Ron Paul Picks Up Steam
The "Paulites" who joined us in the comments this week may be on to something. A new Time magazine article posted in Yahoo News gives Ron Paul even more ink and raises some impressive numbers on the 72 year old former obstetrician who is, quite inexplicably, gaining traction among college students.
According to Time, Paul "is not only drawing impressive crowds (more than 2,000 at a post-debate rally at the University of Michigan last month) but also raising tons of cash. In the third quarter of 2007, Paul took in $5.3 million (just slightly less than G.O.P. rival John McCain), mostly in small, individual donations."
But hype or no, the GOP isn't much interested in this old coot coming in and stealing the thunder of one of the approved old coots.
Again from Time:
"His supporters are the equivalent of crabgrass," says G.O.P. consultant Frank Luntz. "It's not the grass you want, and it spreads faster than the real stuff. They just like him because he's the most anti-Establishment of all the candidates, the most likely to look at the camera during the debates and say, 'Hey, Washington, f--- you.'"
Paul himself doesn't expect to win the nomination (much to our new friend Miranda's chagrin), but don't expect him to pull a McCain and endorse a phony. "If I said, 'Giuliani's a great guy, and he'll reduce subsidies and bring the troops home'? I couldn't do that."
Maybe he could go work with Pat Buchanan at MSNBC.
Comments
Remember Ross Perot? Even with a Bush in the White House it's easy for students to believe that there's not enough difference between the mainstream candidates. And when you look at the bulk of Dems in the House and the Senate, you can see why.
Idealism is attractive. Compromise is lame. Hey, Washington, fuck you.
What's not to like about that?
Posted by: Jake![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://poljunk.gloriousnoise.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 2, 2007 1:39 PM
God i hate Luntz, anyone else see him on Penn and Teller's "Bullshit" show explaining how he manipulates public perception?
BTW, Paul also raised about 2.5 million in october, that's right already 1/2 of what he raised in the 3rd Q, at this rate we can expect at least 8 million for 4th Q, although a bunch of supporters are trying for a 1 day shot of 10 million on 11/04/07 (guy fawkes day, somebody likes that movie an awful lot). They are attempting to do this by having 100,000 people donate 100.00 that day. I know i'll do my share. I don't know if they'll hit that goal, but even 2.5 million in 1 day would be equal to what we raised all through october...
Posted by: Miranda | November 2, 2007 2:52 PM
G_d bless him, long may he run.
Like I said, watching/hearing the media, particularly conservative talk shows, try to dismiss/marginalize Ron Paul, is truly a thing to behold. Ron Paul actually stands for actual conservativism, but these twats would bend over backwards for basically another big-biz big-gov Bush (who was media-anointed in 2000 even as McCain was the hot story, then).
On the other side, Obama is still sitting on a big pile of cash, and it ain't time to spend, yet.
It should make us all sick to our stomachs to hear people talking about Clinton vs. Giuliani like it was a done deal. Not because they're so unpalatable, but because of this undemocratic "anointing" process.
Posted by: barabajagal | November 2, 2007 4:16 PM
Guy Fawkes Day is November 5. Just saying...
Posted by: Derek Phillips | November 2, 2007 4:36 PM
I had lunch today with two friends, and talk turned to politics. I said I would vote for Ron Paul, and another friend said he was also intending to vote for Paul. The third friend had doubts, and asked some questions.. after a while he mentioned that, not using the internet,he received his political information from Fox news and the like. We two "Paulites" were happily not influenced by chickenhawk talking heads such as Bill Kristol or Sean Hannity. It seems that Paul is really the candidate of those who actually have a direct contact with his political views via the internet. It has been said that Roosevelt was elected by his radio voice, Kennedy by his T.V. appearance... and now, perhaps, the internet will come into its own and Paul will be elected.
Posted by: L.Step | November 2, 2007 6:27 PM