they mean nothing.

My understanding print media is different. Copyrights are easily established/enforced.

If he want's free use in the print media, I suppose that's his option.

It's hard for me to believe he doesn't know where and by who his columns are being published, but I'll even accept that.

But that's pure political incompetance, presuming he want's to get elected. And to me a disqualifier for any office.

My opinion only, but this is a losing issue for RP.

[KDD]

And I respect your opinion because I have read your posts over the years and have found you to be a well informed intelligent and lucid poster.

This is one of the very few times that find myself in disagreement with you so we can leave it at that.

I haven't accused Ron Paul of being antisemitic, he's never done/said anything for me to base that on.

I do appreciate that...

His votes on Israel, lots of his votes are moonbat stuff to me, so they mean nothing.

That was perhaps unnecessary.