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Paul: A seller of ideas
They call him Dr. No -- no big government, no big spending, no flouting the Constitution. And no interest in slick political image.
By Lisa Anderson | Tribune national correspondent
3:47 PM CST, November 13, 2007
ANGLETON, Texas - No more Department of Education. No more Federal Reserve Bank. No more Medicare or Medicaid. No more membership in the United Nations or NATO. No more federal drug laws. And, no more U.S. troops in Iraq -- or anywhere else on foreign soil.
The Internal Revenue Service would be history in the first week that Ron Paul sits behind the desk in the Oval Office. And the dismantling of the above-mentioned entities and relationships -- plus a long list of others -- soon would commence.
Think that sounds eccentric, strange, even crazy? Many of the libertarian-minded, 10-term congressman's rivals for the GOP presidential nomination think so and have said so.
But, to a growing, Internet-based pool of supporters, the silver-haired obstetrician turned politician is the sanest man at the Republican debates and perhaps in all of Congress. Paul attracts an unusual political potpourri of people of all ages and viewpoints, including a sprinkling of conspiracy theorists and other extremists whose views Paul's campaign disavows. While most supporters ardently oppose the Iraq war, what they all share is a deep disenchantment and distrust of the federal government in its present form and a fervent belief in Paul's plans to change it.
On Nov. 5, they demonstrated their passion for Paul in spectacular fashion, raising $4.2 million, mostly online, in 24 hours, rocketing him close to his $12 million goal for the fourth quarter. In terms of 2008 GOP presidential candidates, Paul's take broke the previous one-day record of $3.1million set by Mitt Romney Jan. 8.
Hammering home a singular message of freedom, free markets, smaller federal government and greater personal responsibility, Paul, at 72, is nothing if not consistent. Personally, he seems very much the same in a one-on-one conversation as he does on the stump: earnest, serious and slightly stunned. Although pleasant, he, unlike most politicians, makes no effort to charm. He leaves an impression that he is out to sell ideas, not himself.
Politically, he also is relentlessly consistent: If it is not explicitly authorized in the U.S. Constitution, Paul opposes it, particularly if it involves spending. He has opposed so many things over his political career that he has been dubbed "Dr. No."
The money that would be saved from the elimination of many federal programs, not to mention the Iraq war, he contends, would more than provide a state-based safety net for those Americans who can't help themselves and for those depending on Social Security, which eventually he would phase out. States, not the federal government, should deal with issues such as abortion and the nature of marriage, he says. And, though he dreams of a day America returns to a gold standard, he would be happy just to see the country stop taking on huge foreign debt and running up deficits by printing money for which it has no solid backing.
Off and running
Money, specifically monetary policy, is a long-term Paul obsession, the foundation of many of his ideas and books and the catalyst of his political career. In his 20s, he became interested in the libertarian-flavored Austrian school of economics, which favors a commodity-backed currency and markets free of government interference. When President Richard Nixon effectively severed the U.S. dollar from the gold standard in 1971, Paul has said, he felt impelled to enter politics.
Emerging as an unlikely Republican rock star among young voters, Paul actually draws cheers on college campuses when he calls for abolishing the Federal Reserve System.
"It amazes me no end that they even have thought about it," he said in a recent interview.
Asked about his appeal to young people, he said, "They don't trust government. Government has been messing things up. And they respond favorably to not worrying about paying income tax and getting out of Social Security."
In terms of foreign policy, he said, "I make them feel good that you can be conservative and pro-truth and pro-American and pro-Constitution and not want to go to war for needless purposes. They've been made to feel ... that if you don't support all these invasions and all this fighting, somehow you're anti-American."
Paul has infuriated some, including his GOP rivals, by suggesting that U.S. foreign policy has fueled terrorism and contributed to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He often says, "They came over here because we went over there."
Meanwhile, he has proved not only more popular but more bankable than many -- including himself -- might have expected. Even before the Nov. 5 cascade of cash, Paul's campaign had more than $5 million on hand at the close of the third quarter,exceeding the coffers of such better-known White House hopefuls as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Republican former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
No fear
"I think one thing that appeals to the young people is that he'll speak his mind and he doesn't care who likes or doesn't like it," said Bruce Buchanan, a professor of government who specializes in presidential politics at the University of Texas at Austin. "That old saw that he'd rather be right than be president fits."
Long unafraid to take rock-solid stands on issues that would turn other candidates' knees to jelly -- witness his opposition to gun control and censorship of pornography or anything else on the Internet, and his approval of decriminalizing marijuana and prostitution -- Paul has developed the unlikely political habit of saying exactly what he thinks. All the time. Whether he's on the floor of the House of Representatives or on the couch of "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno."
Down-home but passionate
A slight, craggy-faced man whose crinkly eyes and ski-slope nose might suggest an older version of commentator Bill O'Reilly, Ron Paul cuts a figure more down-home than dashing. He projects a mild-mannered demeanor but turns fiery when he talks about the need for change in the federal government. And there is a steely certainty to his views that even his fans concede sound radical on first hearing.
