Thread: Ron Paul on the Issues

Ron Paul victories upsetting the Republican establishment



Published on May 3, 2012 by RTAmerica

Ron Paul's race to the White House isn't over. Earlier this week, Newt Gingrich dropped out of the GOP presidential nominee race leaving only two men standing. Ron Paul said that he still had a fighting chance against Mitt Romney and predicted the delegate vote would change the race. Mary Willison, volunteer organizer and Ron Paul supporter, joins us for more on the congressman's campaign.

Ron Paul continues delegate offensive, wins big in Nevada, Maine

By Kim Geiger May 7, 2012, 12:56 p.m.
This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details.

WASHINGTON -- Intent on taking his presidential campaign all the way to the GOP convention this summer, Texas Rep. Ron Paul has mounted an offensive in key caucus states, swiping would-be delegates from presumed nominee Mitt Romney in an effort to gain relevance in a race that is generally considered over.

While there does not appear to be a path for Paul to win the nomination -- or to halt Romney from gaining the delegates he would need to clinch it -- that isn’t stopping the Texas congressman’s fervent supporters, who see the state delegate selection processes as a do-over opportunity to load state delegations with Paul supporters who could give voice to his message at the convention.

The strategy appears to be working in some states. Paul’s supporters were able to override the popular vote by working the arcane rules at state conventions in Nevada and Maine last weekend.

In Nevada, Paul supporters claimed 22 of the 25 delegate seats that the state will occupy at the national convention in Tampa. The other three delegates were automatically designated. Since Romney won 50% of the vote at the state’s Feb. 4 caucuses – Paul came in third with 19% -- 20 of the elected delegates will be bound to vote for Romney on the first round of balloting in Tampa. But they will be able to cheer for Paul and join others in disrupting what will otherwise be a highly scripted convention.

Also during the Nevada convention, Paul backers beat out two Romney supporters in a vote to choose two people who will represent the state on the Republican National Committee, which runs the national party. Though the newly elected committee members won’t start serving their terms until after the August convention, their four-year presence on the committee could help promote Paul’s libertarian-minded agenda.

Similarly in Maine, Paul won 21 of the state’s 24 delegates during voting on Saturday night and Sunday. Romney had won 39% to Paul’s 35% of the vote at the Maine caucuses in February. The Romney campaign has sent its top lawyer, Benjamin Ginsberg, to Maine to challenge the outcome there, according to the Kennebec Journal.

In Idaho, one Paul supporter has promised a “scorched earth” approach to win delegates for his candidate, according to the Idaho Statesman. Paul tied with Rick Santorum for second place in the state’s March 6 caucus. Romney, who won 62% of the vote, would be awarded all of the state’s 32 delegates, but Paul backers are hoping to use state convention rules to award those delegates to Paul.

The strategy would hinge on winning at least two-thirds of precinct level races in the state’s May 15 primary, which would give them the majority necessary to suspend the rules at the state party convention and overturn Romney’s caucus victories.

Meanwhile, Iowa Republicans met over the weekend to select 13 of the 28 delegates who will represent the state at the national convention.

Of those tentatively selected, just one, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, is an open Romney backer. Ten others have expressed support for Paul by volunteering for him or donating to his campaign, reports the Des Moines Register’s Jennifer Jacobs. An additional 12 delegates will be selected in June. Three state party officials will take the remaining slots.

Rick Santorum won the Iowa caucuses, which kicked off the GOP nominating contest, but Romney was initially believed the victor.

kim.geiger@latimes.com

For the record, 5:20 p.m., May 7: An earlier version of this post said Rep. Ron Paul won 18 of Maine's 24 delegates. He won 21.

