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EspañolRON PAUL PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, 2008
'Ron Paul' is a 10th-term Congressman, a physician (M.D.), and a 2008 presidential candidate from the state of Texas, seeking the nomination of the Republican Party.
Candidacy
On January 11 2007, Representative Ron Paul filed papers to form an exploratory committee for the 2008 presidential race.[1][2]
He formally declared his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination March 12 2007 as a guest on Washington Journal on C-SPAN.[3][4]
This is Paul's second bid for the presidency. In 1988, he ran as the nominee of the Libertarian Party. He placed third in the popular vote (with 431,750 votes - 0.47%), behind Republican George H. W. Bush and Democrat Michael Dukakis.[5]
The Associated Press reports:
:Kent Snyder, the chairman of Paul’s exploratory committee and a former staffer on Paul’s Libertarian campaign, said the congressman knows he’s a long shot.
:Snyder said Paul is running to win, not just to make a point or to try to ensure that his issues are addressed. Snyder said that Paul and his supporters are not intimidated by the presence of nationally known and better-financed candidates, such as U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona or former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney.
:“This is going to be a grassroots American campaign,” he said. “For us, it’s either going to happen at the grassroots level or it’s not.”[6]
On January 22 2007, ''Reason Magazine'' Senior Editor Brian Doherty interviewed Paul about his presidential bid.[7] When asked about what issues he would emphasize, Paul responded:
:Everything I’ve talked about for twenty years! I think the biggest thing for Republican primary voters is that most Republicans are turned off right now. They’ve had a beating and are reassessing their values. They have to decide what they believe in. The Republican Party has become about big government conservatism, and Republicans need to hear the message they used to hear: that conservatives are supposed to be for small government.
Paul also indicated that his grassroots campaign will attempt to take full advantage of the Internet. On February 20 2007, Paul's exploratory committee posted a formal video of him explaining his reason for running on YouTube.[8] At the 2007 New Hampshire Liberty Forum, Ron Paul received the endorsement of the 2004 Libertarian Party presidential candidate Michael Badnarik.
Internet popularity
After the first debate, ABC News noted that Paul has a "robust online presence."[9] ''U.S. News'' has reported him to have an increasing on-line popularity: "…his supporters have flocked to the Internet with such enthusiasm that Paul is now showing up among the much richer candidates in various measures of Internet traffic."[10] According to ''USA Today'', Ron Paul is an online natural.[11]
Rankings
"Ron Paul" has been measured as the top Internet search term by Technorati10 which ranks popularity in the blogosphere. Some have claimed that these rankings are skewed by a small number of supporters who are intentionally inflating search counts.[12][13] However, Aaron Krane, a spokesman for Technorati, has stated his company's position that Ron Paul's search popularity is genuine to the best of their knowledge.10
Beyond the blogosphere, Paul has shown strength across other top Internet sites. Alexa.com data shows Paul's campaign website receiving more traffic than Rudy Giuliani, John McCain or Mitt Romney.[14] Hitwise ranks ''Ron Paul'' as the most frequent candidate search term, by a significant margin over ''Barack Obama'' and ''Mitt Romney''.[15] Kate Kaye of ClickZNews reports that Ron Paul has "rocketed from fifth place to first" in their Republican Candidates' Site Traffic Market Share and Rankings report.[16] By August 2007, his Wikipedia article has risen to 441st on Wikicharts, a measurement of Wikipedia's most-viewed pages—above those of Republican contenders such as Mitt Romney, Rudy Guiliani, and John McCain, and trailing only Fred Thompson's, which has fallen to 393rd.[17]
Traders in on-line prediction market inTrade bet in July 2007 on Paul having slightly higher than a 3% chance of becoming the Republican presidential nominee, ranking fifth among the contenders.[18] Oddsmakers at betting exchange Sportsbook.com reset Paul's odds for becoming president from 200-1, to 15-1 in May 2007, to 8-1 in August 2007.[19]
Social networking
In addition to his search popularity, Ron Paul has become popular on a variety of social networking websites. Paul has over 57,000 "friends" on MySpace.[20] He also has strong support on Facebook, with over 20,000 supporters as of August 22, 2007.[21] In a Facebook presidential poll, Elections 2008, he ranks second among Republicans, with 7% of the vote among all candidates, slightly behind Rudy Giuliani.[22] However, when compared to Democratic candidates as well, Paul was fourth, just behind Hillary Clinton and far below the overall leader, Barack Obama, who has nearly three times as many votes as Guiliani, the next highest candidate.
On YouTube, Paul has the most viewers of all presidential candidates.[23] Ron Paul can also claim the most YouTube subscriptions of all presidential candidates, having surpassed Barack Obama on May 20, 2007.[24] As of August 13, 2007, Ron Paul's YouTube channel was one of the top 40 most subscribed of all time, with over 25,000.[25]
As of August 18, 2007, Ron Paul has the largest distributed grassroots organization on Meetup.com of all candidates, with over 30,216 members in 740 Meetup groups.[26] In comparison, Barack Obama—who has the second largest Meetup organization among active candidates—has just over 4,000 members among 70 Meetup groups. Ron Paul has also earned the attention of sympathizers around the world, who cite his honesty and sound foreign policy as the aspect that draws them the most.[27][28]
Fundraising
Practically all of Paul's campaign money comes from individual contributors,[29] with almost half (47%) of the funds raised from small contributions of $200 or less.[4]
Ron Paul raised more money in New Hampshire in the first quarter of 2007 than presumed Republican front-runners John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. As of March 31, 2007, Paul had raised $639,989 for his campaign nationwide. Of that, he had spent $115,070, giving him $525,919 cash-on-hand.[31]
Ron Paul also received the most fundraising donations from actively serving armed service men and women then any other candidate running.
