Thread: Ron Paul on the Issues

GOP Enthusiasm Has Fallen Steeply Since 2008

By Alex Roarty
Updated: March 15, 2012 | 7:16 p.m.
March 15, 2012 | 6:40 p.m.

Charles Dharapak/AP Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney trying to fire up a crowd.

Republicans are less enthusiastic about having Mitt Romney or Rick Santorum as their potential presidential nominee than they were four years ago about Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., according to a Gallup survey released on Thursday. For conservatives, the lackluster numbers are a worrying sign that the party’s already bitter primary fight has sapped voter enthusiasm and left the GOP weakened for the fall battle with President Obama.

Gallup reported that just 35 percent of Republicans surveyed said they would vote enthusiastically for front-runner Romney if he becomes the party’s standard-bearer. Similarly, 34 percent said they would enthusiastically support Santorum, his main challenger for the nomination and the preferred choice of the most-conservative Republicans.

That represents a precipitous drop in excitement from 2008, the poll found. In a survey released in early February of that year, 47 percent of Republicans were enthusiastic about the prospect of backing McCain, a 12-point difference from Romney's numbers today.

The same poll found that the former Massachusetts governor has not been able to increase excitement about this candidacy since his first run for president four years ago, when he competed in the primary with McCain, the eventual nominee. Exactly 35 percent of Republicans said they would wholeheartedly back Romney in 2008, the same percentage who would do so now.

The enthusiasm deficit could be indicative that Republicans remain deeply divided over their presidential prospects. Santorum, Pennsylvania's former senator, has appealed to the party’s tea party and evangelical wings, while Romney’s base is made up of the party’s upscale, secular voters. Both have struggled to broaden their appeal among Republicans outside of their core constituencies.

But the poll did find at least one prospect that excites GOP voters: voting against Obama. If Romney is the nominee, 42 percent of Republicans said they would support him but would consider their vote mainly one cast against the president; 40 percent said they would be casting their vote against Obama if Santorum is on the ballot.

If Romney is the nominee, 19 percent of Republicans said they would either support Obama or not vote. With Santorum, that number creeps up to 22 percent.

The Gallup poll surveyed 457 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents from March 8-11. It has a margin of error of +/- 6 percentage points.

GOP Enthusiasm Has Fallen Steeply Since 2008 - Alex Roarty - NationalJournal.com

Ron Paul Comments on Obama/Reid Ex-Im Bank Proposal

“No one who truly supports free markets, limited government, and the taxpayers can support reauthorizing Ex-Im Bank”

LAKE JACKSON, Texas – Congressman and 2012 GOP Presidential candidate Ron Paul issued the following statement today regarding President Obama and Senator Reid’s scheme to renew the Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) by attaching it to the bipartisan JOBS bill.

See comments below:

“No one who truly supports free markets, limited government, and the taxpayers can support reauthorizing Ex-Im Bank. Ex-Im Bank is an unconstitutional corporate welfare program that takes money from American taxpayers and gives it to politically powerful corporations like Boeing and General Electric.

“I hope my fellow Republicans in Congress will join me in opposing any bill that renews Ex-Im Bank.

“Throughout my years in Congress, I have led the fight to shut down Ex-Im Bank. Unfortunately, neither Newt Gingrich nor Rick Santorum joined me in this cause when we served in Congress together. Governor Mitt Romney has been conspicuously silent about the issue. However, his past record suggests he likely supports corporate welfare boondoggles.

“I am the only candidate the taxpayers can trust to stop handing over their hard-earned money to big corporations through unconstitutional programs like Ex-Im Bank.”

Ron Paul Comments on Obama/Reid Ex-Im Bank Proposal*|*Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign CommitteeRon Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign Committee

Ron Paul Statement on CBO’s Obamacare Cost Projections

“CBO’s revised projection that Obamacare will cost $1.76 trillion over 10 years is simply the latest evidence that America cannot afford Obamacare.”

