What sold you on Ron Paul?

[hammy]

Just curious for reference, as I'm always talking to people about him. Just wondering what experience/video/article/conversation... etc, sold you on Ron Paul.

For myself, this video was the first time I really ever considered Ron Paul. Prior, I knew his name, but literally nothing beyond that. This video caused me to look into it:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLdZxDjFsYI

[TheSecretBillionaire]

Ron Paul's what if speech remastered on YouTube.
I had heard of him before, but listening to that speech was enlightening and really won me over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdEEW7wWy-M

[mport1]

Hearing about him from Libertarian Party candidate Michael Badnarik in '04. Once I realized he was a libertarian actually in office I researched him and then he got my support.

[rideurlightning]

Haha Drinkingwithbob is the man!

[tbone717]

Late night special orders speeches to an empty chamber. That's what did it for me. He spoke of all the principles of traditional (old school) conservatism that I grew up with.

[itssimplyjeff]

Ron Paul's what if speech remastered on YouTube.
I had heard of him before, but listening to that speech was enlightening and really won me over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdEEW7wWy-M

i like this one more..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKfuS6gfxPY

It's what has changed over my whole family and shit load of my friends. And these are people that have NEVER ever voted republican. ever. and we're from NY.

[JoshLowry]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peBGJwE9NXo

[Koz]

I learned that he always tells the truth, and never votes with special interests. That's all it took.

[axlr]

This right here. Simply amazing.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54WFoV-veCM&list=FLbGzhEzFIHBARD62boSdcfg&index=30&feature=plpp_video

[FreeTraveler]

Some article or literature I read in '86 or so. I don't really remember what it was. Next I heard much of him was when he was on the Libertarian ticket in '88, when he got my full support.

[sailingaway]

He was the real thing. I was told to look into him on another forum, but his campaign web page could have been for anyone, and I didn't go further until just before the California election, although I did donate to the big money bombs (I didn't know the themes, again they were raised on a forum I went on, and his positions sounded good.) I looked at the 'newsletter' first thing, because it had been referred to as some big whoop, and it popped like a soap bubble. I encourage anyone who has any 'issues' with him to look into him. The more you research the better he looks. That he was absolutely consistent to his principles and promises and adhered to the Constitution with every vote over more than 20 years completely shook my standards for what a politician COULD be. If he could do it, why don't they all? And that he voted for the people and not for special interests, consistently, regardless of party pressure, also blew me away. His stance on civil liberties is not just pure, he jumps to defend them, even when it is politically inconvenient. That he is an economic guru was almost just icing on the cake at the time. I didn't come to realize how important that part was until after 2008, although I did learn enough about the Fed to realize they were ripping us off.

[nayjevin]

Saw him in a debate, googled him, found this forum.

People were posting things which made me recognize he was the real deal. Hordes of folks that don't just accept the official story on things, that recognize media bias for what it is. People expressing my political opinions, which I had thought were in the extreme minority. It's all helped me realize how much the T.V. makes it appear that everyone is a drone with an establishment mindset, but it just isn't true. It's helped me realize that all the thinking folks can band together and make a difference, and that being on the side of truth and speaking out about it matters. It's helping me realize peaceful change (real change) is possible.

[KingNothing]

May 16th, 2007. I missed the Republican debate the night before, but the following day a friend of mine sent me a link to an article about the confrontation with Rudy. My immediate response, and I will remember it for the rest of my life, was "Ha! That guy just KILLED his presidential campaign. Does he even want to win?"

Paul's stance was so odd, that I looked into him and found his voting record. I was absolutely sold then.

[Liberty74]

After reading his book, The Revolution - A Manifesto.

Many of my previous views on war, drugs, the real role of the federal government, etc. were instantly challenged, hence reversed.

Turns out RP is the real deal.

[rideurlightning]

I found out about him when I was a Fox Sheep, and I always liked him, except for his foreign policy. It wasn't until the end of my sophomore year in high school though(two years ago) that I really started to like him, and eventually, all of his positions, including foreign policy, made sense to me. I'm now a senior in high school and probably the only person in my school that has donated to a political campaign :D

[Jingles]

What got me interested on him or what sold me?

Friends were talking about him so I looked him up and watched some videos. I was still interested.

Then I read The Revolution: A Manifesto and that is what sold me. That is such, such a great book.

[sailingaway]

What got me interested on him or what sold me?

Friends were talking about him so I looked him up and watched some videos. I was still interested.

Then I read The Revolution: A Manifesto and that is what sold me. That is such, such a great book.

Yeah, those videos.... A New Hope


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG2PUZoukfA

Stop Dreaming


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Bfz4qf_rA

and the idea that his supporters were so enthusiastic as to make these, zillions of them, get a blimp..... No politician comes close to inspiring like Ron Paul does.

[Carehn]

A slimjim outside the mint bar in haily idaho.

[Ball]

I knew about Austrian economics in the early 90s and found out about him via the Mises Institute.

[Ball]

A slimjim outside the mint bar in haily idaho.

