_Dr. Ron Paul
There is only one honorable and principled candidate who opposes all of the corruption: Dr. Ron Paul, "The Champion of the Constitution." He is the imperfect messenger with the perfect message: LIBERTY & PEACE.
This short video, made when Ron Paul was running for Congress for the second time, gives one a more intimate understanding of the man and why he chose to run for public office in the first place. The information in this video is easily transposed in support of Ron Paul's candidacy for president, because, philosophically, he's the same now as he was then. That's one of the things that makes Ron Paul so popular: his incorruptible consistency.
Foreign Policy
Policy Goal: Promote peace and prosperity through free trade; bring the troops home to protect us, not start wars. Author: A Foreign Policy of Freedom: Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship
Experience:
- As Air Force/Air National Guard flight surgeon was stationed in Ethiopia, Iran, Pakistan, South Korea, and Turkey (1963 – 1968).
- Congress Member, 12 terms.
- Member, House Foreign Affairs Committee.
- Speech before the House laying out his foreign-policy predictions.
Plan: Practice the “golden rule” in foreign policy, & stop paying for defense of Japan, Germany & others.
Actions:
- In Congress, voted to target Osama Bin Laden.
- Opposed sanctions as “an act of war.”
- Pushed Congress to debate, and declare or reject, wars.
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Some criticize Ron Paul on foreign policy, yet he receives more donations from active military personnel than all of the Republican candidates and Obama combined. Here's why. The fact that Ron Paul honorably served his country in the Air Force goes a long way with veterans. In fact, Ron Paul’s top three donors come from individuals in the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Navy. By the way, Ron Paul is the only Republican candidate vying to be Commander-in-chief who has actually been in the military. Ronald Reagan said it best:
"Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country."
Officials like Senator Jim DeMint, SC State Senator Tom Davis, national security expert and former CIA Bin Laden hunter Michael Scheuer, Retired Army Col. Douglas MacGregor and writers like Bruce Fein and Tom Woods support Ron Paul for a variety of reasons. However, they all agree that Ron Paul's non-interventionist foreign policy is superior, not only because of the economic and constitutional implications, but because concentrating our armed forces close to home will ultimately make our defenses even stronger and our citizens safer.
Consider this quote from Dr. Paul's book, The Revolution: A Manifesto:
"It is easy to dismiss the non-interventionist view as the quaint aspiration of men who lived in a less complicated world, but it’s not so easy to demonstrate how current policies serve any national interest at all. Perhaps an honest examination of the history of American interventionism in the twentieth century, from Korea to Kosovo to the Middle East, would reveal that the Founding Fathers foresaw more than we think.
"Anyone who advocates the non-interventionist foreign policy of the Founding Fathers can expect to be derided as an isolationist. I myself have never been an isolationist. I favor the exact opposite of isolation: diplomacy, free trade, and freedom of travel. The real isolationists are those who impose sanctions and embargoes on countries and peoples across the globe because they disagree with the internal and foreign policies of their leaders. The real isolationists are those who choose to use force overseas to promote democracy, rather than seeking change through diplomacy, engagement, and by setting a positive example. The real isolationists are those who isolate their country in the court of world opinion by pursuing needless belligerence and war that have nothing to do with legitimate national security concerns."
It bears repeating that we did not have to go to war in Afghanistan in an attempt to bring Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda to justice for 9/11. Afghanistan had nothing to do with 9/11. Unfortunately, our Government used the fear, pain and suffering of 9/11 to rally support for an unjust war. Why? As mentioned earlier, Afghanistan plays a part in a larger oil strategy; the same applies to Iraq (a war Dr. Paul did not vote for).
Demonstrating a strong sense of morality, military acumen and fiscal responsibility, Dr. Paul introduced H.R. 3076, the September 11 Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001 to Congress. H.R. 3076 would have sent "privately armed and equipped persons and entities" on a specific and narrow mission to take out bin Laden and al-Qaeda. In all likelihood bin Laden would have been captured or killed long ago had we passed H.R. 3076 in 2001. Unfortunately, Congress, in all of their "wisdom," shot down H.R. 3706. What would H.R. 3706 have saved us? As of this writing, this is what we have lost (the links below will give you updated figures):
And for good measure, let's include some Iraq statistics:
Total Cost of Wars to the U.S. Since 2001: almost 1.3 Trillion dollars. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer... and dying.
On April 14, 2012, The New York Times reports an American soldier dies every day and a half, on average, in Iraq or Afghanistan. Veterans kill themselves at a rate of one every 80 minutes. More than 6,500 veteran suicides are logged every year — more than the total number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq combined since those wars began.
Perhaps the above statistics make it a little clearer why Dr. Paul is a non-interventionist. The costs of war are just too dear. We should not go to war unless there is a legitimate threat to the U.S. and all efforts at a peaceful, diplomatic solution have failed.
A recent Department of Defense report supplies more evidence that Ron Paul is right about Iran. This article sums it up nicely and provides a link to the DoD report. The gist: Iran is not interested in developing nukes to bomb America as Santorum would have us believe; it's about discouraging attacks from "regional powers such as Turkey or Israel," because they'd think twice about attacking a nuclear Iran. Importantly, there is currently no hard evidence that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon. That's not to say Ron Paul isn't worried about a nuclear Iran. Of course he is; he's said so many times. However, a costly war with Iran is simply not justified at this time.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey agrees with Ron Paul on Iran. General Dempsey has urged against an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear program, stating “It’s not prudent at this point to decide to attack Iran,” and such a strike would be “destabilizing and wouldn’t achieve [Israel's] long-term objectives.” Dempsey, the highest ranking military officer in the U.S., went on to emphasize that while all options remain on the table, U.S. intelligence indicates that Iran has not yet decided to pursue a nuclear weapon.
The New York Times published an article on February 24, 2012 entitled, "U.S. Agencies See No Move by Iran to Build a Bomb." Even as the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said in a new report that Iran had accelerated its uranium enrichment program, American intelligence analysts continue to believe that there is no hard evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear bomb.
If we let Israel take care of itself, if we allow it be the sovereign nation it claims it wants to be and control its own destiny, Iran would not be a threat to us:
"My friends, you don't need to do nation building in Israel. We're already built. You don't need to export democracy to Israel. We've already got it. You don't need to send American troops to defend Israel. We defend ourselves. You've been very generous in giving us tools to do the job of defending Israel on our own." - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress, May 24, 2011.
Israel can defend itself militarily. It's ranked 10th in the world on "global fire power." Iran is ranked 12th. That's not even factoring in Israel's nuclear capability. When you do that, there is no contest between Israel and Iran.
The predominant reason we are in the Middle East is to control the oil and maintain the Petrodollar System. Not because we need Middle Eastern oil, but because we want it. We import most of our oil conflict-free from Canada and Mexico. The technology already exists to make the U.S. completely independent from oil in the Middle East, but doing so would involve:
- oil conservation,
- adapting industry and infrastructure to accommodate the alternate energy sources we already have,
- offshore drilling for American oil,
- developing America's oil shale reserves.
That would be costly and difficult (though far from impossible), and environmental groups would be up in arms. It's simply easier for the U.S. to stick with its Middle Eastern oil strategy, for now anyway. It's also a geopolitical chess match. The more the U.S. controls oil in the Middle East and Asia, the more power it has over countries like China and Russia. Lastly, it's about preservation of the Petrodollar System (as outlined in the Bush & Obama section). Unless our energy and monetary policies change, our foreign policy will remain the same - we will be inextricably linked to Israel, we will remain in the region and the oil wars will continue. It's also worth considering the role Israel and her sympathizers may play in the central banks of the world (however, that's pure conjecture).
The main reason we are the target of terrorist organizations is the blowback phenomenon. It's because the American government relentlessly meddles in the internal affairs of sovereign nations to further the spread of empire. Ron Paul frequently uses the China example to illustrate this point.
Ron Paul gave a very powerful speech on the floor of Congress. It's famously referred to as his "What If" speech. It chillingly criticizes America's foreign policy and illustrates the horrors of war.
The Economy
Priorities: Remove politics from the economy; return control to the people. End government inflation.
Experience:
Congressional Committees: Banking Financial Services; Ranking Member, Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology; Vice-Chair of Oversight and Investigations; Joint Economic Committee.
Small business owner:
- Medical practice
- Publishing company
- Retail coin shop
Author: End the Fed
Plan:
- Save $1 trillion federal spending, year one.
- Use savings to reduce taxes, fund social programs, and investment.
- Balance budget by year 3.
Actions:
- Obtained audit of Fed. Reserve Bank; exposed payments to foreign banks.
- Opposed bailouts & stimulus.
- Voted against CARS.
- Voted against TARP.
- Predicted the Housing bubble in a speech opposing the bill that created it.
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Out of all the candidates running for president in 2012, including Obama, Ron Paul, hands down, has the greatest and most sophisticated knowledge of economic matters. In 2002, long before the shit hit the fan, Ron Paul made uncannily accurate social and economic predictions regarding what was to come in the following decade. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough was stunned at how accurate his predictions were. Clearly, this demonstrates Ron Paul's wisdom and intelligence in this area. Some rather illustrious authorities on economics agree.
The late Milton Friedman was an American economist, statistician, and author who taught at the University of Chicago for more than three decades. He was a recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, and is known for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory, and the complexity of stabilization policy. The Economist described him as "the most influential economist of the second half of the 20th century…possibly of all of it." Here's what he had to say about Ron Paul:
"I strongly support Ron Paul. We very badly need to have more Representatives in the House who understand in a principled way the importance of property rights and religious freedom."
The late Murray N. Rothbard was an American author and economist of the Austrian School. Mr. Rothbard wrote over twenty books and is considered a centrally important figure in the American libertarian movement. He wrote the forward to one of Ron Paul's books called, Gold, Peace, and Prosperity: The Birth of a New Currency. Here's an excerpt:
"Ron Paul is a most unusual politician...he really knows what he’s talking about...he is familiar with the most advanced and complex economic insights on the true nature of inflation, on how inflation works, and how inflationary credit expansions brings about booms and busts. And yet Ron has the remarkable ability to take these complex and vital insights and to present them in clear, lucid, hard-hitting terms to the non-economist reader. His economics is as sound as a bell.
"But, even more important, Ron Paul is an unusual politician because he doesn’t simply pay lip service to moral principles. He believes in moral principles in his mind and heart, and he fights for them passionately and effectively. High on his set of moral principles is the vital importance of individual freedom, of the individual’s natural right to be free of assault and aggression, and of his right to keep the property that he has earned on the free market, and not have it stolen from him by confiscatory taxes and government regulations.
"Ron Paul, in short, is that rare American, and still rarer politician, who deeply understands and battles for the principles of liberty that were fought for and established by the Founding Fathers of this country. He understands that sound economics, moral principles, and individual freedom all go together, like a seamless web. They cannot be separated, and they stand or fall together."
