Bradley in DC
01-28-2008, 09:06 AM
http://www.gulflive.com/news/mississippipress/news.ssf?/base/news/120151890866230.xml
Grassroots Ron Paul campaign takes off in Ocean Springs
Monday, January 28, 2008
By AMBER CRAIG
The Mississippi Press
OCEAN SPRINGS -- The Ron Paul Freedom Hall speaks louder than words.
It pops up suddenly along U.S. Highway 90 in Ocean Springs. The building's red and blue stripes, blue and white round concrete steps and American flags scattered across the front lawn, coupled with its location in a sparsely populated area of the highway, make it nearly impossible for motorists to ignore.
"We have people pull off the highway and say, Hey, can I have a sign?'" supporter Theron Furr said Friday afternoon while standing inside Freedom Hall.
It's the headquarters of a local Ron Paul for President campaign, where two weeks ago, about 20 volunteers began painting the outside and creating what has become a loud voice for the candidate.
According to Michelle Liles, the Freedom Hall was born after her father, Stanley Fountain, heard about Paul and wanted to start a local campaign. Her father approached a friend, Robert Conner, who said the campaign could operate out of a building he owns for no charge.
Inside the hall, a table is set up with bumper stickers, business cards, fliers and a sign-in book. Nearly every flat surface is covered with a red and blue plastic sheet. Calendars hanging on the walls display iconic patriotic symbols -- the American flag and the bald eagle.
Paul, a congressman from Texas, is running against Republican candidates Arizona Sen. John McCain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Although Paul has yet to win a primary election, he placed second in the Nevada and Louisiana Republican Party caucuses.
Those at Freedom Hall say Paul supports the same things they do, including veterans and the military, crackdowns on illegal immigration, the Second Amendment and homeschooling.
Furr said Paul's core message -- a strict reading of the Constitution and a limited government -- resonate with the average voter. Furthermore, Furr is not deterred by those who tell him Paul is a "second tier" Republican candidate who doesn't have a shot at winning.
"If everybody thinks that way, then he won't win," Furr said.
Michael Campbell, a U.S. Marine and a three-time veteran of the Iraq conflict, said he first started supporting Paul online by posting MySpace messages and blogging about his platform.
Paul supports an immediate U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq, which Campbell said is wise because the nation is "wearing thin" on troops and commodities.
"I got the word out on the Internet as soon as I heard he was running," Campbell said.
But now Campbell believes the "canvas operation" -- passing out information at events and holding up signs along the side of the road every Saturday morning -- are the kinds of efforts making a bigger impact than the Internet.
"We're making a visible effort to be seen," Campbell said.
Liles said her father makes it a point to drive down U.S. 90 and Interstate 10 every day in his red pickup truck adorned with American flags and a sign saying "Ron Paul for President," along with the address to Paul's Web site. Fountain has given away 27,000 short fliers called "slim jims" at local events, Liles said.
Liles, the mother of a 2-year-old daughter and wife of a Marine, has followed her father's lead and has poured much of her free time into setting up and manning Freedom Hall.
"I've put in, like, 80 hours at least," Liles said.
Yet, the campaign nationwide still depends on the Internet to spread Paul's platform and to help locals organize their grassroots groups. The Freedom Hall group even uses a "Google Ron Paul" sign to point people to his campaign Web site.
Furr explained that supporters don't need to convince people to vote for Paul. They just need to get his name out there.
"I think Ron Paul can sell himself," Furr said.
A self-described conservative "wary of the Republican Party," Furr said this is the first time he has ever donated to a presidential campaign.
Ina Alderman said the average person's involvement in political issues has changed from just 50 years ago. At one time, even children felt they had a voice in the political process, Alderman said.
"I remember when I was a child, we would skip along the sidewalk and say, I like Ike. I like Ike.' I don't see that any more," Alderman said. "I see a lot of apathy."
But, when inside the Freedom Hall, Alderman she sees the nation changing back to the way she remembers it.
