People Features

Ron Paul’s quixotic campaign confuses career pols

By Stone Martindale Jul 31, 2007, 17:17 GMT

People aren't sure of what to make of Ron Paul. He isn't coiffed like Romney or Edwards, not in the limelight like Clinton or Obama, and certainly has no big corporate wehrmacht funding his campaign. Texas Congressman Ron Paul arrives for a walk-through for the South Carolina Republican Party presidential debate at the Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia, South Carolina, 15 May 2007. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER

Texas Congressman Ron Paul arrives for a walk-through for the South Carolina Republican Party presidential debate at the Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia, South Carolina, 15 May 2007. EPA/ERIK S. LESSERWhat he does have that perplexes and confuses career politicians and the people who groom and package the two party leaders we will be saddled with chosing, is a genuine growing base of Americans who want to know more, and aren't put off by his spartan platform that doesn't get bogged down in religious morality plays.Paul’s campaign is picking up steam. His recent fundraising statistics reveal a robust and growing internet-based movement that is uniting Libertarians, Independents, old school Republicans and Democrats fed up with the lack of effectiveness the party has suffered for decades.His performance in the media has been on point, and his organization is fine tuning their message.There is no doubt, in the face of better funded and more media fortunate candidates, that Ron Paul must keep up his quiet momentum to be considered a viable candidate and to seriously challenge his mainstream opponents.Paul faces a set of obstacles unlike any other candidate in the race. He bucks the machine that wants you to choose from carefully screened and selected candidates from both parties that will not upset the big corporate American applecart: Big oil, big pharma, and big agra - the corporate scions who like their laws and tax breaks undisturbed, and are happy to see you drive off in a Hummer while gas looms over the horizon at 4, 5, 6 dollars a gallon; that aren't losing sleep that your health insurance premiums are unaffordable.They also want you to continue to ingest high fructose corn syrup and cheap food fillers that they get away with until enough people cry foul. The results of that folly fuel the growing sick population saddled with diabetes and other poor choice related diseases that require lots of expensive maintenance prescription drugs, and even more expensive healthcare. Paul knows that challenging this cabal of sympatico corporate interests is going to be a tough road, and he will attract critics with big corporate money to defeat his efforts as his cache rises with voters.According to his own website, Ron Paul is running on three specific ideas:1. The federal government must function within the strict guidelines of the Constitution.2. America should deconstruct its empire, withdraw our troops from around the world and reestablish a foreign policy based on noninterventionism.3. America should abolish the Federal Reserve Bank, eliminate fiat currency and return to hard money.Ron Paul Radio will launch on August 6th and will be broadcast on GCN Live (http://www.gcnlive.com/) Monday-Friday from 3-4 PST, 5-6 CST, 6-7 EST. This will be a live internet radio call in show to serve as a media outlet for campaign announcements and news, a vehicle for the organization of Ron Paul support, so that the American public, who will have a hard time finding him in mainstream media, will get a chance to decide for themselves if Paul's ideas speak to them.Ron Paul Radio is an independent effort of individual supporters of the Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign.http://www.gcnlive.com/listenlive.htmPaul encourages the curious to call the show at 1-866-582-9933Monday - Friday3-4 PST
4-5 MST
5-6 CST
6-7 EST