Posted on 02/26/2012 12:39:38 PM PST by SmithL
Ron Paul revels in the fact that he is the presidential candidate of America's small donors, receiving more contributions under $200 than any other Republican seeking the White House in 2012.
But, like every other GOP presidential contender, he also has a mega-millionaire "sugar daddy" helping to fund a super PAC that is promoting Paul's candidacy.
Yet while Newt Gingrich underwriter Sheldon Adelson and Rick Santorum super-supporter Foster Friess have shared the campaign stage - and the national political spotlight - with their candidates, Paul's benefactor, San Francisco entrepreneur Peter Thiel, has never met the Texas congressman he's aiding.
Who is this mystery man who has donated $2.6 million to Endorse Liberty, the pro-Paul super PAC that has produced several viral videos and sponsored sharp attack ads against Santorum, Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry?
Thiel, 44, is a low-profile libertarian with a background as quirky as the candidate he supports.
Born in Germany, he's a self-made billionaire who became a chess master as a child, majored in philosophy at Stanford University, and founded the conservative-libertarian Stanford Review to "present alternate views" on a campus he felt was dominated by liberals.
He's a lawyer who co-founded PayPal, invested early in Facebook (he was portrayed by actor Wallace Langham in the Academy Award-winning "The Social Network"), dabbled in Hollywood (as executive producer of the libertarian satire "Thank You for Smoking"), ran a venture capital firm that saw the potential in startups such as LinkedIn and Yelp, and now serves as president of a global hedge fund, Clarion Capital.
He is a conservative Christian, a strong supporter of unfettered capitalism, an aggressive critic of "political correctness" and a generous donor to Republican candidates, including Paul, his son Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, and California Republican Reps. Dan Lungren, Dana Rohrabacher and Ed Royce.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Heck, I wish he would run instead of Paul.
I thought the same thing.
‘born in Germany”
I wonder what Paul supporters think about his sugar daddy being a Bilderberger...
Oh, ok - born in Germany.
Quite a story though. Quite an interesting mix of interests and beliefs and talents.
Uncle Nutjob has no path whatsoever.
http://www.conservativestats.com/p/mapping.html
Several updates to our State by State polling Map
Huh?
The more they all get funding, the more the chance for a brokered convention, opening the way for Sarah to step in.
It’s TIME for a change, a 180 degree turn around. Ron Paul has not been drinking the Kool Aid. He gets my support.
A former avid zero supporter I know now calls BO a douchebag but says he’s better than the other douchebags.
Wish we had a dynamite candidate! For me that would be Sarah...I can dream at least.
So? It’s not like he can’t get an Hawaiian birth certificate.
Thanks SmithL.
Not many know that PayPal supports planned parenthood. Does Ron Paul too?
Ron Paul is dangerous.
Ron Paul, Soros and Defense
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4q1vYx1V3g&feature=related
Before everyone gets their panties in a wad. Obama is already starting to make the moves to destroy our military.
Ron Paul will just drive the knife into their backs.
I thought it was clever how the Obama military haters are going to cut Benefits for veterans and wounded soldiers.
Wonder how far enlistment will drop on that one.
One of Ron Pauls best friends is George Soros..
Won't be a problem at all. In the Baraqqi Depression, military service is one of the few decent jobs available. And with the planned cutbacks in force level, it will make the openings even more desirable.
I watched him “live” on C-SPAN tonight...I’m not quite there, but I am looking and listening...
You can’t possibly be a conservative and be a libertarian at the same time. Libertarians like Ron Paul, Andrew Napolitano, Gary Johnson and John Stossel are leftists in every way except they believe in an anarchist’s approach to government. They believe in open borders, legalized drugs, legalized prostitution, dismantling our military, the rights of states to secede from the union, etc. The libertarian agenda is a radical agenda that would absolutely destroy this country. It would be wrong to dismiss Ron Paul as a nut. He’s a clever opportunist, building up a cultlike following for his own personal profit, but the ideology he is pushing is a poisonous, ignorant and dangerous one.
Newt Gingrich is the only guy in this race who is for true reform based on common sense and the constitution and is willing to challenge the establishment to get it done.
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