Republican presidential candidate, Ron Paul

[RZZZA]

I know the big names right now around the republican camp is McCain/Giuliani but I'd like to see some right wingers' thoughts about this type of a republican. Ok well, Ron Paul has thrown his hat in the presidential ring, and he was a guest on realtime this week and I liked what he had to say.



Ron Paul has a libertarian streak, going so far as to join the libertarian party more than a decade ago, he believes in small government. He believes in global warming and thinks we should cap emissions. He's a former physician. He was one of the republicans who joined the democrats in opposing the current funding bill. He thinks we should disband the cia (and I friggin love this) and cites their activities as a threat to homeland security. He's formally declared his candidacy on the republican ticket for the 08 election.

From the little I've heard about him, I gotta say, I friggin love this guy for his balls. Do you think such a person has a shot at winning the republican nomination? Does anyone else happen to have any more info (or dirt) on him?

[Nationalist_Cause]

I know the big names right now around the republican camp is McCain/Giuliani but I'd like to see some right wingers' thoughts about this type of a republican. Ok well, Ron Paul has thrown his hat in the presidential ring, and he was a guest on realtime this week and I liked what he had to say.



Ron Paul has a libertarian streak, going so far as to join the libertarian party more than a decade ago, he believes in small government. He believes in global warming and thinks we should cap emissions. He's a former physician. He was one of the republicans who joined the democrats in opposing the current funding bill. He thinks we should disband the cia (and I friggin love this) and cites their activities as a threat to homeland security. He's formally declared his candidacy on the republican ticket for the 08 election.

From the little I've heard about him, I gotta say, I friggin love this guy for his balls. Do you think such a person has a shot at winning the republican nomination? Does anyone else happen to have any more info (or dirt) on him?

Not a shot in hell. He has no name recognition and that is what gets you elected these days. A very sad thing really. I don't know hardly anything about the man or his positions but from what you've stated here, if its accurate, I'd probably vote for him.

[Francisco Montana]

Not a shot in hell.

That about sums up his chances.

[ErikinWest]

Well Ron Paul is my favorite Republican, and he is the most blogged and youtubed Republican I believe. He won't win, but he has the support of the patriot movement.

Erik

[RZZZA]

I dunno..he calls himself an "old school republican", and y'know what? I actually think Americans might want that, they want a return to old school conservatism as opposed to bush-ism or neocon-ism, right? The proof is the midterm elections, the proof is in the swing to the middle as portrayed by the republican frontrunners mccain and giuliani.

A republican like this would leech a lot of votes from the democrats. I dunno, I need to find out more about what this guy stands for.

edit: hes against subsidizing oil companies, he's against having foreign policy based around oil, he thinks we should privatize the FAA saying itll work out to be safer, he says CIA activities such as overthrowing foreign powers is contributing to terrorism and thinks we'd be safer if we disbanded the CIA.

All I'm saying is, half of america loved Bush because they said he acted like the ballsy one. Heres a republican who truly is ballsy, now america should back away?

[D-Rock]

Sounds good however I'm afraid that a candidate like this will turn out to be more like Ross Perot. He won't win the Republican nomination and if runs as an independent/libertarian, he might pull enough votes away to ensure a democratic victory.

[Cato the Younger]

Ron Paul will not win the Republican nomination for President, sadly.

Being a Texan, and being quite close to Houston and District-14 as well, I know quite a bit about Dr. Ron Paul; - if only he were the Texan that was in office right now!

[mrmouth]

I dunno..he calls himself an "old school republican", and y'know what? I actually think Americans might want that, they want a return to old school conservatism as opposed to bush-ism or neocon-ism, right?

Why wouldn't you want that? Republican's have gotten a bad name over the last 40 years, mainly because they haven't really acted like Republicans. The name has been tarnished.

Being a republican doesn't mean your automatically Pro Life, or that you are a NRA supporter, or that you like going to war, or that you hate minority's.

The same goes for Democrats, both of these parties have been tarnished by opinion piece writers who people take all to seriously.

and no Ron Paul wont win, because as its been said, he doesn't get enough media coverage, its that simple. Its a goddamn shame too.

Giuliani simply has that cult of personality thing going for him.

which for the life of me I cant understand. The guys a joker if you ask me. Talk to any New York'r and the feeling is much the same, "you've made our city safer, but its a hell of alot more boring".

I cant believe he gets credit for doing nothing on 9/11 . The man simply walked around with a camera in his face and he became the savior, he did and said anyhting any mayor in his position would have done, or would have been expected to do.

[-Conan the Barbarian-]

I like everything he says on immigration, so far I agree completely with Ron Paul:

[mrmouth]

I like everything he says on immigration, so far I agree completely with Ron Paul

its kind of hard not to, this is common sense stuff here. It would be awfully difficult to argue against what he is saying.

[boofhead]

I'm not American...but he doesn't physically look like a President in this day and age, and charisma and general appearance seem to mean something over there.....