As of the end of the second quarter 2007, Ron Paul had over $2.4 million in the bank, which was more than John McCain, who only had $2 million. He outraised every second-tier candidate, and was fourth in fundraising among the Republicans, behind only the three frontrunners.[32]
On September 2, 2007, Paul's campaign reported receiving donations in excess of $100,000 during a fundraiser held Labor Day weekend.[33]
Polling
In a CNN telephone poll conducted in February 2007, Paul was the candidate with the least name recognition besides John Cox, leading poll watchers to report that he has the most room to grow if his Internet popularity can expand to voter support.[34] A Gallup poll conducted in July 2007 showed 3% of Republicans and Independents who lean Republican having Paul as their first choice for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.[35] With one-fourth of young people under 30 not having landline phones, some bloggers have put forth the idea that it is possible that Paul's polling numbers underestimate his level of support.[36]
A national telephone survey by Rasmussen Reports in July 2007 showed Paul getting 34% of the votes when matched against Clinton, with 17% undecided. He got 30% against Obama, with 20% undecided. Respectively 13% and 15% of Democrats preferred Paul to either of the two front runners. 20% of likely voters nationwide has a favorable view of Paul, while 38% had an unfavorable view and 43% are "not sure" what to think of him.[37]
A July 2007 Gallup analysis of the relationship between religiosity and preference among the Presidential candidates indicated that Republicans and Republican-leaning voters seldom or never attending church are several times more likely to favor Paul than those in the same group attending church regularly.[38]
Paul drew 3% support in New Hampshire in a May 2007 Zogby poll, fifth among possible Republican contenders.[39] Paul also came in second in fundraising in Montana and at the head of the pack of "second-tier" candidates in 14 other states.[40][41]
In polling conducted at the Utah GOP convention on June 9, 2007, Paul placed second behind Mitt Romney.[42] Paul also placed second in the straw poll conducted at the National Taxpayers Union conference, following Fred Thompson.[43] Ron Paul placed second, polling 17%, in a Cobb County GOP straw poll on July 4, 2007.[44] Ron Paul won the Coalition for New Hampshire Taxpayers straw poll with 65% of the vote. Rudy Giuliani placed a distant second with 8%.[4]
Ron Paul placed third in the Illinois Straw Poll on August 16, 2007, with 18.87 % of the vote, polling just 0.4 % behind undeclared candidate Fred Thompson. Unlike the Ames Straw Poll, there was no cost for voting in the Illinois Straw Poll. Paul dominated the similar West Alabama Republican Assembly 2007 Presidential Preference Straw Poll on August 18, 2007, capturing 216 of 266 votes (81%), far ahead of distant second Mitt Romney, who won only 14.[46] On August 18, Paul also won the Strafford County, New Hampshire, straw poll, with over 70% of the votes.[47] Paul won the South Sound Ronald Reagan Republican Club's straw poll on August 21 in Snohomish County, Washington, with 30 percent of the vote, with Fred Thompson coming in a close second with 27 percent.[48]
Old-fashioned scientific polls, which do not telephone anyone by cell phone, are reported on Web sites such as www.pollster.com. When phoning the land-lines, the questioners from some firms do not name Ron Paul, though he is one of the candidates. In those traditional polls, Ron Paul usually scores between 1 and 3%, as of September 5, 2007. The results displayed on the Web sites often omit Ron Paul's popularity, which usually show only the "leading candidates", which can include people who are not candidates.
Campaign developments
;March 20, 2007 - American Freedom Pledge
:Ron Paul signed the American Freedom Agenda Pledge.[49][50] He is one of the few presidential candidates to have done so.
;March 31, 2007
:Ron Paul said he raised $639,989 and had $524,919 on hand.
;April 10, 2007
:Gallup/''USA Today'' released a poll in which Ron Paul stood fifth among Republican presidential candidates, with 2%.[51]
;June 30, 2007 - Iowa candidates forum
:In Des Moines, Iowa, Iowans for Tax Relief and the Iowa Christian Alliance held a presidential candidates forum. Six candidates appeared—Romney, Brownback, Gilmore, Huckabee, Thompson, and Tancredo. Other than Paul, all Republican presidential candidates featured in the party's debates were invited.[52] Paul campaign manager Lew Moore called ITF Executive Vice President Edward D. Failor, Jr. for information about the event. Failor, a senior advisor for the McCain campaign,[4] told Moore that Paul was not invited and would not be allowed to participate because he was not considered a credible candidate.
:In an interview with host Jan Mickelson of WHO News Radio 1040, Kent Snyder, chairman of Ron Paul's 2008 presidential campaign, and Edward Failor Jr.,[54] Failor said that Ron Paul was excluded because the schedule was "set in stone" a month ago. However, the schedule had been changed on June 8 to replace Jim Gilmore with Duncan Hunter.[55] Mickelson mentioned that he had received an "amazing response" of "hundreds of emails" in protest at the decision after the radio interview, with the feedback nearly crashing the radio station's servers. Mickelson said he thought that Iowans for Tax Relief's decision reflected poorly on the state of Iowa[56] and that to persist in barring Paul made him look "self-destructive" and "intractable" and to continue to bar him made it seem like a "personal thing".
:Fellow Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo, who was invited to the event, had asked for Paul to be included.[4]
:To protest his exclusion from the candidates' forum, Paul planned a competing rally in the same location as the forum, beginning directly afterwards.[58] Paul's rally attracted an estimated 1,200 people, roughly twice the attendance of the presidential candidates forum.[59]
;July 3, 2007 - Publicity blitz
:On the night of July 3 and into the morning of the Fourth, Paul's supporters conducted a nationwide campaign to put up thousands of fliers, posters, and leaflets. The campaign was mostly organized through Meetup.com groups and was not conducted by request of the main campaign office. The goal of the campaign was to bypass a perceived media blackout and bring Paul's campaign directly to the American people on a day that would already have Americans thinking about liberty and freedom.
