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KramerDSP
02-21-2010, 03:53 PM
I always enjoy reading comments after stories regarding Ron's CPAC Straw Poll win. While I realize that a majority of Paul supporters actively search for those articles and comment on them, they can still be useful in getting a feel of where others stand on things. Here are several comments in particular that really stood out.

ABC News - Ron Paul Wins CPAC Straw Poll (http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2010/02/ron-paul-wins-cpac-straw-poll.html)


I love Ron Paul. I think he is so smart and he truly loves his country.

How dare anybody turn their nose up at him. Are you listening to yourselves? I like him but he is old you are repeating what McCain, Bush, Palin,and any body else who does not want Ron to run again. Well there are a lot of old gezers out there who might just vote for him.He truly is the only candidate who wants to give the money back to the people

Nobody in Washington is happy about him winning that straw poll. HA!! HA!! Take that Nancy and GW ccCheney and all the rest of you bullies the people are almost awake YES!

I am sure there will be lots of questioning of him as a candidate. As someone who keep tabs on him I can assure you he might considering run. His people raised more money from in one day than any other candidate he was heavily supported by the military and received more donation from the military than all the candidates combined. He is well loved and a lot of people are for him!!! Don't turn your back on him or you will be turning your back on yourself.

Posted by: Lisafrequency | Feb 20, 2010 8:38:50 PM

Well fellow Republicans, if we want to win back what we lost.....we need to jump on the bandwagon. We can always dump him later for a true elitist.

Posted by: rich | Feb 20, 2010 8:43:14 PM
This is brilliant sarcasm. At least I think it is.

I could live with Paul, as long as he had a democratic congress to work with, we've already seen what happens when the GOP controls ALL branches of government, the destruction of America.

Posted by: JR | Feb 20, 2010 8:50:45 PM
Spoken like a true liberal. In addition, one of my strong liberal friends tweeted something four hours ago saying "at this point Ron Paul's pretty much the only republican I'd consider voting for. Also Mitt if he reverts back to his old form." Just saying. And the GOP thinks he's unelectable?

Well...Ron Paul doesn't turn me off near as much as most of the other contenders. It's a start.

Posted by: bravebrick | Feb 20, 2010 9:07:00 PM

Ron Paul is against abortion and if he can overturn and ban it, I am all for him. That is the greatest evil in the world right now. I would love to see Gingrich in there. He is one of the most intelligent people, I have ever heard speak. We should be so lucky.

Posted by: Sensons | Feb 20, 2010 9:15:40 PM
This one confuses me. But it suggests that at least some of those that favor Gingrich and/or can get behind his abortion stance are more receptive to Paul.

He is not beholden to special interests. Is there anyone else in the Federal government that can make that claim. Ron is the one for me. I consider him a personal hero given the fact that he has challenged the corruption in DC all the while getting laughed at. Ron Paul in 2012. He may be 76 years old at the time, but his wisdom more than makes up for it. Maybe add Kucinich to the ticket. We need men or women of integrity.

Posted by: Ben | Feb 20, 2010 9:15:58 PM
As much as I would hate to see it, a small part of me feels like the GOP will just screw Ron over again and put up a Romney/Ryan or Romney/Huckabee ticket for 2012. If that happens, I would be receptive towards the idea of an Obama/Biden vs. Romney/Huckabee vs. Paul/Kucinich. I mean, Paul and Kucinich disagree on a lot, but on the four issues they do agree in, they could get a lot of things done in terms of course correcting and getting the country back on track. And the country might just say "You know what, let's go for this".

OK... here's my position. In 2004, I left the Republican party because I could clearly see that it had lost its way.

I watched Ron Paul during the last general election get rejected by the old school republicans (smurking at him during the GOP debate), and was even further disappointed in the party, as he was the only one who's ideas stuck with the TRUE platform of the party.

If Ron Paul is the primary candidate again Obama, I would vote for him. If some one else is selected, I'll vote for Obama again.

Your choice republican party.

