Thread: Ron Paul on the Issues

Ron Paul 2012: The 'Revolution' Gathers Force, Media Cannot Shun Him Any Longer

Opinion
Sreeja VN
January 13, 2012 4:38 AM EST

With convincing performances in Iowa and New Hampshire, Ron Paul has proved that he is here to stay. His momentum cannot go unnoticed anymore and whether the mainstream media likes it or not, it will be forced to write about him.

It is very clear from the recent media trend that Paul is getting more media space than before. You can find more media reports mentioning him now as a strong contender.

The media always feared discussing Ron Paul for their own reasons. He is not a candidate at all, he cannot beat President Obama, he is too extreme, his foreign policy is too alien -- these were some of the excuses. Now in the changed scenario, it is impossible to fully neglect him as a potential winner.

At the same time one cannot say that Ron Paul is getting due coverage yet. It looks like mainstream media is still shocked at his emergence as a strong contender for Republican nomination. So, one can still find more news reports questioning his electability than his possibility of winning the elections.

The media also has shied away from discussing the stances taken by Paul on various issues like non interventional foreign policy, legalizing medical marijuana and federal spending cuts. In many instances the serious issues raised by Paul during the campaign debates and discussions were sidelined by the media. They reportedly either changed the topic or ignored it in the reports.

One reason for this can be that mainstream media likes the pro-establishment and big corporations clearly fear the emergence of the Paul Revolution. They believe his strategies are not practical for the current world and are against their interest.

Another reason is that many of the issues raised by him are serious in nature and if opened up for discussion, might be dangerous to the existing system. For instance the Paul's debate remark on institutional racism was not continued in NBC debate during New Hampshire primaries. Whether it is establishment or media, they usually prefer certain things to remain covered if they fear they cannot handle it otherwise.

Ron Paul has a clear national and foreign policy and, if implemented, it has the potential to change the very dynamics of America as well as the world.

They simply are scared of such a revolution that can bring in a drastic change, even if it is for the benefit of the country and world at large. This is one more reason that explains the reluctance of mainstream media in highlighting Paul's campaign.

Though Paul's stances look extreme when seen in the current context, they are very much practical and constitution-oriented in reality. Since these standpoints are something new and different from the present policies, it requires certain amount of explaining to understand them.

It looks like mainstream media in general are is averse to understanding them as well as making others discuss them. One could hardly find any in-depth debate or discussion on Paul's ideologies in the media.

In this scenario, it would be difficult for the Ron Paul Revolution to depend on mainstream media support to reach its message to the masses. So it inevitably has to rely on grass root campaigning and the Internet.

The success of Paul's campaign will depend on how many voters they can reach and explain his strategy to, because whoever could understand his vision seems to get influenced by it.

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Ron Paul 2012: The 'Revolution' Gathers Force, Media Cannot Shun Him Any Longer - International Business Times

Ron Paul

Rep. Paul

U.S. representative from Texas from 1979-1985 and 1997 to present

Rep. Ron Paul has a long anti-choice record from his years in Congress, repeatedly voting to make it more difficult for women to access abortion and birth control.

• During his years in Congress, Rep. Paul voted 106 times on choice-related issues. Ninety-three of those votes were anti-choice. ¹ On the occasions he voted pro-choice, Paul often made speeches on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to explain why and to reaffirm his anti-choice views.
• Rep. Paul tried to zero-out all international family-planning funds. ²
• In 2009, he voted for the notorious Stupak abortion-coverage ban. ³
• Rep. Paul voted for "personhood" rights, which could make abortion and many forms of birth control illegal. ⁴

Rep. Paul is vocal about his extreme position on choice:

• "I will veto any spending bill that contains funding for Planned Parenthood, facilities that perform abortion and all government family-planning schemes." ⁵

<sup>News & Updates

Have a Question for the Candidates?

The GOP candidates have a lot to answer for when it comes to their positions on reproductive rights. Find out how to submit your questions for the debates on January 7 and 8.
Ron Paul's Anti-Choice Ad

Watch Rep. Ron Paul's new ad, where he touts his anti-choice credentials.</sup>

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Footnotes

1 - NARAL Pro-Choice America, Congressional Record on Choice (1979-1985, 1997-2011) Pro-choice House votes:

• Family Planning Facilitation and Abortion Funding Restriction Act of 1997, H.R.581, 2/13/97.
• Child Custody Protection Act of 1998, H.R.3682, 7/15/98.
• Unborn Victims of Violence Act, H.R.2436, 9/30/99.
• Unborn Victims of Violence Act, H.R.503, 4/26/01.
• Child Custody Protection Act of 2002, H.R.476, 4/17/02.
• Unborn Victims of Violence Act, H.R.1997, 2/26/04.
• Scott amendment to Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, H.R.748, 4/27/05.
• Jackson Lee amendment to Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, H.R.748, 4/27/05.
• Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, H.R.748, 4/27/05.
• Smith amendment to FY'06 Foreign Relations Authorization Act, H.R.2601, 7/19/05.
• Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act. S.403, 9/26/06.

2 - Paul amendment to FY'98 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, H.R.2159, 9/4/97.
3 - Stupak amendment to Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R.3962, 11/7/09; Camp motion to recommit Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, H.R.4872, 3/21/10.
4 - Siljander amendment to Civil Rights Act of 1984, H.R.5490, 6/26/84.
5 - LifeNews.com, "Ron Paul Would Sign Planned Parenthood Funding Ban," June 22, 2011.

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<sup>Please credit NARAL Pro-Choice America as the source for the information on this page. If you have additional questions about the candidates’ positions, please contact the communications department at 202-973-3032 or Media@ProChoiceAmerica.org.


Ron Paul :: NARAL Pro-Choice America</sup>