;August 11, 2007 - Iowa straw poll
:Paul participated in the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa. He ranked 5th out of 11 candidates, receiving 9.1% of the votes.[60][61] According to John Fout, on TheStreet.com, Paul "shocked people in Iowa" by receiving more than 9% of the vote after only making three trips to Iowa, releasing ads only one week before the poll, and for beating out Tommy Thompson, who visited all 99 counties in Iowa.[62] Some Paul supporters are questioning the results of the vote, which was administered through controversial Diebold voting machines.[63] A grass-roots operation called "Operation Spooner" had been held by Paul's supporters to call all voters in Iowa to ask them to support Ron Paul, in order to campaign for the straw poll in Ames on August 11.[64] In an interview about the results of the Straw Poll, fellow candidate Mike Huckabee, who placed second, said that Ron Paul was the candidate most likely to overtake him nationally, saying, "I'm keeping an eye on him."[65]
2008 GOP Presidential Debates
Main articles: Republican Presidential Debates, 2008
===May 3, 2007: California===
Ron Paul participated in a presidential debate at the Reagan Presidential Library at Nancy Reagan's invitation. Paul appeared on Tucker Carlson's show hours before the debate.[4] Nine other Republican candidates debated along with Paul. MSNBC moderated and televised the 90-minute debate, which was also simulcast by Politico.com to give viewers the opportunity to submit questions online. MSNBC's online votes showed Ron Paul standing out from the other candidates. As of May 4, 2007, Ron Paul was ranked first for "Best one liner," "Who stood out from the pack", "Most convincing debater", and "Who showed the most leadership qualities?" In all four, he had at least 29% of the total vote[67] and was winning the "rating and comparing candidates" question[68]. Since these were votes limited to self-selected online viewers of the debate, they may not reflect the views of the entire debate audience.[69] The media faced criticism[70] for largely ignoring Ron Paul's performance.[71]
===May 15, 2007: South Carolina===
On Tuesday, May 15, Paul debated again—in the 2007 First-in-the-South Republican Party Presidential Candidates Debate, televised live by FOX News Channel from the University of South Carolina’s Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia, South Carolina. Fox News Channel Washington Managing Editor Brit Hume moderated the debate and FOX News Sunday Anchor Chris Wallace and White House Correspondent Wendell Goler asked questions of the candidates.[72] In a phone text message based vote among viewers after the debate, Paul finished second with 25% considering him the winner of the debate.[73]
He won the voting on vote.com and MSNBC.com. He appeared on ''Your World Cavuto'' before the debate and ''Hannity & Colmes'' after the debate.
During the debate, Congressman Paul commented that America's history of interventionism in the Middle East has led to an unpopular view of the U.S. in Middle Eastern countries. Agreeing with what has previously been asserted by the 9/11 Commission Report and the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) specialists on al Qaeda, Paul stated that the CIA removal of an elected Iranian leader (the 1953 removal of the democratically elected leader of Iran, Mohammed Mosaddeq in Operation Ajax) and the bombing of Iraq in the 1990s, culminating in the ongoing Iraq war, has led to increasing anti-American sentiment in the Middle East. He went on, stating that these events have also led to terrorists developing such a hatred for America that they're willing to die in suicide attacks and are able to recruit others for their cause.
When asked whether he thought the logic of a non-interventionist policy had changed after the September 11th attacks, the following exchange between Paul and fellow candidate Rudy Giuliani occurred:
Paul and Giuliani
PAUL: No, non-intervention was a major contributing factor. Have you ever read about the reasons they attacked us? They attack us because we've been over there. We've been bombing Iraq for ten years. We've been in the Middle East [for years]. I think [Ronald] Reagan was right. We don't understand the irrationality of Middle Eastern politics. Right now, we're building an embassy in Iraq that is bigger than the Vatican. We're building 14 permanent bases. What would we say here if China was doing this in our country or in the Gulf of Mexico? We would be objecting.
MODERATOR: Are you suggesting we invited the 9/11 Attacks, sir?
PAUL: I'm suggesting that we listen to the people who attacked us and the reason they did it, and they are delighted that we're over there because Osama bin Laden has said, "I'm glad you're over on our sand because we can target you so much easier." They've already now since that time have killed 3,400 of our men, and I don't think it was necessary.
GIULIANI: That's really an extraordinary statement. That's an extraordinary statement, as someone who lived through the attack of September 11, that we invited the attack because we were attacking Iraq. I don't think I've heard that before, and I've heard some pretty absurd explanations for September 11th. And I would ask the congressman to withdraw that comment and tell us that he didn't really mean that.
MODERATOR: Congressman?
PAUL: I believe very sincerely that the CIA is correct when they teach and talk about blowback. When we went into Iran in 1953 and installed the Shah, yes there was blowback. The reaction to that was the taking of our hostages, and that persists. And if we ignore that, we ignore that at our own risk. If we think we can do what we want around the world and not incite hatred, then we have a problem. They don't come here to attack us because we're rich and we're free, they come and attack us because we're over there. I mean what would we think if other foreign countries were doing that to us?[74]
While the confrontation was given some media attention, it was largely cast as a win for Giuliani,[75] and Paul's remarks drew strong criticism from some pundits from the political right (particularly FOX News commentator Sean Hannity[76] and GOP spokesman Michael Steele[77]). Nevertheless, widely available information, including official US documents such as the 9/11 commission report, supports Ron Paul's assertions.[78]
Former head of the CIA's bin Laden unit, Michael Scheuer, said of Paul's statements: "Last week, Representative Paul did all Americans an immense service by simply pointing out the obvious: Our Islamist enemies do not give a damn about the way we vote, think, or live.... We are indeed hated and being warred against because we are 'over there,' and not for what we are and how we live. Our failure to recognize the truth spoken by Mr. Paul – and spelled out for us in hundreds of pages of statements by Osama bin Laden since 1996 – is leading America toward military and economic disaster.... And no matter how you view Mr. Paul’s words, you can safely take one thing to the bank. The person most shaken by Mr. Paul’s frankness was Osama bin Laden, who knows that the current status quo in U.S. foreign policy toward the Islamic world is al-Qaeda’s one indispensable ally, and the only glue that provides cohesion between and among the diverse and often fractious Islamist groups that follow its banner."[79]
As cited in the 9/11 Commission Report, Osama bin Laden's 1996 fatwa[80] called "Declaration of War against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Places," published in Britain, reveals his anger with American policies as his reason for declaring a fatwa. In his fatwa, bin Laden cites the reasons for attacking America. In order, they are:
- American involvement in the Middle East
- Palestine, and
- Sanctions on Iraq
''The Nation'' detailed how the CIA's former bin Laden and al Qaeda specialist, Michael Scheuer, told CNN, "We're being attacked for what we do in the Islamic world, not for who we are or what we believe in or how we live."[78] CIA analyst, political scientist, and author Chalmers Johnson spoke of blowback in regards to the September 11 attacks in October 2001 and has written books on the subject.[82]
In a press release following the debate, Paul's campaign chairman Kent Snyder said in response to Giuliani, "It is clear from his interruption that former Mayor Giuliani has not read the 9-11 Commission Report and has no clue on how to keep America safe" [83] and on May 16, 2007, during an appearance on ''The Situation Room'' with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Paul asked for an apology from Giuliani and suggested that Giuliani should read the 9/11 Commission's Report.[4]
Early supporter of the Iraq War Andrew Sullivan was led by Rep. Paul's remarks to conclude that:
:The question serious supporters of a real war on terror must now ask is: will continuing the fight in Iraq help reverse this trend or cement it for decades to come? Is the war making us less secure and the world much less safe? Would withdrawal or continued engagement makes things better? At the very least, it seems to me, this question should be on the table in the Iraq debate. And yet the Republicans - with the exception of Ron Paul - don't even want to talk about it. Until they do, they are not a party serious about national security.[85]
In the debate, only Paul and McCain did not endorse torture.[86] Paul labeled the phrase ''enhanced interrogation techniques'' used in the debate to be Orwellian newspeak for torture.[87] He has earlier stated that "the American people and government should never abide the use of torture by our military or intelligence agencies".[88]
Since the debate, Ron Paul and his position have also been defended by Lew Rockwell [89], Pat Buchanan [90], Accuracy in Media [91], the John Birch Society[92] and other conservative and libertarian as well as liberal commentators.
Accuracy in Media, a conservative media watchdog, has raised questions about a conflict of interest in Fox News' co-sponsorship of the May 15 Republican debate, [93] pointing out that News Corporation, the parent company of Fox News, is a client of Giuliani. [94]
===June 5, 2007: New Hampshire===
Ron Paul supporters, mostly young, outnumber supporters of other candidates at a pre-debate rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, on June 5, 2007.
Ron Paul participated in the June 5 Republican debate in New Hampshire hosted by CNN.[95] Responding to the question of what the most pressing moral issue in America is, Paul answered that it was America's rejection of a Just War policy in favor of a preemptive military policy:
CNN gave Paul fewer than six minutes[96] out of the two hours of the debate, instead focusing more on candidates Mitt Romney, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani — with each of them receiving over ten minutes.[97] In the CNN post-debate online vote, Paul received the highest marks in all categories except "snappiest dresser."[98]
===August 5, 2007: Iowa===
On August 5, Congressman Paul participated in ABC News's nationally broadcast Republican presidential debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. ''Time'' Magazine's Mark Halperin evaluated Paul's performance "crowd-pleasing," and, added that "if the Republicans nominated a candidate based on who most moved the applause meter, Paul would be giving his acceptance speech next summer."
According to an on-line poll at ABCNews.com, Ron Paul won the debate with 63% of votes.[99] Paul's vote total was nearly eight times as many as the second-place Mitt Romney.99
===September 5, 2007: Durham, New Hampshire===
Supporters outside of the Fox News debate on September 5, 2007
Paul appeared in a Republican debate hosted by Fox News at The Whittemore Center at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire, at 128 Main St. The debate was aired live on Fox News from 9 to 10:30 p.m.[100]
Particularly notable was Congressman Paul's heated exchange with fellow candidate Mike Huckabee over the war in Iraq, which many news sources cited as the highlight of the debate. Paul, having been attacked by Huckabee, retorted, noting the impact the war had on the Republican Party's poor performance in the 2006 elections.
The "public text-messaging" results of the Fox News poll following debate showed that Paul won. He held the highest percentage of votes with more than 33%, with Huckabee, Giuliani, and McCain receiving 18%, 15%, and 14% respectively, Hannity believed the poll results had been unduly influenced by Paul's supporters, despite this being a technical impossibility. [101]
===September 17, 2007: Fort Lauderdale, Florida===
On September 17, Paul will participate in the first-ever Values Voters' Presidential Debate for the GOP candidates. It will be live on Sky Angel, the American Family Association Web site, and many Christian radio stations, including the VCY America network. Five other Republicans (Cox, Brownback, Huckabee, Hunter, and Tancredo) will also attend. A similar event was planned for the Democratic candidates on September 24, but none would confirm their participation. [102] (For the debate previously announced for this date, see November 28, 2007, below.)
===November 28, 2007: Florida===
Paul and McCain had been the only candidates who agreed to the Republican YouTube debate originally scheduled for September 17, 2007. When it appeared that McCain might withdraw, UPI said, "The GOP version of the YouTube debate ... could end up with U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, debating himself."[103] The event was finally rescheduled to November 28.[104] So far, Ron Paul, John McCain, and Mike Huckabee have agreed to the new date.[105]
Notable campaign appearances
;March 21, 2007
:Ron Paul was invited for a brief interview for a segment entitled "Because You Asked."