LAKE JACKSON, Texas – Today Congressman and 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul released the following statement regarding the revised Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projections on the costs of Obamacare:

“The CBO’s revised projection that Obamacare will cost $1.76 trillion over 10 years is simply the latest evidence that America cannot afford Obamacare. My ‘Plan to Restore America’ not only reduces federal spending by $1 trillion in the first year of my Presidency, balances the budget in three years, and jump-starts the economy with tax and regulatory relief, it also repeals Obamacare.

“On my first day as President, I will use my constitutional authority to stop enforcement of the unconstitutional national healthcare law. I will then work with Congress to repeal Obamacare and replace it with initiatives that restore a true free-market in healthcare, such as expanded access to Health Savings Accounts and individual healthcare tax credits and deductions.

“Of all the five men seeking the nomination of a major presidential party—President Obama, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and myself—I am the only one who is a physician, the only one who has consistently opposed government intervention in the healthcare market, and the only one to propose a serious plan to do what is needed to Restore America Now.”

Ron Paul Statement on CBO

Ron Paul: ‘It’s About Time’ GOP Rivals Move His Way on Afghanistan

Reports National Journal:

Paul won standing ovations from some 4,600 people on Wednesday night at a University of Illinois rally–his largest turnout ever–for his calls to “bring our troops home!” He also told the crowd, made up mostly of college students, that “the other candidates on our side are saying we need to fight more wars.”

Asked by CBS News/National Journal about recent comments by Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum that the United States should review its commitment in Afghanistan and possibly back off, Paul replied, “It’s about time.”

“But they’re what we call chicken hawks. And they talk a lot, they push the wars, they themselves haven’t gone, and they don’t serve, and yet they … promote the wars,” he said of his rivals, who talk often of taking military action against Iran to keep it from getting a nuclear weapon.

“Sure, the politics are changing, and that’s great. We’re changing people’s minds. The American people are sick and tired of it,” Paul said…

Ron Paul: 'It's About Time' GOP Rivals Move His Way on Afghanistan*|*Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign CommitteeRon Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign Committee

Less Enthusiasm for Romney or Santorum than McCain in 2008

Not surprisingly, no one is excited about Mitt Romney or Rick Santorum. Reports National Journal:

Republicans are less enthusiastic about having Mitt Romney or Rick Santorum as their potential presidential nominee than they were four years ago about Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., according to a Gallup survey released on Thursday. For conservatives, the lackluster numbers are a worrying sign that the party’s already bitter primary fight has sapped voter enthusiasm and left the GOP weakened for the fall battle with President Obama.
Gallup reported that just 35 percent of Republicans surveyed said they would vote enthusiastically for front-runner Romney if he becomes the party’s standard-bearer. Similarly, 34 percent said they would enthusiastically support Santorum, his main challenger for the nomination and the preferred choice of the most-conservative Republicans.
That represents a precipitous drop in excitement from 2008, the poll found. In a survey released in early February of that year, 47 percent of Republicans were enthusiastic about the prospect of backing McCain, a 12-point difference from Romney’s numbers today.

Less Enthusiasm for Romney or Santorum than McCain in 2008*|*Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign CommitteeRon Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign Committee

Weekend Watching: Boogie Man - The Lee Atwater Story

Submitted by Michael Nystrom on Fri, 03/16/2012 - 21:47 Ron Paul 2012
Massachusetts


The only reason Santorum and Gingrich are still in the race is to serve as blocks on Ron Paul. Everyone knew from the beginning that Paul was in for the long haul. And we all saw what happened in Virginia when only Paul and Romney were on the ballot. Paul got 41% of the vote. Santorum and Gingrich remain in the race to dilute the anti-Romney vote that Paul would otherwise be reaping, and building upon. And when the appointed hour comes, both will fold their hands and deliver their endorsements to Romney. This is typical of the kinds of dirty tricks played in politics in general, and the GOP specifically.

Nothing opened my eyes wider to the true nature of politics in general, and the GOP in particular than this film: Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story. In the event you haven't seen it, here is the preview:



I cannot recommend a better political movie. There may be free versions floating around on the 'net. I once had a free version on the site, but the filmmakers wrote and requested I remove it, and I complied. But you can stream it on Amazon for $3.99, and using any of the links on this page, the DP will pick up a few cents commission to boot.

I will be away for the bulk of the weekend in a training course to expand my horizons, and learn some new things. Always stay hungry and stay foolish, friends.

As a result, the front page updates to the site will be sparse this weekend. If you have the time, please watch this movie. It will give us all a shared reference for understanding.

Amazon link: Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story


Free on Hulu.com, with commercials.

Have a great weekend everyone, enjoy the show, and let me know what you think.

Weekend Watching: Boogie Man - The Lee Atwater Story | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

Santorum and Romney are BOTH getting hammered in Puerto Rico

Submitted by Buzz Fisher on Sat, 03/17/2012 - 00:05
Ron Paul 2012

As most of you probably already know by know, Rick Santorum recently hurt his image among Puerto Ricans by telling them that they will have to switch to English if they want to become a state.

Now, however, it looks as if Mitt Romney is also in trouble over there as well, both because of his border-hawk rhetoric and because he ran a radio ad attacking Santorum for voting to confirm Justice Sotomayor, an ad that ticked off Gov. Fortuno (who was supposed to have been his closest ally in PR).

Mitt Romney on defense in Puerto Rico - Juana Summers - POLITICO.com

So, could the backlash against both Santorum and Romney play into our hands? I doubt Puerto Ricans will vote for Gingrich (remember, he called Sotomayor a "Latina woman racist", and said that Spanish was the language of living in a ghetto, so he has more baggage than both Romney and Santorum combined).

Ron Paul is starting to look more and more like a potential protest vote, and he will definitely have a chance to win PR, assuming Fortuno and Co. don't rig the vote. Karger and Roemer are also on the ballot, but I doubt they're going to get much support.

Santorum and Romney are BOTH getting hammered in Puerto Rico | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

RICK SANTORUM: I Admit It, I Can’t Win

Michael Brendan Dougherty
Business Insider
March 12, 2012

Rick Santorum’s campaign has admitted–to itself at least– that it can’t win the Republican nomination outright.

Zeke Miller of Buzzfeed has obtained an internal memo to be circulated around the Santorum campaign today with the following line: Majority Needed for Romney, Not for Santorum

Mitt Romney must have a majority on the first ballot in order to win the nomination because he will perform worse on subsequent ballots as grassroots conservative delegates decide to back the more conservative candidate. Subsequently, Santorum only needs to be relatively close on the initial ballot in order to win on a later ballot as Romney’s support erodes.

Translation: our only hope is to deny Romney the win, and hope that convention delegates gradually come around to us.

We’ve been saying this ever since Super Tuesday, but at least there is some sign that the Santorum campaign is grappling with this reality.

There are a couple problems with this strategy for Santorum.

1) Ron Paul is already pursuing something like it, counting on state conventions and other internal GOP events to grant him more delegates than his share of the popular vote allows. And Paul’s campaign is more organized than Santorum and has been pushing this strategy for months longer.

2) It assumes that political forces, like the rest of the Republican party, will just allow Santorum to destroy the presumptive nominee on the tiniest hope that after breaking the Republican convention into pieces Santorum can reassemble it himself.

3) It also assumes that Santorum is going to continue scoring embarrassing victories against Romney. But polls show Romney is already starting to close the gap in Alabama and Mississippi.

Prison Planet.com » RICK SANTORUM: I Admit It, I Can’t Win

DHS: If You Yawn You might be a 'Terrorist!' No JOKE! + Who are they Preparing to Fight? DHS order 450 MILLION .40cal rds!

Submitted by AnCapMercenary on Fri, 03/16/2012 - 19:38
Politics & Law

We've officially entered the TwilightZone IN La La Land.

If you express boredom and yawn, or get cold & get goosebumps when speaking to your local friendly commissar or govt apparatchik, you might be a terrorist! No, they're not joking. No really, really. This is where we've come to.

Um, Stalin called: he wants his DHS goons back in Russia!

The Govt Terrorists have officially gone through their last batch of meth, apparently. Because they're all sounding like a bunch of crackheads now.

Do not drink any hot coffee, or any liquid pleasure when reading the following; guaranteed to exit the wrong end.