Posted by: X-Republican Because of Bush | Feb 20, 2010 9:58:41 PM

Ron Paul can change the world. Enough of this big brother BS. We cannot let the government make our decisions and control our destiny. Ron Paul is all about the people. If you have common sense, you would vote Ron Paul. For those who fear actual freedom, then Ron Paul is not for you and you belong with the rest antagonists

Posted by: Joe | Feb 20, 2010 10:08:20 PM

I'm pleasantly surprised. I thought they'd be dumber than this....

Posted by: Cassandra | Feb 20, 2010 10:08:51 PM




I usually vote democrat but I could get on board with Ron Paul. I agree with a lot of his ideas.

Posted by: Janice | Feb 20, 2010 10:46:22 PM

Ron Paul is his own worst enemy. He has some great ideas and he would make a great president but he speaks like he’s in a panic all the time. I don’t trust people who panic so just the sound of a panicky voice scares me.

I once heard him speak in a non-political interview and he came across as intelligent and self assured. On the campaign trail he goes back in to panic mode. He’s a brilliant man but the manner of his speech makes him sound like a nut.

I’m not trying to insult the man, I hope he reads this and takes my advise. Calm down, lower your voice a few octaves and try not to sound like you're in a panic.

Posted by: oonogil | Feb 20, 2010 11:29:07 PM

Ron's the man. No kook in my book. Someone that has gotten everything right is no kook. Fringe maybe since the mainstream has gotten everything so wrong.

Posted by: Dave | Feb 21, 2010 12:43:11 AM

I voted for Obama in 2008. Obama was a big disappointment. I hope Ron Paul runs in 2012. I will vote for him.

No independent is stupid to vote for Sarah Palin or Mitt, or these other neocons.

I also found out that Ron Paul was the one who started these tea parties back in 2007 and now the neocons have hijacked the movement.

Posted by: Joey | Feb 21, 2010 1:34:29 AM

From the National Journal's "CPAC's Winners and Losers": (http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/02/cpacs_winners_a.php)


I second your first poster. Obviously, Ron Paul is a 'winner' from this weekend. Or do you realistically pretend he LOST influence?

It is clear from Ann Coulter going out of her way to underline that the only thing she disagrees with Paul on is foreign policy, that he is shaking people up in their assumptions. If that wasn't enough to convince people, Beck cribbing the entire substance of his speech (not the show parts) from Ron Paul's CPAC speech should convince anyone, from his focus on Woodrow Wilson (Ron Paul's) to even his statement that you need to look at foreign policy (Ron Paul's).

Such is the candidate partisanship that the most ironic point is that while Ron Paul's wins was bood by establishment types, Beck's speech, drawn in substance from Ron Paul's positions, was cheered.

Lucky for Paul, for him it is all about spreading IDEAS not winning races.

I'd say that made him the hands down winner.
spinnikerca | February 21, 2010 12:15 PM

In my mind, Calvin Coolidge is our most underrated president. We have never had a president more focused and effective in carrying out his program. He is rightly remembered as the president who brought the American people a period unprecedented prosperity and peace. He presided over one of the most vital and exciting decade in the American history. Coolidge was able to reduce a massive WWI debt and simultaneously cut taxes, eliminating them for most working folk. He also downsized a bloated Federal establishment, making it work efficiently and effectively. On the international front, his Administration assisted in the successful restoration of the international gold standard, which helped to revive world trade. Much of the success of his fiscal program was due to having the newly created Bureau of the Budget under his direct control. He and the Budget Director made, as they put it, every dollar sweat. He also made use of the new medium of the radio to report directly to American people twice a year on the fiscal state of the government, which gained him public support against Congressional spenders, of which, as now, there were many. The situation we faced today calls for another Coolidge: a man or women who can balance the books and make the government work efficiently and effectively once more.
JLWallace | February 21, 2010 3:42 PM

And from The Hill's Brent Budowsky who, in addition to his nice write-up on Paul, had this to say in the comments section: (http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/national-party-news/82479-ron-paul-wins-huge-victory-in-conservative-straw-poll)