In a recent CNBC interview, when asked who would be the better outcome for president, bond king Bill Gross of Pimco said, "I'm a little Ron Paulish..." essentially saying that Ron Paul is the candidate who would create an environment for real long-term investment in the U.S. In his February newsletter, Mr. Gross laments the end of economic life as we know it in this country, "We are witnessing the death of abundance and the borning of austerity, for what may be a long, long time." The Ron Paul endorsement... Gross' bleak economic outlook... When Bill Gross talks, people listen. One can only hope.
Economics experts like Dr. Iris Mack (Harvard Math Whiz/Derivatives Whistleblower) endorse Ron Paul for President, "because he is the only presidential candidate who understands the current dire straits the economy is in and the only one with a coherent plan to fix things.” She says, “Ron Paul is the only non-elitist candidate and the only candidate that would put the country back on the road to liberty."
Economists like Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal and Bob Murphy also support Ron Paul's economic plan. Ron Paul's position on taxes has lead to support for him from the National Taxpayers Union and the National Federation of Independent Business. The latter of these groups also supports Dr. Paul because he advocates tort reform.
In fact, on February 24, 2012, the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) said that Ron Paul's Congressional record on taxes is "exemplary" and "without peer." Dr. Paul earns high praise for being a taxpayer watchdog, and works to ensure that federal government revenue is collected in a manner consistent with Washington’s constitutional limits to collect it.
Even establishment NeoCon talking heads like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity (who are generally not fans of Paul) concede that Ron Paul has the best plan for the economy.
Just recently, Ron Paul prepared a thorough plan to specifically address the economic problems taking place in Nevada. It was done in preparation for the Nevada Caucus. If that's not expertise, nothing is.
CNN: 3 of 4 GOP Candidates Would Add to Deficits. Here's the report by CNN Money:
Newt Gingrich’s economic plan would do a lot of things, but reducing the debt and balancing the federal budget aren’t among them. Same goes for Rick Santorum’s and Mitt Romney’s economic plans. Indeed, a preliminary analysis by the independent Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget released Thursday estimates that the three candidates’ plans could add between $250 billion and $7 trillion of debt over the next nine years.
By contrast, the proposals of Ron Paul could reduce the debt by $2.2 trillion, the group estimated.
Newt Gingrich’s plan
Debt over next decade: Adds $7 trillion, increasing debt to GDP to 114%.
Rick Santorum’s plan
Debt over next decade: Adds $4.5 trillion, increasing debt to GDP to 104%.
Mitt Romney’s plan
Debt over next decade: Adds $250 billion, increasing debt to GDP to 86%.
Ron Paul’s plan
Debt over next decade: Reduces it by $2.2 trillion, lowering debt to GDP to 76%.
Ron Paul Issues Statement on Latest CBO Report:
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report “Understanding and Responding to Persistently High Unemployment" shows that, when those who have given up looking for work and those working part-time but would prefer full-time work are counted, the unemployment rate is actually 15%. The CBO study also projects that the official unemployment rate will remain above 8% until at least 2014.
Dr. Paul issued the following statement on the latest CBO report:
“The CBO report confirms that, despite the happy talk from Washington, the economy remains in crisis. Ironically, this report was released the week of the third anniversary of the passage of the President’s stimulus plan, which the President and his Keynesian supporters promised would reduce unemployment to below 8%.
“Clearly, the Keynesian tax-borrow-spend approach favored by the elites of both parties has failed. My Plan to Restore America not only balances the budget in three years, but it will create jobs by permanently extending the Bush-era tax cuts, ending all taxes on personal savings, and lowering the corporate tax rate to 15%.
“The plan allows American companies to repatriate capital without additional taxation. Repatriation alone will bring trillions of dollars into the economy.
“My Plan to Restore America also begins to rein in the Federal Reserve by conducting a full audit of the Fed and legalizing competing currencies so the American people can protect themselves from the economic chaos caused by the Fed.
“The Plan to Restore America frees American entrepreneurs and workers from unconstitutional, job-destroying regulations. On my first day as President, I will order the federal bureaucracy to stop enforcing the unconstitutional National Health Care, Dodd-Frank, and Sarbanes-Oxley laws. I will also impose an immediate moratorium on all new regulations.
“Of the five men seeking the presidency in the major parties – President Obama, Governor Romney, Speaker Gingrich, Senator Santorum, and myself – I am the only one who predicted the economic meltdown and the only one who has proposed a serious plan to balance the budget, reduce taxes, and create jobs.”
ICYMI: Taxpayer Group Study Shows Ron Paul’s Plan for Cuts “Dwarfs Others" - Study finds that Ron Paul proposes double the reductions of his nearest challenger.
NPR's "Planet Money" Endorses Ron Paul Economics:
In a STUNNING admission, NPR's "Planet Money" surveyed 5 ideologically diverse economists and found 6 policies they all agreed on. Hear the podcast.
Ironically, they all align with Dr. Paul's platform for economic renewal:
1. Eliminate the mortgage tax deduction (government subsidy)
2. End tax deductions for health-care (buy your own...)
3. Eliminate the corporate income tax
4. Eliminate all income and payroll taxes
5. Tax consumption NOT income!
6. Legalize Marijuana
"Audit the Fed" & "Sound Money"
Ron Paul wants to audit the Federal Reserve and stop them from having the power to print money out of nothing, a practice that leads to enormous debt and devaluation of the currency (paper "fiat" money). He also wants to end the practice known as "fractional reserve banking" which is a form of banking where banks maintain reserves that are only a fraction of the customer's deposits. Funds deposited into a bank are mostly lent out, and a bank keeps only a fraction (called the reserve ratio) of the quantity of deposits as reserves. This practice has led to a whole host of economic/banking problems through the ages.
Regarding currency, he wants to transition to what he calls "sound money." Sound money is backed by something real like gold or silver or other precious metal (“hard money”), but really it can be anything that is agreed upon by the people. For example, Native Americans have used wampum (shell beads) as currency. The main advantage of hard money is it stabilizes the currency and limits what the federal government can spend. It restricts them which is what we desperately need. What many people may not know is for most of its history American currency was backed by hard money like gold and silver. However, sadly, in 1971, President Nixon de-linked gold from the dollar.
In order to start the transition to sound money, Ron Paul wants to legalize "competing currencies." He'd like to see "a basket of commodities that emerges on the free markets," gold being among them, to compete with the dollar allowing American citizens to choose which currency among competing currencies works best for them. So, it's not about a pure gold standard per se, but rather taking a lesson from the gold standard and attempting to back our currency with something(s) of real value as determined by the free market. It's just that throughout history, gold and silver have been the two commodities that have most fully satisfied the requirements of sound money. Ron Paul in his own words:
"I recently introduced HR 1098, the Free Competition in Currency Act. This bill eliminates three of the major obstacles to the circulation of sound money: federal legal tender laws that force acceptance of Federal Reserve Notes; "counterfeiting" laws that serve no purpose other than to ban the creation of private commodity currencies; and tax laws that penalize the use of gold and silver coins as money. During this Congress I hope to hold hearings on this bill in order to highlight the importance of returning to a sound monetary system.
"Allowing market participants to choose a sound currency will ensure that individuals' needs are met, rather than the needs of the government. Restoring sound money will restrict the ability of the government to reduce the citizenry's purchasing power and burden future generations with debt. Unlike the current system which benefits the Fed and its banking cartel, all Americans are better off with a sound currency."
On March 18, 2011, Dr. Paul introduced H.R. 1098, the “Free Competition in Currency Act of 2011,” to repeal the legal tender laws, to prohibit taxation on certain coins and bullion, and to repeal superfluous sections related to coinage.
On September 13, 2011, Dr. Paul chaired a House Financial Services Subcommittee hearing called, "Road Map to Sound Money: A Legislative Hearing on H.R. 1098 and Restoring the Dollar." This video of the hearing provides an excellent discussion about monetary reform, specifically the advantages of competing currencies.
Dr. Paul questioned Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke at the House Financial Services Committee hearing held on February 29, 2012. During that testimony, Dr. Paul questioned Bernanke’s knowledge of the consumer economy and told the Chairman that the Fed’s policies under his watch, and that of previous Fed Chairmen, have destroyed “the real value of money.” Dr. Paul held up an ounce of silver which he said perfectly illustrated how inflation has impacted the value of the dollar:
“I have a silver ounce here, and this ounce of silver back in 2006 would buy over 4 gallons of gasoline. Today it’ll buy almost 11 gallons of gasoline...That’s preservation of value, and that’s what the market has always said should be money. Money comes into effect in a natural way, not in an edict, not by fiat, by governments declaring it is money.”
On May 8, 2012, Ron Paul chairs House Financial Services Subcommittee: Federal Reserve Overhaul Proposals.
Ron Paul explains that Article One of the Constitution states that States are prohibited from coining money or making anything other than gold or silver coin legal tender for payment of debts. He contends that if hard money like gold and silver are mentioned in this way in the Constitution, then we as a nation, on a Federal level, have a right to use it as legal tender.
Two short articles, here and here, further discuss this issue (some info. is redundant).
It's really important for people to understand that we cannot sustain any more bailouts. We can no longer afford it, and it's fundamentally wrong. Under the current system, the corrupt military-industrial-corporate-banking-political-complex gets richer with money and power while the rest of us lose and lose BIG. The system needs fixing. If there isn't enough money for the bailouts, then those institutions must be allowed to fail. We must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again. It's difficult, but it really is the only way in the long run to sustain any semblance of the America of our founders.
Electability
06/04/12 - Romney Nomination May Be Contested
05/30/12 - Breaking: Romney did not win nomination
Delegates
06/15/12 - Ron Paul Wins Iowa! The Texas Congressman will send 23 of 28 Iowa delegates to the Republican National Convention this summer in Tampa.
06/04/12 - Ron Paul Wins Louisiana! The Texas Congressman will send 27 of 46 Louisiana delegates to the Republican National Convention this summer in Tampa.
The Real 2012 Delegate Count for the Republican Primaries & Caucuses (consistently updated)
05/20/12 - Ron Paul Decisively Wins Minnesota and Carries Delegates in Multiple Other States
05/10/12 - Reality Check: All Republican Delegates Are "Free Agents" and Unbound?
05/09/12 - Republicans Are Finally Getting Nervous About Ron Paul's Secret Delegate Strategy
05/09/12 - Ron Paul Wins in Nevada, Maine, and Iowa Prove Delegate Strategy is Working
05/09/12 - CNN Caught Lying About Delegate Numbers! (True Updated Delegate Numbers Included)
05/08/12 - Ron Paul Could Still Win Enough Delegates To Deny Mitt Romney The Republican Nomination
05/07/12 - Ron Paul wins more delegates
05/06/12 - Nevada & Maine Majority Delegate VICTORIES!!
Independents & Disenfranchised Democrats
Ron Paul is the most electable of the Republican candidates, because of his cross-over appeal with Independents (of whom I'm one) and disenfranchised Democrats. He is also the Republican candidate most embraced by the millennial youth; it's quite possible that he could get more of the youth vote than Obama (it ain't 2008 anymore).