;March 29, 2007
:Ron Paul was in Arizona, where he was welcomed by Barry Goldwater, Jr., the torchbearer of the Goldwater Conservative movement.[106]
;April 11, 2007
:Ron Paul was in Iowa.[107]
;April 20, 2007
:He was invited back to Fox for a longer interview for a program segment on ''Fox News Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld''.
;April 23, 2007
:Paul appeared on ''Lou Dobbs Tonight'' to talk about free trade for two minutes, followed by questions and answers. [108]
;May 16, 2007
:Paul appeared on CNN's ''The Situation Room'' with Wolf Blitzer.
;May 19, 2007
:Paul appeared at fundraisers in Brenham, Texas, and Austin, Texas, at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.
;May 20, 2007
:Paul appeared on CNN's ''The Late Edition'' with Wolf Blitzer.
;May 21, 2007
:Paul was interviewed on Fox News Radio's "Brian & the Judge."[109]
;May 24, 2007
:Paul and Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA Bin Laden Unit, hosted a press conference to "educate" Rudy Giuliani on foreign policy. Paul and Scheuer explained why Giuliani is wrong on security and foreign policy, providing documentation about the unintended consequences of interventionism - known to many in the intelligence community as "blowback". They assigned Giuliani a reading list of foreign policy books, including ''Dying to Win'', ''Blowback'', ''Imperial Hubris'', and the ''9/11 Commission Report''.[110]
;May 25, 2007
:Paul appeared again in studio on ''Real Time with Bill Maher''.[111]
;May 27, 2007
:Paul was interviewed by Rick Sanchez on CNN Sunday Night Spotlight.[112]
;May 30, 2007
:Paul was interviewed by Dennis Miller[113]
;June 4, 2007
:Paul was interviewed by Jon Stewart on ''The Daily Show''.[114]
;June 5, 2007
:Paul was interviewed by Laura Knoy on New Hampshire Public Radio.[115]
;June 6, 2007
:Paul was interviewed by Tucker Carlson as the first segment of ''>Tucker''.[116]
;June 12, 2007
:Paul is believed to be the first presidential candidate to conduct an interview in a college dorm room. He sat down with Georgetown college student and YouTube analyst James Kotecki, the first candidate to accept Kotecki's offer of a dorm room interview.[117] Paul spoke about his candidacy, foreign policy, Congress and the Constitution, and personal liberties.
;June 13, 2007
:Paul was the guest of Stephen Colbert on ''The Colbert Report''.[118]
;June 14, 2007
:Paul was again interviewed by Tucker Carlson on ''>Tucker''.
;June 14, 2007
:Paul appeared as a featured speaker at the opening reception of the National Taxpayers Union Annual Conference in Washington, DC, as a featured speaker along with Congressman Jeff Flake and fellow Republican presidential candidate, former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore.[119]
;June 15, 2007
:Paul appeared in Kansas City, Missouri, at the Uptown Theatre at a Meetup.com event, where he spoke to 800 supporters.[120]
;June 16, 2007
:Paul arrived in Phoenix, Arizona, to a welcome rally at Sky Harbor International Airport and then spoke at the Arizona Republican Assembly's convention.[121]
;June 19, 2007
:Paul was interviewed on ''Hardball with Chris Matthews'' at 3:30 pm ET[122]
;June 20, 2007
:Paul was interviewed on Bloomberg News[123]
;June 21, 2007
:Paul was interviewed on NPR's "On Point".[124]
;June 22, 2007
:Paul was (for the third time in the campaign) in New Hampshire[125].
;June 26, 2007
:Paul was interviewed on Fox News's "Neil Cavuto Show."
;June 26, 2007
:Paul was interviewed on G4TV's "Attack of the Show."
;July 2, 2007
:Paul was in Chicago, IL, on WGN Radio at 1:05 pm CT; in San Antonio, TX, on KTSA Radio at 5:35 pm CT; and on Fox Radio with Alan Colmes at 10:15 pm ET.
;July 7, 2007
:Ron Paul's son Rand appeared in Concord, New Hampshire, at the Coalition for New Hampshire Taxpayers Picnic and Straw Poll.[126]
;July 8, 2007
:Ron Paul was interviewed for 15 minutes by ABC News' chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos on the program "This Week."
;July 11, 2007
:Ron Paul was interviewed by Tucker Carlson at on MSNBC, mostly discussing how he had amassed more cash on hand than John McCain, and briefly touching on foreign policy and Iraq.
;July 13, 2007
:Paul spoke to an overflow crowd at Google headquarters in Mountain View, California.[127]
;July 14, 2007
:At 10 AM, Paul spoke in Charleston Park (1665 Charleston Road) in Mountain View, California. Charleston Park is immediately east of Google headquarters, near the Shoreline Amphitheater.[128]
;August 5, 2007
:He appeared on ''The Big Story'' in an extended interview. He explained his position on Iraq, social security, and immigration and stated explicitly he does not believe in 9/11 conspiracy theories.
;August 18, 2007
:Paul participated in the "Not My Job" segment of the NPR show Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!
Endorsements
Individuals and organizations endorsing Paul's presidential campaign include:
Academia
★ Walter Block, Ph.D.[129] - Professor of Economics at Loyola University
★ and Fellow at the Mises Institute
★
★ Jack Chambless, Ph.D.[130] - Professor of Economics at Valencia College
★
★ Joe Michael Cobb, Ph.D.[131] - Retired Professor of Economics, Orange Coast College
★ and Saddleback College
★
★ Gary Galles, Ph.D.[132] - Professor of Economics at Pepperdine University
★
★ Walter E. Williams, Ph.D.[133] - Professor of Economics at George Mason University
★
★ Thomas Woods, Ph.D.[134] - Author and resident historian at the Mises Institute
★
★
Entertainers
★ Bill Dumas[135] - Hollywood film producer.
★ Glen Jacobs[136] - WWE wrestler "Kane".
★ Sean Morley[137] - WWE wrestler "Val Venis"
★ Aaron Russo (1943-2007)[138] - Hollywood film producer.
