Ron Paul!  Ron Paul!  RON PAUL!!!



This came in a communication from Drew Ivers of the Iowa Campaign, today:

From today's Wall Street Journal
 
Ron Beats Rudy?
December 29, 2007; Page A10

Manchester, N.H.
For several hours on Sunday, more than a dozen Ron Paul volunteers stood in snow drifts in the rain outside the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester waving at last-minute Christmas shoppers and handing out hundreds of yards signs.
The campaign doesn't know how many people participated because, as with so many Paul rallies, this one was organized entirely by fans not officially associated with the campaign.
 "We told them to take Christmas Eve and Christmas off, and next thing we know they're doing a sign wave at the mall," said Jim Forsythe, a self-employed engineer and former Air Force pilot from Strafford, N.H., who independently organizes volunteer efforts for Ron Paul.

That spontaneous grassroots support is why Mr. Paul, an obstetrician from Lake Jackson, Texas, could pull off a stunner on Jan. 8 and place third in New Hampshire's Republican primary. If he does, he would embarrass Rudy Giuliani and steal media limelight from John McCain and Mitt Romney, who are battling for first place.

Many Republican operatives in New Hampshire, even those affiliated with other campaigns, think Mr. Paul is headed for an impressive, double-digit performance. That he has been polling in the high single digits for months is discounted, because the polls may be missing the depth of his support.

Why? For starters, he appears to be drawing new voters. Polls that screen for "likely" voters might screen out many Paul supporters who haven't voted often, or at all, before. Many of Mr. Paul's supporters appear to be first-time voters. They will be able to cast their ballots because New Hampshire allows them to register and vote on the day of an election.

Even Mr. Paul's New Hampshire spokesman, Kate Rick, is an unlikely political activist. She grew up in a political family in Washington, D.C. and says "I swore I would never work in politics." She only changed her mind after finding Mr. Paul, a candidate she says she can finally believe in. "Most people I know in the grass roots are like that," she said. "My closest friends have never voted before, and they're die-hard Paul people now."

There is another reason to discount the polls on Mr. Paul. The one thing that unites his supporters is a desire to be left alone, not only by government, but by irritating marketers and meddling pollsters, too. Mr. Paul's supporters might well be screening their calls and not-so-inadvertently screening out pollsters. Still, some observers of the primary race here downplay this support, noting that a lot of the activists who show up in news stories are not state residents and won't be voting.

It is true that Paul supporters from New York, New Jersey and even California are prominent at campaign rallies. But volunteers and campaign staffers say that, although out-of-state volunteers often are the most flamboyant and can attend day-time rallies while local supporters are at work, they do not outnumber the locals.

"Ninety percent [of his supporters] are from New Hampshire," says Jared Chicoine, Mr. Paul's New Hampshire coordinator. Keith Murphy, a former Democratic campaign worker from Maryland who owns Murphy's Taproom in Manchester, has held several Paul rallies at his restaurant, which has become a regular hangout for the Paul crowd. When the candidate shows up, about 75% of the activists at an event are from out of state, he said, but on other nights it's about 50-50.

Regardless of where they are from, organizing Mr. Paul's supporters is a challenge. "This is entirely grassroots oriented to the point that the official campaign structure seems almost lost, to the point that they don't know what to do with all these people," Mr. Murphy said.

On their own initiative, and at their own expense, Paul volunteers hold rallies, print and distribute brochures and even purchase ads. "I pick up the paper and say, wow, there's an ad and it's not my ad," Mr. Chicoine told me.

The buzz surrounding the Paul campaign is reminiscent of the grassroots campaign Democrat Carol Shea-Porter waged against Republican Rep. Jeb Bradley last year. Polls showed Mrs. Shea-Porter trailing by 19 points in October. With almost no money and no support from the Democratic establishment, she came from behind and beat the congressman 51% to 49%.