Republicans need a candidate who appeals to Independents. Without Independents there is no way the GOP nominee will defeat Obama in the general election. Self-identified Republicans represent just 27 percent of the electorate, compared with 31 percent who identify as Democrats and a record-high 40 percent who call themselves Independents. Ron Paul has the only consistently conservative message that can rally the GOP, but also that appeals to Independents and disaffected Democrats. In an email to Jack Hunter, Paul supporter Mindy Wren of Vermont says her state's election results were proof of this:
"Vermont exceeded expectations on Super Tuesday with an incredibly strong second place finish for Dr. Paul (25% when media was predicting 14%). So, how did Vermont achieve this? Our incredibly well organized grassroots movement was able to motivate Independents and disaffected Democrats, along with more 'traditional' Republicans, to choose Ron Paul.
"Please also see this article from VTDigger on the Vermont results and why Ron Paul did so well vs. Romney...From the VTDigger article:
'Exit polls show that about 49% of the presidential primary voters were Republican, 41% were Independents and 10% were Democrats.'
"In my opinion, Vermont is a case study for [the fact] that Republicans need a candidate who appeals to Independents...The Republicans ignore the Independent vote at their own peril."
In Virginia on Super Tuesday, Ron Paul clobbered Romney, 64 percent to 36 percent, among the 32 percent of the electorate who described themselves as Independents.
Polls
In a Rasmussen poll, dated May 31, 2012, Only 19% See Obama, Romney As Best Possible Presidential Candidates. There is a far superior alternative to Obama and Romney ("Obamney"). You guessed it - Ron Paul! Well done people, well done indeed.
The most recent results from a Political.com poll, dated May 24, 2012, indicate that an overwhelming 93% of respondents have a favorable opinion of Ron Paul, which transcends party affiliation.
In a Rasmussen poll, dated May 8 - 9, 2012, presidential candidate Ron Paul is tied with President Obama among likely voters. Each candidate earns forty-two percent of the vote in this hypothetical match-up.
In a Public Policy Poll (PPP), released May 2, 2012, Ron Paul beats Obama 49-41 in Montana. Among independents, he crushes Obama 55-33.
In a Rasmussen daily presidential tracking poll, released April 12, 2012, Ron Paul beats Obama 44% to 43%.
In a Rasmussen poll, released February 27, 2012, Ron Paul bests Obama in a hypothetical 2012 match-up: 43% prefer Dr. Paul and 41% Obama. President Obama’s overall approval rating has dropped to 45% in this poll.
Dr. Paul bests Obama in a head-to-head matchup in the key swing state of Ohio according to a Fox News poll dated February 11 - 13, 2012. This comes on the heels of a PPP poll which showed Ron Paul the most competitive GOP contender among Independent voters.
Ron Paul bests President Obama in a head-to-head matchup in the state of Arizona according to this NBC/ Marist Poll.
Ron Paul ties Obama and does well among Independent voters in a general election matchup in the key swing state of Virginia, according to this poll.
Dr. Paul's appeal with Republicans is steadily rising! In this nationwide Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted February 2-6, among Republicans only, Mitt Romney obtained 29% (down from 30%) and Ron Paul’s support grew to 21% (up from 16%).
Whose Policies Favor the Middle Class? This was the question asked in a recent CNN presidential poll. Ron Paul won handily with a whopping 52%!
Paul has a better chance at beating Obama than Romney
Republicans would do well to realize that when young people, Independents and disenfranchised Democrats are factored in, Dr. Paul would fare much better than Mitt Romney against Obama; Romney's appeal is limited to mostly Republican voters. They'd also do well to realize without the support of Ron Paul supporters it's unlikely Romney will beat Obama. And, I'd wager that the vast majority of Ron Paul supporters will vote for no one but Dr. Paul (even if they have to write him in).
Lest anyone doubt Dr. Paul's popularity and that of the freedom movement, this video documents the many thousands in attendance at Ron Paul's rallies. Romney can only dream of seeing those numbers at one of his rallies.
Estabishment Corruption including Election Fraud & Violent Abuse of Power
Lawyers for Ron Paul are facing the election fraud and corruption head on!
Questions are being raised about the possibility of election fraud being perpetrated against Ron Paul's campaign. Red flags have popped up in states like Iowa, South Carolina, Nevada, Maine, Kansas, Georgia and Missouri.
Ron Paul believes Republican Party electors committed vote tampering in the Iowa, Maine, and Nevada caucuses, because local GOP officials resent the infiltration of their party by so many young Ron Paul supporters.
The Republican Caucus in St. Charles County, Missouri, proved disastrous. Apparently, The St. Charles Republican Central Committee, lead by Eugene Dokes and Bryan Spencer, broke a wide variety of rules, refused to follow the established parliamentary procedure, Robert's Rules of Order, and HIJACKED the caucus. According to a witness, the St. Charles Republican Central Committee had full intentions from the beginning to railroad the caucus results in favor of Santorum, the candidate most supported by the committee's members. They were vastly outnumbered by Paul and Romney supporters at the caucus and knew they couldn't pull out delegates without overtly breaking the rules. Here's a first hand video account from Brent Stafford, a Ron Paul supporter who was unjustly arrested at the Caucus. *UPDATE* St. Charles County do-over caucus backs Paul.
The 37th district caucus for King County in Washington State was held on April 21, 2012. The King County Republican Chair Lori Sotello attempted to end the caucus when Tamra Smilanich, a Ron Paul supporter, was fairly elected to chair the caucus. Sotello ridiculously accused Smilanich of being an operative for the Ron Paul campaign and erroneously and deceptively stated that Smilanich couldn't continue as the chair if she didn't pay for the insurance to rent the space. Fortunately, the caucus was eventually moved outside where Ron Paul won all 11 delegates available. Ben Swann of "Reality Check" analyzes the attempted election fraud here.
Ron Paul campaign to challenge all Louisiana delegates. The Ron Paul 2012 campaign is preparing to challenge the entire slate of Louisiana's 46 delegates selected to attend the Republican National Convention next month in Tampa, Florida. Paul's campaign asserts the final list of delegates that were selected during the state party's convention last month were chosen against the rules. At the time, Paul supporters held their own rump convention, or protest vote, in the same room, which composed a majority of those attending.
Ron Paul Delegates Arrested As They Win a Majority at Louisiana GOP Convention A Ron Paul supporter and duly elected delegate was wrongfully arrested and emerged with broken fingers, and another was reportedly and unjustifiably given a dislocated hip, by a corrupt police department at the behest of the corrupt establishment GOP. This, because the establishment could not get their way (after attempting to wrongfully change the rules last-minute to suit their agenda), because they did not have the numbers.
Reality Check: RNC Pulling Out All Stops To Keep Ron Paul's Name Out of Nomination
Reality Check: Mass. Corruption as GOP Strip Delegates of Their Credentials
Interview - Nevada Delegate Fraud.
Romney Caught Handing Out Fake Ron Paul Slates In Nevada.
Romney Camp Circulates Fake List of Paul Delegate Nominees at Maine GOP
This Romney supporter passed out fake Paul’s delegate slates. He changed his buttoned down shirt to a red t-shirt in disguise. When asked for his name, he would not say it.
The GOP establishment is deathly afraid of Ron Paul and his followers. They fear their power being usurped. They fear change. And, they are doing everything they possibly can to derail the freedom movement, including cheat. They know Ron Paul is a legitimate threat to the establishment and the Romney campaign. They know Ron Paul can still win.
Media "Blackouts"
You may be wondering why you haven't heard about the above information. Well, that's because the Mainstream Media (MSM) - Left, Right and Middle - has taken every opportunity to censor Dr. Paul. It becomes increasingly difficult as Dr. Paul's popularity and message grow, but it has been proven that this media blackout is taking place. Ron Paul Censored does a good job at chronicling this censorship.
Dr. Paul is increasingly competitive despite a concerted attack from political pundits on conservative television, blogs and talk radio. Erick Erickson, Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Medved, Bill O’Reilly and the like have been particularly dismissive of, or hostile to, Congressman Paul. Dr. Paul’s continuing steady growth and periodic surges despite these coordinated Conservative Establishment attacks may be further evidence that their popularity is diminishing as Dr. Paul’s star is rising.
There is a new energy in the conservative movement. Case in point: please read "Letter of Warning to the GOP." It was written by a 29 year old, former hardcore NeoCon who had an awakening to the message of Dr. Paul and will never turn back.
Also, check out Will Ron Paul Force Mitt Romney Into a Debate? The article, dated May 22, 2012, notes that, "After Ron Paul spoke in Sparks, Nevada, earlier this month, observers took note of Mitt Romney supporters crumpling up their Romney signs and vowing to vote for Paul. It was the first time many Republican activists had ever heard Paul speak outside of the several minutes of sound bites allotted to him during televised debates." The winds of change continue blowing...
Now, you may be wondering why the MSM is misrepresenting, marginalizing or completely ignoring Dr. Paul. Fear. I think fear is the predominant reason. MSM is controlled by a largely corrupt establishment. I'm talking about many of the people at the very top, not the underlings that just punch a clock. Ron Paul threatens the establishment, because he wants to return power to the people, to the 99%-ers if you will, with his Plan to Restore America inspired by the Constitution. "Press dismisses Ron Paul" is a good article on the subject.
To see how deep the corruption runs, please check this out:
What to take away from this? Exercise A LOT of healthy skepticism when it comes to MSM reports, especially on TV & Radio. Verify, verify, verify! Of course, MSM has its tentacles in the Internet, but they have tremendous competition from smaller, independent news sources. Seek those independent news sources out. You'll be guaranteed a much better shot at learning the truth about any given topic.
Select Points from Ron Paul's Platform & Other General Information
Dr. Ron Paul:
- will restore the U.S. Constitution (esp. the Bill of Rights) to its rightful place.
- has the only viable plan to address the enormous debt and deficit which is rapidly taking us to a Greece-like state. According to a recent nonpartisan report, Ron Paul’s Plan to Restore America is the only budget plan from a presidential candidate that would actually reduce the national debt. While all the candidates have proposed tax cuts, Ron Paul is the only candidate to propose concrete spending cuts to reduce deficits and ultimately the national debt.
- advocates for civil liberties and criticizes abuse of executive authority, torture, warrant-less wiretapping, TSA injustices, basically anything that infringes on the liberties our creator has granted us which our Constitution enumerates.
- is really strong on the 2nd Amendment:
“Ron Paul has been a leader in the fight to defend and restore the Second Amendment.” – Larry Pratt, Executive Director, Gun Owners of America
“No member of Congress pays more attention to Second Amendment issues than Dr. Ron Paul.” – Dudley Brown, Executive Director, National Association for Gun Rights
As a congressman, Ron Paul has never once voted for any piece of legislation that would infringe on gun owners’ rights or weaken the Second Amendment. The inalienable right to keep and bear arms is not only essential to a free society, but it is the guardian of every other right. During his time in Congress, Ron Paul has worked tirelessly to restore the Second Amendment rights of all Americans by:
With our gun rights under constant attack from our own government and the anti-gun United Nations, as well as the threat of rising crime due to our country’s economic woes, Congressman Paul believes it has never been more important that our President be 100% committed to defending our God-given right to keep and bear arms. In Congress, Ron Paul has stood as a champion for law-abiding gun owners, and he will continue protecting your Second Amendment rights as President.