"I think that this work here is America at its best," Alderman said.
Grassroots Ron Paul campaign takes off in Ocean Springs
Monday, January 28, 2008
By AMBER CRAIG
The Mississippi Press
OCEAN SPRINGS -- The Ron Paul Freedom Hall speaks louder than words.
It pops up suddenly along U.S. Highway 90 in Ocean Springs. The building's red and blue stripes, blue and white round concrete steps and American flags scattered across the front lawn, coupled with its location in a sparsely populated area of the highway, make it nearly impossible for motorists to ignore.
"We have people pull off the highway and say, Hey, can I have a sign?'" supporter Theron Furr said Friday afternoon while standing inside Freedom Hall.
It's the headquarters of a local Ron Paul for President campaign, where two weeks ago, about 20 volunteers began painting the outside and creating what has become a loud voice for the candidate.
According to Michelle Liles, the Freedom Hall was born after her father, Stanley Fountain, heard about Paul and wanted to start a local campaign. Her father approached a friend, Robert Conner, who said the campaign could operate out of a building he owns for no charge.
Inside the hall, a table is set up with bumper stickers, business cards, fliers and a sign-in book. Nearly every flat surface is covered with a red and blue plastic sheet. Calendars hanging on the walls display iconic patriotic symbols -- the American flag and the bald eagle.
Paul, a congressman from Texas, is running against Republican candidates Arizona Sen. John McCain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Although Paul has yet to win a primary election, he placed second in the Nevada and Louisiana Republican Party caucuses.
Those at Freedom Hall say Paul supports the same things they do, including veterans and the military, crackdowns on illegal immigration, the Second Amendment and homeschooling.
Furr said Paul's core message -- a strict reading of the Constitution and a limited government -- resonate with the average voter. Furthermore, Furr is not deterred by those who tell him Paul is a "second tier" Republican candidate who doesn't have a shot at winning.
"If everybody thinks that way, then he won't win," Furr said.
Michael Campbell, a U.S. Marine and a three-time veteran of the Iraq conflict, said he first started supporting Paul online by posting MySpace messages and blogging about his platform.
Paul supports an immediate U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq, which Campbell said is wise because the nation is "wearing thin" on troops and commodities.
"I got the word out on the Internet as soon as I heard he was running," Campbell said.
But now Campbell believes the "canvas operation" -- passing out information at events and holding up signs along the side of the road every Saturday morning -- are the kinds of efforts making a bigger impact than the Internet.
"We're making a visible effort to be seen," Campbell said.
Liles said her father makes it a point to drive down U.S. 90 and Interstate 10 every day in his red pickup truck adorned with American flags and a sign saying "Ron Paul for President," along with the address to Paul's Web site. Fountain has given away 27,000 short fliers called "slim jims" at local events, Liles said.
Liles, the mother of a 2-year-old daughter and wife of a Marine, has followed her father's lead and has poured much of her free time into setting up and manning Freedom Hall.
"I've put in, like, 80 hours at least," Liles said.
Yet, the campaign nationwide still depends on the Internet to spread Paul's platform and to help locals organize their grassroots groups. The Freedom Hall group even uses a "Google Ron Paul" sign to point people to his campaign Web site.
Furr explained that supporters don't need to convince people to vote for Paul. They just need to get his name out there.
"I think Ron Paul can sell himself," Furr said.
A self-described conservative "wary of the Republican Party," Furr said this is the first time he has ever donated to a presidential campaign.
Ina Alderman said the average person's involvement in political issues has changed from just 50 years ago. At one time, even children felt they had a voice in the political process, Alderman said.
"I remember when I was a child, we would skip along the sidewalk and say, I like Ike. I like Ike.' I don't see that any more," Alderman said. "I see a lot of apathy."
But, when inside the Freedom Hall, Alderman she sees the nation changing back to the way she remembers it.
"I think that this work here is America at its best," Alderman said.