★ Doug Stanhope[139] - Comedian.
★ Jimmie Vaughan[140] - Blues guitarist.
Media
★ James Bovard[141] - Author and columnist
★ Vox Day[142] - Political columnist
★ Marc Emery[143] - Radio station manager
★ Devvy Kidd[144] - Political columnist
★ Texe Marrs[145] - Pastor, author and radio host
★ Richard Maybury - Publisher of U.S. & World Early Warning Report for Investors
★ Paul Mulshine[146] - Journalist
★ Peter Schiff[147] - Financial consultant and Fox News contributor
★ Gary B. Smith[148] - Fox News economics commentator
★ Joseph Sobran[149] - Columnist
★ Tucker Carlson[150] - Host of Tucker
★ G. Edward Griffin[151] - author and film producer
★ Robert Novak[152] - journalist and syndicated columnist
Organizations
★ Jefferson Republican Party [153]
★ United Republicans of California[4]
Government officials
★ Karen Kwiatkowski[155] - Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel
★ Michael Scheuer[156] - former head analyst at the CIA’s bin Laden unit
★ Judge Andrew Napolitano[157] - Superior Court judge in New Jersey from 1987 to 1995, New Jersey's youngest life-tenured judge. He also served as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall Law School for eleven years. Judge Napolitano labelled Dr. Ron Paul as "The Thomas Jefferson of our age."
Elected officials
★ Bob Barr[158] - Former Member of Congress from Georgia.
★ Paul Findley[159] - Former Member of Congress from Illinois.
★ Barry Goldwater, Jr.[160] - Former Member of Congress from California.
★ Jim Guest[161] - Missouri State Representative, District 5.
★ Barbara Hagan[162] - Long-time right-to-life activist and former two-term New Hampshire state representative.
★ Jerry O'Neil - Montana State Senator.
★ Steve Vaillancourt - New Hampshire State Representative.
Other political
★ Michael Badnarik[163] - 2004 Libertarian Party Presidential candidate.
★ Chuck Baldwin[164] - 2004 Constitution Party Vice-Presidential candidate.
★ Jim Clymer[165] - Constitution Party National Chair.
★ Frank Gonzalez[166][167] - 2008 Independent Congressional candidate in Florida.
★ Stephen P. Gordon[168] - Chairman of the Alabama Libertarian Party, former Communications Director and Political Director of the national Libertarian Party.
★ Larry Kilgore[169] - 2008 Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas.
★ Steve Kubby[170] - 2008 Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate.
★ Michael Peroutka[171] - 2004 Constitution Party Presidential Candidate.
★ Justin Raimondo[172] - 1996 Republican Congressional candidate in California and editorial director of Antiwar.com.
★ Michael Charles Smith[173] - 2008 Republican Party Presidential candidate.
★ Theodore Terbolizard[174][175] - 2008 Republican Congressional candidate in California District 4.
★ Ed Thompson - 2002 Libertarian Party candidate for govennor of Wisconsin.
Other
★ Reverend John Killian[176] - At the Alabama Republican Straw Poll
Comments by observers
★ On February 20, 2007, prior to Paul formally announcing his candidacy, Radley Balko of Foxnews.com wrote an article[177] titled "Ron Paul, the Real Republican?" Balko concludes the piece with: "Of all the candidates so far declared, only Paul can credibly lay claim to the legacy of the Reagan-Goldwater revolution. How well he does, how long he lasts, and who ends up defeating him will reveal whether there's any limited government allegiance at all still stirring the Republican Party."
★ After the May 3, 2007, debate at Reagan Library, Pat Buchanan told MSNBC's Keith Olbermann that Ron Paul came the closest of all the candidates to classic conservatism. Donald Luskin told CNBC that Paul was his "pro-stock market candidate."[178]
★ On the May 16, 2007, episode of ABC's ''The View'', co-hosts Joy Behar and Rosie O'Donnell, both known for expressing liberal views, praised Paul's critique of U.S. foreign policy in the May 15 South Carolina debate. [179]
★ Bill Maher, professional comedian and talk show host, referred to Paul as his "new hero" in response to the Congressman's anti-war comments during the May 15, 2007, South Carolina debate.[180] In the same show, he asked his guest, Democratic presidential candidate Senator Christopher Dodd, why Dodd couldn't be a "truth-teller" like Paul.
★ Andrew Napolitano, Fox News analyst and former New Jersey Supreme Court judge, has praised Paul's stances in Congress, calling him "the Thomas Jefferson of our day."[181]
★ In an interview in June 2007, former presidential candidate Ralph Nader praised Ron Paul and fellow candidate Democrat Mike Gravel.[182]
★ Democratic congressman John Larson (CT-1), who is not known for praising those outside his party, gave a speech in the House of Representatives[183] in which he said:
"Meanwhile, while [Republicans] dither, we lost more than 23 soldiers this past weekend. How much longer can the insanity continue here without a strategy that provides us with the strategic withdrawal to an over-the-horizon force as has been advocated on this floor by colleagues on both sides of the aisle? Why is it that Ron Paul is the only presidential candidate who has the nerve on the Republican side to talk about it without fear of being called unpatriotic or in fact booed in an audience?"
★ Syndicated columnist Joseph Sobran wrote of Paul in June 2007: "He may have become at last what he has always deserved to be: the most respected member of the U.S. Congress. He is also the only Republican candidate for president who is truly what all the others pretend to be, namely, a conservative."[184]
★ ''The Economist'' noted his rising poll ratings and Internet popularity, and pointedly asked the question: "Is this would-be president brave or crazy?" (July 19, 2007 [185])
★ Robert Novak noted on July 27, 2007, that "Republican leaders report that the most enthusiasm among grassroots activists is for Gingrich and libertarian Representative Ron Paul."[186]
See also
★ Political positions of Ron Paul
★ Ron Paul
★ Republican presidential debates, 2008
★ Republican Liberty Caucus
★ U.S. presidential election, 2008
References
1. Ron Paul Running for President Again?
2. An Actual Peace and Freedom Candidate
3. Paul formally launches presidential bid Gary Martin
4.