- will decentralize the power of the Federal Government (not eliminate it), allowing the States to be 50 independent social laboratories of democracy and innovation, per the Constitution. If a new idea turned out to be a bad one, the damage could be limited to the originating state. If a state generated a good idea, the rest of us could follow suit. States would probably suffer an exodus of talented individuals (or the governments would soon be overturned) if ridiculous, backward laws were imposed. It's much easier to escape to one of 49 other states than it is to abandon your citizenship in the face of oppressive federal laws. It's also what our Founding Fathers had in mind.
- will return the role of education to the States, local communities, and parents.
Dr. Paul holds the Constitutional view - the federal government has no authority to oversee education. Just look at the mess that the central-planning bureaucracy has gotten us: education costs more than ever and the quality has dropped significantly - two results that are seen time and time again when government gets involved. It is the families' role to educate their children and all government involvement should take place as close to home as possible. Dr. Paul wants to stop enforcing "no child left behind" and allow an opt-out of the system:
"If you care about your children, you'll get the federal government out of the business of educating our kids...The goal should be set to get the government out completely...don't enforce this law of No Child Left Behind. It's not going to do any good, and nobody likes it. And there's no value to it. The teachers don't like it, and the students don't like it. But there are other things that the federal government can do, and that is give tax credits for the people who will opt out. We ought to have a right to opt out of the public system if you want." Source: 2011 GOP Google debate in Orlando FL, September 22, 2011
- has a plan to address the violence, enormous costs, loss of personal liberty and social inequity that the drug laws cause.
- opposes the war on drugs and the death penalty particularly because of how it disproportionately effects minorities.
- will end the unjust wars designed to make the military industrial complex, and the corrupt politicians who support it, rich. And, in doing so, save lives, save limbs and restore families. If there is a legitimate threat, Ron Paul would defend our nation the Constitutional way. Congress will declare war authorizing the president to direct the armed forces. We will have a clear objective. We will achieve that objective. And, we will come home. No endless wars. No nation building. No policing the world. No propping up of dictators. No unnecessary waste of blood and money. No empire.
- will save Social Security by cutting foreign policy costs and making the Federal Government run more efficiently (eliminating unnecessary and bloated bureaucracies). Ron Paul has proposed saving further money through entitlement reforms which may include, but are not limited to:
- will lower the corporate tax rate to 15%, making America competitive in the global market. He'll allow American companies to repatriate capital without additional taxation, spurring trillions in new investment. He'll extend all Bush tax cuts. He'll abolish the Death Tax. He'll end taxes on personal savings, allowing families to build a nest egg. He'll eliminate the IRS, if possible. If not, he'll reduce the personal income tax to as close to 0% as possible.
- will not accept more than $40,000 each year for his salary as President, a move which demonstrates absolute compassion and understanding of the average middle class and poor American family.
- is compassionate and giving. As an OBGYN, he cared for people, delivered more than 4000 babies and offered his services for free to those who couldn't afford them. He's also a dedicated family man - married to his wife Carol for 55 years. They have 5 children, 18 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
- is adamantly opposed to bailouts, corporatism and crony-capitalism.
- seeks a complete audit of the "untouchable" Federal Reserve (or Central Bank), a network of privately owned banks, whose collective monetary policy has engineered the entire financial mess we're in. He ultimately wants to "End the Fed."
- introduced a piece of legislation, on January 18, 2011, to repeal the infamous Section 1021 of the NDAA, quietly signed into law by Obama on New Year’s Day.
- has a principled and consistent 30 year record in Congress. No flip-flopping. No deceit. No political gamesmanship. He means what he says, and he's not all talk - he acts on his convictions even when they are unpopular. This video shows a sampling of how Ron Paul has been fighting for the American people for decades. While in congress:
Conclusion
If you want more of the same failed, corrupt policies, then vote for puppets like Obama and Romney (Obamney). If you want real, honest, intelligent and measured change which will benefit this country, then vote for the courage of Ron Paul.
Dr. Paul is fighting for everyday Americans like YOU and ME - for our rights, our liberties. He is fighting to restore the Constitution to its rightful place. Nothing we do or have matters if we are not free; nothing. He is fighting to save our country from economic catastrophe. He is fighting to end the unjustifiable wars and usher in an era of peace. He is fighting to end crony-capitalism. He is fighting to get Government out of our lives. He is fighting to let us keep what we earn. Dr. Paul is the closest thing we have to a true statesman. A statesman is not a tyrant; he is the free leader of a free people, and he must possess four critical qualities:
Dr. Paul fits the above description to a tee. The other candidates are power-hungry bullshit artists who want to use the Presidency to control us and line their pockets and the pockets of their elitist friends. They will continue the failed foreign, domestic and monetary policies until we have nothing left. Damn, isn't it clear that they are content to sacrifice us on the alter of power and money? If you've explored the entirety of this site, then it should be. What should be just as clear is that Dr. Paul wants to do the exact opposite. He wants to liberate us from debt slavery and increasing Government oppression. You can believe that, because his 30 year record in Congress proves it.
It's true that his policies won't be easy or painless, but they are the only ones which can save us from a Greece-like fate. I liken it to the field doctor who must sever a limb to save the body. His candidacy challenges us to:
“You cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. You must learn to see the world anew.” - Albert Einstein
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
Ron Paul possesses more honor, courage, integrity, consistency and sound ideas than any politician in my lifetime, alive or dead. America needs his leadership now more than ever. For those of you who view Ron Paul's ideas as "too extreme," the Presidency is not a dictatorship (or at least it's not supposed to be). His proposed policies will undoubtedly be tempered in practice, because he will have to work with Congress to move forward. It'll be a long, hard road, because the powers that be will fight it every step of the way. However, I believe a paradigm shift is in order - it's the establishment status quo that's too extreme, because it's rapidly taking us to the edge of a cliff. Ultimately, we can't agree with our elected officials on everything. The best we can hope for is to elect someone who we can believe in.
For more info. on Ron Paul:
- http://www.ronpaul2012.com/
- http://www.whyronpaul.com/
- http://www.ronpaul.com/
- http://www.dailypaul.com/
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Money Bombs
Please support Ron Paul by donating to the periodic "money bombs" that are organized by the grassroots and his campaign. Of course, you don't have to wait for a money bomb, you can donate anytime!
Dr. Paul's campaign gets the majority of its funding from regular individuals like you and me, and that's who he's beholden to. He's able to raise large sums of money to keep his campaign going, because it's bigger than just him. It's about the freedom movement which he serves admirably, and that inspires people. The big banks, lobbyists, special interest groups... they don't even bother, because they know he can't be bought.
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Blue Republicans
Blue Republicans are former non-Republicans who are joining the Republican party for one year to help Ron Paul win the GOP nomination for President in 2012. That's me. As mentioned, I'm an Independent, and since my state has a closed primary, I had to register Republican. It was actually pretty easy to do.
If you are not a Republican, but you want to support Dr. Paul and you live in a closed primary state, then please become a Blue Republican. You can find state-by-state instructions to register Republican here.
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Become a Delegate
Donating to Dr. Paul's campaign; participating in the Phone From Home Program; campaigning for Dr. Paul with everyone you meet; displaying signs and stickers; wearing t-shirts and buttons - all of these things are great, but they are not enough.
The only way for Ron Paul to become President is if he gets the GOP nomination. The only way for Ron Paul to get the GOP nomination is if we become delegates. As delegates, we’ll be voting to pick the GOP nominee just like the electors in the electoral college vote to pick the President. Delegates decide who the GOP nominee will be. It’s that critical!
Theoretically, Ron Paul doesn’t have to win a single state's straw poll to get the GOP nomination (of course, it's much better if he does!); he just needs to win the delegates! So, if you become a delegate, you can help Ron Paul secure the GOP nomination with your vote!
For more information about how to become a delegate for Ron Paul, please visit this site.
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PDF Flyers & Video Comparisons
Candidate Fact Sheets
All Candidates I - This fact sheet is also available at Zazzle.com where you may customize numerous copies and have them shipped to you.
All Candidates II
Paul vs. Romney
Paul vs. Obama
Ron Paul Plan Flyers
Plan to Restore America
Plan to Restore American Jobs
Imagine No Income Tax
Video Comparisons
Paul vs. Romney: NDAA
Paul vs. Romney: Congressional Approval for War
Paul vs. Romney: The Patriot Act
Paul vs. Romney: Medical Marijuana
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Grassroots Lobbying
In the news, we hear about professional lobbyists who attempt to influence legislation and policy through various means. Grassroots lobbying is when everyday citizens contact their own legislators to try to influence legislation and policy. Advocacy groups of all kinds engage in grassroots lobbying, asking their members to call and write their legislators about a piece of legislation. Most people will never contact their legislators, but anyone can pick up the phone, mail a letter or send an e-mail, to urge their representative to support or oppose a pending bill. Grassroots lobbying is very effective because the legislators are hearing directly from their constituency, who will be voting the next time they are up for re-election.
Please contact your representatives about pending bills. Please get involved; be heard; make a difference. Here are some worthwhile Grassroots Lobbies:
Campaign for Liberty
“No More Red Ink” Campaign
Sites related to Lawyers for Ron Paul:
Election Fraud Remedy
ronpaulgrassrootsrevolution.com
weareallronpaul.com
realgrassrootsrevolution.com
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There is only one honorable and principled candidate who opposes all of the corruption: Dr. Ron Paul, "The Champion of the Constitution." He is the imperfect messenger with the perfect message: LIBERTY & PEACE.
This short video, made when Ron Paul was running for Congress for the second time, gives one a more intimate understanding of the man and why he chose to run for public office in the first place. The information in this video is easily transposed in support of Ron Paul's candidacy for president, because, philosophically, he's the same now as he was then. That's one of the things that makes Ron Paul so popular: his incorruptible consistency.
Foreign Policy
Policy Goal: Promote peace and prosperity through free trade; bring the troops home to protect us, not start wars. Author: A Foreign Policy of Freedom: Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship
Experience:
- As Air Force/Air National Guard flight surgeon was stationed in Ethiopia, Iran, Pakistan, South Korea, and Turkey (1963 – 1968).
- Congress Member, 12 terms.
- Member, House Foreign Affairs Committee.
- Speech before the House laying out his foreign-policy predictions.
Plan: Practice the “golden rule” in foreign policy, & stop paying for defense of Japan, Germany & others.
Actions:
- In Congress, voted to target Osama Bin Laden.
- Opposed sanctions as “an act of war.”
- Pushed Congress to debate, and declare or reject, wars.