Some have compared Paul's formidable performance on the Internet with that of former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean, another maverick who also scored early success on the Internet, both in raising money and his profile. The majority of Paul's funds come from online donors, and his campaign Web site -- RonPaul2008.com -- is often a political traffic-topper in a crowded presidential field. For the week ending Oct. 27, traffic on Paul's site vied for the top slot with that of Sen. Hillary Clinton and handily trounced all other GOP candidate sites, according to Hitwise.com, which monitors Internet usage. "Ron Paul" was the most searched political term for the prior month.
Yet in most presidential race polls, Paul hovers in the low single digits -- often within the margin of error. In his best showing to date, 7.4 percent of likely New Hampshire primary voters supported him, according to a New Hampshire Institute of Politics poll released Oct. 25.
Although he ran as the Libertarian Party presidential nominee in 1988, Paul says he has no plans to run as anything other than Republican in 2008. He also says he has no intention of running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by his fellow Texas Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison. And he has no plans to quit the presidential race.
"What people are afraid of is Paul will never leave" the race for the White House, said Robert Stein, a political scientist at Rice University in Houston and a longtime Paul watcher. "You have to know Ron Paul as I do. This guy just keeps on ticking."
Ron Paul consistently draws enthusiastic crowds, often topping 1,500 people, during campaign stops around the country, particularly at colleges and universities. But name recognition remains problematic.
"Is Ron Paul the actor, the one who used to be an actor?" one student was overheard asking as she strolled past signs for a Paul event on the University of Southern California campus earlier this fall.
No, that would be Fred Thompson.
Paul's name can draw blank stares even in his own district. At the Brazoria County Fair in Angleton on a hot and dusty October day, it seemed most people were far more familiar with such signature delicacies as fried Oreos, fried pickles and Brobdingnagian-size roasted turkey legs than they were with their own representative in Congress, who happens to be running for the White House.
"I know he was a doctor in Lake Jackson," said Bubba Kettler, 44, an electric company lineman.
Teresa Petersen, sitting amid crates of the velvety, mottled chocolate-and-white Standard Rex rabbits her sons brought to show at the fair, fondly recalled Ron Paul. Mother of a child with autism, Petersen went to see Paul in a district office to persuade him to oppose the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Improvement in Education Act. Many parent groups at the time contended that proposed changes in the act weakened educational opportunities for disabled children.
Amiable and approachable
"He was just a really nice man. He was very easy to talk to," recalled Petersen, 45, who is a full-time student at Brazosport College. "He was very aware of the issue," she said, adding "He did end up voting 'no' on that.
"Actually, I found out later that he votes 'no' on most things, so there went all the air out of my bubble," she added with a laugh.
Representing the 14th Congressional District, Paul covers a swath of the Texas Gulf Coast running south of Houston from about Galveston to Corpus Christi. A mix of rural, suburban and beach communities, the district has a large petrochemical industry presence, cattle ranching, rice farming and numbers many NASA workers among its roughly 650,000 residents.
Although Paul steadfastly opposes farm subsidies, greater support for NASA and funding for FEMA in a famously hurricane-prone district, he continues to be re-elected comfortably. "It's not that kind of relationship," said the University of Texas' Buchanan. "It's more on the order of 'This is a man we trust,' as opposed to 'What's in it for us?'"
Born August 20, 1935, in Pittsburgh, Ronald Ernest Paul was the third of five sons born to a dairy farmer in the nearby tiny suburb of Green Tree. He began working for his father at an early age and delivered milk during his years at Dormont High School. There he met Carol Wells, daughter of a well-to-do coffee broker. They have five children, 18 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year.
"The first time I ever saw him, he was running a track event," recalled Carol Paul, 71, in a recent phone conversation.
"I think what impressed me too was that everybody liked him. But he was a serious student and a serious athlete. He spent most of his time doing that. He wasn't one of the big dating crowd. He was student body president his senior year. He didn't run for it. They wanted him."
Paul worked his way through Gettysburg College, initially planning to follow two of his brothers into the ministry. But an interest in biology led him instead to the Duke University School of Medicine. He and Carol married in his last semester at Gettysburg, and she worked to put him through medical school.
Paul was a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard from 1963 to 1968; he was not assigned to serve in Vietnam. In 40 years as an OB-GYN in the Lake Jackson area, he estimates, he has delivered more than 4,000 babies.It pains Carol Paul to hear her husband booed or criticized by rivals during debates, but she takes pride in his attitude. "He has no animosity to these people," she said. "He forgives. But I don't know if he can ever forgive about the war, the boys we've lost and the fact we went in for lies."
Ron Paul is the only GOP candidate unequivocally opposed to the Iraq war and was the only Republican representative who did not vote in support of it. He is also the rare congressman who refuses a Congressional pension, because he considers the use of taxpayer money in this fashion an abuse of power. For the same reason, he never accepted taxpayer-funded Medicare or Medicaid in his practice, nor did he allow his children to take federal loans for college.
Paul appears financially comfortable but not exceedingly wealthy, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. Most of his holdings are in about two dozen gold and silver firms, many valued at less than $15,000 and none valued at more than $250,000.
A turnabout
Paul likes to tell people that when constituents came to visit him in his Washington office, it would invariably be parents with reluctant children in tow. These days, he says, it is more often young people introducing their skeptical parents to him.