Many are wondering if the polls are similarly missing Mr. Paul's momentum. Mrs. Shea-Porter and Mr. Paul have very different ideas about how to use the power of government, but both strongly oppose the war in Iraq. And Mrs. Shea-Porter ran last year as a fiscal conservative, so it's possible Mr. Paul could win over many Republicans who voted for her last year.

Mr. Chicoine and other Paul supporters say that, contrary to conventional wisdom, most of Mr. Paul's backers are Republicans, not independents. But everyone agrees that Mr. Paul draws an unusual mix of libertarians, fiscally conservative Democrats, conservative Republicans, home-schoolers, vegans, gambling aficionados, anti-abortion activists and others who want the government to butt out of some aspect of their lives.

But will they get out to vote on primary day?

"I've never seen a group of people that are this energetic about a candidate," Mr. Murphy said. "It's something else."

That sentiment is shared by Republicans who have observed numerous New Hampshire primaries. The level of enthusiasm for Mr. Paul is remarkable, they say. It transcends the state's Libertarian base (about 4% of the electorate). And by many accounts, Mr. Paul's backers here are more energized and committed than are supporters of Mr. Giuliani, who may enjoy inflated poll numbers because of his celebrity status.

National attention is focused on the horse races between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and between Messrs. McCain and Romney. But the shy obstetrician from Texas could be the surprise story of the New Hampshire primary.
Mr. Cline is editorial page editor of the New Hampshire Union Leader.

Posted by Paul Bear (www.RonPaulite.com)

I am at least temporarily un-publishing a post that I published earlier this evening, regarding the reported banning of Ron Paul from a candidate forum to be televised on Fox News Channel.

Apparently, the story was incorrect, as is now being reported on Nolan Chart:

Ron Paul NOT excluded from Fox debate

---

Some sloppy reporting, instant web indignation, and holiday vacations produced a surge of hysteria that might have been avoided.

---

by William Westmiller
(Libertarian)

One of the hazards of instant mass communication is that incorrect stories can get distributed immediately. A particular hazard during holiday vacations.

There is NO NH DEBATE on January 6th. Ron Paul was NOT EXCLUDED. That event was canceled three weeks ago.

Ron WILL participate in the January 5th ABC/WMUR GOP debate in New Hampshire.

So, what happened?

Months ago, NH GOP chairman Fergus Cullen had been in touch with FoxNews about a possible forum on January 6th. He had even contacted all the GOP candidates to see whether they were available. However, plans for the ABC debate were finalized with all candidates early in December and Cullen "threw in the towel." See "OUTFOXED" in the NH Union Leader of December 16^th.

At that time, Cullen had not received a response from Ron Paul, who had committed to a conflicting luncheon at the Liberty Forum at the same time.

Skip ahead to December 27th, when the Union Leader reported that all candidates had agreed to the ABC/WMUR debate and reporter GARRY RAYNO added a confusing paragraph about Giuliani finally agreeing to the (canceled) January 6th forum, which had already been converted into a simple state GOP brunch.

Due to the timing of this article, there was no way to confirm who will or won't attend the brunch, but it is not a broadcast debate and has nothing to do with FoxNews. Nevertheless, a blog in Washington picked up the story, scrambled it and their "BHDC Staff" reported a list of the candidates who would be attending, which did not include Ron Paul (he hadn't officially confirmed, due to the conflict).

That story was picked up by the AP Newswire, which added some information that it had from a month earlier about the format being discussed.

Finally, the AP article was picked up by Lew Rockwell and passed along to DailyPaul.com, with all the errors intact. Of course, a firestorm ensued on all the Ron Paul nets before the information could be verified. Immediately, thousands of messages went to FoxNews and the NH GOP protesting the exclusion.

Unfortunately, the Ron Paul campaign didn't sort out the facts before sending out a news release blasting Fox for their "outrageous" conduct, even if they did note that the information had not been confirmed. From there, the report spread into dozens of blogs and news commentaries.

An unfortunate false alarm. Lesson: Fast news is sometimes "bad" news. Look before you leap.