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Some criticize Ron Paul on foreign policy, yet he receives more donations from active military personnel than all of the Republican candidates and Obama combined. Here's why. The fact that Ron Paul honorably served his country in the Air Force goes a long way with veterans. In fact, Ron Paul’s top three donors come from individuals in the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Navy. By the way, Ron Paul is the only Republican candidate vying to be Commander-in-chief who has actually been in the military. Ronald Reagan said it best:
"Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country."
Officials like Senator Jim DeMint, SC State Senator Tom Davis, national security expert and former CIA Bin Laden hunter Michael Scheuer, Retired Army Col. Douglas MacGregor and writers like Bruce Fein and Tom Woods support Ron Paul for a variety of reasons. However, they all agree that Ron Paul's non-interventionist foreign policy is superior, not only because of the economic and constitutional implications, but because concentrating our armed forces close to home will ultimately make our defenses even stronger and our citizens safer.
Consider this quote from Dr. Paul's book, The Revolution: A Manifesto:
"It is easy to dismiss the non-interventionist view as the quaint aspiration of men who lived in a less complicated world, but it’s not so easy to demonstrate how current policies serve any national interest at all. Perhaps an honest examination of the history of American interventionism in the twentieth century, from Korea to Kosovo to the Middle East, would reveal that the Founding Fathers foresaw more than we think.
"Anyone who advocates the non-interventionist foreign policy of the Founding Fathers can expect to be derided as an isolationist. I myself have never been an isolationist. I favor the exact opposite of isolation: diplomacy, free trade, and freedom of travel. The real isolationists are those who impose sanctions and embargoes on countries and peoples across the globe because they disagree with the internal and foreign policies of their leaders. The real isolationists are those who choose to use force overseas to promote democracy, rather than seeking change through diplomacy, engagement, and by setting a positive example. The real isolationists are those who isolate their country in the court of world opinion by pursuing needless belligerence and war that have nothing to do with legitimate national security concerns."
It bears repeating that we did not have to go to war in Afghanistan in an attempt to bring Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda to justice for 9/11. Afghanistan had nothing to do with 9/11. Unfortunately, our Government used the fear, pain and suffering of 9/11 to rally support for an unjust war. Why? As mentioned earlier, Afghanistan plays a part in a larger oil strategy; the same applies to Iraq (a war Dr. Paul did not vote for).
Demonstrating a strong sense of morality, military acumen and fiscal responsibility, Dr. Paul introduced H.R. 3076, the September 11 Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001 to Congress. H.R. 3076 would have sent "privately armed and equipped persons and entities" on a specific and narrow mission to take out bin Laden and al-Qaeda. In all likelihood bin Laden would have been captured or killed long ago had we passed H.R. 3076 in 2001. Unfortunately, Congress, in all of their "wisdom," shot down H.R. 3706. What would H.R. 3706 have saved us? As of this writing, this is what we have lost (the links below will give you updated figures):
- Cost of the war in Afghanistan: almost 499 Billion dollars
And for good measure, let's include some Iraq statistics:
- Iraq Coalition Casualties: Military Fatalities: 4802
- Cost of the war in Iraq: almost 801 Billion dollars
Total Cost of Wars to the U.S. Since 2001: almost 1.3 Trillion dollars. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer... and dying.
On April 14, 2012, The New York Times reports an American soldier dies every day and a half, on average, in Iraq or Afghanistan. Veterans kill themselves at a rate of one every 80 minutes. More than 6,500 veteran suicides are logged every year — more than the total number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq combined since those wars began.
Perhaps the above statistics make it a little clearer why Dr. Paul is a non-interventionist. The costs of war are just too dear. We should not go to war unless there is a legitimate threat to the U.S. and all efforts at a peaceful, diplomatic solution have failed.
A recent Department of Defense report supplies more evidence that Ron Paul is right about Iran. This article sums it up nicely and provides a link to the DoD report. The gist: Iran is not interested in developing nukes to bomb America as Santorum would have us believe; it's about discouraging attacks from "regional powers such as Turkey or Israel," because they'd think twice about attacking a nuclear Iran. Importantly, there is currently no hard evidence that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon. That's not to say Ron Paul isn't worried about a nuclear Iran. Of course he is; he's said so many times. However, a costly war with Iran is simply not justified at this time.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey agrees with Ron Paul on Iran. General Dempsey has urged against an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear program, stating “It’s not prudent at this point to decide to attack Iran,” and such a strike would be “destabilizing and wouldn’t achieve [Israel's] long-term objectives.” Dempsey, the highest ranking military officer in the U.S., went on to emphasize that while all options remain on the table, U.S. intelligence indicates that Iran has not yet decided to pursue a nuclear weapon.
The New York Times published an article on February 24, 2012 entitled, "U.S. Agencies See No Move by Iran to Build a Bomb." Even as the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said in a new report that Iran had accelerated its uranium enrichment program, American intelligence analysts continue to believe that there is no hard evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear bomb.
If we let Israel take care of itself, if we allow it be the sovereign nation it claims it wants to be and control its own destiny, Iran would not be a threat to us:
"My friends, you don't need to do nation building in Israel. We're already built. You don't need to export democracy to Israel. We've already got it. You don't need to send American troops to defend Israel. We defend ourselves. You've been very generous in giving us tools to do the job of defending Israel on our own." - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress, May 24, 2011.
Israel can defend itself militarily. It's ranked 10th in the world on "global fire power." Iran is ranked 12th. That's not even factoring in Israel's nuclear capability. When you do that, there is no contest between Israel and Iran.
The predominant reason we are in the Middle East is to control the oil and maintain the Petrodollar System. Not because we need Middle Eastern oil, but because we want it. We import most of our oil conflict-free from Canada and Mexico. The technology already exists to make the U.S. completely independent from oil in the Middle East, but doing so would involve:
- oil conservation,
- adapting industry and infrastructure to accommodate the alternate energy sources we already have,
- offshore drilling for American oil,
- developing America's oil shale reserves.
That would be costly and difficult (though far from impossible), and environmental groups would be up in arms. It's simply easier for the U.S. to stick with its Middle Eastern oil strategy, for now anyway. It's also a geopolitical chess match. The more the U.S. controls oil in the Middle East and Asia, the more power it has over countries like China and Russia. Lastly, it's about preservation of the Petrodollar System (as outlined in the Bush & Obama section). Unless our energy and monetary policies change, our foreign policy will remain the same - we will be inextricably linked to Israel, we will remain in the region and the oil wars will continue. It's also worth considering the role Israel and her sympathizers may play in the central banks of the world (however, that's pure conjecture).
The main reason we are the target of terrorist organizations is the blowback phenomenon. It's because the American government relentlessly meddles in the internal affairs of sovereign nations to further the spread of empire. Ron Paul frequently uses the China example to illustrate this point.
Ron Paul gave a very powerful speech on the floor of Congress. It's famously referred to as his "What If" speech. It chillingly criticizes America's foreign policy and illustrates the horrors of war.
The Economy
Priorities: Remove politics from the economy; return control to the people. End government inflation.
Experience:
Congressional Committees: Banking Financial Services; Ranking Member, Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology; Vice-Chair of Oversight and Investigations; Joint Economic Committee.
Small business owner:
- Medical practice
- Publishing company
- Retail coin shop
Author: End the Fed
Plan:
- Save $1 trillion federal spending, year one.
- Use savings to reduce taxes, fund social programs, and investment.
- Balance budget by year 3.
Actions:
- Obtained audit of Fed. Reserve Bank; exposed payments to foreign banks.
- Opposed bailouts & stimulus.
- Voted against CARS.
- Voted against TARP.
- Predicted the Housing bubble in a speech opposing the bill that created it.
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Out of all the candidates running for president in 2012, including Obama, Ron Paul, hands down, has the greatest and most sophisticated knowledge of economic matters. In 2002, long before the shit hit the fan, Ron Paul made uncannily accurate social and economic predictions regarding what was to come in the following decade. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough was stunned at how accurate his predictions were. Clearly, this demonstrates Ron Paul's wisdom and intelligence in this area. Some rather illustrious authorities on economics agree.
The late Milton Friedman was an American economist, statistician, and author who taught at the University of Chicago for more than three decades. He was a recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, and is known for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory, and the complexity of stabilization policy. The Economist described him as "the most influential economist of the second half of the 20th century…possibly of all of it." Here's what he had to say about Ron Paul:
"I strongly support Ron Paul. We very badly need to have more Representatives in the House who understand in a principled way the importance of property rights and religious freedom."
The late Murray N. Rothbard was an American author and economist of the Austrian School. Mr. Rothbard wrote over twenty books and is considered a centrally important figure in the American libertarian movement. He wrote the forward to one of Ron Paul's books called, Gold, Peace, and Prosperity: The Birth of a New Currency. Here's an excerpt:
"Ron Paul is a most unusual politician...he really knows what he’s talking about...he is familiar with the most advanced and complex economic insights on the true nature of inflation, on how inflation works, and how inflationary credit expansions brings about booms and busts. And yet Ron has the remarkable ability to take these complex and vital insights and to present them in clear, lucid, hard-hitting terms to the non-economist reader. His economics is as sound as a bell.
"But, even more important, Ron Paul is an unusual politician because he doesn’t simply pay lip service to moral principles. He believes in moral principles in his mind and heart, and he fights for them passionately and effectively. High on his set of moral principles is the vital importance of individual freedom, of the individual’s natural right to be free of assault and aggression, and of his right to keep the property that he has earned on the free market, and not have it stolen from him by confiscatory taxes and government regulations.
"Ron Paul, in short, is that rare American, and still rarer politician, who deeply understands and battles for the principles of liberty that were fought for and established by the Founding Fathers of this country. He understands that sound economics, moral principles, and individual freedom all go together, like a seamless web. They cannot be separated, and they stand or fall together."
In a recent CNBC interview, when asked who would be the better outcome for president, bond king Bill Gross of Pimco said, "I'm a little Ron Paulish..." essentially saying that Ron Paul is the candidate who would create an environment for real long-term investment in the U.S. In his February newsletter, Mr. Gross laments the end of economic life as we know it in this country, "We are witnessing the death of abundance and the borning of austerity, for what may be a long, long time." The Ron Paul endorsement... Gross' bleak economic outlook... When Bill Gross talks, people listen. One can only hope.
Economics experts like Dr. Iris Mack (Harvard Math Whiz/Derivatives Whistleblower) endorse Ron Paul for President, "because he is the only presidential candidate who understands the current dire straits the economy is in and the only one with a coherent plan to fix things.” She says, “Ron Paul is the only non-elitist candidate and the only candidate that would put the country back on the road to liberty."
Economists like Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal and Bob Murphy also support Ron Paul's economic plan. Ron Paul's position on taxes has lead to support for him from the National Taxpayers Union and the National Federation of Independent Business. The latter of these groups also supports Dr. Paul because he advocates tort reform.
