Ron Paul marches toward?

"The 76-year-old U.S. representative from Texas has energized — and gained —young voters at a time many people under 30 are turned off to politics.

Paul's reputation for attracting young voters is so pronounced that supporters say it's sometimes rare to see older adults at his rallies. Many times, the folks in the loud cheering sections at his events are called simply "the kids."

"I'm 36 and I'm considered an old guy," says Patrick Hussey of Parkville, who participated in a Paul rally on a recent Saturday in Towson. "It's very unusual that there's this resurgence in the old right. He's a 76-year-old man and he's got the under-30 crowd for him. It's very unique."

Motivated by Paul's purist libertarian ideology — he opposes most foreign wars, advocates for severe cuts to federal budgets and believes drugs should be decriminalized federally — supporters say they're drawn to a movement that is consistent, fair and free. And while the 12-time congressman has failed to win any of the first three voting states, he's captured the youth vote every time, sometimes dominantly."  Baltimore Sun

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The political class will continue to ignore this man until they can no longer do it.  pl

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bthesite/bs-b-youth-voters-ron-paul-sidebar-20120123,0,7453668.story

Comments

[Fred]

The political classes are in effect also ignoring the younger generation who are essentially being economically enslaved to the debt racked up by the "1%". (The unaccountable, un-taxable elites now being pandered to by the professional politicians). Obama had similar support 4 years ago that is being lost by his failure to practice what he preached.

[Morocco Bama]

George Wallace comes to mind. I have to say, I agree with Wallace per the following video about unpacking the Supreme Court. In its current incarnation, it's an abomination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hvo6fW19U8&feature=related

[Mike Martin, Yorktown, VA]

It's strange how a major candidate can be ignored by the MSM, at least the older outlets. I cannot stand Fox News, but if anyone here watches that, is FNC likewise ignoring Paul?

[Edgar Mcwhorter]

Americans are losing more and more of their country with every passing day...both parties sole interests is in growing their power at the expense of the citizenry.

pontificating and acting like it can't happen here is just plain silly.

i don't know whether to laugh or to cry.

[optimax]

The slogan should be:

Ron Paul, America's Lost Hope because he'll never win. The Big Guys ("They, who's They!!") have control of the message and the last thing they want is an equal playing field. But he is the only candidate with integrity.

[Green Zone Cafe]

I still say Gary Johnson is Ron Paul without the nutty parts and with executive experience.

[Cato the Censor]

I still say Ron Paul is a crank.

[Farmer Don]

Hear Newt say in his own words what the Adelsons want for their 10 million:

http://www.salon.com/2012/01/25/what_the_adelsons_get_for_their_money/singleton/#comments

[Jake]

I am just disgusted with this Israeli pandering crap.

Worried about Israel's survival? If Israel fall's it will be by its own hand....

[Twit]

I don't think Ron Paul is a "purist libertarian" as the article says. I think a better description is "strict Constitutionalist" or maybe just "States Rights guy." He seems to defer to the states on most questions, even those having to do with individual liberty. A pure libertarian would use the power of the federal government to protect individual liberty. Best example is his view on the abortion issue.

But I would love to see him as the nominee. It's the only chance we have of getting any kind of real debate on civil liberties, the growing surveillance state, federalism, and our foreign policy that seems to have all the burdens of empire with none of the benefits. But of course not going to happen.

[Ramojus]

He just seems to be another Ross Perot; likable on certain positions. I like his anti war stance, but banish the Federal Reserve?

Heard yesterday that he would not discount an independent candidacy if he does not get the Republican nomination.

Will we experience a "Perot-like meltdown"?

Is this a "one percenter" conspiracy for a Obama victory?

[Medicine Man]

Four years ago Paul was getting 4% of the GOP primary vote. Today he's getting anywhere from 15-20%, depending on the primary. Paul is a warning to the political class what will happen if they keep servicing their donors and dicking the country over.

[The Moar You Know]

"The political class will continue to ignore this man until they can no longer do it."

No, they will ignore him until he dies. Realistically, this is likely his last presidential campaign. Perhaps 2016 (and I'd love to see that) but an 80-year old guy is going to have a hard time with the pace of the campaign trail no matter how fit and spry he is - and while Paul's in very good shape...he'll be 80 in 2016.

What I'd like to see is an "heir apparent". Sadly, Rand is not that guy.

[robt willmann]

Col. Lang said above that "[t]he political class will continue to ignore this man until they can no longer do it".