Ron Paul continues delegate offensive, wins big in Nevada, Maine - latimes.com

An Empathetic Welcome to Santorum Supporters

Submitted by Likkerish on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 19:13
Daily Paul Liberty Forum
Texas

I know that it is disappointing to wake up one morning to find that the candidate whom you have fervently supported has abandoned the presidential race. This has to be the ultimate political "bummer." And, of course, the question immediately rises as to which remaining candidate can speak strongly to those issues which led to your supporting Rick Santorum. Quite obviously, you want a truly conservative alternative to both Romney and Barack Obama. And, most importantly, I think that you want someone who can beat Obama in a head-to-head race.

Gingrich's campaign is on life support. And, the reality is that each time that it is resurrected, it is Gingrich, himself, who pulls the plug on the support system. Witness his recent moon colony, pandering statement in Florida, the principal base for the space program. We don't need a nominee who shoots himself repeatedly in the foot. Obama would destroy him.

This leaves only Ron Paul, unless you might decide to hold your nose and vote for Romney, who has been appropriately called "Obama Lite." Ron Paul has been exceedingly consistent, almost to a fault. No one has to worry what will come out of his mouth. It has been basically the same for over 30 years.

There are a number of areas where the two campaigns (Paul and Santorum) have overlapped, the most important of which is the devotion to the cause of replacing Obama with a President who is truly steeped in conservative economic and family values. No matter what one's political persuasion, certain facts are undeniable regarding Congressman Paul. He has strong family values which is shown in being married to the same woman for over 55 years, in his being pro-life, and in continually showing pride in his large troop of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Of course, Paul's pro-life position, being strongly Constitutionally based, may appear somewhat different from Santorum's position. Dr. Paul asserts that the federal government has no constitutional authority to become legally involved in the abortion/right to life issue. Although he is morally opposed to abortion, he asserts that this is a matter that must be addressed by the states or handled as an issue between the woman and her doctor. In other words, the federal government has no business messing around in this controversy.

Another undeniable fact, despite much talk to the contrary, is that Dr. Paul is personally and constitutionally disposed to defend this nation in the strongest, most effective manner. Thus, he is not arguing for reduction in our defensive capability; rather, he is advocating that we decrease our spending for "militarism" abroad. Certainly, we are spending a ton overseas, not to mention preparing for additional military involvement, and this is a definite problem when our national debt continues to mushroom uncontrollably.

Perhaps, an analogy will most effectively make the foregoing point. Consider a farmer who raises chickens. His farm is known as an exceptional farm. He raises the best chickens in the county. Consider also that his chickens are threatened by their natural predators, i.e., foxes, that have overrun surrounding counties. He ponders what he must do. Should he organize and join hunting expeditions in these adjoining counties with the goal of killing as many foxes as possible and also disrupting their breeding grounds, and in this way guarding against the foxes coming into his county and attacking his chicken coops? Or, should he, instead, use his intelligence and his resources to protect his chickens at home by building barriers and hiring guards to patrol his farm. What do you think? Dr. Paul opts for the latter alternative, because it provides the strongest level of defense in the most cost effective manner. In other words, when in monolithic debt, it is better to tighten the belt and not go on fox-hunting expeditions in other countries thereby alienating other farmers so that they want to come and burn our farms.

An Empathetic Welcome to Santorum Supporters | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

Santorum Endorses Romney. Surprise Surprise. Who Couldnt See This Coming From A Mile Away? Annoyed Santorum Supporters Enter

Submitted by Trumpet Royale on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 00:31
Ron Paul 2012

I knew when the race began this would happen. It was santorums role in this election...to galvanize as many anti-ronmey supporters & then shift his support to Romney...the reason "to beat obama of course". But we all know independents & democrats will only cross over for Paul. Gingrich will likely endorse Romney as well, if he hasnt already. Santorum endorsed Romney in 2008 too! Then in 2012 he was against Romney & now he is for him again! You cant write this stuff! What a circus clown this guy is.