Read the article in its original context: www.nolanchart.com/article797.html

If any of us have erroneously reported on Fox News, then I think it is appropriate that we should retract and apologize, just as we would like for FOX to do, in regard to negative things they have erroneously reported, or insinuated about, Ron Paul.

Posted by Paul Bear (www.RonPaulite.com)

An urgent message from Ron Paul 2008!

December 29, 2007


The Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary are only a few days away. Wyoming, Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina, Florida and Maine will soon follow. But on February 5th, nearly 20 other states will hold their contests on the same day! That's right. In just six short weeks, the Republican nominee for president will likely be determined.

As Wikipedia explains: "In the Spring of 2007, upwards of 20 states with over half the delegates to the national conventions moved to change their primary dates to 5 February 2008, creating the largest 'Super Tuesday' to date. Newswriters and political pundits have noted that this will dwarf the Super Tuesday primaries in previous cycles, creating a 'Giga Tuesday' or 'Super Duper Tuesday.'"

A year's worth of work is coming down to the next several weeks. Victory can be ours. But we must triple our efforts and triple the amount of money raised right away.

To run radio and television ads in 20 states simultaneously will cost a fortune. Not to mention the cost of voter contact mailings to those 20 states. And then there is the cost of contacting hundreds of thousands of people by phone. All of this, plus other projects, will cost $23 million more than we presently have in the bank.

The progress we've made in 11 months is phenomenal. The dedication, creativity, generosity, and just plain hard work by you and tens of thousands of other Americans have already made history.

But we are not finished making history! First, Ron Paul becomes the Republican nominee. Second, Dr. Paul becomes President Paul. Third, our country becomes America again.

The time is now. Please make your most generous donation today. https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate/

Sincerely,

Kent Snyder
Chairman, Ron Paul 2008

Posted by Paul Bear (www.RonPaulite.com)

There are more than mild rumors circulating, that Ron Paul will NOT be invited to be a part of the January sixth candidates debate hosted by FOX.  IF IT IS TRUE, then this is an all new low for broadcast history and for the UN-fair and UN-balanced trend of the channel which is supposed to let "YOU Decide".

This is what is being said by the official Ron Paul campaign at this time:

December 28, 2007 10:39 pm EST ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – According to the New Hampshire State Republican Party and an Associated Press report, Republican presidential candidate and Texas Congressman Ron Paul will be excluded from an upcoming forum of Republican candidates to be broadcast by Fox News on January 6, 2008.

“Given Ron Paul’s support in New Hampshire and his recent historic fund raising success, it is outrageous that Dr. Paul would be excluded,” said Ron Paul 2008 campaign chairman Kent Snyder. “Dr. Paul has consistently polled higher in New Hampshire than some of the other candidates who have been invited.”

Snyder continued, “Paul supporters should know that we are continuing to make inquiries with Fox News as to why they have apparently excluded Dr. Paul from this event.”

Read the article in its original context: www.ronpaul2008.com/press-releases/94/has-fox-news-excluded-ron-paul

If this proves to be true, then we need to press our collective weight against such an organization that could be so EXTREMELY corrupt, as to try to eliminate one candidate, based solely upon their corporate interests in keeping said candidate out of a democratic election, in a supposedly democratic country.  This is verging on the very definition of fascism, when corporations control who is and who is NOT considered a candidate for government office!  And Ron Paul happens to be one of the highest fund raisers running, with the most enthusiastic following!

Contact FOX, and demand an accounting on this issue, by using the following link:
http://www.ronpaulite.com/2007/09/04/contact-the-medialet-your-voice-be-heard.aspx

If they say it is true, then ask them what they are so afraid of!

Posted by Paul Bear (www.RonPaulite.com)

The Ron Paul campaign has confounded the experts, amazed the media, and inspired a grassroots movement unlike any other. The biggest headlines are yet to be written as Ron Paul's success in the primaries will astound the skeptics even more, but looking back at 2007, these are the top ten stories of the campaign so far.