Thanks for the comments, some very good ones. I would add that Ron Paul has a libertarian streak that makes him different than most Democrats and Republicans. And he has argued this positions for many years and been very consistent regardless of the shorter term political trends . What most of the others do, is shift with the winds. Obama goes from pseudo populist saying he wants to attack the fat cats to saying Wall Street bonuses at Morgan and Goldman were justified.Republicans take huge special interest money and favor banks yet pretend they are populists. Some tea party pseudos ask for $500 to get into their meetings which was ridiculous.Ron Paul is totally consistent, honorable and clear in his views and always has been. Authenticity is important right now and Paul has it. Sometimes I agree with him,other times I dont, but he is always honest and worth listening to.
BY brent on 02/21/2010 at 07:31


BTW as a pure organizational matter, Paul's victory was a politically brilliant work of art. The CPAC crowd appeared stunned. Poor Mitt Romney, a liberal Republic an who spends years shape shifting what he stands for, and Ron Paul creams him and leaves Palin in the dust. The pure political organization of this was brilliant and if this transposes to the 2012 campaign it could be very interesting indeed.
BY brent on 02/21/2010 at 07:57

No matter how much the media spins this, I think a huge paradigm shift is occurring right in front of our eyes, as more people are beginning to see things in an entirely new light.

wgadget
02-21-2010, 04:13 PM
I'll say "AMEN" to that!!!

GREAT POST.

paulitics
02-21-2010, 04:22 PM
As soon as it is apparent that Ron Paul is not fringe, and that he can win, then the sheep will start saying...."I've always liked Ron Paul, I think he can win." This is why the media is trying to spin this as a fluke.

KramerDSP
02-23-2010, 08:25 PM
I'm bumping this thread and adding a dozen more posts that I thought were interesting, funny, or insightful in terms of how others are thinking. I try to avoid the pro-RP posts and focus on what democrats and others are saying. I also tried to split it up into different sections so we could get a feel. This is obviously not scientific, and amounts to cherry picking at best, but I think its a good way to get information on perspectives out there. If you guys like this, I'll keep it going after every big media story down the road. I always like this kind of stuff.

* LONG POST WARNING *

Admittance That Ron Paul Was Right:



I laughed at my neighbors during the last election. They were huge Ron Paul supporters and tried to recruit everyone. Their signs are still up on the telephone poles. After this Obama disaster I am climbing one of the poles and getting one of those signs. Ron Paul is correct in many of his views and he's got my vote unless someone I haven't heard of steps up. Smaller government, less taxes, less foreign involvement, drill for our own energy, throw out NAFTA, tax Chinese exports like they tax ours (they need us more than we need them), no more nation building (you attack us, we destroy you from the air and we DON"T rebuild you). Charity begins at home. If all those countries hate us then they certianly don't want our money or our help.BY Joesockit on 02/22/2010 at 11:43

Ron Paul Represents Real Change:



I see what you mean, but I still don't think it's accurate to call Ron Paul "liberal" in a political sense. Yeah, he's the only presidential candidate I know of who really would have brought actual change to the status quo (aside from Kucinich, perhaps). And he is probably the least authoritarian presidential candidate that has ever run in modern history. If you consider "liberal" to be the opposite of "authoritarian" then I'd see why you call him liberal.

The 2008 GOP primary debates revealed just how authoritarian the vast majority of the party really is. It's sickening how the idea of being truly free people was scoffed and laughed at -- and in the United States of America of all places. Truly depressing. - geoboy
on 02/21/2010

I have to admit, that quote gets me every time. "The least authoritarian presidential candidate that has ever run in modern history". Catchy.

MSNBC is owned by General Electric, a primary defense contractor. Of course MSNBC is going to say he doesn't have a chance, even if he does. It's in their financial interest to make him appear unelectable. He would end the perpetual war that the Industrial Military Complex has been striving for for over half a century.
Brad, North Carolina (Sent Monday, February 22, 2010 8:47 AM)


So much silly partisanship here. You need to listen to Arianna Huffington (a big Ron Paul ally), and stop buying into the false left/right paradigm.

Ron Paul and the real Left stand together against the crony-capitalism that bails out the big banks at the expense of the little guys, the military industrial complex, and the trampling of our civil liberties.

The rise of Ron Paul can only be a good thing for the Democrats. Hopefully it will force them to primary out the corporate shill Obama and replace him with someone with integrity - like Kucinich. - thrashertm I'm a Fan of thrashertm 9 fans permalink


(Ron Paul) will not get mired in scandal. he's the most trustworthy. He's clearly a real family man, not like edwards and the rest. His ideas are by far the most American. How can the media and people in general feel American at all by trash talking such a great man?? RON PAUL 2012! Lets take control away from the corporations who have been dictating our future for decades.BY mike on 02/22/2010 at 12:24

Aftermath of Ron Paul winning the 2010 CPAC Straw Poll:


The mainstream media reminds me of Officer Barbrady from South Park: "Move along people, there's nothing to see here!"

I agree with "Don liberty" from Buffalo when he commented (above) that all news stations are looking more like the E! channel and that Youtube is the news now.

If a company doesn't give customers what they want, they go out of business. The mainstream media must adapt or they'll go out of business.

By the way, I don't think Ron Paul will run in 2012. He's encouraging Judge Andrew Napolitano, Governor Gary Johnson, and Steve Forbes to run. If I was going to run for office, I wouldn't be trying to get other people to run against me.

I think Ron Paul should exit Congress after winning the 2010 election. He's become so powerful, he could do more for the cause if he was touring the country raising support and money for other liberty candidates. That's my prediction.
Vince, Fort Myers, FL (Sent Monday, February 22, 2010 9:22 AM)

RON PAUL'S FIRST PLACE FINISH MAKES SENSE
I spoke with a friend who was at CPAC. He is a university professor and a Burke/Mencken/Buckley conservative.
He told me that Paul's first place showing is the result of four factors:
a) Paul has tremendous support among some young people who show up when it counts. This past weekend it counted. They voted. The got others to vote and they campaigned for their man.
b) Paul represents a coherent and intelligent approach. He makes sense when you listen to him. What he proposed be done and what he opposes follow from a political philosophy which is congruent.
c) Paul finds the culture of personal attack, labeling and outrageous charges destructive as it undermines substantial political discourse.
d) Paul has a record of voting his beliefs.
If I agreed with his underlying philosophy, I would vote for him. He is for real and that is what makes him attractive.
I read what he writes. I listen to what he says. He is an authentic, articulate and reasoned representative of a viewpoint that differs from mine. It informs me. I wish more were like him. – Murf the Surf

Older Folks Like Ron, too:


Most young people may snicker at my post. I am 75 years old with three married children and six grandchildren. I have voted since I became a naturalized citizen in 1963. At least four times I wrote in Ron Paul's name on presidential ballots, including the most recent one. I remember that he actually appeared on a ballot at least once. I like him, he represents my philosophy on fiscal issues and on wars. What I know about Ron Paul is what I hear him say in interviews or what I read but I believe in my gut that he is a good man with integrity and character who loves the US and its constitution. As an independent thinker with conservative values I will not vote for the likes of Pawlenty, Huckabee, Gingrich (heaven forbid) or any of the people that the party hacks are pushing. I am with Glenn Beck when it comes to seeing that both parties consist of career politicians who don't care about we the people. I live in California and I predict as California goes so will the nation as a whole and believe me that is not a good thing. Lastly to the snickering young people, I know many of my contemporaries are of the same opinion about Ron Paul, so those that keep saying that his support at CPAC came from the young generation may want to rethink their opinion. – Typical White Woman

Gibson -
Typical white woman... i too live in california and wrote ron paul's name in. i am 59 and everyone in my family and most of my friends also wrote his name on their ballots. i appreciate reading your post as i think we would all benefit from realizing there are more of us then we are suppose to know about. i think this trend will continue as people wake up to the fraud and the lies coming from both sides of the aisle.

GOP, Pay Attention To This Post:


Ron Paul has the only answers now. The question is, will the rest of the republicans welcome the anti-war libertarians into their party? There are many former Obama supporters that would like to join. But it can't happen with unjust, unauthorized, pre-emptive war strategies, and torture, that Ron Paul, himself, correctly rejects.The fork is in the road. These wars are killing us financially and morally.BY tropicgirl on 02/22/2010 at 12:16


Liberals and ex-Obama Supporters like him too. A lot, in fact:


A lot of Liberals like Ron Paul, too.

His attitude about empire building and foreign bases/embassies squares with our agenda. As someone said, he'd be a good running mate with Dennis Kucinich (or Russ Feingold or Chuck Hagel).

The thing is, I'd rather have integrity right now over ideological lies we've been told by your standard Democrats/Republicans/Same.

I grow tired of the ObamaBots who say Ron Paul wouldn't uphold the Constitution as a way of defending Barack's bald faced lies. I'm talking to your stupid LOTE voting ass, CuchyCoo. You'd rather swallow Green on the Commons lies than than someone's long record of fighting against neocon/liberal war mongering.

When you compare what Ron Paul and Barack Obama have voted against/for (i.e. FISA, MCA, Patriot Act etc), it's crystal fuckin' clear who the SELL OUT is.
—Titonwan


I'm a moderate Democrat, I voted for and still support Obama, but I like Ron Paul. I don't agree with him on many issues, but if every politician was like Ron Paul this country would be in better shape. He answers questions directly. He has views to the right of the right wing and to the left of the left wing, but he doesn't change those views just to get votes. I love his sincerity. If he was elected, not only would the budget be balanced immediately, he would pay off the debt. I'm not sure the country would be ready for the sacrifice that would entail, but he would get it done. Romney is bright, but he is not trustworthy and his flip flops are legendary. Pawlenty has no appeal even to conservatives and Palin is not really a viable or serious candidate.
John, Wyoming, DE (Sent Monday, February 22, 2010 10:06 AM)


I like Ron Paul, but it makes me nervous about how small he wants to make government. The government provides many services that benefit us, including protecting us from bad food, bad air, bad water. It is their to protect us from getting screwed by people with no morals and huge self interest. I wonder just what programs Ron Paul will actually cut out? Will they be run by private companies then? That will certainly cost us a crap load more money than what we pay in taxes right now because in private business making the most money possible is usually their main goal. They would at least need to be monitored by the government to make sure they are doing business fairly and not gouging and taking advantage of us.
DL (Sent Monday, February 22, 2010 8:20 AM)

Even as a strict democrat, I like Ron Paul's stances specifically on Social issues. Don't make gay marriage legal, make straight marriage not part of law. Take down the overseas intervention at the drop of a dime.
Economically I don't fully agree with him, mostly because let's face it, Lez-a-faire has already been tried and we see what happens.
Casey Blase, Philadelphia, Penn (Sent Monday, February 22, 2010 8:40 AM)

As a Democrat turned Independent and former Obama supporter, Ron Paul's win at CPAC has renewed my hope in the political system (even if it's only a little glimmer). For months now, I've pretty much been indifferent to politics, feeling that maybe there really isn't much point in voting after all. After watching the Democrats take office and continue Bush's wars and banking bail-outs while also fighting for months to make the American people serfs of the insurance companies, I really began to think that democracy was dead.

I've really come to see how the big government policies of both the Democrats and Republicans have gotten us into the sorry state we find ourselves and the libertarian movement is starting to appeal to me. I was afraid that with neither major party embracing those ideals, it would be unlikely for anything to change anytime soon. I'm happy that the Republicans party may be taking a step in the right direction. There is no way I could vote for Gingrich, Romney or Palin but I'd gladly vote for Ron Paul (or a Republican with similar political views) over any Democrat.


Ron Paul Supporters :D:


It's really a shame that the media is already busy trying to paint Ron Paul as the fringe candidate. Endless war and entitlement programs, all paid courtesy of the printing press at the Federal Reserve. Fringe is the status quo. Ron Paul represents sanity.