In fact, on February 24, 2012, the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) said that Ron Paul's Congressional record on taxes is "exemplary" and "without peer." Dr. Paul earns high praise for being a taxpayer watchdog, and works to ensure that federal government revenue is collected in a manner consistent with Washington’s constitutional limits to collect it.
Even establishment NeoCon talking heads like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity (who are generally not fans of Paul) concede that Ron Paul has the best plan for the economy.
Just recently, Ron Paul prepared a thorough plan to specifically address the economic problems taking place in Nevada. It was done in preparation for the Nevada Caucus. If that's not expertise, nothing is.
CNN: 3 of 4 GOP Candidates Would Add to Deficits. Here's the report by CNN Money:
Newt Gingrich’s economic plan would do a lot of things, but reducing the debt and balancing the federal budget aren’t among them. Same goes for Rick Santorum’s and Mitt Romney’s economic plans. Indeed, a preliminary analysis by the independent Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget released Thursday estimates that the three candidates’ plans could add between $250 billion and $7 trillion of debt over the next nine years.
By contrast, the proposals of Ron Paul could reduce the debt by $2.2 trillion, the group estimated.
Newt Gingrich’s plan
Debt over next decade: Adds $7 trillion, increasing debt to GDP to 114%.
Rick Santorum’s plan
Debt over next decade: Adds $4.5 trillion, increasing debt to GDP to 104%.
Mitt Romney’s plan
Debt over next decade: Adds $250 billion, increasing debt to GDP to 86%.
Ron Paul’s plan
Debt over next decade: Reduces it by $2.2 trillion, lowering debt to GDP to 76%.
Ron Paul Issues Statement on Latest CBO Report:
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report “Understanding and Responding to Persistently High Unemployment" shows that, when those who have given up looking for work and those working part-time but would prefer full-time work are counted, the unemployment rate is actually 15%. The CBO study also projects that the official unemployment rate will remain above 8% until at least 2014.
Dr. Paul issued the following statement on the latest CBO report:
“The CBO report confirms that, despite the happy talk from Washington, the economy remains in crisis. Ironically, this report was released the week of the third anniversary of the passage of the President’s stimulus plan, which the President and his Keynesian supporters promised would reduce unemployment to below 8%.
“Clearly, the Keynesian tax-borrow-spend approach favored by the elites of both parties has failed. My Plan to Restore America not only balances the budget in three years, but it will create jobs by permanently extending the Bush-era tax cuts, ending all taxes on personal savings, and lowering the corporate tax rate to 15%.
“The plan allows American companies to repatriate capital without additional taxation. Repatriation alone will bring trillions of dollars into the economy.
“My Plan to Restore America also begins to rein in the Federal Reserve by conducting a full audit of the Fed and legalizing competing currencies so the American people can protect themselves from the economic chaos caused by the Fed.
“The Plan to Restore America frees American entrepreneurs and workers from unconstitutional, job-destroying regulations. On my first day as President, I will order the federal bureaucracy to stop enforcing the unconstitutional National Health Care, Dodd-Frank, and Sarbanes-Oxley laws. I will also impose an immediate moratorium on all new regulations.
“Of the five men seeking the presidency in the major parties – President Obama, Governor Romney, Speaker Gingrich, Senator Santorum, and myself – I am the only one who predicted the economic meltdown and the only one who has proposed a serious plan to balance the budget, reduce taxes, and create jobs.”
ICYMI: Taxpayer Group Study Shows Ron Paul’s Plan for Cuts “Dwarfs Others" - Study finds that Ron Paul proposes double the reductions of his nearest challenger.
NPR's "Planet Money" Endorses Ron Paul Economics:
In a STUNNING admission, NPR's "Planet Money" surveyed 5 ideologically diverse economists and found 6 policies they all agreed on. Hear the podcast.
Ironically, they all align with Dr. Paul's platform for economic renewal:
1. Eliminate the mortgage tax deduction (government subsidy)
2. End tax deductions for health-care (buy your own...)
3. Eliminate the corporate income tax
4. Eliminate all income and payroll taxes
5. Tax consumption NOT income!
6. Legalize Marijuana
"Audit the Fed" & "Sound Money"
Ron Paul wants to audit the Federal Reserve and stop them from having the power to print money out of nothing, a practice that leads to enormous debt and devaluation of the currency (paper "fiat" money). He also wants to end the practice known as "fractional reserve banking" which is a form of banking where banks maintain reserves that are only a fraction of the customer's deposits. Funds deposited into a bank are mostly lent out, and a bank keeps only a fraction (called the reserve ratio) of the quantity of deposits as reserves. This practice has led to a whole host of economic/banking problems through the ages.
Regarding currency, he wants to transition to what he calls "sound money." Sound money is backed by something real like gold or silver or other precious metal (“hard money”), but really it can be anything that is agreed upon by the people. For example, Native Americans have used wampum (shell beads) as currency. The main advantage of hard money is it stabilizes the currency and limits what the federal government can spend. It restricts them which is what we desperately need. What many people may not know is for most of its history American currency was backed by hard money like gold and silver. However, sadly, in 1971, President Nixon de-linked gold from the dollar.
In order to start the transition to sound money, Ron Paul wants to legalize "competing currencies." He'd like to see "a basket of commodities that emerges on the free markets," gold being among them, to compete with the dollar allowing American citizens to choose which currency among competing currencies works best for them. So, it's not about a pure gold standard per se, but rather taking a lesson from the gold standard and attempting to back our currency with something(s) of real value as determined by the free market. It's just that throughout history, gold and silver have been the two commodities that have most fully satisfied the requirements of sound money. Ron Paul in his own words:
"I recently introduced HR 1098, the Free Competition in Currency Act. This bill eliminates three of the major obstacles to the circulation of sound money: federal legal tender laws that force acceptance of Federal Reserve Notes; "counterfeiting" laws that serve no purpose other than to ban the creation of private commodity currencies; and tax laws that penalize the use of gold and silver coins as money. During this Congress I hope to hold hearings on this bill in order to highlight the importance of returning to a sound monetary system.
"Allowing market participants to choose a sound currency will ensure that individuals' needs are met, rather than the needs of the government. Restoring sound money will restrict the ability of the government to reduce the citizenry's purchasing power and burden future generations with debt. Unlike the current system which benefits the Fed and its banking cartel, all Americans are better off with a sound currency."
On March 18, 2011, Dr. Paul introduced H.R. 1098, the “Free Competition in Currency Act of 2011,” to repeal the legal tender laws, to prohibit taxation on certain coins and bullion, and to repeal superfluous sections related to coinage.
On September 13, 2011, Dr. Paul chaired a House Financial Services Subcommittee hearing called, "Road Map to Sound Money: A Legislative Hearing on H.R. 1098 and Restoring the Dollar." This video of the hearing provides an excellent discussion about monetary reform, specifically the advantages of competing currencies.
Dr. Paul questioned Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke at the House Financial Services Committee hearing held on February 29, 2012. During that testimony, Dr. Paul questioned Bernanke’s knowledge of the consumer economy and told the Chairman that the Fed’s policies under his watch, and that of previous Fed Chairmen, have destroyed “the real value of money.” Dr. Paul held up an ounce of silver which he said perfectly illustrated how inflation has impacted the value of the dollar:
“I have a silver ounce here, and this ounce of silver back in 2006 would buy over 4 gallons of gasoline. Today it’ll buy almost 11 gallons of gasoline...That’s preservation of value, and that’s what the market has always said should be money. Money comes into effect in a natural way, not in an edict, not by fiat, by governments declaring it is money.”
On May 8, 2012, Ron Paul chairs House Financial Services Subcommittee: Federal Reserve Overhaul Proposals.
Ron Paul explains that Article One of the Constitution states that States are prohibited from coining money or making anything other than gold or silver coin legal tender for payment of debts. He contends that if hard money like gold and silver are mentioned in this way in the Constitution, then we as a nation, on a Federal level, have a right to use it as legal tender.
Two short articles, here and here, further discuss this issue (some info. is redundant).
It's really important for people to understand that we cannot sustain any more bailouts. We can no longer afford it, and it's fundamentally wrong. Under the current system, the corrupt military-industrial-corporate-banking-political-complex gets richer with money and power while the rest of us lose and lose BIG. The system needs fixing. If there isn't enough money for the bailouts, then those institutions must be allowed to fail. We must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again. It's difficult, but it really is the only way in the long run to sustain any semblance of the America of our founders.
Electability
06/04/12 - Romney Nomination May Be Contested
05/30/12 - Breaking: Romney did not win nomination
Delegates
06/15/12 - Ron Paul Wins Iowa! The Texas Congressman will send 23 of 28 Iowa delegates to the Republican National Convention this summer in Tampa.
06/04/12 - Ron Paul Wins Louisiana! The Texas Congressman will send 27 of 46 Louisiana delegates to the Republican National Convention this summer in Tampa.
The Real 2012 Delegate Count for the Republican Primaries & Caucuses (consistently updated)
05/20/12 - Ron Paul Decisively Wins Minnesota and Carries Delegates in Multiple Other States
05/10/12 - Reality Check: All Republican Delegates Are "Free Agents" and Unbound?
05/09/12 - Republicans Are Finally Getting Nervous About Ron Paul's Secret Delegate Strategy
05/09/12 - Ron Paul Wins in Nevada, Maine, and Iowa Prove Delegate Strategy is Working
05/09/12 - CNN Caught Lying About Delegate Numbers! (True Updated Delegate Numbers Included)
05/08/12 - Ron Paul Could Still Win Enough Delegates To Deny Mitt Romney The Republican Nomination
05/07/12 - Ron Paul wins more delegates
05/06/12 - Nevada & Maine Majority Delegate VICTORIES!!
Independents & Disenfranchised Democrats
Ron Paul is the most electable of the Republican candidates, because of his cross-over appeal with Independents (of whom I'm one) and disenfranchised Democrats. He is also the Republican candidate most embraced by the millennial youth; it's quite possible that he could get more of the youth vote than Obama (it ain't 2008 anymore).
Republicans need a candidate who appeals to Independents. Without Independents there is no way the GOP nominee will defeat Obama in the general election. Self-identified Republicans represent just 27 percent of the electorate, compared with 31 percent who identify as Democrats and a record-high 40 percent who call themselves Independents. Ron Paul has the only consistently conservative message that can rally the GOP, but also that appeals to Independents and disaffected Democrats. In an email to Jack Hunter, Paul supporter Mindy Wren of Vermont says her state's election results were proof of this:
"Vermont exceeded expectations on Super Tuesday with an incredibly strong second place finish for Dr. Paul (25% when media was predicting 14%). So, how did Vermont achieve this? Our incredibly well organized grassroots movement was able to motivate Independents and disaffected Democrats, along with more 'traditional' Republicans, to choose Ron Paul.
"Please also see this article from VTDigger on the Vermont results and why Ron Paul did so well vs. Romney...From the VTDigger article:
'Exit polls show that about 49% of the presidential primary voters were Republican, 41% were Independents and 10% were Democrats.'