Hm, I think you mean Hailey :)

[Ball]

A slimjim outside the mint bar in haily idaho.

Hm, I think you mean Hailey :)

[Feeding the Abscess]

Shortly after having read Heavy Duty II: Mind and Body by Mike Mentzer, I was flipping through channels and happened upon the Giuliani/Ron exchange. Immediate hook.

[jufreese]

I saw him on the Daily Show during his first interview in '07 as a Bush voter that was ready to vote for Obama.

What made me like Ron Paul was:

Foreign Policy (out of Iraq and Afgan.)
individual responsibility
State rights

[EBounding]

What sold me was knowing he had the most consistent record and wanted to slash debt and spending even though I didn't agree with his foreign policy. But I figured we wouldn't be able to defend ourselves anyway if we kept racking up crippling debt.

Now of course I completely agree with his foreign policy. Our current policy is what's leading to our demise.

[hazek]

What sold me? He is always honest, principled, telling the truth and his words consistently match his actions in his lifelong record (public and private). To top it off he believes in freedom, honest money and peace.

[Johnnymac]

that good ole 2.0 video snagged me

[fearthereaperx]

I became aware of him from watching Aaron Russo's 'From Freedom to Fascism' but it wasn't until The infamous May 2007 debate where he came out and spoke the truth about blowback on 9/11 where I became completely enamored by him.

[V3n]

I didn't know a 'politician' was saying for years all the same things I'd been thinking for years.

A forward of a debate clip ('07) showed me there was.

[Keith and stuff]

I heard about it, likely from Lewrockwell.com sometime around 2000-2003 and that he was pro-liberty. Since, I'm pro-liberty, I was very happy that he was elected. When he ran for president in 2007, it was a no brainer for me to support him.

[Agorism]

His speech at Ames straw poll in 2007 for me.

[Suzu]

The first time I heard him on the Alex Jones Show, about a month before he announced the '07 PEC. I was already aware of him from seeing him in the Aaron Russo (RIP) film, and that is why I paid closer attention to the radio interview. Once I heard that, I wanted him to run for POTUS. First time I've given a hoot about anything political in decades.

[CaptainAmerica]

Ron Paul hates nato.

[AFPVet]

What sold me on Ron Paul? His intelligence and rationality. The first time I heard the man I was like... holy $hit, this guy actually makes SENSE!

[shadowhooch]

For me, it was the May 2007 debate.

When George W Bush went to war vs Iraq, that is when I jumped off of his bandwagon (always had voted Republican influenced by my dad's love for Reagan). I immediately saw it as an unecessary war and to me, it seemed like Bush wanted to distract the American people from the fact that we hadn't gotten Bin Laden and he hoped that war would spurt a stagnant economy. My parents and my brother were beside themselves, calling me foolish and unpatriotic.

At that moment, I became completely apathetic to all politics and politicians -- especially seeing what little choice we had between Bush and Kerry. It was disheartening.

And then I actually heard a presidential candidate speaking the same thing that was on my mind about our foreing policy in the May 2007 debate. Ron Paul was so forthcoming and candid; it was amazing. He was actually willing to say it outloud instead of speaking in code or pandering with a non-answer. Then I looked up to see who this unknown person was and was blown away by his record. That sealed it for me. That and reading all his floor speaches and writings showing how he had been saying the same things for decades. Wow, who knew someone like this even existed and was now running for President!

It still amazes me to this day that there are people who hear Ron Paul that DON'T have that "AH HA!" moment.
By the way, both my parents and my brother are Ron Paul supporters now :)

[kushaze]

After this....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8t7jqis2Mc

[chronicaust]

Probably watching Zeitgeist Addendum and seeing how corrupt our money system is and then realizing that the free market is what makes societies truly great.

[acptulsa]

Ex CIA head George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakkis.

Neither evil was lesser, so I had to vote for the Libertarian.

[Beorn]

The May 07 debate was the genesis for me. As a college student I had voted for Bush in 00 and 04. During the four years in between I was an active fan of Increasing U.S hegemony and democracy promotion... basicly a neo-con. I supported the war in Iraq, not because of al queda or WMDs, but because I thought having a large force in Iraq would be in our best interest. :doh:

Over the next couple of years I realized, far too late, that being in Iraq was not in our interests and I was totally wrong. I had gone into the debate interested in supporting Giuliani, but Paul standing up to Giuliani impressed me and educated me by filling in the gaps of my understanding about how America should behave in the world. Once I learned about his voting record and pro-life stance I was sold.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD7dnFDdwu0

Edit to add: you know as I look back the big thing that helped me come around was how Paul pointed out the platform Bush ran on in 2000. That made me feel like I was coming full circle back to where I had started rather than veering off to some new position. Although in actuality I have ended up in a place fairly far from where I was as an 18 yo voting for bush.

[jazzloversinc]

When I found out he wanted to end the IRS...imagine my surprise when other republicans thought he was a nut for saying that.

[Sentinelrv]

I found out about him through the YouTube video "Ron Paul: A New Hope."