NRO Covers the Rand Paul Phenomenon

[AuH20]

His ideas are too revolutionary to gain broad-based appeal? :D

http://article.nationalreview.com/430129/rand-against-the-machine/david-wolfford?page=1

[amy31416]

His ideas are too revolutionary to gain broad-based appeal? :D

hxxp://article.nationalreview.com/430129/rand-against-the-machine/david-wolfford?page=1

Break the link...that article seriously sucks ass and uses almost every smear tactic in the book.

For instance:


This has caused concern among GOP regulars, who have spotlighted Paul’s shaky conservative record and fringe father.


He gained some national fame during his 2008 quest for the Republican nomination, with a cult following from the libertarian and paleoconservative edge of the party.


Ron Paul is in part responsible for his son’s rising star in name recognition, fundraising, and cult following. Most of the $2 million Rand has raised so far, much of it from out-of-state donors, came from his father’s patented “money bomb” technique, a simple one-day Internet fundraiser. Ron Paul’s name and image surface at his son’s events, and I’ve yet to find a Rand supporter that didn’t have some philosophical appreciation for Ron’s disgust with federal intrusion on citizens’ liberties.


Grayson and his establishment supporters have capitalized on Paul’s weaknesses. They are using Ron against Rand, painting the son as an out-of-state kook who would embarrass the Commonwealth in the Senate. This causes concern for Kentucky’s mainstream conservatives now and in looking ahead to the general election in November.


Many conservatives reject Ron Paul’s celebrity, fringe positions, and irritation to the party over the years. He has advocated the legalization of drugs and blamed U.S. foreign policy for bringing about the 9/11 attacks. Some haven’t forgotten his 1988 run against Bush 41. The anti-Paul spirit among conservatives showed in the 2008 primary and more recently at the CPAC convention, at which Representative Paul won a straw vote with one-third of those polled, only to hear loud boos from the remaining two-thirds in attendance. Rand Paul is trapped between his father’s cachet and his baggage.


etc. etc. etc...

I'd say "honey, honey, poison" but it's really moreseo "poison, poison, poison....honey."

[Agorism]

Anything in the article that is new news?

[Bobster]

Anything in the article that is new news?
Fixed.

[Agorism]

"Anything in the article that is new news?"

new news is different from old news.

[Inkblots]

I used to assiduously read NRO. Not so much these days, and this sort of thing is pretty much why. They ignore Liberty candidates as long as possible (there were quite a few posts about the Kentucky GOP senate nomination on the Campaign Spot until Rand started doing well - there's been not one word since), and then if they're forced by events to offer some coverage, they use all sorts of weasel words to cast the candidate in a bad light.

It seems like it's pretty much just torture, gay marriage and political gossip over there these days. WFB must be spinning in his grave.

[Nathan Hale]

It was actually a really good article. Lots of honey, and only fact-based, not-offered-as-an-attack poison.

[John Taylor]

It was actually a really good article. Lots of honey, and only fact-based, not-offered-as-an-attack poison.

You couldn't be more mistaken. This is a pure hit piece. Go on NRO, look at their front page, and you'll see an article talking up KY politics... nd guess who is quoted positively in virtually EVERY paragraph??? Oh yeah, Trey.

[GoatsGoneWild]

I think it had a tone that was anti-Rand.

The author contributes to the Weekly Standard, so he's probably a neoconservative and pro-Trey.

I'm all for objective coverage of the campaign, but I don't think this article fits the criteria. He tried too hard to belittle Tea Party and libertarian positions.

[Agorism]

John Dirbyshire is tolerable once in a while.

He spent the entire campaign bashing McCain and touting Ron Paul, but then he went and voted for McCain.

I haven't read any Derb since then out of disgust.

[John Taylor]

John Dirbyshire is tolerable once in a while.

He spent the entire campaign bashing McCain and touting Ron Paul, but then he went and voted for McCain.

I haven't read any Derb since then out of disgust.

This wasn't a comment on The Corner, it was a hit piece in the actual magazine. The wilsonians are trying to gin up support for their dog.

[Inkblots]

He spent the entire campaign bashing McCain and touting Ron Paul, but then he went and voted for McCain.

I haven't read any Derb since then out of disgust.

Well, to be fair, a lot of people I know, myself included, did this. I mean, granted, McCain would have been awful, but probably marginally better than Obarmy.

Plus, I am pretty confident 4 more years of a Republican in the White House, and in this economy, would pretty much have destroyed the GOP entirely, and made it that much easier to take over and rebuild on a liberty platform. Alas.

EDIT: to be clear, I'm talking about the general election here, not the primaries.

[Agorism]

Well, to be fair, a lot of people I know, myself included, did this. I mean, granted, McCain would have been awful, but probably marginally better than Obarmy.

Plus, I am pretty confident 4 more years of a Republican in the White House, and in this economy, would pretty much have destroyed the GOP entirely, and made it that much easier to take over and rebuild on a liberty platform. Alas.

The war is the defining issue. McCain and Paul are like on the other side of the universe of each other.

[RonPaulFanInGA]

The war is the defining issue.

For you, perhaps. But for others, myself included, domestic issues are the most important.

America is being driven towards socialism and I'm supposed to be more concerned with how fair and safe is the Afghanistan election?

[Bergie Bergeron]

No wars equals less spending equals a country in better shape equals more time and energy and money on domestic issues.

[BamaFanNKy]

for you, perhaps. But for others, myself included, domestic issues are the most important.

America is being driven towards socialism and i'm supposed to be more concerned with how fair and safe is the afghanistan election?

neo-con!!!! :d

[Inkblots]

neo-con!!!! :d

Does this mean we have to support Cheney and wear an "I love Dick" button? ;)

[BamaFanNKy]

Does this mean we have to support Cheney and wear an "I love Dick" button? ;)

I love Bush.

[RoamZero]

At least the bashing is reserved for the end. You'd be surprised how many people only stick to the first one or two pages in a multipage internet article.

I'm more worried about the neocon followers that have media influence who eat up everything NRO. Talk-radio doesn't have the influence it once did but it's still up there in terms of spewing propaganda.

[Nathan Hale]

You couldn't be more mistaken. This is a pure hit piece. Go on NRO, look at their front page, and you'll see an article talking up KY politics... nd guess who is quoted positively in virtually EVERY paragraph??? Oh yeah, Trey.

You make a claim about this article, but support that claim by referencing a different article. Note that I'm not talking about the site in general, I'm speaking specifically about this article, which is very positive. As a neutral reader I would come away wanting to learn more about Rand Paul.

[Jeros]

"wiley coyote covers poultry-less diet"

[Jeros]

For you, perhaps. But for others, myself included, domestic issues are the most important.

America is being driven towards socialism and I'm supposed to be more concerned with how fair and safe is the Afghanistan election?

You then reject that war is the health of the state? The war issue is a domestic issue. Just because US armies are killing exclusively foreign people doesn't mean the issue is exclusively foreign. You implication as much is short sighted to say the least.