I'll vote for Ron Paul no matter what. He correctly points out the inconsistency of those that claim to be fiscally responsible but still remain proponents of entangling military engagements that cost 1 trillion dollars a year to maintain.

Bring the troops home, eliminate the income tax, repeal the patriot act, stop the drug war, and end the Federal Reserve. GO RON PAUL!
ames Orleans, New Orleans (Sent Monday, February 22, 2010 10:11 AM)

Ron Paul should have been elected in 2008, but this country is brainwashed and romanticized. The United States of Amnesia will be tired of the Democrats by 2012 and will turn to Republicans, and the cycle will continue. Oust all incumbents and break the cycle, give Ron Paul a solid third party platform and let's see some real change. It will be hard for years, even decades, but worth it for our kids and future generations.
DHS, Philadelphia, PA (Sent Monday, February 22, 2010 9:31 AM)

Is it fair to say that things "will be hard for years, even decades"? Is it also fair to assume that if this statement is inaccurate, that it is a common mis-perception we have to fight? If the statement is accurate, how should is be sold during the campaign (if he decides to run?)

When we are all eating dirt and I crawl by you on the new China soil I will remind you of how important Ron Paul was. If you can't see now, you don't want to.
PP Parker (Sent Monday, February 22, 2010 8:24 AM)

Right on.

Ron Paul and many others have been predicating this financial mess - now Ron Paul is absolutely vindicated but is still the 'fringe' candidate?

Let me understand - the folks who got us in this mess didn't see it coming, caused it, and now are telling us they are in charge to fix it? And Ron Paul is the 'nut'? The real nuts are the folks who believe in the current establishment.

The current establishment is the 'fringe'. by ScottKliff February 22, 2010 1:02 PM EST

BravoFox
02-23-2010, 09:00 PM
Thanks for posting this; I really enjoyed reading it.

Bruno
02-23-2010, 09:05 PM
Thanks for posting this; I really enjoyed reading it.

Welcome to RPF, and +1 to that! :) Thanks, KramerDSP!

FSP-Rebel
02-23-2010, 09:33 PM
This was a very refreshing read. Kramer, thanks for that.

wgadget
02-23-2010, 09:34 PM
Very uplifting.

Thank you!

KramerDSP
02-23-2010, 10:03 PM
No problem. It's pretty useful when targeting catchy phrases.

* "And he is probably the least authoritarian presidential candidate that has ever run in modern history". This doesn't appeal to everybody, mind you, but the younger folks certainly would respond favorably when exposed to a quote like that.

* The "moderate Democrat" who said he "voted for and still supports Obama", but likes Ron Paul then goes on to write that "If he was elected, not only would the budget be balanced immediately, he would pay off the debt. I'm not sure the country would be ready for the sacrifice that would entail, but he would get it done".

When I see things like that from Obama supporters, I scratch my head and wonder why they are still supporting Obama. But I also look at this: "Oust all incumbents and break the cycle, give Ron Paul a solid third party platform and let's see some real change. It will be hard for years, even decades, but worth it for our kids and future generations".

Maybe I'm alone here, but it seems like more and more people are aware of where he stands. They're just A) afraid to take the medicine/shot, and B) want to know how big the pill/needle is and all the nitty gritty details. If Ron decides to run, I hope he offers more specific examples of how his weaning process would unfold over his term.

KramerDSP
02-23-2010, 10:04 PM
Oh, and even RP's most ardent supporter doesn't believe he could completely pay off the National Debt in his presidency. Pare it down to smithereens, sure. But pull an Andrew Jackson?

bunklocoempire
02-23-2010, 10:38 PM
Excellent post KramerDSP, thanks!


I'm bumping this thread and adding a dozen more posts that I thought were interesting, funny, or insightful in terms of how others are thinking. I try to avoid the pro-RP posts and focus on what democrats and others are saying. I also tried to split it up into different sections so we could get a feel. This is obviously not scientific, and amounts to cherry picking at best, but I think its a good way to get information on perspectives out there. If you guys like this, I'll keep it going after every big media story down the road. I always like this kind of stuff.


More please guv'nor! :)






Bunkloco