10. Ron Paul dominates Republican straw polls nationwide. Ron Paul has won at least 29 straw polls nationwide, and compiled impressive head-to-head records against the other top tier candidates in the process. He is 43-7 against Giuliani, 34-16 against Romney, 34-15 against Thompson, 44-5 against McCain, and 42-6-1 against Huckabee. Party-organized straw polls are normally viewed as the best indicator of grassroots strength, since they generally draw only the most motivated and best informed party activists. News coverage of Ron Paul's impressive record has been in mysteriously short supply.

9. Ron Paul Iowa rally outdraws multi-candidate forum next door. After Iowans for Tax Relief somehow excluded the Taxpayer's Best Friend Ever from their Republican candidate forum on June 30th, an impromptu Ron Paul rally held next door on the same day drew more people, generated more enthusiasm, and showed that Ron Paul's unquestioned strength on the Internet was beginning to translate into real world support.

8. Ron Paul matches John McCain in third quarter fundraising. Having already caught the party's early front-runner in cash on hand, Ron Paul's five million dollar third quarter haul made media jaws drop across the networks, as political "experts" quickly withdrew their early predictions of Ron Paul being a non-factor, and upgraded him to someone who could appeal to disgruntled fiscal conservatives, as well as his libertarian base. The $1.2 million raised online in the last week of the quarter offered a sneak preview of even greater things to come.

7. Ron Paul becomes the first candidate in history with his own blimp. Showing the creativity, organizational ability, fundraising prowess, and unmatched devotion of his supporters, the Ron Paul blimp was launched in mid-December, drawing widespread media coverage. The 200-foot long airship couldn't reach the Boston Tea Party or New Hampshire due to weather concerns, but instead headed south toward the key early primary states of South Carolina and Florida.

6. Ron Paul Philadelphia rally draws 5,000 supporters. Another grassroots idea became reality on November 10th, as Ron Paul spoke to the largest crowd for any Republican candidate this year in front of Independence Hall. With the United States Mint serving as a fitting backdrop to the large and diverse crowd, Ron Paul sounded his increasingly popular call for freedom, prosperity, and peace, as video streamed live on CNN.com.

5. Ron Paul Meetup membership exceeds all other candidates -- combined. When Howard Dean used Meetup.com to organize his grassroots supporters in 2003, it was national news. When Ron Paul attracted a much larger following in 2007, with over 80,000 supporters in over 1,000 cities, it was only occasionally mentioned as evidence of his strength on the Internet, overlooking the obvious point that Meetup groups are real-world activities, generating untold millions in free publicity and activism.

4. Ron Paul volunteers descend on Iowa and New Hampshire. Even as the national media continue to dismiss Ron Paul's chances of winning the nomination, and include his supposed lack of organizational strength as one of the reasons, hundreds of volunteers flocked to Iowa and New Hampshire in time for a massive get out the vote effort. The official campaign used some of their large cash stockpile to cover expenses for college students visiting Iowa, while grassroots supporters on their own initiative organized an even bigger effort in New Hampshire.

3. November 5th money bomb raises four million dollars in one day. "Remember, remember, the 5th of November" proved to be an effective call to arms for Ron Paul supporters, as over 38,000 donated $4.3 million in a 24-hour period, smashing the single-day Republican fundraising record in the process and generating shock and awe in the national media. Suddenly Ron Paul was not just a candidate for libertarians and hardcore fiscal conservatives, he was THE candidate for voters fed up with politics as usual.

2. Ron Paul dominates Republican debates. Dismissed as an also-ran when he announced in March, Ron Paul entered the national consciousness following a memorable exchange with Rudy Giuliani on foreign policy in the second debate on May 15th in South Carolina. Political commentators were quick to label the incident the end of Ron Paul's campaign, but a surprised Sean Hannity was taken aback when Ron Paul was leading the Fox News text message poll after the debate. Ron Paul continued his amazing performance throughout the debate season, winning nearly every post-debate poll, often by large margins, and winning many new supporters along the way.

