Ron Paul as an independent and his answer tonight.

[RonPaulFTFW]

He said NO and he's always said no.

Question. Is he saying that now because of his position in the race and his love of republicans? Or is he just letting things play out.

Would you feel he is letting his massive support base down if he DIDN't RUN as an indie if he doesn't get the nomination? Would that cause problems for him if he does and said he wouldn't?


I feel he should. I think he'd be free to really turn up the heat and get his message out as a third party man. If ross perot could do it so can he and he can do it 100 times better.


What do you guys think?

[Rex]

NO

[brumans]

But he is going to win the nomination so this question doesn't even make sense?

[murrayrothbard]

He doesn't have $100's of millions of dollars to get on all the ballots, overcome being excluded from the debates, etc. They ruling class will NOT let another Perot happen again

[Richandler]

Saying no is like saying you expect to lose.

[Ron Paul Fan]

NO means NO! He's a Republican and he's running for the Republican nomination! The question has been asked and answered 1 billion times!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ronpaulitician]

He's never said no.

He can't say "Yes" because he'd lose too many Republicans, which would make him lose exactly the kind of momentum he needs to have a shot at an independent run.

He won't say "No" because he's keeping his options open.

If he does well enough in the primaries, we will be able to convince him to run against Clinton and Giuliani.

[uflnuceng]

His record runs on being consistent... and since he has stated that he isn't going to run as an independent, he won't run as an independent.

[njandrewg]

Thats because we know we'll win. Polls are worthless, the situation on the ground disagrees completely with those "scientific" polls.

[nist7]

That Mark guy is an asshole. He is so sure that RP won't win the nomination. Men like him are part of the reason why America's democracy is going down the drain.....

[Midnight77]

I think Paul would actually have an excellent shot at running Independent. We need to focus all efforts on him getting the nomination, but people are furious at both parties right now and they want change.

[evadmurd]

It would just be the largest write-in campaign in history,

[awitelin]

I just saw that the guy who posed the question was on the CNN online coverage, and he was extremely vocal about how he felt Ron Paul was making a big mistake by not running as an independent. He says the RP can't win as a Republican, but he might have a long shot as an independent. The guy who posed the question also says that he is an independent and "can't" vote for RP in the primaries since RP is a Republican. Does anyone remember what state he was from? My DVR stopped recording before his question.

[huchahucha]

If you want him to run as an Independent, you better break out your checkbook. He would have to raise around $200 million to even compete.

[Jobarra]

They asked the questioner in the post-debate what he thought of the answer. The guy essentially said he wouldn't vote for anyone in the two major parties as he was an independent. Apparently he thinks being an independent means he CAN'T vote for either major party. Unfortunate that he puts party before the best candidate :(

[nist7]

Thats because we know we'll win. Polls are worthless, the situation on the ground disagrees completely with those "scientific" polls.

Exactly. The primary results WILL surprise many.

[RonPaulFTFW]

I think he could win. I have hope.

But if he doesn't I think he should take this thing to the hilt and keep fighting.


I'm saying that it's not over if we don't win this battle.

[Jobarra]

I just saw that the guy who posed the question was on the CNN online coverage, and he was extremely vocal about how he felt Ron Paul was making a big mistake by not running as an independent. He says the RP can't win as a Republican, but he might have a long shot as an independent. The guy who posed the question also says that he is an independent and "can't" vote for RP in the primaries since RP is a Republican. Does anyone remember what state he was from? My DVR stopped recording before his question.


He was from Davenport, Iowa.

[blakjak]

He's never said no.

He can't say "Yes" because he'd lose too many Republicans, which would make him lose exactly the kind of momentum he needs to have a shot at an independent run.

He won't say "No" because he's keeping his options open.

If he does well enough in the primaries, we will be able to convince him to run against Clinton and Giuliani.

If I'm not mistaken, he emphatically said NO tonight.

[Mental Dribble]

I cant believe CNN aired the question, not "would you run as a third party" but

"since you and I know you wont get the nomination, will you run...."

thats the part that makes it totally bogus. No other candidate had a question posed with the basis of them NOT winning. VERY MESSED UP!

[Taco John]

Ron Paul will continue to fight for as long as we are willing to fight.

[Dave Wood]

I say F-em I am Ron Paul, the Champion of the Constitution and I represent the REVOLUTIONARY party.

so upset, feel bad for him mostly

[RonPaulFTFW]

do you think we could raise 200 million?

he'd have to get some sort of corporate backing and I know he wouldn't do that.

[Dave Wood]

I think he could win. I have hope.

But if he doesn't I think he should take this thing to the hilt and keep fighting.


I'm saying that it's not over if we don't win this battle.

Thank you for your fresh perspective.

Some of us have been fighting this b.s. for a long, long, time now and peaceful change isnt always possible. I hope this is treated like a circus tom but if it isnt, a radical change in course is needed.

[Flirple]

He never gives a definitive "no". Instead he always answers the question as " No I'm not even considering that at all right now." And then from there he quickly goes into his spiel about how the system is so biased to 3rd party candidates and he's already tried that once, etc. I've heard him answer that question countless times and he never gives a flat "no way."

I think he is leaving the door cracked just in case he doesn't get the nomination and then we go ahead with a 3rd party/independant campaign without even asking him by gathering petition signatures etc. And his analogy to his 88 run doesn't hold up. In 88 he didn't have any name recognition nor did he have an army of rEVOLutionaries at his disposal+ the internet. Does anyone of us really think that if he doesn't get the nomination that we all just quit? Neither does Ron.

He's leaving the door cracked.

[VIDEODROME]

Look at how hard it was for Nader to get in even with the backing of the Green Party in 2000. The main 2 parties saw to it he was kicked out of the debates by police. Then as a pure independent without a party backing it was even worse in 2004.

It's hard enough for Paul to get the message out with the media disinterest and having to raise money. At least he is in the debates though. Without being a party member they would likely kick him out of the debates. While running as a Republican is hard enough I think Paul recognizes running completely independent is a joke unless you are independently wealthy with hundreds of millions of dollars.

[therealjjj77]

I just wonder why they always ask Ron Paul this question. This is not the first time. Why don't they ask one of the other candidates like Romney or Rudy or Huckabee what they would do if they lost? It's all a stunt. They simply want to discourage the candidate, discourage his supporters, and discourage other people from supporting him. He did very well with the question.

[Kombaiyashii]

I just wonder why they always ask Ron Paul this question. This is not the first time. Why don't they ask one of the other candidates like Romney or Rudy or Huckabee what they would do if they lost? It's all a stunt. They simply want to discourage the candidate, discourage his supporters, and discourage other people from supporting him. He did very well with the question.

Not only that but they want to discourage anyone who finds him interesting from looking deeper. It must have also been the reason why they gave him that question last, it's like he wins you over on every issue and then they turn them off by saying you don't have a chance. I get annoyed hearing it from news anchors but it was extremely shrewd to do that in a debate.

They are trying to influence opinion. They can't make him out to be the whacko or the man that hates America so they'll make him the dream candidate that will never win.

[RonPaulFTFW]

god it makes me mad.

[kevinblack]

If Ron Paul runs as an independent he will be betraying the trust of his supporters. Please please it needs to be very clear to everybody that Ron Paul is asking Republicans for the Republican nomination for president.

I understand many of you are not traditional republicans, but there is nothing that will kill Ron Paul's chances to run for the Republican nomination faster than the thought that he may turn against the republican party. Why should we, the republican party, help somebody who is threatening us?

Ron Paul has been asked this question in every interview, this is fair since he run as an independent in the past. Ron Paul has always answered that he has no intention of running as an independent. Please don't undermine the good doctor on this, just the rumor of an independent run is the kiss of death.