Shockwave: Ron Paul's comment

[nevildev]

After a quick search on Ron Paul's comment this morning on Fox, you can see that it's spreading very quickly across the Internet.

Google: Ron Paul "wrapped in a flag"

1420 results.

You can see both positive and negative reactions.

[Paulitician]

Most people hate it when someone uses the word fascism, as if we aren't moving toward a fascist state, not even slightly. "America is too great to ever come close to fascism!"

[greendiseaser]

Most people hate it when someone uses the word fascism, as if we aren't moving toward a fascist state, not even slightly. "America is too great to ever come close to fascism!"

Ron needs to be VERY careful with this kind of "rhetoric".
This is like when he starts explaining "blowback", but even much less substantive! At least blowback is policy related and shows that he thinks about these issues in depth, but it is still TOUCHY for the AVERAGE American who hears -- "Hi I'm Dr. Paul and i blame America for 911" ... at least after the media tells them to hear such ...

HOWEVER, throwing out comments about OTHER candidates, ESPECIALLY super conservative RELIGIOUS candidates whose websites are starting to get MORE traffic than ronpaul2008.com is DANGEROUS and just plain BAD PR ...

The quote was SPOT ON, the CONTEXT with which Paul pulled it out was shakey AT BEST.

He even followed it up with "I'm not saying it is necessarily true in this case" ... THEN DON'T SAY IT ... you just
a. offend anyone who may be considering Huckabee
b. make the average American think you are venting some anti-American sentiment

Like i said, WE get it, but the typical 45 year old guy watching TV is apt to think you are just crazy and so cynical about american politics as to be "fringe".

:(

[noxagol]

If the shoe fits, then one must wear it.

[hard@work]

Calling out the pandering is a good thing.

[jacmicwag]

Let's ride this wave and see where it goes. One thing for sure based on the last two days - we're not getting called out on strikes. Ron is swinging for the fences. And this guy can hit.

[Zym]

Ron needs to be VERY careful with this kind of "rhetoric".
This is like when he starts explaining "blowback", but even much less substantive! At least blowback is policy related and shows that he thinks about these issues in depth, but it is still TOUCHY for the AVERAGE American who hears -- "Hi I'm Dr. Paul and i blame America for 911" ... at least after the media tells them to hear such ...

HOWEVER, throwing out comments about OTHER candidates, ESPECIALLY super conservative RELIGIOUS candidates whose websites are starting to get MORE traffic than ronpaul2008.com is DANGEROUS and just plain BAD PR ...

The quote was SPOT ON, the CONTEXT with which Paul pulled it out was shakey AT BEST.

He even followed it up with "I'm not saying it is necessarily true in this case" ... THEN DON'T SAY IT ... you just
a. offend anyone who may be considering Huckabee
b. make the average American think you are venting some anti-American sentiment

Like i said, WE get it, but the typical 45 year old guy watching TV is apt to think you are just crazy and so cynical about american politics as to be "fringe".

:(

I agree with you in principal, but remember Huck is going to crash and burn as soon as his record gets the spotlight, which it will now that he is leading the polls. He is the "religious" candidate for now, but is absolutely NOT a conservative (although I concede that is his main support) . I think if we can get the massage out to the Christian fundamentalists Paul will pick up a large block of that vote. He is probably the most inline with their values.

[mconder]

Some comments from Free Republic...these people are viscous :

"When insanity comes, it’ll be towing a blimp and asking for money."

"Ron Paul’s idea of foreign policy would give actual fascism free rein in today’s world."

"Great, quoting uber-liberal Sinclair Lewis. Wrap that tinfoil on a little tighter, Ronnie."

"Peel away the layers of a liberal, and it won’t take long to reveal someone who has real issues with God."

"Good to see this moron self-destructing. He’s been the pied piper for too many good conservatives who disagree with the war."

"A disdain for Christians is not the way to win the hearts and minds of Conservative Christian Republicans. But then again, those aren't his supporters anyway, so his statement probably enhanced his appeal to his target audience."

"correction: when fascism comes, it’ll be wrapped in a red flag with a yellow star, being carried by a cross between an atheist punk and a swine."

[fxmercenary]

want to counter it? refer them to this.

"It Can't Happen Here" A novel by Sinclair Lewis.

It is mike huckabee.

They should enrich their minds before they speak.

[ashlux]

Some comments from Free Republic...these people are viscous :

RP attacked their second coming of Christ. So of course they are upset :-)

Ok, that was viscous, but sometimes it is fun to be that way :p

[m72mc]

Most people hate it when someone uses the word fascism, as if we aren't moving toward a fascist state, not even slightly. "America is too great to ever come close to fascism!"

ya already underway

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5057555023195472231

[noztnac]

I think the quote was spot on. If it pisses off the people you guys listen above...

