Ron Paul: Not Your “Everyday” Republican?
Congressman Ron Paul (R-Surfside) is getting more ink for his presidential run and went to New Hampshire this weekend–the one state where they might actually like his ideas about the Gold Standard:
His target? Disgruntled Republicans who believe their party has drifted away from its moorings over the past few decades.
“He is convinced, as well as I am and others, that there is enough support out there for him to take the next step and find that support,” said Kent Snyder, the exploratory chairman.
Snyder believes that Paul’s diverse views will stand him in better stead on the campaign trail than the largely single-issue candidacies of the three other House members weighing bids. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., is fixated on illegal immigration; Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., on completing the military mission in Iraq; and Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, on ending that same war.
There’s much to choose from Paul’s record as a return-to-the-gold-standard, end abortion, limit government spending and only authorize federal actions explicitly endorsed in the Constitution free marketeer.
And then, of course, there is Paul’s lonely opposition in the GOP to the war in Iraq. The Texan was one of only six Republicans who voted against authorizing the war in 2002 and one of just 17 who voted recently for a resolution opposing President Bush’s decision to send 21,500 more troops.
While the anti-war stance may get him somewhere with moderate Republicans, his anti-abortion stance will hurt him with liberal Republicans and the anti-war issues will hurt him with conservatives. The Gold Standard ideas will hurt him all over the place. In short, only “RLC” Republicans (Republican Liberty Caucus, the Libertarian wing of the party) are his natural base of support. Everything else is going to be a tough sell.
One question is whether or not the fact that he’s a Texan will help him at all in the Lone Star State. Perhaps it might in his congressional district, but I seriously doubt it will do him much good elsewhere in the state. I don’t even see that many members of the Texas Congressional Delegation supporting him because he is so far off the reservation on many Republican issues.
His run will be interesting. If he lasts long enough to participate in the Texas GOP Straw Poll on August 31-September 1, we’ll have a good idea about his Texas support. On the off chance he got the nomination or even a Veep spot (both of which are highly unlikely), I don’t think his presence on the ticket would do anything whatsoever to help the Republicans carry Texas. It won’t hurt, as, in spite of Democratic inroads, it won’t be possible for a Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state until 2012 or later, but I don’t think it will help.
Popularity: 5% [?]
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(On Feb 26th, 2007 at 2:21 pm)
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US Congressman Ron Paul wows crowd of 150 in NH
Pembroke, New Hampshire
Saturday, February 24, 2007
US Congressman Dr. Ron Paul was still receiving applause as he walked out the door of a private home in Pembroke, NH on Saturday evening after speaking to 150 supporters who donated over $14,000 to seed his bid for the presidency. Paul arrived at 9 PM and stayed to mingle with the adoring crowd until 11:30 PM as they drank coffee and dipped fruit from a large arrangement into a chocolate fountain.
While visiting New Hampshire on a presidential exploratory trip, he also appeared at the NH Liberty Forum in Concord, where he had been endorsed for the presidency on the Friday evening before by former Libertarian presidential candidate Michael Badnarik.
Paul’s speech at the private reception, which was recorded professionally by California filmmaker Bill Dumas, centered around the financial state of the country, the war in Iraq, and the limited roll of government, and was met with long bouts of applause by the standing-room only crowd.
Supporters believe that Paul’s message can unite fiscal conservatives, republicans, libertarians, constitutionalists, and others who are disillusioned with the direction in which the country is headed, in the cause of less government and reasonable spending and on getting the country back on track with regard to foreign policy.
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US Congressman Dr. Ron Paul has breakfast in NH
Manchester, NH
Saturday, February 24th, 2007
Note: The Coalition of NH Taxpayers, NH’s largest taxpayer advocacy and government watchdog group, likes to meet one-on-one with candidates and those exploring the possibility of becoming candidates and endeavors to introduce them to the people in the ‘grassroots’. Ed Naile is their Chairman and he had breakfast with US Congressman Dr. Ron Paul on Saturday morning. Dr. Paul was in NH appearing at the NH Liberty Forum in Concord where he gave the closing speech on Sunday the 25th.
Ed writes:
I had about an hour and a half breakfast with Texas Congressman Ron Paul at the Merrimack Diner in Manchester yesterday morning. Some old friends from past campaigns were there as well. About a dozen of us. No press.
Congressman Ron Paul is legendary among many libertarian-leaning Republican conservatives and libertarians in general. He is a living, breathing, elected, example of what our Founding Fathers had in mind for limited government. From speaking with him I think he realizes that the march FORWARD to the time in our past when US citizens had so much more freedom is going to be long one.
He seems to agree with what I believe could be the starting point of that return to less government, and that would be a financial crisis created by our dependence on foreign banks to float our economy. Many voters pay little attention to our dollar’s value. The ones that do pay close attention to Congressman Paul.
Later in the day he was shown a grand evening at a private residence with about 150 people attending. It was set up with the help of one of our CNHT Directors. You won’t see much in the press about it, but 150 is quite a large crowd for a Congressman this early in the campaign. Enough to make some of his issues part of the debate on the Republican side, I would say.
Here are some of his core principals:
- Rights belong to individuals, not groups.
- Property should be owned by people, not government.
- All voluntary associations should be permissible — economic and social.
- The government’s monetary role is to maintain the integrity of the monetary unit, not participate in fraud.
- Government exists to protect liberty, not to redistribute wealth or to grant special privileges.
- The lives and actions of people are their own responsibility, not the government’s.
Congressman Ron Paul is also pro-life and pro-family. Note that is pro-life stand includes ending capital punishment and unnecessary war.
He is for returning to the gold standard.
100% tax fighter! He gets awards consistently from national groups for his anti-tax/big government votes.
Congressman Paul holds an anti-intervention view of foreign military involvement with a provision for hunting down and dealing with terrorists on an individual level.
He is not your average US Congressman by any standard, and a close look at his votes will always stir an interesting debate.
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Note: This is not an official Ron Paul press release but news from NH grassroots supporters.
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