...oh brother...what must it be like to be a sleazy flip flopping phony politician? Santorum knows all about that. I told my wife several months ago that this exact thing would happen with Santorum. He never stood for what he campaign on...his whole senate career he was basically identical to Romney. Then he saw that a lot of people didnt like Romney (still dont) so he acted like he was different from Romney (he lied). Now, his true colors come out once again. You can run but you cannot hide from who you really are. Thanks for finally telling the truth Santorum. This political card game was an easy one to figure out. You left all your cards showing but I think you thought you tricked us. Nope. Just made yourself look like a fool, thats all.

Santorum Endorses Romney. Surprise Surprise. Who Couldnt See This Coming From A Mile Away? Annoyed Santorum Supporters Enter | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

Santorum Supporters, Please Read This!

Submitted by kevink on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 19:43

Ron Paul 2012

Last night I was having a discussion with a Rick Santorum supporter named Angie (username "faithfamilyfreedom2012"). I decided to write up a list of reasons why I'm a staunch supporter of Dr. Ron Paul and I leave this as an open letter to all voters, regardless of the candidate they support.

1) Consistency:
Dr. Paul's message has been consistent for *decades*. If you watch the first 1:32 of the YouTube video (below) from 1988, Dr. Paul mentions eliminating the income tax, the Federal Reserve system and several government departments. Dr. Paul talks about how he doesn't want a welfare state, doesn't want to police the world, doesn't want to send foreign aid and how all that stuff is paid for by money printing. Basically his small government principles are, and always were, core to his beliefs. Ron Paul 1988 - Third run, same message!! - YouTube

2) Not a career politician:
Dr. Paul is an actual medical doctor. He has delivered over 4,000 babies into the world. The fact that he's a doctor shows me he has both intelligence and discipline. It also shows that he's not a "career politician" since he was successful prior to entering politics (and, in fact,continued to deliver babies twice a week while in congress, for many years). He also gave away free health care to patients who were on medicaid and medicare because he doesn't believe those programs are constitutional. In fact, when he took on a partner in his practice, he made the partner agree to 2 things - doing work for free when a patient has medicare/medicaid and never performing an abortion The Compassion of Dr. Ron Paul - YouTube

3) Family values:
Has been married to wife Carol for 55 years. He has 5 children. One of his sons is Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who is also both a physician and a politician.

In addition, I love the story about how Dr. Paul got elected in 1978 against democrat Robert Gammage. As Dr. Paul's wiki page says "Gammage underestimated Paul's popularity among local mothers: 'I had real difficulty down in Brazoria County, where he practiced, because he'd delivered half the babies in the county. There were only two obstetricians in the county, and the other one was his partner.'" The only way they'd elect Dr. Paul is if they had a lot of faith and trust in him as a person. To me, that story says a lot.

Also, showing what a terrific role model Dr. Paul is, his son Rand also performed 4 free surgeries for the uninsured back in February: Rand Paul offers free cataract surgery for uninsured during break - The Hill's Floor Action

And I can't resist sending along one of my favorite pics of Dr. Paul (holding a baby): http://www.bloggerfaces.com/wp-conte...onpaulbaby.jpg

4) Military veteran:
Unlike Romney (who protested *FOR* the Vietnam war while knowing he was ineligible) and Newt (who avoided war w/ deferments), Dr. Paul actually served in our military as a flight surgeon. He served in the US Air Force from 1963 to 1965 and in the US Air National Guard from 1965 to 1968.

Below is a pic of Dr. Paul from years ago in his military days, with a young son named Rand. http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/mt...nbike.potd.jpg

And here's a short article and very telling picture about Mitt protesting for a war he knew he wouldn't have to fight: Mitt Romney, 19, demonstrated in favour of Vietnam War draft | Mail Online

5) Humble:
One of the main complaints Dr. Paul's supporters have about him is that he *doesn't* brag about himself enough. For example, he predicted the housing crisis years in advance but I don't think he ever mentioned it in any of the GOP debates. Also, while Mitt Romney never misses a chance to puff out his chest saying that he made his money in "the private sector", Dr. Paul never brags about that despite the fact that he's a physician.

I think this shows that Dr. Paul is a legitimately humble person.

6) Moral and trustworthy:
Dr. Paul has always refused to participate in the congressional pension system, labeling it "immoral". Basically he thinks that it shouldn't have existed in the first place (he doesn't believe that it's fair to take money from the taxpayers to fund his pension). To me, that's another very strong sign of both his morality and trustworthyness. Congressional pension - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

7) Constitutionalist:
Dr. Paul is Very serious about constitutional oath of office. Mitt even called Dr. Paul "our constitutionalist" in one of the debates. Mitt Romney Fails, Looks To Ron Paul For Answer On Birth Control And Constitution - YouTube

Civil liberties:
Dr. Paul was the only candidate in the GOP debates to make civil liberties a major issue.
He is against the National Defense Authorization Act ("NDAA"), which allows the president to indefinitely detain anyone (including American citizens) without a trial. http://thenewamerican.com/usnews/pol...nite-detention


He denounced both SOPA and PIPA (laws so broad that they could easily be abused to censor free speech on the internet) Ron Paul Truth About SOPA And PIPA - YouTube

Ron Paul, Civil Liberties Groups Decry Killing of American Militant Without a Trial: Ron Paul, Civil Liberties Groups Decry Killing of American Militant Without a Trial.avi - YouTube

9) Economics:

Dr. Paul is, BY FAR, the strongest candidate when it comes to understanding economics. I don't say that lightly either. The media portrays Mitt Romney as the strongest on economics since he made a lot of money in the financial world at Bain Capital. However, I can say UNEQUIVOCALLY and with FULL conviction that Dr. Paul has the deepest understanding of economics in the entire GOP field. Dr. Paul actually made the decision to get into politics after Richard Nixon took this country off of the gold standard back in 1971. Dr. Paul knew that this country was heading for disaster when that happened and decided that he needed to do something about it.

Dr. Paul also stood (on his own) for several decades trying to alert the public as to the dangers of the Federal Reserve system. In fact, the Fed was never a popular issue until Dr. Paul raised the public's awareness about its dangers.

As chairman of the Monetary Policy Subcommittee, Dr. Paul has had many memorable exchanges with Fed Chairman Bernanke, including this fairly recent one...
Ron Paul Hits Ben Bernanke at Hearing, Says Fed Has Destroyed 'Value of Real Money' - YouTube

I have to give a quick background on this since it is one of the core platforms of Dr. Paul's campaign (and one I believe in):

Dr. Paul believes in the importance of "sound money" (that is, money that doesn't lose, and possibly gains, value over time). I'm not sure if you're aware of this but since the Federal Reserve came into existence in 1913, the US dollar has lost over 95% of its purchasing power. In other words, $1 today would only buy what 5 cents would've bought back in 1913.

The reason for that is that the supply of paper money has expanded (a.k.a. "inflation"). The Federal Reserve is printing up that money to help the government finance it's (mostly unconstitutional) spending. As the supply of money increases, those additional dollars are used to bid up prices (e.g. food, oil). Money printing was a big reason why we had a housing bubble (in the housing bubble, the additional dollars were used to bid up the price of houses).

Dr. Paul refers to this increase in prices as a "hidden tax". In other words, when the government wants to spend beyond its means (by running deficits), it doesn't have to actually raise taxes to get that money. Instead the Fed just prints the money. keep in mind that the Fed has a dual-mandate ("maintain both price stability and full employment"). To fulfill its "price stability" mandate, it should (and has the ability to) refuse to give in to the President's requests. Unfortunately, Bernanke is doing as bad a job as Greenspan did and merely "rubber-stamps" all these requests. That is part of the reason why Obama is the first president in history to have trillion-plus dollar deficits all 4 years in office. It's also a big part of the reason why gas prices are currently so expensive. Gasoline Prices Are Not Rising, the Dollar Is Falling - Forbes

Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of the 2007 book "The Black Swan", which was described in a review by Sunday Times as one of the twelve most influential books since World War II, recently said on CNBC that "only one candidate - Ron Paul - seems to have grasped the issues and is offering the right remedies" (you can see that at the 46 second mark of the video below though I encourage you to watch the entire video): "The Black Swan" author Nassim Taleb Cheers Ron Paul's Economic Platform on CNBC - YouTube

10) "434-1":
If you google "434-1", you'll see only 1 politician's name come up. What is "434-1"? Well, there are 435 members of congress and there's only one who has consistently stood up against the entire rest of congress in order to vote for his principles (which is to uphold his oath of office to defend the constitution)

LA Times comments on 434-1: Ron Paul's ideas no longer fringe - Los Angeles Times

A list of Dr. Paul's 434-1 votes: Where Can I Find A List Of RP's 434-1 Votes?

11) Incorruptible:
As Bush/Cheney campaign strategist, Terry Holt, says in the video below, Dr. Paul is incorruptible and stands on his principles.
Bush/Cheney strategist "We Could Never Influence (Buy) Ron Paul" - YouTube

12) Deep understanding of the issues:
Dr. Paul understands the root causes of issues. So much so that he even predicted most of what is currently dragging down this country YEARS BEFORE THEY HAPPENED. Check out this absolutely remarkable video of his predictions: Ron Paul - Predictions in Due Time (Original) - YouTube

Joe Scarborough effusively praising Dr. Paul's remarkable predictions: Ron Paul Predicts 2007 Housing Crash - YouTube

13) Loyal and enthusiastic supporters:
Check out crowds for Dr. Paul's speaking engagements: http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...38333244_n.jpg

14) The ONLY true fiscal conservative in the GOP: Report: Debt will swell under top GOP hopefuls’ tax plans - The Washington Post

The national debt would balloon under tax policies championed by three of the four major Republican candidates for president, according to an independent analysis of tax and spending proposals so far offered by the campaigns.

The lone exception is Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who would pair a big reduction in tax rates with even bigger cuts in government services, slicing about $2 trillion from future borrowing.
(skipping a few paragraphs)

Only Paul emerged as a fiscal conservative in the report. His policies would cut tax revenue by more than $5 trillion over the next decade, the report said, but the loss would be offset by more than $7 trillion in spending cuts, including deep reductions in defense and federal health programs.

15) Career highlights: Dr. Ron Paul

Brief Overview of Congressman Paul’s Record:
He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.
He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.
Congressman Paul introduces numerous pieces of substantive legislation each year, probably more than any single member of Congress.

16) Electable:

Ron Paul Does Best Against Obama in New Poll: EconomicPolicyJournal.com: Ron Paul Does Best Against Obama in New Poll!

Ron Paul Does Best Against Obama; Romney's Policies Hurt the Poor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIsvPgrQitA

Ron Paul gets the most military donations: Ron Paul gets the most military donations - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Santorum Supporters, Please Read This! | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

Just voted for Paul in CA

Submitted by midsummerfans on Mon, 05/07/2012 - 23:21
California

My wife and I just had the privilege to vote for Ron Paul in California. By absentee ballot all the way from Mexico City where we live. Glad to be part of the Revolution!

Just voted for Paul in CA | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

Post This! The 2 Fraudsters Who Passed Fake Slate

Submitted by FreedYourMind on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 00:23
Ron Paul 2012

Post this on ur FB or twitter account and lets find out who these 2 a-holes are. I am sure someone somewhere out there must know them.



Post This! The 2 Fraudsters Who Passed Fake Slate | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

When a politician has to cheat to win; what can we expect as President... Mega Cheating on a Global Scale

Romney Supporter Caught Handing Out Fake Ballots in Nevada Wearing a Ron Paul Shirt

Eric Blair

As Ron Paul continues to rack up delegates leading up to the national convention in Tampa, several mainstream media outlets have finally begun to pay attention, but most articles and news casts stress that Congressman Paul still has no chance at winning the nomination.