GOOD!

Those guys are what's ruining this country. We don't need to win their vote. We just need to prove there are more of us than them.

And we will!

[angrydragon]

Eh, those folks at the Freerepbulic are more liberal for supporting a Democratic war.

[Korey Kaczynski]

I think it is great, since Huck is the #1 enemy of all candidates (except maybe Giuliani).

[davidkachel]

Let's ride this wave and see where it goes. One thing for sure based on the last two days - we're not getting called out on strikes. Ron is swinging for the fences. And this guy can hit.

Plainly we won't know the net effect of this statement for a few days, but if you had any doubts before, you can't have any now: Ron Paul has some set of stones!

[Perry]

Most people hate it when someone uses the word fascism, as if we aren't moving toward a fascist state, not even slightly. "America is too great to ever come close to fascism!"

What makes it particularity interesting is that you have a baptist republican candidate saying this about another baptist republican candidate.
I think this will have many people, especially democrats, scratching their heads and inquiring further.

[Paulitician]

already underway

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5057555023195472231
No it's not! You're a liberal liar, conspiracy theorist and an atheist! :mad:

:D

[pikerz]

These guys are being forced into an increasingly smaller box.

70% against the war.
85% against theocracy.

We are winning, do not be fooled.

[fxmercenary]

The huckabees want to see facism? They need only to look into a mirror.

Their Reasons of Devotion to their candidate are an absolute. Religion, a very dangerous thing to base reasoning on.

[dirka]

He is not saying anything about the American people, people.


This was completely justified imho. Huckabee is trying to get religious votes like he's the only christian candidate. He is a Facist and he needs to stop saying he's a christian leader. It offends me.

[takadi]

I'm not sure how smart that was for Ron Paul to say, but it definitely is going to leave him ripe for attack. He basically is putting himself on the offense now.

As for it hurting or helping him, that's up for discussion

[constituent]

fascism needs to be called out whenever and wherever it is found....

yes, fascism poses a very grave threat to the future of this nation.

yes, in no uncertain terms huckabee is a fascist.... i'll crank up the
ol' spin machine and expand on this later after i get off work.

[JeffersonThomas]

Serious question...I know very little about Huckabee other than what I read on here & what I've seen in the debates. One of my friends was asking me about Ron's comment, could somebody please provide me some ammo for why Huckabee is a fascist? PLEASE

[Paulite5112007]

Serious question...I know very little about Huckabee other than what I read on here & what I've seen in the debates. One of my friends was asking me about Ron's comment, could somebody please provide me some ammo for why Huckabee is a fascist? PLEASE

He supports a nationwide ban on smoking, for starters.

[Mayflower]

Ron Paul is just telling the truth and Americans need to understand this. Read Naomi Wolf's The End of America, 10 steps to Fascism. We are so close I can almost taste it. I have been studying this for two years and when you are aware of what is happening it is pretty easy to connect the dots. Our Country is facing extinction and it is coming from within.The whole world is in danger because they are pushing for a One World Government. Go to usasurvival.org and go into the archives that say Walter Cronkite,Hitlary Clinton and one world government. I am just telling the truth.

[walt]

http://www.youtube.com/?ie=UTF-8&tab=w1 why isn't it here?

[Cardinal Red]

This is not a winning issue for RP in Republican primaries. He was correct of course, but that is beside the point. We should focus on other more positive messages, particularly around the fantastic success of the money bomb.

[Cliff]

Ron needs to keep telling the truth and speaking his heart.

[MGreen]

Could you guys keep this in context? Even if Huckabee's policies are fascist, Paul was not calling him one. He was simply saying that we must be wary of people campaigning through the emotional appeals of nationalism and/or religion.

I think most rational people will understand Paul's point and defend it, but people will be put off if we encourage the idea that Paul was calling Huckabee a fascist.

[Ron Paul Fan]

Yes, Ron Paul was absolutely correct in what he said. Huckabee is a monster who lets rapists and murderers go free while his kids torture animals. He tries to disguise himself as a good Christian, but he supports preemptive war, smoking bans, gambling bans, he destroys hard drives that have incriminating evidence on them, and he lies about his schooling. Huckabee is most definitely a fascist and needs to be exposed.

[Bossobass]

Huckabee...ain't that the guy who said, in the debates, when disagreeing with Ron about pulling out of Iraq, "We broke it so we have to buy it..." ???

I guess that meant that Huck believes we should stay in Iraq for an infinite length of time no matter what the consequences and price.

I'm also sure that almighty Huck is aware of the Blackwater, Bechtel, Haliburton/KBR (referred to by many civilian KBR employees as Kill 'em/Bag 'em/Replace 'em) grotesque fleecing of the US Treasury in taking over the war from the military and charging 10 times what the military would charge, under no-bid, cost-plus contracts, and doing a much poorer job at that.

Wouldn't that in itself favor the 'Fascist' label?

Bosso

[crhoades]

Press Release by the campaign on Romney’s need to make the religious speech.
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/press-rel...t-be-an-issue/

Newsweek interview with Ron Paul directly discussing Huckabee’s ads and attack of Romney
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1_Murs9CD4

Video of Huckabee at 2004 Governor’s convention blatantly using God for fascist purposes for GWB.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yj_okz7ZwI

The last one is the best example of what Huckabee’s end game is about-using religion to get votes.

[Todd]

Most people hate it when someone uses the word fascism, as if we aren't moving toward a fascist state, not even slightly. "America is too great to ever come close to fascism!"

Some in Political theory argue that Fascism and Communism (as practiced in USSR and China) are simply two sides of the same coin of Totalitarianism.

[ThePieSwindler]

I honestly think a simple "i dont really know, but if its true, it just shows more of his pandering and is unnecesary" would have worked. I think likening it to fascism was a bit much, and might turn off some otherwise on-the-fence christian conservatives.

[BarryDonegan]

if ron paul was careful with what he said, we wouldn't be here in the first place

[crhoades]

Some in Political theory argue that Fascism and Communism (as practiced in USSR and China) are simply two sides of the same coin of Totalitarianism.

From a Hayekian perspective there are 2 choices: Individualism and Collectivism. Within collectivism, you can have the power etc. spread out over the whole/many = communism or the few/one = fascism.

Nazi Germany = Fascism or collective control by the few
Communist Russia = communism or collective control by the many (in theory..._)

[theoddmonkey]

In all honesty, I think the american people have to worry about Fascism a lot more with Giuliani than Huckabee, but I think that Paul's comment was fit more towards the overall slate of the republican party than Huckabee himself.

[Nash]

Some comments from Free Republic...these people are viscous :

"When insanity comes, it’ll be towing a blimp and asking for money."

"Ron Paul’s idea of foreign policy would give actual fascism free rein in today’s world."

"Great, quoting uber-liberal Sinclair Lewis. Wrap that tinfoil on a little tighter, Ronnie."

"Peel away the layers of a liberal, and it won’t take long to reveal someone who has real issues with God."

"Good to see this moron self-destructing. He’s been the pied piper for too many good conservatives who disagree with the war."

"A disdain for Christians is not the way to win the hearts and minds of Conservative Christian Republicans. But then again, those aren't his supporters anyway, so his statement probably enhanced his appeal to his target audience."

"correction: when fascism comes, it’ll be wrapped in a red flag with a yellow star, being carried by a cross between an atheist punk and a swine."

FREEPS would blast him no matter what he said or did. Heck, FREEPS were bashing the guy for going on the view and talking about his Pro-Life views. The thread died when one of the regulars politely pointed out that Ron Paul schooled a bunch of pro-choice people on the life issue. The thread wimpered and died after that.

No, this was an ingenius comment. He probably didn't mean for it to be a major soundbyte but it is and it is great. This might trump "they attack us here because we're over there" in how it resonates. Ron Paul once again injects a taboo viewpoint into the national conversation in a rational way and once again makes people think.

Reason #1045 why I want this guy to be president. He keeps telling the truth and no matter what they try to do, it keeps getting out there.

[traitorist]

if ron paul was careful with what he said, we wouldn't be here in the first place

yes.

[tomveil]

if ron paul was careful with what he said, we wouldn't be here in the first place

Getting ignored is much better?!?

[Brennon]

Getting ignored is much better?!?

I think that was his point.

He got where he is now by speaking the truth.

[IRO-bot]

RP attacked their second coming of Christ. So of course they are upset :-)

Ok, that was viscous, but sometimes it is fun to be that way :p

Freepers are creepy in general. They remind me of 1984 in all sense of the book.

[freelance]

Yes, Ron Paul was absolutely correct in what he said. Huckabee is a monster who lets rapists and murderers go free while his kids torture animals. He tries to disguise himself as a good Christian, but he supports preemptive war, smoking bans, gambling bans, he destroys hard drives that have incriminating evidence on them, and he lies about his schooling. Huckabee is most definitely a fascist and needs to be exposed.