DHS Terror Document Lists Yawning, Goose Bumps As Suspicious Behavior

Bodily functions are now potential indicators of terrorism
Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
Friday, March 16, 2012

Infowars has obtained a document from the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness that lists banal bodily activities such as yawning, staring and goose pumps as “suspicious activity” indicative of terrorism.

The document (PDF), entitled Terrorism Awareness and Prevention, is presented as a guide for both “residents and workers of New Jersey,” along with employees of federal, state and local agencies, on how to “assist in combating terrorism” by identifying “unusual or suspicious activities and behaviors.”

The guide encourages participants to “look for signs of nervousness in the people you come in contact with.” “Signs will become particularly evident in a person’s eyes, face, next and body movements.”

The document then lists examples of suspicious behavior indicative of terrorism, which include, “Exaggerated yawning when engaged in conversation,” “glances,” “cold penetrating stare,” “rigid posture,” and “goose pumps”...

================================================== ========
DHS and ICE Order 450 Million Rounds of .40 Caliber Ammo

PRNewswire

March 15, 2012

ANOKA, Minn., March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — ATK ATK -0.01% announced that it is being awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) agreement from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (DHS, ICE) for .40 caliber ammunition. This contract features a base of 12 months, includes four option years, and will have a maximum volume of 450 million rounds.

ATK was the incumbent and won the contract with its HST bullet, which has proven itself in the field. The special hollow point effectively passes through a variety of barriers and holds its jacket in the toughest conditions. HST is engineered for 100-percent weight retention, limits collateral damage, and avoids over-penetration.

“We are proud to extend our track record as the prime supplier of .40 caliber duty ammunition for DHS, ICE,” said Ron Johnson, President of ATK’s Security and Sporting group. “The HST is a proven design that will continue to serve those who keep our borders safe.”

There are supposedly around 216,000 DHS employees. Even in the unrealistic scenario in which EVERY single one of them takes tactical training to expand thousands of rounds, which NO Fed or State/local agencies do, unless you're on the SWAT team, it still comes out to 2,083 rounds per employee!

Now, at 36,000 cops, NYPD is the largest single police force in the world. Assuming we take into account Coast Guard's 42,000 active units, 20,500 of ICE, say conservatively high guesstimate of 36,000 DHS' own 'shooters' totaling 98,500 'shooters,' but considering not all use .40S&W, but a combo of 9mm, .45ACP, and some .357SiG, say we settle on a conservative number of 90,000 'shooters.'

Even then, we all know that not even in the US military do regular infantry expand up to 2,000 rds+ in handgun rounds for training! Just doesn't happen.

So with 90,000 potential high volume shooters, with 450MILLION .40S&W rounds, that comes out to FIVE THOUSAND ROUNDS per agent!!!

NO Federal employee needs or ever expands that much sidearm ammo per person, not even FBI HRT!

So, even if we're to assume that since it's a 5yr contract, we're to assume that ALL 90,000 'shooters' will expand 1000/yr in training?

Sure, a lot of citizens buy in bulk in 1,000rds per purchase, but these are self-dedicated tactical school attendees or those looking to go into Cowboy Action shooting, IDPA/IPSC. But, NO police department or Federal agency allots 1000rds/agent on training, annually! NONE!

There is no such program, other than for SWAT. And NOT all of the 90,000 are SWAT. So what gives??

So just what war are these govt terrorist maggots preparing for??

This is getting simply scary comical.

Frankly, for your own sake, at this point in history, please ignore ALL govt leeches.
Simply, do not comply with their un-authorized, non-delegated dictates, carried out by a guild of bloodthirsty, ill-adjusted psychotic goons.

They've long proven themselves illegitimate. But now, they don't even pretend to uphold their Oath to the Constitution, anymore.

If the yawning and goosebumps wasn't your last straw, I don't know what is. This is getting so ridiculous, it's practically a carnival sideshow, albeit a potentially a murderous one.

Lawd have mercy.

DHS: If You Yawn You might be a 'Terrorist!' No JOKE! + Who are they Preparing to Fight? DHS order 450MILLION .40cal rds! | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012