"In my opinion, Vermont is a case study for [the fact] that Republicans need a candidate who appeals to Independents...The Republicans ignore the Independent vote at their own peril."
In Virginia on Super Tuesday, Ron Paul clobbered Romney, 64 percent to 36 percent, among the 32 percent of the electorate who described themselves as Independents.
Polls
In a Rasmussen poll, dated May 31, 2012, Only 19% See Obama, Romney As Best Possible Presidential Candidates. There is a far superior alternative to Obama and Romney ("Obamney"). You guessed it - Ron Paul! Well done people, well done indeed.
The most recent results from a Political.com poll, dated May 24, 2012, indicate that an overwhelming 93% of respondents have a favorable opinion of Ron Paul, which transcends party affiliation.
In a Rasmussen poll, dated May 8 - 9, 2012, presidential candidate Ron Paul is tied with President Obama among likely voters. Each candidate earns forty-two percent of the vote in this hypothetical match-up.
In a Public Policy Poll (PPP), released May 2, 2012, Ron Paul beats Obama 49-41 in Montana. Among independents, he crushes Obama 55-33.
In a Rasmussen daily presidential tracking poll, released April 12, 2012, Ron Paul beats Obama 44% to 43%.
In a Rasmussen poll, released February 27, 2012, Ron Paul bests Obama in a hypothetical 2012 match-up: 43% prefer Dr. Paul and 41% Obama. President Obama’s overall approval rating has dropped to 45% in this poll.
Dr. Paul bests Obama in a head-to-head matchup in the key swing state of Ohio according to a Fox News poll dated February 11 - 13, 2012. This comes on the heels of a PPP poll which showed Ron Paul the most competitive GOP contender among Independent voters.
Ron Paul bests President Obama in a head-to-head matchup in the state of Arizona according to this NBC/ Marist Poll.
Ron Paul ties Obama and does well among Independent voters in a general election matchup in the key swing state of Virginia, according to this poll.
Dr. Paul's appeal with Republicans is steadily rising! In this nationwide Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted February 2-6, among Republicans only, Mitt Romney obtained 29% (down from 30%) and Ron Paul’s support grew to 21% (up from 16%).
Whose Policies Favor the Middle Class? This was the question asked in a recent CNN presidential poll. Ron Paul won handily with a whopping 52%!
Paul has a better chance at beating Obama than Romney
Republicans would do well to realize that when young people, Independents and disenfranchised Democrats are factored in, Dr. Paul would fare much better than Mitt Romney against Obama; Romney's appeal is limited to mostly Republican voters. They'd also do well to realize without the support of Ron Paul supporters it's unlikely Romney will beat Obama. And, I'd wager that the vast majority of Ron Paul supporters will vote for no one but Dr. Paul (even if they have to write him in).
Lest anyone doubt Dr. Paul's popularity and that of the freedom movement, this video documents the many thousands in attendance at Ron Paul's rallies. Romney can only dream of seeing those numbers at one of his rallies.
Estabishment Corruption including Election Fraud & Violent Abuse of Power
Lawyers for Ron Paul are facing the election fraud and corruption head on!
Questions are being raised about the possibility of election fraud being perpetrated against Ron Paul's campaign. Red flags have popped up in states like Iowa, South Carolina, Nevada, Maine, Kansas, Georgia and Missouri.
Ron Paul believes Republican Party electors committed vote tampering in the Iowa, Maine, and Nevada caucuses, because local GOP officials resent the infiltration of their party by so many young Ron Paul supporters.
The Republican Caucus in St. Charles County, Missouri, proved disastrous. Apparently, The St. Charles Republican Central Committee, lead by Eugene Dokes and Bryan Spencer, broke a wide variety of rules, refused to follow the established parliamentary procedure, Robert's Rules of Order, and HIJACKED the caucus. According to a witness, the St. Charles Republican Central Committee had full intentions from the beginning to railroad the caucus results in favor of Santorum, the candidate most supported by the committee's members. They were vastly outnumbered by Paul and Romney supporters at the caucus and knew they couldn't pull out delegates without overtly breaking the rules. Here's a first hand video account from Brent Stafford, a Ron Paul supporter who was unjustly arrested at the Caucus. *UPDATE* St. Charles County do-over caucus backs Paul.
The 37th district caucus for King County in Washington State was held on April 21, 2012. The King County Republican Chair Lori Sotello attempted to end the caucus when Tamra Smilanich, a Ron Paul supporter, was fairly elected to chair the caucus. Sotello ridiculously accused Smilanich of being an operative for the Ron Paul campaign and erroneously and deceptively stated that Smilanich couldn't continue as the chair if she didn't pay for the insurance to rent the space. Fortunately, the caucus was eventually moved outside where Ron Paul won all 11 delegates available. Ben Swann of "Reality Check" analyzes the attempted election fraud here.
Ron Paul campaign to challenge all Louisiana delegates. The Ron Paul 2012 campaign is preparing to challenge the entire slate of Louisiana's 46 delegates selected to attend the Republican National Convention next month in Tampa, Florida. Paul's campaign asserts the final list of delegates that were selected during the state party's convention last month were chosen against the rules. At the time, Paul supporters held their own rump convention, or protest vote, in the same room, which composed a majority of those attending.
Ron Paul Delegates Arrested As They Win a Majority at Louisiana GOP Convention A Ron Paul supporter and duly elected delegate was wrongfully arrested and emerged with broken fingers, and another was reportedly and unjustifiably given a dislocated hip, by a corrupt police department at the behest of the corrupt establishment GOP. This, because the establishment could not get their way (after attempting to wrongfully change the rules last-minute to suit their agenda), because they did not have the numbers.
Reality Check: RNC Pulling Out All Stops To Keep Ron Paul's Name Out of Nomination
Reality Check: Mass. Corruption as GOP Strip Delegates of Their Credentials
Interview - Nevada Delegate Fraud.
Romney Caught Handing Out Fake Ron Paul Slates In Nevada.
Romney Camp Circulates Fake List of Paul Delegate Nominees at Maine GOP
This Romney supporter passed out fake Paul’s delegate slates. He changed his buttoned down shirt to a red t-shirt in disguise. When asked for his name, he would not say it.
The GOP establishment is deathly afraid of Ron Paul and his followers. They fear their power being usurped. They fear change. And, they are doing everything they possibly can to derail the freedom movement, including cheat. They know Ron Paul is a legitimate threat to the establishment and the Romney campaign. They know Ron Paul can still win.
Media "Blackouts"
You may be wondering why you haven't heard about the above information. Well, that's because the Mainstream Media (MSM) - Left, Right and Middle - has taken every opportunity to censor Dr. Paul. It becomes increasingly difficult as Dr. Paul's popularity and message grow, but it has been proven that this media blackout is taking place. Ron Paul Censored does a good job at chronicling this censorship.
Dr. Paul is increasingly competitive despite a concerted attack from political pundits on conservative television, blogs and talk radio. Erick Erickson, Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Medved, Bill O’Reilly and the like have been particularly dismissive of, or hostile to, Congressman Paul. Dr. Paul’s continuing steady growth and periodic surges despite these coordinated Conservative Establishment attacks may be further evidence that their popularity is diminishing as Dr. Paul’s star is rising.
There is a new energy in the conservative movement. Case in point: please read "Letter of Warning to the GOP." It was written by a 29 year old, former hardcore NeoCon who had an awakening to the message of Dr. Paul and will never turn back.
Also, check out Will Ron Paul Force Mitt Romney Into a Debate? The article, dated May 22, 2012, notes that, "After Ron Paul spoke in Sparks, Nevada, earlier this month, observers took note of Mitt Romney supporters crumpling up their Romney signs and vowing to vote for Paul. It was the first time many Republican activists had ever heard Paul speak outside of the several minutes of sound bites allotted to him during televised debates." The winds of change continue blowing...
Now, you may be wondering why the MSM is misrepresenting, marginalizing or completely ignoring Dr. Paul. Fear. I think fear is the predominant reason. MSM is controlled by a largely corrupt establishment. I'm talking about many of the people at the very top, not the underlings that just punch a clock. Ron Paul threatens the establishment, because he wants to return power to the people, to the 99%-ers if you will, with his Plan to Restore America inspired by the Constitution. "Press dismisses Ron Paul" is a good article on the subject.
To see how deep the corruption runs, please check this out:
- Operation Mockingbird: CIA Media Manipulation
- The New York Times Admits That Virtually Every Major News Organization Allows The News To Be Censored By Government Officials
What to take away from this? Exercise A LOT of healthy skepticism when it comes to MSM reports, especially on TV & Radio. Verify, verify, verify! Of course, MSM has its tentacles in the Internet, but they have tremendous competition from smaller, independent news sources. Seek those independent news sources out. You'll be guaranteed a much better shot at learning the truth about any given topic.
Select Points from Ron Paul's Platform & Other General Information
Dr. Ron Paul:
- will restore the U.S. Constitution (esp. the Bill of Rights) to its rightful place.
- has the only viable plan to address the enormous debt and deficit which is rapidly taking us to a Greece-like state. According to a recent nonpartisan report, Ron Paul’s Plan to Restore America is the only budget plan from a presidential candidate that would actually reduce the national debt. While all the candidates have proposed tax cuts, Ron Paul is the only candidate to propose concrete spending cuts to reduce deficits and ultimately the national debt.
- advocates for civil liberties and criticizes abuse of executive authority, torture, warrant-less wiretapping, TSA injustices, basically anything that infringes on the liberties our creator has granted us which our Constitution enumerates.
- is really strong on the 2nd Amendment:
“Ron Paul has been a leader in the fight to defend and restore the Second Amendment.” – Larry Pratt, Executive Director, Gun Owners of America
“No member of Congress pays more attention to Second Amendment issues than Dr. Ron Paul.” – Dudley Brown, Executive Director, National Association for Gun Rights
As a congressman, Ron Paul has never once voted for any piece of legislation that would infringe on gun owners’ rights or weaken the Second Amendment. The inalienable right to keep and bear arms is not only essential to a free society, but it is the guardian of every other right. During his time in Congress, Ron Paul has worked tirelessly to restore the Second Amendment rights of all Americans by:
- Introducing legislation to repeal the “Brady Bill” and the so-called “Assault Weapons Ban.”
- Authoring legislation to end U.S. membership in the anti-gun United Nations to ensure American tax dollars are not used to fund global gun control schemes like the so-called “Small Arms Treaty.”
- Writing a bill that would allow pilots and specially trained law enforcement personnel to carry firearms in order to protect airline passengers and help prevent future 9/11-style attacks.
With our gun rights under constant attack from our own government and the anti-gun United Nations, as well as the threat of rising crime due to our country’s economic woes, Congressman Paul believes it has never been more important that our President be 100% committed to defending our God-given right to keep and bear arms. In Congress, Ron Paul has stood as a champion for law-abiding gun owners, and he will continue protecting your Second Amendment rights as President.