5. 1988 VOTE: The Final Word
6. Texas Congressman Ron Paul files for GOP presidential bid on Star Telegram accessed at March 4 2007
7. Paul for President? on Reason Online accessed at March 4 2007
8. RP PEC Video on YouTube accessed on March 4 2007
9. ABC analysis of "The Ron Paul Effect"
10. U.S.News and World Report: Ron Paul's Online Rise accessed on May 10, 2007
11. Ron Paul's Web of support: He's an 'online natural'
12. http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/may2007/160507foxclaims.htm
13. http://www.gambling911.com/Ron-Paul-071207.html
14. related info for ronpaul2008.com/
15. Top 10 Presidential Candidate 2008 Search Terms
16. ClickZNews
17. [1] August 2007 data
18. Ready, Ames, Fire: The Iowa Straw Poll Ken Rudin
19. Ron Paul Odds Slashed From 15 to 1 to 8 to 1 Christopher Costigan
20. MySpace.com - Ron Paul 2008 Ron Paul 2008
21. Congressman Ron Paul for President 2008
22. Facebook Election '08
23. "YouTube stats" techPresident.com
24. "Ron Paul Official Daily Update" ronpaul2008.com
25. YouTube accessed on August 13, 2007
26. Meetup.com
27. Ron Paul earns the world’s attention T.R. Miller
28. Ils Aiment Ron Paul Sarah Wheaton
29. 2008 Presidential Election: Ron Paul Campaign Money
30.
31. http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/money/gop.html
32. http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/07/ron-paul-tops-m.html
33. http://ronpaul2008.typepad.com/ron_paul_2008/2007/09/successful-fund.html
34. CNN / WMUR Granite State Poll, New Hampshire Primary Poll (February 2007)
35. 2008 Nomination Contests Holding Steady With Clinton and Giuliani on Top
36. Are Cell-Phones Hurting Ron Paul? Andrew Sullivan
37. http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/story/142542.html
38. Impact of Religion on Clinton's and Giuliani's Election Chances
39. Zogby: Romney Widens Lead in New Hampshire
40. Texas Congressman Ron Paul Hopes to Garner Support for Presidential Bid with Internet, Debates AP
41. Romney is Clear Leader in New Hampshire
42. http://www.sltrib.com/ci_6106279 Matt Canham
43. Full Straw Poll Results accessed on June 22, 2007
44. A Fourth of July straw poll for Republicans
45.
46. Paul grabs Republican Straw Poll
47. The Concord Monitor. Liebowitz, Dorgan. From Iowa, regrets about the calendar. http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070822/OPINION/708220316/1101/NEWS04
48. According to a campaign press release: http://campaignsandelections.com/nh/releases/index.cfm?ID=3238
49. Charlie Savage: Disaffected conservatives set a litmus test for '08. In Boston Globe, June 12, 2007.
50. American Freedom Agenda at C-Span on streaming video
51. Gallup Poll on Republican Presidential Contest on Ballot access news accessed at May 10, 2007
52. Ron Paul Excluded in Iowa on Ron Paul 2008 Daily Update accessed at June 21 2007
53.
54.
55. Excluding Ron Paul on lewrockwell.com accessed at June 21 2007
56.
57.
58. In Iowa: Ron Paul to Celebrate Life and Liberty on Ron Paul 2008 Blog accessed on June 23 2007
59. Ron Paul Controversy Over Iowa Tax Rally Turnout
60. Romney Wins Iowa Straw Poll As Expected Mike Glover
61. Romney Wins Straw Poll, Huckabee Takes Second Chase Martyn
62. GOP Fails to Spin Gold From Straw Poll John Fout
63. Ron Paul Supporters Denounce Iowa Diebold Use
64. http://dailypaul.com/node/637
65. ''The Colbert Report'' 8/16/07.
66.
67. Vote on the California Republican debate
68. Interactive rate the candidates
69. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3704453/
70. Press Ignores Paul GOP-Debate Win Alex Wallenwein
71. Who's 'Real' Winner of Latest Republican Debate? Yahoo News May 11, 2007
72. Ten candidates to participate in historic First-in-the-South Presidential Candidates Debate accessed at May 4, 2007
73. You Decide: Viewers Say Who Won Tuesday Night's GOP Presidential Debate
74. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7d_e9lrcZ8
75. Lone Star Brendan Dougherty, Michael
76. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEZO7MPxJIs
77. But Who Was Right – Rudy or Ron? Pat Buchanan
78. Rudy Giuliani Vs. Ron Paul, and Reality
79. Fmr. Chief of CIA Osama Unit: Why They Attack Us Scott Horton
80. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fatwa_1996.html
81. Rudy Giuliani Vs. Ron Paul, and Reality
82. Blowback
83. Ron Paul Press Release May 16, 2007
84.
85. Blowback Andrew Sullivan
86. [4]
87. http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/opinion/homepage/article_1698827.php
88. http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul185.html
89. http://www.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/paul-said-it.html
90. http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55763
91. http://www.aim.org/aim_column/5461_0_3_0_C/
92. http://www.jbs.org/node/4003
93. http://www.postchronicle.com/commentary/article_21282180.shtml
94. [5]
95. http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=060607_republican_debate.htm
96. 5:51 according to the New York Times[6]