[Praxil]

I'm not American...but he doesn't physically look like a President in this day and age, and charisma and general appearance seem to mean something over there.....

Now George W. Bush looks like clown, speaks like clown and even sounds like clown and he got re-elected after being president by court decision. Can you explain me why? Is it because of age, charisma maybe something else or does this tell something about voters?

[danzig]

Very little name recognition hence making his ability to raise funds nearly impossible so he'll never make it out of GOP nomination. In alot of ways he is Republican answer to Democrat's Dennis Kucinich someone who is actually an idealist except more sane and less Keebler Elf looking then Kucinich. Limited government in the US is a myth, no one truly wants "less government" they just want less government involvement when it suits their needs. Libertarian views is alot like communist, sounds good on paper but in practice....

[ErikinWest]

Very little name recognition hence making his ability to raise funds nearly impossible so he'll never make it out of GOP nomination.

Even Ron Paul has said himself how surprised he is about the amount of money that has already been donated to him. He is very popular on the internet.

Libertarian views is alot like communist, sounds good on paper but in practice....

In economic practice turns into Hong Kong.... which is a jewel in Asia.

Erik

[Casanova]

I know the big names right now around the republican camp is McCain/Giuliani but I'd like to see some right wingers' thoughts about this type of a republican. Ok well, Ron Paul has thrown his hat in the presidential ring, and he was a guest on realtime this week and I liked what he had to say.



Ron Paul has a libertarian streak, going so far as to join the libertarian party more than a decade ago, he believes in small government. He believes in global warming and thinks we should cap emissions. He's a former physician. He was one of the republicans who joined the democrats in opposing the current funding bill. He thinks we should disband the cia (and I friggin love this) and cites their activities as a threat to homeland security. He's formally declared his candidacy on the republican ticket for the 08 election.

From the little I've heard about him, I gotta say, I friggin love this guy for his balls. Do you think such a person has a shot at winning the republican nomination? Does anyone else happen to have any more info (or dirt) on him?

I agree with most libertarians, and this guy seems cool. But i think it would be stupid to disband the CIA. I do think it needs to be totally reworked though, with an emphasis on field intelligence, vs. the current beauracracy / satillite relying intel guys. Also another big issue with me is the whole Black Ops budgets that alot of these agencies are recieving which congress has no oversight over. I mean some of these agencies are recieving 80 billion a year, and we have no clue what they are spending it on!! This is the kind of **** that creates government within government and puppet politicians.

[Last Roman]

Too bad. He's a Republican even I would consider voting for.

[RZZZA]

I dont understand why everyone automatically discounts a politician just because he's...too good? Too action oriented? What is it about people like this or ralph nader that makes people go "He's great, but he'll never be president".

Well if hes great then why cant he be president? A bit naive of a question I guess but I want a straight answer, if the good people are automatically discounted isnt that some major flaw in our political system that needs amending?

Very little name recognition hence making his ability to raise funds nearly impossible so he'll never make it out of GOP nomination.

Name recognition comes with media exposure doesnt it? Thats easy to get, he's already getting it by going onto shows like RealTime. Now watch, next Ron Paul will appear on the daily show and the next day, on the colbert report.

I'm not American...but he doesn't physically look like a President in this day and age, and charisma and general appearance seem to mean something over there.....

Now thats exactly the type of thing I think is wrong with american politics, people pay more attention to a candidates penis or face than to his brain.

[hsimoorb]

Well, he is sort of crazy. If you watched him on Real Time he talked about how he thought the civil war was uneccesary And IMO we DO need the CIA, we just need stronger safeguards and more oversight on what they do, though at times I've thought disbanding the whole agency wouldn't be a half bad idea. And to be honest, the country dosen't need someone in the oval office that thinks government isn't the answer to anything when we're trying to get socialized health care on the books. And we don't need a guy who thinks private education is the way to go, when we need every ounce of spending put into public schools. And we can't have a president shuffling his feet on gay rights because he think's it's not the governments place to ensure civil right's, like conservative thought in the 50's.

That being said, libertarians are my kind of crazy I would never vote for him, but I'd much rather have him than Bush.

[danzig]

Name recognition comes with media exposure doesnt it? Thats easy to get, he's already getting it by going onto shows like RealTime. Now watch, next Ron Paul will appear on the daily show and the next day, on the colbert report.

Name recognition comes with pandering to media elites, Coblert, Mahler etc dont really count since the people who watch those shows are either a) hypocrites and dont actually vote or b) not enough of them...case in point Ralph Nader people love him when he appears on those shows but yet everytime he runs he does nothing but siphon votes from someone else. If Paul was to have any shot he has to be on NBC's Today or GMA or hell Larry King and be on there quite a bit.

[hsimoorb]

We're trying to get socialized healthcare? I thought those hopes were dashed forever thanks to hillary way back in the clinton days.

It's still an issue. I guess I shouldn't have said "we", but there still a descent sized movement for better health care.