1. Ron Paul breaks single day political fundraising record. Following up on the unexpected success of the November 5th money bomb, Ron Paul supporters raised the bar even higher by shattering John Kerry's single day fundraising record on December 16th, in celebration of the Boston Tea Party. Over 50,000 individual donors contributed over six million dollars, an amount so incredible that the mainstream media apparently had no explanation for it, even though the meaning was clear: Ron Paul has far more support than the polls are showing, and is going to do much better in the primaries than anyone could have imagined.

The tragic murder of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has increased fear of even greater instability in that nuclear-armed nation, and brought a renewed focus on foreign policy to the American presidential election. Many voters are understandably looking for a strong leader in these uncertain times, but they should also be looking for a candidate with the wisdom and proven judgment to avoid making the problem worse by continuing the failed policies of the past.

Ron Paul warned of the dangers of American involvement in Pakistan as far back as 2002, pointing out that our financial and political support of an unpopular military dictator would lead to negative consequences.

The same is true of Pakistan, where General Musharraf seized power by force in a 1999 coup. The Clinton administration quickly accepted his new leadership as legitimate, to the dismay of India and many Muslim Pakistanis. Since 9/11, we have showered Pakistan with millions in foreign aid, ostensibly in exchange for Musharraf’s allegiance against al Qaeda. Yet has our new ally rewarded our support? Hardly, as the Pakistanis almost certainly harbored bin Laden in the months following 9/11. In fact, more members of al Qaeda probably live within Pakistan than any other country today...

We should stop the endless game of playing faction against faction, and recognize that buying allies doesn’t work. We should curtail the heavy militarization of the area by ending our disastrous foreign aid payments. We should stop propping up dictators and putting band-aids on festering problems. We should understand that our political and military involvement in the region creates far more problems that it solves. All Americans will benefit, both in terms of their safety and their pocketbooks, if we pursue a coherent, neutral foreign policy of non-interventionism, free trade, and self-determination in the Middle East.

Ron Paul's critics might argue that the area is too dangerous to pursue a non-interventionist policy there, but Prime Minister Bhutto herself asked for just such a policy in Pakistan in a Parade magazine interview this November, arguing that our ongoing intervention is making the situation more dangerous.

She would tell him [President Bush], she replies, that propping up Musharraf’s government, which is infested with radical Islamists, is only hastening disaster. “I would say, ‘Your policy of supporting dictatorship is breaking up my country.’ I now think al-Qaeda can be marching on Islamabad in two to four years.”

It may be frightening to leave the situation in Pakistan to the Pakistani people to resolve, as Ron Paul recommends, but our continued meddling or calls for new military intervention could lead to much more frightening and unpredictable consequences.

Perhaps it is Ron Paul's medical training, but he refuses to continue a course of action when it has already proven to make matters worse. In the economic arena, he advises us that we can't solve the problems caused by monetary inflation with more monetary inflation. Similarly, he points out that we can't solve the problems caused by an interventionist foreign policy by continuing that same policy.

Ron Paul summarized the key tenets of his non-interventionist foreign policy in a recent essay, reminding us of where his philosophy originates from, and what it means to the American people:

Free trade means no sanctions against Iran, or Cuba or anyone else for that matter. Entangling alliances with no one means no foreign aid to Pakistan, or Egypt, or Israel, or anyone else for that matter. If an American citizen determines a foreign country or cause is worthy of their money, let them send it, and encourage their neighbors to send money too, but our government has no authority to use hard-earned American taxpayer dollars to mire us in these nightmarishly complicated, no-win entangling alliances.

When we look at global situations today, the words of our Founding Fathers are becoming more relevant daily. We need to understand that a simple, humble foreign policy makes us less vulnerable and less targeted on the world stage. Pakistan should not be getting an "allowance" from us and we should not be propping up military dictators that oppress people. We should mind our own business and stop the oppressive taxation of Americans that makes this meddling possible.

Posted by Paul Bear (www.RonPaulite.com)