- will decentralize the power of the Federal Government (not eliminate it), allowing the States to be 50 independent social laboratories of democracy and innovation, per the Constitution. If a new idea turned out to be a bad one, the damage could be limited to the originating state. If a state generated a good idea, the rest of us could follow suit. States would probably suffer an exodus of talented individuals (or the governments would soon be overturned) if ridiculous, backward laws were imposed. It's much easier to escape to one of 49 other states than it is to abandon your citizenship in the face of oppressive federal laws. It's also what our Founding Fathers had in mind.
- will return the role of education to the States, local communities, and parents.
Dr. Paul holds the Constitutional view - the federal government has no authority to oversee education. Just look at the mess that the central-planning bureaucracy has gotten us: education costs more than ever and the quality has dropped significantly - two results that are seen time and time again when government gets involved. It is the families' role to educate their children and all government involvement should take place as close to home as possible. Dr. Paul wants to stop enforcing "no child left behind" and allow an opt-out of the system:
"If you care about your children, you'll get the federal government out of the business of educating our kids...The goal should be set to get the government out completely...don't enforce this law of No Child Left Behind. It's not going to do any good, and nobody likes it. And there's no value to it. The teachers don't like it, and the students don't like it. But there are other things that the federal government can do, and that is give tax credits for the people who will opt out. We ought to have a right to opt out of the public system if you want." Source: 2011 GOP Google debate in Orlando FL, September 22, 2011
- has a plan to address the violence, enormous costs, loss of personal liberty and social inequity that the drug laws cause.
- opposes the war on drugs and the death penalty particularly because of how it disproportionately effects minorities.
- will end the unjust wars designed to make the military industrial complex, and the corrupt politicians who support it, rich. And, in doing so, save lives, save limbs and restore families. If there is a legitimate threat, Ron Paul would defend our nation the Constitutional way. Congress will declare war authorizing the president to direct the armed forces. We will have a clear objective. We will achieve that objective. And, we will come home. No endless wars. No nation building. No policing the world. No propping up of dictators. No unnecessary waste of blood and money. No empire.
- will save Social Security by cutting foreign policy costs and making the Federal Government run more efficiently (eliminating unnecessary and bloated bureaucracies). Ron Paul has proposed saving further money through entitlement reforms which may include, but are not limited to:
- limiting benefits to the rich,
- supporting Medicare reforms that give senior citizens more control over, and responsibility for, their own health care,
- allowing the young to completely opt out of Social Security,
- supporting expanded access to Medicare Health Savings Accounts,
- block granting Medicaid and other welfare programs to allow States the flexibility and ingenuity they need to solve their own unique problems without harming those currently relying on the programs. Welfare, food stamps and housing aid would likely all be contingent on work or job training for able-bodied persons.
- will lower the corporate tax rate to 15%, making America competitive in the global market. He'll allow American companies to repatriate capital without additional taxation, spurring trillions in new investment. He'll extend all Bush tax cuts. He'll abolish the Death Tax. He'll end taxes on personal savings, allowing families to build a nest egg. He'll eliminate the IRS, if possible. If not, he'll reduce the personal income tax to as close to 0% as possible.
- will not accept more than $40,000 each year for his salary as President, a move which demonstrates absolute compassion and understanding of the average middle class and poor American family.
- is compassionate and giving. As an OBGYN, he cared for people, delivered more than 4000 babies and offered his services for free to those who couldn't afford them. He's also a dedicated family man - married to his wife Carol for 55 years. They have 5 children, 18 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
- is adamantly opposed to bailouts, corporatism and crony-capitalism.
- seeks a complete audit of the "untouchable" Federal Reserve (or Central Bank), a network of privately owned banks, whose collective monetary policy has engineered the entire financial mess we're in. He ultimately wants to "End the Fed."
- introduced a piece of legislation, on January 18, 2011, to repeal the infamous Section 1021 of the NDAA, quietly signed into law by Obama on New Year’s Day.
- has a principled and consistent 30 year record in Congress. No flip-flopping. No deceit. No political gamesmanship. He means what he says, and he's not all talk - he acts on his convictions even when they are unpopular. This video shows a sampling of how Ron Paul has been fighting for the American people for decades. While in congress:
- He has never voted to raise taxes (Ron Paul has been called "the taxpayers' best friend ever" by the National Taxpayers Union).
- He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
- He has never voted for a Federal restriction on gun ownership.
- He has never voted to raise Congressional pay.
- He has never taken a Government-paid junket.
- He has never voted to increase the power of the Executive branch.
- He introduced one of the first bills in Congress to limit Congressional terms.
- He voted against the Patriot Act.
- He voted against the TSA.
- He voted against NDAA.
- He voted against regulating the Internet (He has been the most outspoken representative against SOPA/PIPA).
- He voted against the war in Iraq.
- He does not participate in the lucrative Congressional pension program.
- He returns a portion of his annual Congressional office budget to the U.S. Treasury every year.
Conclusion
If you want more of the same failed, corrupt policies, then vote for puppets like Obama and Romney (Obamney). If you want real, honest, intelligent and measured change which will benefit this country, then vote for the courage of Ron Paul.
Dr. Paul is fighting for everyday Americans like YOU and ME - for our rights, our liberties. He is fighting to restore the Constitution to its rightful place. Nothing we do or have matters if we are not free; nothing. He is fighting to save our country from economic catastrophe. He is fighting to end the unjustifiable wars and usher in an era of peace. He is fighting to end crony-capitalism. He is fighting to get Government out of our lives. He is fighting to let us keep what we earn. Dr. Paul is the closest thing we have to a true statesman. A statesman is not a tyrant; he is the free leader of a free people, and he must possess four critical qualities:
- A bedrock of principles
- A moral compass
- A vision
- The ability to build a consensus to achieve that vision
Dr. Paul fits the above description to a tee. The other candidates are power-hungry bullshit artists who want to use the Presidency to control us and line their pockets and the pockets of their elitist friends. They will continue the failed foreign, domestic and monetary policies until we have nothing left. Damn, isn't it clear that they are content to sacrifice us on the alter of power and money? If you've explored the entirety of this site, then it should be. What should be just as clear is that Dr. Paul wants to do the exact opposite. He wants to liberate us from debt slavery and increasing Government oppression. You can believe that, because his 30 year record in Congress proves it.
It's true that his policies won't be easy or painless, but they are the only ones which can save us from a Greece-like fate. I liken it to the field doctor who must sever a limb to save the body. His candidacy challenges us to:
- have the courage to step outside of our comfort zones and question what we've been used to for so long (think outside the box),
- value strength of character over superficiality and discrimination in all its forms,
- resist and overcome the relentless conditioning by the power elite, through the mainstream media, who will stop at nothing to remain in power,
- think for ourselves,
- stand up and defend our constitutional rights, including life, liberty, the right to our property (privacy) and to keep what we earn,
- choose liberty and truth and fight corruption and oppression,
- reject what's "inevitable,"
- have trust and faith.
“You cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. You must learn to see the world anew.” - Albert Einstein
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
Ron Paul possesses more honor, courage, integrity, consistency and sound ideas than any politician in my lifetime, alive or dead. America needs his leadership now more than ever. For those of you who view Ron Paul's ideas as "too extreme," the Presidency is not a dictatorship (or at least it's not supposed to be). His proposed policies will undoubtedly be tempered in practice, because he will have to work with Congress to move forward. It'll be a long, hard road, because the powers that be will fight it every step of the way. However, I believe a paradigm shift is in order - it's the establishment status quo that's too extreme, because it's rapidly taking us to the edge of a cliff. Ultimately, we can't agree with our elected officials on everything. The best we can hope for is to elect someone who we can believe in.
For more info. on Ron Paul:
- http://www.ronpaul2012.com/
- http://www.whyronpaul.com/
- http://www.ronpaul.com/
- http://www.dailypaul.com/
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Money Bombs
Please support Ron Paul by donating to the periodic "money bombs" that are organized by the grassroots and his campaign. Of course, you don't have to wait for a money bomb, you can donate anytime!
Dr. Paul's campaign gets the majority of its funding from regular individuals like you and me, and that's who he's beholden to. He's able to raise large sums of money to keep his campaign going, because it's bigger than just him. It's about the freedom movement which he serves admirably, and that inspires people. The big banks, lobbyists, special interest groups... they don't even bother, because they know he can't be bought.
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Blue Republicans
Blue Republicans are former non-Republicans who are joining the Republican party for one year to help Ron Paul win the GOP nomination for President in 2012. That's me. As mentioned, I'm an Independent, and since my state has a closed primary, I had to register Republican. It was actually pretty easy to do.
If you are not a Republican, but you want to support Dr. Paul and you live in a closed primary state, then please become a Blue Republican. You can find state-by-state instructions to register Republican here.
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Become a Delegate
Donating to Dr. Paul's campaign; participating in the Phone From Home Program; campaigning for Dr. Paul with everyone you meet; displaying signs and stickers; wearing t-shirts and buttons - all of these things are great, but they are not enough.
The only way for Ron Paul to become President is if he gets the GOP nomination. The only way for Ron Paul to get the GOP nomination is if we become delegates. As delegates, we’ll be voting to pick the GOP nominee just like the electors in the electoral college vote to pick the President. Delegates decide who the GOP nominee will be. It’s that critical!
Theoretically, Ron Paul doesn’t have to win a single state's straw poll to get the GOP nomination (of course, it's much better if he does!); he just needs to win the delegates! So, if you become a delegate, you can help Ron Paul secure the GOP nomination with your vote!
For more information about how to become a delegate for Ron Paul, please visit this site.
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PDF Flyers & Video Comparisons
Candidate Fact Sheets
All Candidates I - This fact sheet is also available at Zazzle.com where you may customize numerous copies and have them shipped to you.
All Candidates II
Paul vs. Romney
Paul vs. Obama
Ron Paul Plan Flyers
Plan to Restore America
Plan to Restore American Jobs
Imagine No Income Tax
Video Comparisons
Paul vs. Romney: NDAA
Paul vs. Romney: Congressional Approval for War
Paul vs. Romney: The Patriot Act
Paul vs. Romney: Medical Marijuana
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Grassroots Lobbying
In the news, we hear about professional lobbyists who attempt to influence legislation and policy through various means. Grassroots lobbying is when everyday citizens contact their own legislators to try to influence legislation and policy. Advocacy groups of all kinds engage in grassroots lobbying, asking their members to call and write their legislators about a piece of legislation. Most people will never contact their legislators, but anyone can pick up the phone, mail a letter or send an e-mail, to urge their representative to support or oppose a pending bill. Grassroots lobbying is very effective because the legislators are hearing directly from their constituency, who will be voting the next time they are up for re-election.
Please contact your representatives about pending bills. Please get involved; be heard; make a difference. Here are some worthwhile Grassroots Lobbies:
Campaign for Liberty
“No More Red Ink” Campaign
Sites related to Lawyers for Ron Paul:
Election Fraud Remedy
ronpaulgrassrootsrevolution.com
weareallronpaul.com
realgrassrootsrevolution.com
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