Wes Hemings of dawnoftheweak.com tries to keep track of the total talk time, number of times talking, the average time between talking, longest wait between talking, and the number of questions, responses, and follow-ups in some of the debates. Here are his statistics for the ABC, NBC, Fox News, and NBC debates this year. Rick Perry had fallen out of favor with the political operators, and so was down there with Ron Paul in time allowed to talk until he dropped out. The NBC debate of 23 January this week was slanted toward Romney and Gingrich; I noted while watching the debate that Ron Paul was not allowed to speak until about 38-40 minutes into it.

http://www.dawnoftheweak.com/2012/01/stats-nbc-florida-debate-1-23-2012.html

http://www.dawnoftheweak.com/2012/01/fox-news-south-carolina-debate-1-16.html

http://www.dawnoftheweak.com/2012/01/debate-stats-nbc-meet-press-1-8-2012_08.html

http://www.dawnoftheweak.com/2012/01/abc-debate-statistics-172012.html

Of course, back at the beginning, with the "straw poll" in Iowa, after Ron Paul came in a close second, he was ignored in media reports to such an extent that comedian Jon Stewart on the Daily Show put together a sketch using actual clips that ended up shaming the networks into giving Congressman Paul at least a little more access to some of their TV shows. The dynamics of the Republican primary have changed since then, but the comedy sketch makes the point quite powerfully and is indeed funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viDKeTzSLf4

[steve g]

The Paul campaign has been running ads
for the upcoming caucuses 7 Feb. None of the
other candidates has bothered so far. The
ad features him not only "blowing up" the Fed
but 4 other cabinet agencies. My question would
be on what authority does the President have to
do this if this is his intention. Were they not created
by an act of Congress?

[zanzibar]

Is it the man or his ideas and policy prescriptions that are attracting our youth?

[Medicine Man]

The man as much as his ideas, I would say, but what do I know. Paul does come across as remarkably candid and honest for a politician; also very consistent in what he stands for. I can understand why people are in his corner.

[Morocco Bama]

It's his stance on drugs, more than anything. It's not the man. There's nothing inspiring about him, other than some of his policies. He's a terrible public speaker and lacks an engaging, dynamic presence. Yes, he appears genuine, but in a bland, boring way.....the way a Pharmacist seems genuine.

Also, the younger audience has not yet been sucked into the machine, so if they're so inclined, they're still raging against it, and Paul feeds that. The Man (in his case, the Government) is keeping you down. I would venture a bet that a statistically significant number of the younger ones who support him are Pink Floyd fans.

[YT]

We're all just another brick in the wall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR5ApYxkU-U&feature=related

[zot23]

IMHO, Ron Paul is the only candidate (from either side) to believe in a firm platform of anti-Imperialism. This is something young people understand on an emotional level: the empire that has brought us wealth and comfort the last 80 years is dying; what's left is the contraction and painful slide. Supporting it further would just suck up their lives, money, safety, and remaining civil rights.

When I say Imperialism, you could hear the word "Establishment" from the 60s. It's the web of relationships of the banks to the politicians to the military contractors to the corporations (and on.) This relationship was OK as long as they were sharing the wealth with the little people in the form of higher wages, but since 1980 that relationship was severed (and replaced with the 1%/99% dynamic of today.)

If Ron Paul was smart, he's start cruising around to OWS demonstrations and giving speeches. That's his untapped base and the free PR for him would be incredible.

[YT]

"This is something young people understand on an emotional level: the empire that has brought us wealth and comfort the last 80 years is dying; what's left is the contraction and painful slide."

Dr. Michael Brenner asks on the Natl Journal (where our host is a regular member): And the meek shall inherit what?

http://security.nationaljournal.com/2012/01/what-is-the-state-of-the-union.php?comments=expandall#comments

"What are the vital and urgent purposes that they thereby are to serve in helping spare the military=industrial-intelligence establishment from the budgetary pruning fork? To go to war against the diabolical iranians? To gird our loins for the apocalyptic sea-air battle with the Chinese? To chase the ghosts of terrorism past into the remotest corners of the globe?"

[steve]

Watching that video reminded me how much Wallace was truly a great orator in the old-time tradition.

[Augustin L]

I respect the man's integrity and his stance with regards to the military industrial complex leviathan, but the economic policies he's advocating would probably accelerate the advent of authoritarian techno-feudalism.There is only organized labour left as the last remaining mass movement (despite a crippling 30 years class war) that can stand up to the oligarchy and finance capital, and he wants to destroy what remains of it. No thanks!!!

Only a fool would try to deprive working men and working women of their right to join the union of their choice.
-Dwight D. Eisenhower

For a measured analysis of the havoc Ron Paul's economic austerity program would inflict on the average american:
http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/76422

All this deflationary poison still won't be enough to offset the ultimate black hole of 1 quadrillon in derivative dollars floating in the shadow banking system.
Who will benefit from all the economic chaos? What kind of order will emerge from such creative destruction?

[Morocco Bama]

I agree. He doesn't miss a beat, and he sounds assuredly convincing. This type of skilled oratory can convince the more impressionable amongst us, and they are legion, to embrace noxious policy that is contrary to their best interests, and to do it gleefully. But alas, that skill has gone the way of the dodo bird and has been replaced by the Darren Brown's (Marketers) of the world. Like everything else, science has invaded the industry of persuasion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyQjr1YL0zg

[Spenray]

No. Welcome to "the machine"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCfVFxRsKQc