Do you REALLY think this time will be different?

[realtonygoodwin]

Ron Paul has won the CPAC straw poll 2 years in a row. He lost RLC last year by one vote, and totally dominated this year.
When he wins Ames, do you think the media is going to treat it the same as they did when Romney won, or Huckabee got second? Or even when Bush won? Or are they going to continue the same old tactics of ignoring, minimalizing, or marginalizing Ron Paul?

[icon124]

The good thing for us is they really can't avoid talking about the CPAC, but the bad thing is they will try to make it seem like a "less worse" or "yea right" type of philosophy. The also more known as "we are biased to the status quo stance" lol

BUT I just read we also have one of the biggest spots at the next Straw poll. Even small things like that bring the less informed in for a closer look :-)

[cameronb]

I believe the tactic we will see (and are seeing) is to give RP credit (and press) while also marginalizing him.... the analysts will say, "wow, this guy is having a tremendous impact and his ideas are clearly resonating with people and shaping the debate... since he is too old (/insert other attack), it will be interesting to see who steps forward to carry the torch...."

Why do we think Newt Gingrich praised RP, giving him credit for paving the way with awareness of the Fed? Has Newt really had a change of heart or is he trying to co-opt the momentum....? There's no doubt in my mind that its the latter and this is what I see happening this time around -- heap praise and credit on RP while taking subtle and not so subtle swipes at him saying he's the grandfather of a movement but just not presidential material....

[realtonygoodwin]

I think the focus will be on how well Bachmann or Cain or whoever do.

[sailingaway]

Ron Paul has won the CPAC straw poll 2 years in a row. He lost RLC last year by one vote, and totally dominated this year.
When he wins Ames, do you think the media is going to treat it the same as they did when Romney won, or Huckabee got second? Or even when Bush won? Or are they going to continue the same old tactics of ignoring, minimalizing, or marginalizing Ron Paul?

Assuming he wins they won't entirely be able to spin it. But they will make big noise about how Romney has spared himself the expense and has$X in the bank. They WILL say some of the stuff they say about other straw polls, but people are used to the Ames straw poll being a big deal and if suddenly it isn't, I think that would backfire. They'll just point out who wasn't there, and say straw polls aren't good predicters of who wins.

[sailingaway]

[QUOTE=icon124;3359293]The good thing for us is they really can't avoid talking about the CPAC, but the bad thing is they will try to make it seem like a "less worse" or "yea right" type of philosophy. The also more known as "we are biased to the status quo stance" lol

BUT I just read we also have one of the biggest spots at the next Straw poll. Even small things like that
It isn't just the biggest it is right opposite the main stage and in the middle of everything. Everyone who attends the straw poll will pass it. They'll be standing around right by it. Etc.

[james1906]

I believe the tactic we will see (and are seeing) is to give RP credit (and press) while also marginalizing him.... the analysts will say, "wow, this guy is having a tremendous impact and his ideas are clearly resonating with people and shaping the debate... since he is too old (/insert other attack), it will be interesting to see who steps forward to carry the torch...."


You mean heroin advocate Ron Paul, whose views on the Fed have reached a mainstream audience, while most of his views remain fringe, that prostitution advocate Ron Paul?

[sailingaway]

Yeah, that is the one thing about Wead's write up of what Ron would get from the straw poll that didn't play out, he assumed media would play him up (at least the left, who in fact is terrified he'll steal progressives from Obama) and that it would give him a big bump in media taking him seriously. Having seen how they've spun CPAC and RLC, I'm not so sure....

However, the rest of the country, and particularly the part that is Iowa, has long considered the Ames straw poll to be a big deal.

[hard@work]

I think there is a chance, a good chance, that many will out of necessity begin to acknowledge Paul as a front running candidate. And in time I think there is a good chance that out of necessity many more will adopt his views. There will be a breaking point on whether or not that is to placate an incoming administration or to placate an irate population. I hope it is both. I think there will also be a point where the Paul campaign will be able to make any and all detractors look foolish for saying the old rhetoric from 2007-8. And a win in Ames would be a good start to that capability.

Any pundit or commentator that attempted to make Ames look anything less than a total victory (if it is) would be easily marginalized.

[jon48958]

RP needs to win something or be proved right before the media will stop totally marginalizing him. The three things he can do (and he needs really only one of these things to happen) is to win an early primary state, have a full audit of the Fed and find something incriminating, or finally have the gold audited to discover a good portion of the gold at fort Knox gone. His idea's would go from marginal to CREDIBLE over night, and if he could get the audits he wants before the Iowa Caucuses the he could have enough momentum to win a landslide.*even if the law suit on Libya succeeds fully, it will be less of a help because it wasn't seen as his idea alone.

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Ron Paul has won the CPAC straw poll 2 years in a row. He lost RLC last year by one vote, and totally dominated this year.
When he wins Ames, do you think the media is going to treat it the same as they did when Romney won, or Huckabee got second? Or even when Bush won? Or are they going to continue the same old tactics of ignoring, minimalizing, or marginalizing Ron Paul?

It's getting harder and harder for the MS media to take Ron Paul's wins away from him... will it stop? No.

[mit26chell]

Paul winning this straw poll will not cause all of the *corporately* owned media to transform overnight into a bunch of freedom-loving, objective / balanced press talking heads. They will still be talking heads, and they will still margionalize Paul. The only thing that might be a bit different is that they may give him a bit of credit, but no doubt, if he comes in first, they will immediately report that it was actually the second place candidate who 'shocked' with their second place victory, and that they 'are the real surprise,' or the 'real winner.' Then if he comes in second or lower, the poll will automatically be relevant and telling of the upcoming elections.

[Badger Paul]

Iowa is not a straw poll you can flood with weekend vacationers. You must be an Iowan to vote. If you do well there it shows you are a competitor there and thus the nation as whole.

[AJ187]

You mean heroin advocate Ron Paul, whose views on the Fed have reached a mainstream audience, while most of his views remain fringe, that prostitution advocate Ron Paul?

You forgot to add words like extreme and radical.

[HarryBrowneLives]

...Extreme, quixotic, fringe, radical .... but this time is already different. We have more money early and we seem to be rising in the polls despite the media smears. Our name ID is big now compared to '07.

[james1906]

...Extreme, quixotic, fringe, radical .... but this time is already different. We have more money early and we seem to be rising in the polls despite the media smears. Our name ID is big now compared to '07.

Yes, the long-shot, second-tier candidate does have marginally more support this time around. However, with tea party darling Rep. Michele Bachmann in the field and fellow Texan and strong conservative Gov. Rick Perry considering a run, the elder Paul, who turns 93 this year, will unlikely gain any votes beyond his cult-like group of rabid supporters.

[sailingaway]

Yes, the long-shot, second-tier candidate does have marginally more support this time around. However, with tea party darling Rep. Michele Bachmann in the field and fellow Texan and strong conservative Gov. Rick Perry considering a run, the elder Paul, who turns 93 this year, will unlikely gain any votes beyond his cult-like group of rabid supporters.

Ron's polling better than Perry. :p

[Paul4Prez]

If Ron Paul wins in Ames, the media's analysts will say it doesn't matter as much as in the past, because Romney's not contesting it this time, and because "Ron Paul always does well in straw polls" (as if he has some magic formula the others haven't figured out, rather than simply having more actual supporters).

Then they will focus on the "real winner", the person who came in second despite not having as many actual supporters helping him (or her) out as Ron Paul has. But every time the media's dim-witted pundits ignore the facts that are right in front of everyone's faces, the more the people in the audience will start to see through the sham.

[AJ187]

Yes, the long-shot, second-tier candidate does have marginally more support this time around. However, with tea party darling Rep. Michele Bachmann in the field and fellow Texan and strong conservative Gov. Rick Perry considering a run, the elder Paul, who turns 93 this year, will unlikely gain any votes beyond his cult-like group of rabid supporters.

Boy, I'm glad your on our side.

[1836]

Ron Paul has won the CPAC straw poll 2 years in a row. He lost RLC last year by one vote, and totally dominated this year.
When he wins Ames, do you think the media is going to treat it the same as they did when Romney won, or Huckabee got second? Or even when Bush won? Or are they going to continue the same old tactics of ignoring, minimalizing, or marginalizing Ron Paul?

Yes. It would be a big deal if we won.

The reason is because the other candidates (Pawlenty, Santorum, Cain, Bachmann, and I guess McCotter) are going to treat it very seriously. So what if Romney and Huntsman do not? (And I guess Perry may not participate either if he is to run)

The Ames Straw Poll is big news in Iowa and that's really all that counts. Even if the national media were to ignore it completely, the fact is that it mobilizes a base of support in Iowa that we can count on, energizes our supporters everywhere and especially in Iowa, gives the campaign a great kick in the rear to work even harder, and legitimizes our campaign versus the other competing campaigns.

I really feel that if Ron Paul is able to win the straw poll, or even finish second, that's probably enough to give us the momentum to get a great ticket out of Iowa (i.e., finishing first or second or, worst case, third). If we are really to have an impact on this nomination and possibly win it, we need to do well in Iowa, where the caucus process gives our mobilization and organizational efforts a real chance to do well.

[Cleaner44]

This time already is different. The last four years have been a period of tremendous progress. Just wait until we are sitting at the end of the 3rd quarter and can look back. It will be as plain as day.

[kah13176]

I think this time will be different in that we'll have more grassroots support.

It will not be different in terms of media coverage. If Paul wins Ames, I GUARANTEE you the media will say "Doesn't count, Romney wasn't there". If we win the Iowa Caucus, then that'll wake up the media, but then they'll only fight us, spew negative spin, etc.

[realtonygoodwin]

Its just going to get worse the better he does.

[Paul Or Nothing II]

Paul winning this straw poll will not cause all of the *corporately* owned media to transform overnight into a bunch of freedom-loving, objective / balanced press talking heads. They will still be talking heads, and they will still margionalize Paul. The only thing that might be a bit different is that they may give him a bit of credit, but no doubt, if he comes in first, they will immediately report that it was actually the second place candidate who 'shocked' with their second place victory, and that they 'are the real surprise,' or the 'real winner.' Then if he comes in second or lower, the poll will automatically be relevant and telling of the upcoming elections.


If Ron Paul wins in Ames, the media's analysts will say it doesn't matter as much as in the past, because Romney's not contesting it this time, and because "Ron Paul always does well in straw polls" (as if he has some magic formula the others haven't figured out, rather than simply having more actual supporters).

Then they will focus on the "real winner", the person who came in second despite not having as many actual supporters helping him (or her) out as Ron Paul has. But every time the media's dim-witted pundits ignore the facts that are right in front of everyone's faces, the more the people in the audience will start to see through the sham.

Yup, I agree, sure, a victory in Iowa would be great & it'll surely bring in some more supporters but to expect that MSM will suddenly change it's anti-Ron position or that Ron's poll-numbers would shoot up from 8-10% to 30-40% is more or less a pipe-dream just like everyone pipe-dreamed in 2008 that something miraculous would happen on its own & Ron's numbers would skyrocket all of a sudden, such over-optimism completely lacking in realism just makes me think it's going to be 2008 all over again.

I've said it before & I"ll say again, with MSM & GOP-machine demonizing Ron, we NEED someone who ALREADY attracts mainstream voters for us to get anywhere close to the nomination.