QFT


if ron paul was careful with what he said, we wouldn't be here in the first place

That too.

[Anti Federalist]

These are the same people that booed Ron when he mentioned the Prince of PEACE.

Honestly, why get worked up over what they have to say?

"OMG OMG OMG, Ron put his foot in his mouth today, OMG OMG OMG".

Bullshit, he was right, he said it right, and I'd like to see anybody else do better at 5 in the morning on national TV at 72 years old.

And my response to the RedState fascists at FR and everywhere else is the same as my reply to Frank Lutz:

Fuck You!

Do whatever you want, say whatever you want, I'm voting for Ron Paul in 2008 if I have to write his name in with blood.

The rest of those assholes deserve whatever they get.

[i2ambler]

I agree with you in principal, but remember Huck is going to crash and burn as soon as his record gets the spotlight, which it will now that he is leading the polls. He is the "religious" candidate for now, but is absolutely NOT a conservative (although I concede that is his main support) . I think if we can get the massage out to the Christian fundamentalists Paul will pick up a large block of that vote. He is probably the most inline with their values.

His record has already been out there - there are 2 more weeks until the iowa primary..Nobody cares what his record is, all they care is that they are forcefed how nice he is, and that he is the second-coming. I mean, do you think the media is going to crush Huckabee suddenly with 2 weeks left through the christmas season? doubtful. Doesnt anyone realize that the Huckster WILL get crushed if he wins the nomination.. RP stands a chance against the dems!

[pacelli]

Some in Political theory argue that Fascism and Communism (as practiced in USSR and China) are simply two sides of the same coin of Totalitarianism.

As a response, both rely upon: Centralized control, military dictatorship, and concentration camps.

[tomveil]

I think that was his point.

He got where he is now by speaking the truth.

And this is truth.

[Ron LOL]

I really don't see any problem with what Ron Paul said today. He called the Huckster out on his pandering.

[american.swan]

We need to get out there and explain this statement and what fascism really is and how thing like the patriot act and UN and EU are fascist type organizations overrulling the will of the people.

We need more websites, youtubes, and blogs to explain this to outnumber the kookie uninformed who don't realize where we are headed without a Ron Paul revolution.

[american.swan]

I really don't see any problem with what Ron Paul said today. He called the Huckster out on his pandering.

Your right! You hit the nail on the head! We have to explain that to the masses or they might believe the interpretation of somebody else who wants to make it look as negative as possible.

[Liberty Star]

Calling out the pandering is a good thing.



Exactly.

This will generate lot of publicity, Ron Paul was great in that interview.

[Meatwasp]

Yes, Ron Paul was absolutely correct in what he said. Huckabee is a monster who lets rapists and murderers go free while his kids torture animals. He tries to disguise himself as a good Christian, but he supports preemptive war, smoking bans, gambling bans, he destroys hard drives that have incriminating evidence on them, and he lies about his schooling. Huckabee is most definitely a fascist and needs to be exposed.

You tell "em kiddo!!!!!!

[rp4pres]

Some comments from Free Republic...these people are viscous :

"When insanity comes, it’ll be towing a blimp and asking for money."

"Ron Paul’s idea of foreign policy would give actual fascism free rein in today’s world."

"Great, quoting uber-liberal Sinclair Lewis. Wrap that tinfoil on a little tighter, Ronnie."

"Peel away the layers of a liberal, and it won’t take long to reveal someone who has real issues with God."

"Good to see this moron self-destructing. He’s been the pied piper for too many good conservatives who disagree with the war."

"A disdain for Christians is not the way to win the hearts and minds of Conservative Christian Republicans. But then again, those aren't his supporters anyway, so his statement probably enhanced his appeal to his target audience."

"correction: when fascism comes, it’ll be wrapped in a red flag with a yellow star, being carried by a cross between an atheist punk and a swine."


:D Must have touched a raw nerve over at "Facist Republic", eh?! Glad those NeoCon freaks are pissed. Tells me we're on the right path to restoring our liberties.

[Dave Pedersen]

Fascism is a marriage between corporations and a socialist central government. It is a form of socialism.

"NAZI" is an abbreviation of the official title of the German state under Hitler: National Socialist.

Communism and Fascism are two wings of the same socialist vulture.

[rfbz]

Chris Matthews is giving Huckabee's campaign manager hell right now

[torchbearer]

Ron needs to keep telling the truth and speaking his heart.

+1, that's what makes him soooo different from pandering hucky.

[hueylong]

Dr. Paul was quoting Sinclair Lewis. It was a thoughtful comment.

Huey