97. Graph of June 5 debate candidate airtime at Chris Dodd website
98. CNN Poll results accessed on June 6, 2007,
99. Vote: Who Won the Republican Debate?
100. http://www.update08.foxnews.com/
101. "You Decide: Results of 'Hannity & Colmes' Text Messaging Poll." ''FOXNews.com''. 6 September 2007. [7]
102. http://www.valuesvoterdebate.com/
103. Republican hopefuls avoid YouTube debate
104. http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/04/youtube.debates/index.html
105. http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/20070815/ts_usnews/gopyoutubedebatetogoon
106. Barry Goldwater, Jr. with Paul accessed at May 14, 2007
107. Ron Paul 2008 Daily Updates accessed at April 16, 2007
108. [8]
109. http://dissentradio.com/lrc/napolitano_ronpaul.mp3
110. Reuters: N24342743.htm U.S. candidate Paul assigns reading to Giuliani. May 24, 2007.
111. Bill Maher interview accessed on May 31, 2007
112. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0705/27/cnr.04.html
113. Dennis Miller Radio accessed on June 1, 2007
114. http://www.interbridge.com/lineups.html#DS
115. http://www.nhpr.org/node/13016
116. [9]
117. Candidates Learn From College Students Schwab, Nikki
118. http://www.interbridge.com/lineups.html#CR
119. [10]
120. http://eventful.com/events/E0-001-004796429-8
121. http://eventful.com/events/E0-001-004802246-5
122. CONGRESSMAN RON PAUL MSNBC JUNE 19, 2007 on YouTube accessed at June 21, 2007
123. Ron Paul On Bloomberg News 6/20/07 on YouTube accessed at June 21, 2007
124. GOP Presidential Candidate Ron Paul on "On Point" with Tom Ashbrook. Aired on NPR June 21, 2007. retrieved from onpointradio.org.
125. Ron Paul in New Hampshire
126. http://ronpaul.meetup.com/6/calendar/5890818/?a=mu_wkaavzk7vw
127. Ostrom, Mary Anne. "Googlers applaud GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul." ''San Jose Mercury News''. 14 July 2007. [11]
128. http://www.ronpaulrally.com/
129. http://www.walterblock.com/
130. http://www.jackchambless.com/
131. Ron Paul for President
132. http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/galles6.html
133. http://web.archive.org/web/20070403101245/http://washtimes.com/national/20070208-115701-1864r_page2.htm
134. http://www.lewrockwell.com/woods/woods63.html
135. Get Involved
136. [12]
137. [13]
138. Aaron Russo endorses Ron Paul
139. [14]
140. [15]
141. [16]
142. [17]
143. The Prince of Pot Boycotts Hershey's on YouTube accessed at May 24 2007
144. http://www.newswithviews.com/Devvy/kidd270.htm
145. Secrets (Volume 132) accessed July 10, 2007
146. [18]
147. [19]
148. [20]
149. [21]
150. [22]
151. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw6zhIiGCvg
152. http://video1.washingtontimes.com/fishwrap/2007/07/novak_handicaps_the_field.html
153. "Therefore, the Jefferson Republican Party hereby fully endorses and supports the Honorable Ron Paul in his bid to become the next president of the United States of America." A Return To Jeffersonian Principles
154.
155. http://www.lewrockwell.com/kwiatkowski/kwiatkowski183.html
156. http://www.antiwar.com/scheuer/?articleid=11052
157. http://thefreedomfellowship.blogspot.com/2007/07/andrew-napolitano-at-fff-conference.html
158. [http://www.centredaily.com/news/politics/story/157983.html
159. [23]
160. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPoFXl97wv4
161. [24]
162. http://ronpaul2008.typepad.com/ron_paul_2008/ Pro-Life Leader Endorses Ron Paul
163. Libertarian Badnarik Endorses Ron Paul
164. 2004 Constitution Party Vice Presidential candidate endorses Ron Paul
165. RARE MEDIA SIGHTING OF CONSERVATIVES IN TV DEBATE GIVES HOPE FOR ‘08
166. Ron Paul Democrat Gonzalez for Congress 2008 Frank Gonzales Official campaign site accessed at June 2007
167. Barack Obama Meet Ron Paul Supporters Frank Gonzales campaigning for Ron Paul's election accessed at August 2007
168. Why I’m Supporting Ron Paul
169. Larry Kilgore endorses Ron Paul for President
170. http://www.kubby2008.com/node/54
171. Peroutka slams big-money presidential hopefuls
172. [25]
173. You Can’t Push a Rope On Smith official webpage accessed at March 31 2007
174. Campaign wesbite
175. Youtube Endorsement
176. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZTpYTQLz6c
177. Ron Paul, the Real Republican? Balko, Radley
178. "Ron Paul in Debate at Reagan Library (May '07)" YouTube
179. http://blog.lewrockwell.com/lewrw/archives/013064.html
180. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SsSZ-lvPfc&eurl=
181. Speech before the Future of Freedom Foundation http://youtube.com/watch?v=t8QwTKKSvR8
182. Roger Simon, “Hillary Clinton Stars as Al Gore: Ralph Nader Ponders Another Run”, ''National Review'', Accessed June 24, 2007.
183. Roger Simon, "Larson Praises Republican on YouTube”, ''Hartford Courant'', Accessed June 27, 2007.
184. http://buchanan.org/blog/?p=787
185. http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9514241
186. http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=21712
External links
;Official sites
★ Presidential Campaign Website
★
★ Meetup
★
★ YouTube
★
★ MySpace
★
★
★ Eventful
;Other sites
★ 'Ron Paul Library', more than 900 articles and speeches by Ron Paul
★ Ron Paul 2008 Presidential Grassroots Campaign
★ Support Ron Paul for President in 2008 Podcast
★ Ron Paul's Weekly Audio Address Podcast
★ An anti-Ron Paul site
★ May 2007 Republican Debate Transcript, New York Times
★ Ron Paul 08 Blog
★ Ron Paul for President 2008 Up to date News, Videos, Forums and more for Ron Paul
★
★ Ron Paul Wiki
★ Ron Paul Ranking in Spartan Internet Political Performance Index
;Grassroots sites
★ Ron Paul 2008
★ Ron Paul Online
★ Ron Paul Forums
★ Becoming a Delegate for Ron Paul
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