There are more than 260 Students for Ron Paul chapters around the country, and one of them is at USC in Los Angeles. There Paul stood under a blazing sun on a hot September afternoon speaking to a rally that swiftly grew from a few hundred students to more than 1,500. Among them was history major Luke Murphy, 20. Murphy found out about Paul from his twin brother, who discovered him on the Internet.
"My little brother is going to a Ron Paul rally in San Francisco tomorrow, and he's bringing my mother," he said, noting that septuagenarian Paul may be too "radical" for the "older generation."
Lorraine Clearman, a 67-year-old school administrator, admitted she was cynical when she arrived earlier that same day to hear Paul speak at a $500-a-head fundraising breakfast at the Ritz-Carlton in Pasadena. She went at the behest of her daughter, Holly Clearman, 47, who works with school drop-outs in Los Angeles, and her 14-year-old grandson, Anthony Iatropoulos.
Anthony, a 9th grader, said his mother had introduced him to Paul's ideas. But, he added, "I don't just blindly follow my mother. I feel with sincerity that Ron Paul is hope for America." "Hope for America" is Paul's campaign slogan.
By late October, Lorraine Clearman was sold on Paul. "These positive young supporters give me optimism for the future of our country," she said in an e-mail. "This election may well be bought, and the next ones as well, but the movement may prevail in the end. My conscience will only let me vote for Ron Paul."
No matter how things turn out in 2008, Paul believes he will have made an impact, or at least a dent, in the political landscape. "They can't silence us," he said. "The message is out of the bag, so to speak. The message is out there. I have no idea what's going to happen to the campaign. I'm doing so much better than I ever dreamed."
As he recently said on The Tonight Show, "There's probably a risk I could win."
ANGLETON, Texas -- No more Department of Education. No more Federal Reserve Bank. No more Medicare or Medicaid. No more membership in the United Nations or NATO. No more federal drug laws. And, no more U.S. troops in Iraq -- or anywhere else on foreign soil.
The Internal Revenue Service would be history in the first week that Ron Paul sits behind the desk in the Oval Office. And the dismantling of the above-mentioned entities and relationships -- plus a long list of others -- soon would commence.
Think that sounds eccentric, strange, even crazy? Many of the libertarian-minded, 10-term congressman's rivals for the GOP presidential nomination think so and have said so.
But, to a growing, Internet-based pool of supporters, the silver-haired obstetrician turned politician is the sanest man at the Republican debates and perhaps in all of Congress. Paul attracts an unusual political potpourri of people of all ages and viewpoints, including a sprinkling of conspiracy theorists and other extremists whose views Paul's campaign disavows. While most supporters ardently oppose the Iraq war, what they all share is a deep disenchantment and distrust of the federal government in its present form and a fervent belief in Paul's plans to change it.
On Nov. 5, they demonstrated their passion for Paul in spectacular fashion, raising $4.2 million, mostly online, in 24 hours, rocketing him close to his $12 million goal for the fourth quarter. In terms of 2008 GOP presidential candidates, Paul's take broke the previous one-day record of $3.1 million set by Mitt Romney Jan. 8.
See the rest of the Ron Paul profile in the Tempo section of today's Tribune:
And for video profiles of Paul and other candidates, see this Tribune file.
Hammering home a singular message of freedom, free markets, smaller federal government and greater personal responsibility, Paul, at 72, is nothing if not consistent. Personally, he seems very much the same in a one-on-one conversation as he does on the stump: earnest, serious and slightly stunned. Although pleasant, he, unlike most politicians, makes no effort to charm. He leaves an impression that he is out to sell ideas, not himself.
Politically, he also is relentlessly consistent: If it is not explicitly authorized in the U.S. Constitution, Paul opposes it, particularly if it involves spending. He has opposed so many things over his political career that he has been dubbed "Dr. No."
The money that would be saved from the elimination of many federal programs, not to mention the Iraq war, he contends, would more than provide a state-based safety net for those Americans who can't help themselves and for those depending on Social Security, which eventually he would phase out. States, not the federal government, should deal with issues such as abortion and the nature of marriage, he says. And, though he dreams of a day America returns to a gold standard, he would be happy just to see the country stop taking on huge foreign debt and running up deficits by printing money for which it has no solid backing.
Off and running
Money, specifically monetary policy, is a long-term Paul obsession, the foundation of many of his ideas and books and the catalyst of his political career. In his 20s, he became interested in the libertarian-flavored Austrian school of economics, which favors a commodity-backed currency and markets free of government interference. When President Richard Nixon effectively severed the U.S. dollar from the gold standard in 1971, Paul has said, he felt impelled to enter politics.
Emerging as an unlikely Republican rock star among young voters, Paul actually draws cheers on college campuses when he calls for abolishing the Federal Reserve System.
"It amazes me no end that they even have thought about it," he said in a recent interview.
Asked about his appeal to young people, he said, "They don't trust government. Government has been messing things up. And they respond favorably to not worrying about paying income tax and getting out of Social Security."
In terms of foreign policy, he said, "I make them feel good that you can be conservative and pro-truth and pro-American and pro-Constitution and not want to go to war for needless purposes. They've been made to feel ... that if you don't support all these invasions and all this fighting, somehow you're anti-American."
