What YEAR did Ronald Reagan endorse Ron Paul?

[libertybrewcity]

I can't find it anywhere...I found a bunch of stuff that says he did endorse him but no date. Please help me out!

[emazur]

I can help you narrow it down a bit: early 1980s:

Paul is a shrewder politician than he’s given credit for. Early on, he branded himself "the taxpayer’s best friend." When, in the early 1980s, his isolationism threatened to cost him his seat, Paul came up with a showstopper. In a videotaped campaign ad mailed to Republicans throughout his district, Ronald Reagan offered this endorsement: "Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he has always put them first."
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/11/the-tea-party-8217-s-brain/8280/
Absolutely read that article if you never have - it's the best article on Ron Paul (second to mine that is! see signature). The video where Reagan gives this endorsement is also out there for a Paul campaign video, but it's just a woman reading the Reagan quote

[libertybrewcity]

I can help you narrow it down a bit: early 1980s:

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/11/the-tea-party-8217-s-brain/8280/
Absolutely read that article if you never have - it's the best article on Ron Paul (second to mine that is! see signature). The video where Reagan gives this endorsement is also out there for a Paul campaign video, but it's just a woman reading the Reagan quote

thanks, i just can't find a specific date. i've been searching through forums and google for 45 minutes. I can only find early 80s and nothing on his wiki page about his endorsement either..i'll have to change that tomorrow.

[Kregisen]

I've tried to google more info on the Reagan endorsement too and really, I'm not so sure it was much of an endorsement. I think Reagan just had people put out small statements like that to everyone who supported him early on - and Ron Paul was one of those people. I could be dead wrong though and maybe he did outright endorse him and there could be a date. Don't know and I would like to know this answer as much as you do.

[emazur]

I've tried to google more info on the Reagan endorsement too and really, I'm not so sure it was much of an endorsement. I think Reagan just had people put out small statements like that to everyone who supported him early on - and Ron Paul was one of those people. I could be dead wrong though and maybe he did outright endorse him and there could be a date. Don't know and I would like to know this answer as much as you do.

Based on the Atlantic article I don't think that's the case. If it's accurate, people were concerned about Paul's "isolationism" but Reagan provided a taylor-made endorsement to counter that perception. Anyway, the date shouldn't be too hard to find as I saw I think last year the vid on youtube or maybe google videos where Reagan made the endorsement

[cindy25]

might have been 1976; Ron was one of only a few congressmen to back Reagan over Ford (hence why the GOP establishment's dislike of Paul)

[parocks]

Dr. Paul's advertisements attack Mr. Laughlin for voting for tax increases and taking junkets, but his most innovative salesmanship is a 15-minute videotape he has sent to 30,000 households.

It quotes Mr. Reagan as saying: "Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country."

The former Attorney General Edwin Meese 3d came here last week to insist that Mr. Reagan had offered no recent endorsements. Dr. Paul's campaign did not return calls seeking the date of the Reagan comments.


http://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/08/us/race-for-congress-texas-14th-district-under-fire-gop-convert-wins-party-s-fierce.html?pagewanted=3&src=pm

New York Times article 1996



I can help you narrow it down a bit: early 1980s:

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/11/the-tea-party-8217-s-brain/8280/
Absolutely read that article if you never have - it's the best article on Ron Paul (second to mine that is! see signature). The video where Reagan gives this endorsement is also out there for a Paul campaign video, but it's just a woman reading the Reagan quote

[acptulsa]

He ran for the House in '76, '78, '80 and '82. By the last he was getting a little disenchanted with Reagan. After that, he went Libertarian Party, and that would have made Reagan disenchanted with him. So, it had to have been in that time frame.

[Kregisen]

Dr. Paul's advertisements attack Mr. Laughlin for voting for tax increases and taking junkets, but his most innovative salesmanship is a 15-minute videotape he has sent to 30,000 households.

It quotes Mr. Reagan as saying: "Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country."

The former Attorney General Edwin Meese 3d came here last week to insist that Mr. Reagan had offered no recent endorsements. Dr. Paul's campaign did not return calls seeking the date of the Reagan comments.


http://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/08/us/race-for-congress-texas-14th-district-under-fire-gop-convert-wins-party-s-fierce.html?pagewanted=3&src=pm

New York Times article 1996

The plot thickens...

[cindy25]

He ran for the House in '76, '78, '80 and '82. By the last he was getting a little disenchanted with Reagan. After that, he went Libertarian Party, and that would have made Reagan disenchanted with him. So, it had to have been in that time frame.

also 1974, and it was twice in 1976 (won the special, lost the general)

[parocks]

The plot thickens...

I have no idea where the quote came from, but I did do that search for that quote, and what the NYT article proves is that the quote is as old as 1996. Probably 14-20 years older than 1996. Ron Paul was probably using an old quote from the 70s80s and Meese wasn't up on it.

It's a great quote. But I wouldn't use it myself unless I knew where it came from. I think the 4 2 Rons pix are solid as well.