Silencing Ron Paul's Supporters

Commentary USA ^ | Raymond kish

[The_Eaglet]

After the Republican debate on june 5th, CNN.com had a blog entitled "Who Won?". The overwhelming majority of comments left on that blog said that Congressman Ron Paul had won the debate.

Well it appears that CNN did not like all the comments that were left by the Ron Paul supporters because somewhere around 11:05 Central time they took down that blog and started redirecting to a blog of the same name that was posted on June 3rd for the Democrats debate. Here is the link for the Republican debate blog posting http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/06/05/who-won-the-debate/ and here is the link to the democratic debate blog http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/06/03/who-won-the-debate/.

Is CNN trying to silence Ron Paul supporters. You be the judge.

[George W. Bush]

I’m sure Ron Paul supporters think he won the debate, though. Also, I don’t think he will ever be President of the United States.

Every candidate's supporters think they won the debate. And every one of their staffers try to spin the media.

And RP, like Hunter and Tancredo, is as much an issues candidate as a presidential candidate. This is actually routine. It's how political ideas are introduced and tested in the party. Well, unless you want Washington DC to be the only source of ideas and solutions (not a conservative notion).

[George W. Bush]

Are Ron Paul supporters the only ones with enough enthusiasm to bother to post anything anywhere? Are they the only ones who know how to use a computer?

Exactly!

We're not stopping all those other supporters. Don't blame us if they are so bored by their candidates that they won't participate in advertised opportunities to promote their guy.

What a bunch of whining.

I thought the purpose of these debates was to generate some enthusiasm among GOP voters. Then people complain because RP can do it. Just like Howard Dean's folk did in '04.

[I_want_Liberty]

We keep hearing about how Ron Paul spam is swamping everything, but I don't see hardly a single post supporting any other candidate on those comments boards

Looks like those crazy Ron Paul supporters are "spamming" the Ron Paul campaign with contributions now, too. Silly people! They think they can "spam" with their money!

[The_Eaglet]

CNN and others want some "healthy mix" of views about all the candidates and from all their supporters. But most Republicans (especially Republicans!) aren't going to leave many online comments (especially at CNN!) for any candidate.

It seems somewhat inconsistent to solicit comments and then delete civil, on-topic responses.

It also is inconsistent for a media organization to say "we report, you decide" and then denigrate the results of their own text-messaging poll as Sean Hannity did. The last time I checked, FOX News' motto was not "We report, Hannity decides."

Because RP has so many supporters who are internet-savvy (older libertarians who are disproportionately involved in IT) and so many under-thirty supporters and supporters who are Dims and Greens, it ends up that RP supporters really hit these blogs and no one else shows up.

Congressman Paul also has supporters who are Internet-savvy Republicans, Constitutionalists, independents, and Libertarians. The latter 3 are generally have been politically active and responsive partially in reaction to the lack of coverage provided by other media. IMO this response adds balance to the limited coverage of other media.

[The_Eaglet]

You all make a mistake to think that RP's supporters are only interested in his position on Iraq because you think that's the most important thing. But it's irrelevant to many of them, perhaps to most of them. And you don't take that into account when you scorn him and his popularity

For me, Ron Paul's positions on the right to life, immigration, border defense, tax relief, and ending unconstitutional funding of the United Nations are all appealing factors that far outweigh his position on occupation of Iraq.

[RachelFaith]

I’m not sure any of them WON... most all the questions were wishy washy softball questions posed by obvious democrats by their slanted biased language... and most ALL the contenders gave equally wishy washy answers... I think “we the people” LOST the debate.... but I don’t think anyone won it..

[George W. Bush]

Looks like those crazy Ron Paul supporters are "spamming" the Ron Paul campaign with contributions now, too.

Good one. I think some of the other second-tier candidates wish they could get attacked by Giuliani or the libmedia (including FNC). Or just get "spammed" by their supporters with donations, even a little bit.

RP can laugh about it while counting his money stacking his bullion! I think RP really should start advocating the circulation of gold coinage as currency. Not to replace paper currency but alongside it. Man, would heads explode.

[The_Eaglet]

the other second-tier candidates

This "tier" system is a fabrication of the media to identify their less-favored candidates. I am not buying it.

[MichiganConservative]

You know that only those identified as “first-tier” candidates by Sean Hannity are “electable”, don’t you?

This tier thing makes me wonder if Fred Thompson is just the establishment GOP’s latest entry to get the support of people not buying Giuliani, McCain, or Romney.

[Remember_Salamis]

WE didn’t call for socialist programs. He has sponsored a bill, HR 1056, that would provide a tax credit to American families who pull their kids out of public school an put them in private school. A 100% credit for all funds spent on private school.

He wants to use the war money to offer the tax credit.

In addition, Ron Paul is highlighting the redirection of assets that Government spending causes. Regardless of how the money is raised, government spending redirects resources away from the private sector and into the public sector. The $500B+ that this war has cost is $500B+ that is not out there in the economy.

[Remember_Salamis]

The_Eaglet,

Look up Paul’s HR 1056, which calls for a massive tax credit for families who pull their kids out of public school. If Paul was president, he would use the war funding to provide the biggest tax cut in American history.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

That guy gets more threads here on FR than actual viable candidates

And his critics tend to post the same-old "Paul is a kook! Paul supports Al-Quaeda!" BS on every Paul thread too. If the man isn't viable, shouldn't you just ignore him then?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Where were the Rudy supporters? The Romney supporters?

It's easier to just bash Paul, especially when their candidate believes the Constitution should be recycled into toilet paper.

[Allegra]

And his critics tend to post the same-old "Paul is a kook! Paul supports Al-Quaeda!" BS on every Paul thread too. If the man isn't viable, shouldn't you just ignore him then?

But I choose to comment. Ron Paul supporters who act as if they know more about the constitution than anyone else does should not try to tread upon my First Amendment rights. ;-)

[George W. Bush]

Look up Paul’s HR 1056, which calls for a massive tax credit for families who pull their kids out of public school.

Those homeschoolers are yet another group of Friends Of Ron. Who else would propose such a bill? Not any Republican, it seems, obsessing like a junkie about where he's gonna get his next earmark fix so he can have cocktails with some lobbyist at a popular DC watering hole and receive his reward: contributions that amount to fractions of a penny on the profits some company makes off the government.

RP is not and has never been one of those pigs at the government trough.

[George W. Bush]

Ron Paul supporters who act as if they know more about the constitution than anyone else does should not try to tread upon my First Amendment rights. ;-)

Not at all. You debate the issues, give your opinions. Some of the others who haunt these threads are just trolling. That's kind of pathetic. I mean, what is the point of posting RuPaul pictures hundreds of times on a Ron Paul thread? I guess it means that some supporter of the she-male mayor with a thing for ugly men dressed up like movie stars doesn't like Ron Paul. Like anyone should care after the thousandth RuPaul joke or pic.

Actually, I even enjoy the trolls showing up. Especially the ones supporting "serious candidates" who can't somehow get a fraction of the support and millions of dollars RP has raised from his supporters due to his steady positions for decades. So let the trolls hide under the bridge with their RuPaul pix. About the time RP hits $15 or $20 million in fundraising later this summer, we're going to start seeing prayer threads on them having heart attacks. LOL.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Ron Paul ping.

[cva66snipe]

CNN would definitely loathe Ron Paul as he stands against everything it stands for.

[johnreed]

[Wheee The People]

OK, OK I give up....I promise I’ll vote for L Ron Paul if you stop posting this gibberish. Pleeeeeaaaaaase? You win.