Paul has infuriated some, including his GOP rivals, by suggesting that U.S. foreign policy has fueled terrorism and contributed to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He often says, "They came over here because we went over there."
Meanwhile, he has proved not only more popular but more bankable than many -- including himself -- might have expected. Even before the Nov. 5 cascade of cash, Paul's campaign had more than $5 million on hand at the close of the third quarter,exceeding the coffers of such better-known White House hopefuls as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Republican former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
No fear
"I think one thing that appeals to the young people is that he'll speak his mind and he doesn't care who likes or doesn't like it," said Bruce Buchanan, a professor of government who specializes in presidential politics at the University of Texas at Austin. "That old saw that he'd rather be right than be president fits."
Long unafraid to take rock-solid stands on issues that would turn other candidates' knees to jelly -- witness his opposition to gun control and censorship of pornography or anything else on the Internet, and his approval of decriminalizing marijuana and prostitution -- Paul has developed the unlikely political habit of saying exactly what he thinks. All the time. Whether he's on the floor of the House of Representatives or on the couch of "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno."
Down-home but passionate
A slight, craggy-faced man whose crinkly eyes and ski-slope nose might suggest an older version of commentator Bill O'Reilly, Ron Paul cuts a figure more down-home than dashing. He projects a mild-mannered demeanor but turns fiery when he talks about the need for change in the federal government. And there is a steely certainty to his views that even his fans concede sound radical on first hearing.
Some have compared Paul's formidable performance on the Internet with that of former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean, another maverick who also scored early success on the Internet, both in raising money and his profile. The majority of Paul's funds come from online donors, and his campaign Web site -- RonPaul2008.com -- is often a political traffic-topper in a crowded presidential field. For the week ending Oct. 27, traffic on Paul's site vied for the top slot with that of Sen. Hillary Clinton and handily trounced all other GOP candidate sites, according to Hitwise.com, which monitors Internet usage. "Ron Paul" was the most searched political term for the prior month.
Yet in most presidential race polls, Paul hovers in the low single digits -- often within the margin of error. In his best showing to date, 7.4 percent of likely New Hampshire primary voters supported him, according to a New Hampshire Institute of Politics poll released Oct. 25.
Although he ran as the Libertarian Party presidential nominee in 1988, Paul says he has no plans to run as anything other than Republican in 2008. He also says he has no intention of running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by his fellow Texas Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison. And he has no plans to quit the presidential race.
"What people are afraid of is Paul will never leave" the race for the White House, said Robert Stein, a political scientist at Rice University in Houston and a longtime Paul watcher. "You have to know Ron Paul as I do. This guy just keeps on ticking."
Ron Paul consistently draws enthusiastic crowds, often topping 1,500 people, during campaign stops around the country, particularly at colleges and universities. But name recognition remains problematic.
"Is Ron Paul the actor, the one who used to be an actor?" one student was overheard asking as she strolled past signs for a Paul event on the University of Southern California campus earlier this fall.
No, that would be Fred Thompson.
Paul's name can draw blank stares even in his own district. At the Brazoria County Fair in Angleton on a hot and dusty October day, it seemed most people were far more familiar with such signature delicacies as fried Oreos, fried pickles and Brobdingnagian-size roasted turkey legs than they were with their own representative in Congress, who happens to be running for the White House.
"I know he was a doctor in Lake Jackson," said Bubba Kettler, 44, an electric company lineman.
Teresa Petersen, sitting amid crates of the velvety, mottled chocolate-and-white Standard Rex rabbits her sons brought to show at the fair, fondly recalled Ron Paul. Mother of a child with autism, Petersen went to see Paul in a district office to persuade him to oppose the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Improvement in Education Act. Many parent groups at the time contended that proposed changes in the act weakened educational opportunities for disabled children.
Amiable and approachable
"He was just a really nice man. He was very easy to talk to," recalled Petersen, 45, who is a full-time student at Brazosport College. "He was very aware of the issue," she said, adding "He did end up voting 'no' on that.
"Actually, I found out later that he votes 'no' on most things, so there went all the air out of my bubble," she added with a laugh.
Representing the 14th Congressional District, Paul covers a swath of the Texas Gulf Coast running south of Houston from about Galveston to Corpus Christi. A mix of rural, suburban and beach communities, the district has a large petrochemical industry presence, cattle ranching, rice farming and numbers many NASA workers among its roughly 650,000 residents.
Although Paul steadfastly opposes farm subsidies, greater support for NASA and funding for FEMA in a famously hurricane-prone district, he continues to be re-elected comfortably. "It's not that kind of relationship," said the University of Texas' Buchanan. "It's more on the order of 'This is a man we trust,' as opposed to 'What's in it for us?'"
Born August 20, 1935, in Pittsburgh, Ronald Ernest Paul was the third of five sons born to a dairy farmer in the nearby tiny suburb of Green Tree. He began working for his father at an early age and delivered milk during his years at Dormont High School. There he met Carol Wells, daughter of a well-to-do coffee broker. They have five children, 18 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year.
"The first time I ever saw him, he was running a track event," recalled Carol Paul, 71, in a recent phone conversation.
"I think what impressed me too was that everybody liked him. But he was a serious student and a serious athlete. He spent most of his time doing that. He wasn't one of the big dating crowd. He was student body president his senior year. He didn't run for it. They wanted him."
Paul worked his way through Gettysburg College, initially planning to follow two of his brothers into the ministry. But an interest in biology led him instead to the Duke University School of Medicine. He and Carol married in his last semester at Gettysburg, and she worked to put him through medical school.
Paul was a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard from 1963 to 1968; he was not assigned to serve in Vietnam. In 40 years as an OB-GYN in the Lake Jackson area, he estimates, he has delivered more than 4,000 babies.It pains Carol Paul to hear her husband booed or criticized by rivals during debates, but she takes pride in his attitude. "He has no animosity to these people," she said. "He forgives. But I don't know if he can ever forgive about the war, the boys we've lost and the fact we went in for lies."
Ron Paul is the only GOP candidate unequivocally opposed to the Iraq war and was the only Republican representative who did not vote in support of it. He is also the rare congressman who refuses a Congressional pension, because he considers the use of taxpayer money in this fashion an abuse of power. For the same reason, he never accepted taxpayer-funded Medicare or Medicaid in his practice, nor did he allow his children to take federal loans for college.
Paul appears financially comfortable but not exceedingly wealthy, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. Most of his holdings are in about two dozen gold and silver firms, many valued at less than $15,000 and none valued at more than $250,000.
A turnabout
Paul likes to tell people that when constituents came to visit him in his Washington office, it would invariably be parents with reluctant children in tow. These days, he says, it is more often young people introducing their skeptical parents to him.
There are more than 260 Students for Ron Paul chapters around the country, and one of them is at USC in Los Angeles. There Paul stood under a blazing sun on a hot September afternoon speaking to a rally that swiftly grew from a few hundred students to more than 1,500. Among them was history major Luke Murphy, 20. Murphy found out about Paul from his twin brother, who discovered him on the Internet.
"My little brother is going to a Ron Paul rally in San Francisco tomorrow, and he's bringing my mother," he said, noting that septuagenarian Paul may be too "radical" for the "older generation."
Lorraine Clearman, a 67-year-old school administrator, admitted she was cynical when she arrived earlier that same day to hear Paul speak at a $500-a-head fundraising breakfast at the Ritz-Carlton in Pasadena. She went at the behest of her daughter, Holly Clearman, 47, who works with school drop-outs in Los Angeles, and her 14-year-old grandson, Anthony Iatropoulos.
Anthony, a 9th grader, said his mother had introduced him to Paul's ideas. But, he added, "I don't just blindly follow my mother. I feel with sincerity that Ron Paul is hope for America." "Hope for America" is Paul's campaign slogan.
By late October, Lorraine Clearman was sold on Paul. "These positive young supporters give me optimism for the future of our country," she said in an e-mail. "This election may well be bought, and the next ones as well, but the movement may prevail in the end. My conscience will only let me vote for Ron Paul."
No matter how things turn out in 2008, Paul believes he will have made an impact, or at least a dent, in the political landscape. "They can't silence us," he said. "The message is out of the bag, so to speak. The message is out there. I have no idea what's going to happen to the campaign. I'm doing so much better than I ever dreamed."
As he recently said on The Tonight Show, "There's probably a risk I could win."
PHILADELPHIA — They are crusty Iowa farmers enticed by doing away with the income tax, libertarian-minded college students in heavy-metal band T-shirts, antiwar Republicans looking for a champion, and folks worried about the Federal Reserve Board and paper money.
They say they are the disaffected in politics, and this year they are finding a political home with Ron Paul, the congressman from Texas who is shaking up the Republican presidential contest with phenomenal fundraising and the potential to convert that into enough votes to be a spoiler come January.
Even without the fife-and-drum players, they are the loudest of crowds. Even without the "Don't Tread on Me" flags and cloak-and-mask movie costumes, they are the most colorful. And Mr. Paul's supporters certainly are the most suspicious of the political process.
"I don't want to sound like one of these nut cases, there are probably some of them here," said Tom Levins, waving his arm toward 2,000 fellow supporters rallying with Mr. Paul on Nov. 10 in Philadelphia. "But you have to wonder about the establishment. I've had it cross my mind, could he be the next political person knocked off?"
For Mr. Levins and other supporters, Mr. Paul is more than just a choice on the Republican primary ballot. He is talismanic, a 72-year-old 10-term congressman who transcends partisan politics. For them, he's the man who can restore the Constitution, end the Iraq war, bring back the gold standard for money and stop an erosion of civil rights.
Before his political career, Mr. Paul was a doctor — first an Air Force flight surgeon and later an obstetrician — and his frequent votes against spending bills and ever-expanding federal programs earned him the nickname "Dr. No." He also was the Libertarian Party nominee for president in 1988, running a distant third.
His supporters cheer his willingness to stand up to institutions of power, and his recent tussle with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke at a congressional hearing has become a cult hit among the candidate's supporters on YouTube.
"It's not about the issues, it's about the Constitution," said Michael Hamme, one of the rally-goers. "Basically, as I see it, we're run by the Federal Reserve system, which is actually not legal."
The words "authentic" and "honest" pop up repeatedly when his supporters talk about Mr. Paul, and many say that's why they're willing to overlook their disagreements — and for a candidate who embraces an end to the drug war, the Internal Revenue Service and abortion, just about everyone finds something to disagree with.
"He's kind of no style and all substance. He wouldn't be in the game if he didn't really believe in what he's saying," Jacob Lyles, a 24-year-old investment banker from Arlington said in a telephone interview. He said Mr. Paul's authenticity cuts through a lot of the political clutter to grab supporters. "I think that's kind of the exact opposite of what his Republican opponents are saying."
The rise of Mr. Paul and fellow Republican upstart candidate Mike Huckabee suggests the unsettled nature of the Republican field. While Mr. Huckabee's ascent has been characterized by poor fundraising and a slow-but-steady buildup of old-fashioned word of mouth, Mr. Paul's campaign has benefited from phenomenal fundraising and an Internet-powered explosion.
Mr. Paul told the Philadelphia crowd the Internet has become "a very strong political equalizer," and Michael Cornfield, a political scientist who studies campaigns and the Internet, said he is the type of candidate to harness it.
"There's a sort of romantic aura that descends around the head of someone who's seen as willing to speak his mind, no matter what. He's not in control of the consultants; he's not calculating," he said.
At times the Internet-based supporters actually are leading the campaign — which is how the campaign wants it.
When some supporters called for a mass-donation day on Nov. 5, the British Guy Fawkes holiday, taking their lead from the "V for Vendetta" movie, the campaign was fine with standing back and watching the money roll in — more than $4 million in one day.
Supporters have vowed to try to top that figure with "Tea Party '07," timed for Dec. 16, the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.
"That's going to be big," Mr. Cornfield said. "If you do something once, that gets everyone's attention. If you do something twice, you've got a movement."
The Ron Paul movement already is gaining a reputation, at least online, where articles and blog postings about its champion draw hundreds of responses, many of them angry and nearly all of them accusing major press outlets of ignoring Mr. Paul.
The vitriol of some supporters prompted one popular conservative Web site, redstate.com, to ban most Paul supporters from its discussions. The moderator of the site said it was getting "annoying, time-consuming, and bandwidth-wasting responding to the same idiotic arguments from a bunch of liberals pretending to be Republicans."
Still, supporters said their movement shouldn't be judged by its loudest members.
Rob Kampia, a supporter and executive director of the D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, said his experience with activist politics suggests there are quiet supporters behind the forthright ones.
"If the Ron Paul supporters are coming off as more kooky than average, it doesn't really surprise me, because we've seen in the marijuana movement the people who are most likely to come out for a controversial cause are those who have less to lose," said Mr. Kampia, who has contributed the maximum $2,300 to Mr. Paul's campaign.
Mr. Paul's supporters say that they're not liberal; they're the true conservatives. But many of them are going to be first-time Republican primary voters. At the Philadelphia rally, an informal survey found party-switchers appeared to be the norm.
"I tell you what, it hurt," said Bob Larkin, who changed his Connecticut registration to vote in the Republican primary. "I had to swallow the bile and do it. As soon as Super Tuesday is gone, I'm independent again."
Shawntae Devlugt, who switched her registration in New Jersey from Democrat to Republican in order to vote for Mr. Paul in the primary, said she was never going back. "Kerry messed that up for the Democrats," she said, blaming the Massachusetts senator for his 2004 defeat. "He can't prove he didn't throw the election to Bush."
Ms. Devlugt stood out among the Philadelphia supporters for more than her green Statue of Liberty outfit, complete with Lady Liberty tiara. She also was one of the few black supporters present, a fact that did not go unnoticed by one passing car with several Barack Obama stickers on it.
Its two white occupants kept telling her Mr. Paul is racist, Ms. Devlugt said. She told them she'd been to plenty of rallies and never detected any racism from Mr. Paul's words or from his supporters.
Not all of Mr. Paul's supporters are newcomers.
Mr. Levins, who first came across Mr. Paul in the 1970s and has received his Freedom Report newsletter for years, said as a non-Texan, he had been waiting for the day he could have a Ron Paul bumper sticker. With a mixture of sheepishness and pride, he and his wife admitted to having the Ron Paul cookbook at home.
"I look at some of these people, and I say to myself, 'Yeah, it's weird' or whatever — I just think finally there may be a trend in this country where people are fed up with what they're hearing," he said. "There's no sheep here, there's wolves here, questioning our nation's government."
If Ron Paul approves of that slogan, he doesn't honestly support constitutional rights. Voting for the candidate of our own choice is a constitutional right
If Ron Paul approves of that slogan, he doesn't honestly support constitutional rights. Voting for the candidate of our own choice is a constitutional right
no granny thats my slogan and what do you care about the constitution, you support an illegal war thats unconstitutional. don't you support the patriot act too, how unconstitutional is that?
no granny thats my slogan and what do you care about the constitution, you support an illegal war thats unconstitutional. don't you support the patriot act too, how unconstitutional is that?
Honestly now, did you make it up yourself or just omit one word from someone else's? So, I guess we all get to decide which parts of the Constitution we want to claim. All of us need to check things out with God to see whether what we think and do is right.
Quote:
Proverbs 21:2 (KJV) Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. Proverbs 12:15 (KJV) The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
Exactly which part of the Patriot Act do you oppose? Aren’t the people that have anything to worry about those that are breaking laws? Like God says:
Quote:
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; (1 Timothy 1:9-10)
no granny thats my slogan and what do you care about the constitution, you support an illegal war thats unconstitutional. don't you support the patriot act too, how unconstitutional is that?
Honestly now, did you make it up yourself or just omit one word from someone else's? So, I guess we all get to decide which parts of the Constitution we want to claim. All of us need to check things out with God to see whether what we think and do is right.
Quote:
Proverbs 21:2 (KJV) Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. Proverbs 12:15 (KJV) The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
Exactly which part of the Patriot Act do you oppose? Aren’t the people that have anything to worry about those that are breaking laws? Like God says:
Quote:
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; (1 Timothy 1:9-10)
i oppose all of the patriot act because its unconstitutional and is being used on americans.
CAMPAIGN 2008
RON WHO?
Longshot candidate from Texas, once an unknown, gains on GOP leaders and rakes in funds
Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
They were a lonely band of rebels until just a few weeks ago, backing the darkest of dark horse presidential candidates.
But with Republican Rep. Ron Paul's fundraising on the rise - $4.2 million raised on the Internet in one day this month - and his poll numbers jumping, the Texas congressman might no longer be a "who?" but a potential problem for leading Republican presidential candidates in key states such as New Hampshire.
And in California, the state where the 72-year-old doctor-politician has raised the most money, those who call themselves part of the "Ron Paul Revolution" couldn't be happier.
Paul's backers are people such as Brad Sanford, 29, a Silicon Valley tech worker who said he never had been involved in politics or campaigns until this year.
Sanford, attending a Paul campaign Bay Area "meetup" event this week, said he first caught Paul's appearances on cable programs like "The Bill Maher Show," "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report."' Since then, Sanford has registered Republican for the first time to vote in the California presidential primary on Feb. 5 while "maxing out" his political donation budget with $2,300 to Paul's campaign.
Sanford now is walking precincts for Paul - another first - because he said the candidate is strongly against the war in Iraq and can appeal to millions who believe that America has "strayed too far from our values" and fundamentals laid out in the Constitution.
"For young people, it's the war; for older people, it's a straight common-sense approach" to taxes, the economy and values, said Holly Clearman, California field coordinator for the Paul campaign.
Clearman said the life of a Ron Paul supporter used to be a lonely undertaking.
"I thought there were only 10 of us, and nobody I knew," she said. But that changed in recent months as the candidate raised $9 million this quarter, and "the cat is out of the bag."
Indeed, the meetup group has swelled in recent weeks to more than 400. At a meeting Monday night, a diverse assortment of hip, 20-something techies, Financial District professionals and graybeard Baby Boomer activists jammed into a San Francisco yoga and massage studio to plan strategy in the decidedly unorthodox presidential campaign.
Paul followers are buoyed by the latest polls from CNN and the New York Times showing that their candidate has jumped ahead of former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in New Hampshire, the site of the nation's first 2008 primary on Jan. 8.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Arizona Sen. John McCain still dominate the race in that independent-minded, "Live Free or Die" state. But Paul's recent rise has prompted pundits to acknowledge that the Texan - once dismissed as a fringe candidate - could have an impact on the presidential race.
Paul's eclectic mix of fiercely libertarian and conservative values has created a passionate support base that might be unlike any other candidate in the 2008 presidential race.
The former practicing obstetrician, who has served in the House about 20 of the past 35 years, is vehemently anti-abortion - voting against federal funding of abortion, stem cell research and even family planning funding in U.S. foreign aid - and strongly pro-gun rights. His views have gained him high ratings from conservatives and groups such as the Christian Coalition and the National Rifle Association. Paul also is seen as strongly anti-environmental by groups such as the League of Conservation Voters, which gave him just a 5 percent legislative rating on his voting record.
But Paul also appeals to progressives on a number of issues: He supports repealing most federal drug laws, including those against medical marijuana, is against the death penalty, vigorously opposes the war in Iraq and is against the Patriot Act and free trade agreements such as NAFTA.
Indeed, some political analysts suggested he is the 2008 campaign's political ink blot test - able to represent whatever voters see in him.
"Ron Paul is the perfect place for Republicans who are upset to park their anger," said Sacramento-based GOP consultant Patrick Dorinson. Paul, he said, appeals to some voters who are looking for a candidate who "goes against the grain ... like Ross Perot."
Dorinson predicted that, like Perot's campaign, the Ron Paul Revolution "will fizzle after the first shots are fired in January. He has no organization ... it's one thing to say to a pollster what you will do - and another to actually do it."
Gloria Nieto, a South Bay Democratic activist, said that she's seen "so much grassroots activism going on for Ron Paul; it's really plugged in. They feel really strongly that he's the answer." But she noted that "it's interesting spectrum ... anti-war to anti-choice. Who are these people?"
Some Republicans said Paul's campaign is the antidote to the disappointments of the Bush presidency and what they call a straying from core GOP values.
"The last six years of GOP rule in Washington, D.C., is something most Republicans would like to forget about," wrote Alan Bartlett, a blogger on the popular California GOP Web site, Flashreport.org. "Unfortunately for us, the voters haven't forgotten about it, and they threw us out of office in 2006. We have a chance to get it right again, though, by supporting Ron Paul."
That was echoed inside the Ron Paul meetup among eager volunteers armed with "Ron Paul, Hope for America" signs.
Stephanie Burns, 50, a construction manager from Sausalito who helps arrange biweekly Bay Area meetings in support of Paul, said the Texas congressman's campaign - like Democrat Howard Dean's in 2004 - has skillfully utilized the Internet to reach out to voters who might otherwise never be connected. "And ever since the $4.2 million, it has changed things," she said. "There's a lot more recognition by the media."
Burns motioned around the room to some of the people the Internet has brought to Paul's cause.
"I've never even been interested in politics my whole life," Brandy Alexander, 34, a UCSF researcher, told the group.
But after she and her boyfriend, William Newby, 28, a computer programmer, watched Paul slam U.S. involvement in the Iraq war and expound on his views during the televised GOP debates, they were hooked.
Thanks to Paul, she said, "Now, I find myself borderline obsessed with it."
To hear The Chronicle's July 2007 interview with Ron Paul, go to sfgate.com/ZBQM.
Ron Paul Again Easily Wins Debate Polls
Thursday, November 29, 2007 - FreeMarketNews.com
NEWS ANALYSIS/OPINION
The CNN/YouTube Republican presidential debate yielded a predictable rerun of what has become a pattern of responses and results, nonwithstanding the submission of "video questions."
As many observers, blogs and alternative news sources point out regularly on the Internet, the economy is teetering, the US national debt is overwhelming, the country is engaged in at least two "hot wars" and threatening a third with Iran, the Patriot Act and other provisions are overturning traditional American civil liberties. Yet the debate did not spend much time on these issues. What was the seeming focus? Immigration, gays in the military, the role of religion in political life, etc.
What else was predictable? Only limited government candidate Ron Paul (R-Tex) seemed engaged and willing to comment on such serious issues. Perhaps for this reason he once again finished ahead of the pack by a wide margin in various Internet polls.
Over at CNN, the results are (9AM/EST, Nov 29):
Who do you think won the debate?
1. Ron Paul 50% 6732 votes
2. Mike Huckabee 22% 2959 votes
3. John McCain 11% 1473 votes
4. Mitt Romney 9% 1242 votes
5. Rudy Giuliani 5% 703 votes
6. Fred Thompson 2% 277 votes
7. Duncan Hunter 1% 91 votes
8. Tom Tancredo 0% 49 votes
December 16th give till it hurts. That's the next MAJOR money bomb! The teaparty07.ORG website is not legitimate!! It is fraudulent and will just be phishing your data. NOTE THAT TREVOR uses FEED BURNER. If you sign up on the wrong site do not be surprised if you get an email at the last minute telling you to donate some other way or on some other "emergency alternate" site or some other criminal act like that. IGNORE THAT! TEAPARTY07.COM is the only site Trevor maintains!! I asked Trevor today on Ronpaulradio.com and he will ALSO not vouch for the rumored alternate site called ronpaulsteaparty.com His exact words were "I don't know what to say about that." Do not give your NAME to any site but teaparty07.com and NEVER EVER EVER donate any money anywhere but the official Ron Paul campaign site http://ronpaul2008.com
For the love of God if you haven't yet joined a Ron Paul meetup, get hooked up NOW!
It will tie you in to nationwide network of communication. http://ronpaul.meetup.com
Please make a video to support December 16th! November 5th had only 50 videos supporting it. If you make a video that is just a few seconds long and it just a text video made on windows movie maker, you could reach hundreds of people before December 16th! This event needs 1000 videos supporting it. Please pitch in!
"Fascism should more appropriately be called corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power." -Benito Mussolini
Ron Paul's campaign touting fund raising prowess
Hugo Mann
Published 12/01/2007 - 4:39 p.m. EST
Republican presidential candidate and Texas congressman Ron Paul's run for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination just keeps gaining steam.
Paul’s campaign is taking the time to point out that they raised more money in the first two months of the fourth quarter than Rudy Giuliani did throughout the whole third quarter.
With one month still remaining in the fourth quarter, Ron Paul has currently raised $10,259,765. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani raised only $10,258,019 during the three-month period from July to September of this year.
“This milestone is the latest indication that Dr. Paul’s message of freedom, peace, and prosperity is resonating strongly with voters across the United States,” said Paul campaign spokesman Joe Seehusen. “New money means new support.”
Congressman Paul also recently placed first in the New York Young Republicans Club poll, in Giuliani’s home state.
The Paul campaign has publicly set a $12 million fourth quarter fundraising goal, to be raised by December 31. Congressman Paul is also the first presidential candidate in history to make fundraising numbers publicly available in real-time.
Recently, Paul received widespread recognition for his record $4.2 million one-day fundraising haul on November 5. Over 37,000 citizens contributed in one single day.
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