If Ron Paul doesn't have a shot, then why is the Romney campaign and the establishment GOP freaking out?

Last week, GOP Chairman Michael McDonald threatened Nevada that if Ron Paul delegates take over national convention slots, they won't be invited to Tampa. If these mafia tactics weren't enough, the Romney campaign resorted to the lowest form of dirty tricks at the Nevada convention.

The video below shows a provocateur, presumably working for the Romney campaign but wearing a Ron Paul shirt, being caught red handed distributing fake ballots to Ron Paul supporters.



Despite these despicable efforts by a seemingly desperate Romney campaign, Paul supporters delivered a dominant 22 Nevada delegates to Ron Paul, leaving Romney with only 3.

Nevada is now the 6th state where organized Ron Paul supporters won most of the delegates. A majority of delegates from Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Maine are now firmly in Paul's corner with many other caucus states expected to follow suit.

This trend appears to show that the contest for the GOP nomination is far from over. Ben Swann from Reality Check explains why it is just heating up in the video below:

2nd Video: Reality Check: Bound Delegates In The Republican Primary May Not Be Bound After All - YouTube

Activist Post: Romney Supporter Caught Handing Out Fake Ballots in Nevada Wearing a Ron Paul Shirt

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• Ron Paul is Respected Around the World
  
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• Still Think Romney Has More Support than Ron Paul? Media Can't Hide This Forever

Red Alert: North Carolina Primary Hub (Tomorrow!)

Submitted by I3ladeDragon on Sun, 04/29/2012 - 02:23
Ron Paul 2012
North Carolina

OTHER 5-08-2012 HUB THREADS!
West Virginia Primary HUB
Indiana Primary HUB

5-15-2012 HUB THREADS!
Oregon Primary HUB
Nebraska Primary HUB

ABOUT THIS HUB
I think it's time we did a bit more head-start planning on North Carolina here. Post any relevant links or vital info and I will try to keep this thread's main post updated with content as a hub!
Anything we the people of DP wish to have contained on this main post, we can call a vote for within the thread! I will add high ranking suggestions!

VITAL INFO
-Numbers-
55 Total Delegates
3 RNC, 39 CD and 13 AL
-Selection Method-
Primary/Convention
Delegates Bound
- 52 Bound
- 3 Unbound
-Important Dates-
Primary: 5/8/12
Precinct Conventions: 2/12
County Conventions: 3/12
District Conventions: 4/12
State Convention: 6/01/12 – 6/03/12
-Selection Details-
AL & CD – Delegate allocation: Proportionally based on statewide primary vote
Delegate election:
AL – At State Convention
CD – At CD Conventions
(Source)

TOOLS
- sovereignjanice's - (NEW) North Carolina specific handout! - Free Candidate Comparison Sheet Handout "Honest Ron" Paul vs Mitt Romney 4th Edition
- The Green Papers - North Carolina
- (NEW) Stop the Cheating. Make Your Votes Count, Exit Polling, Affidavits, and More!
To speak with the leaders of the North Carolina GOP call: 919-828-6423
Or click on the North Carolina GOP website: NC GOP

NEWS
Will post important info here from other peoples posts. Click on the headline to go to their thread!
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Concord Mills Sign Wave (Original post: Thu, 05/03/2012)
FEDstolemymoney
"According to Ron Paul Forums there will be a sign wave sat. May 5th at Concord Mills Mall. Meet at the chick-fil-a from 11-4."
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NC early voting (Original post: Tue, 05/01/2012 - 15:1
Menchy

"If you're in NC, you can vote early! Check your county website for the early voting location. Plus, you can register there (as an independent or republican) and vote the day of."


Red Alert: North Carolina Primary Hub (Tomorrow!) | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

Rachel Maddow Show: Desperate Romney Press Release & RP Delegate Wins ~ 05/07/2012