Las Vegas crowd roars for Ron Paul

Las Vegas Review-Journal ^ | Nov. 20, 2007 | MOLLY BALL

[George W. Bush]

Las Vegas crowd roars for Ron Paul

Presidential hopeful set single-day GOP fundraising record this month

By MOLLY BALL
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Elections
2008 ELECTIONS
Get more news, voter information


More than 1,000 supporters of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul packed UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall on Monday to hear him speak. It was Paul's second campaign appearance in Nevada, where he thinks voters are sympathetic to his message.

Asked why more of his rivals aren't campaigning in Nevada, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul grinned.

"Maybe they don't feel confident that their philosophy is attractive to the people of Nevada," he said, a twinkle in his eye. "I'm very comfortable with the people of Nevada."

Shortly after making that comment, the puckish Texas congressman strode onto a stage at UNLV to preach his message before a crowd of more than 1,000 people.

As the audience stood, roared and waved signs, many of them handmade, Paul said, "It sounds to me like the spirit of liberty is alive and well in Nevada."

Paul, a 72-year-old country doctor who once ran for president as the nominee of the Libertarian party, is as surprised as anyone at the roaring crowds and millions in donations his campaign has attracted. Referring to a supporter's sign that read "Dr. Paul cured my apathy," he said, "I have to say, you've cured me of my skepticism, and I thank you for it."

Earlier this month, his campaign set the single-day Republican fundraising record, more than $4 million. And that was without even trying: A grass-roots group independent of the campaign launched the daylong, online effort on Nov. 5.

The Internet, which Paul admits he barely uses, has fueled this surge, much of it by young people. In Las Vegas, Paul volunteers, brought together by the Web site MeetUp.com, have festooned the city with signs trumpeting the "revolution."

No wonder Paul, with his beetle brows, ski-jump nose and slight stoop, has a humble bearing. He is a grandfather crowd-surfing on a youthful wave.

The purity of his message, he said, has combined with young people's natural idealism, with the Internet catalyzing the reaction.

"Despite our public school system, young people have learned their arithmetic," he said in one of his few canned jokes. "They've figured it out that they're getting a bum deal."

Paul gave a 40-minute speech outlining his platform, which is far from the main Republican line. He voted against the Patriot Act, and would restore what he considers eroded civil liberties. He voted against the Iraq war, and would pull American troops not just out of that country but from all 130 foreign nations where they are stationed.

"We don't need to just change the management of the war," he said. "We need a foreign policy of nonintervention to prevent wars from ever breaking out. ... We're spending a trillion dollars maintaining an empire overseas. We have to end the empire and come home."

Paul calls for an end to the Federal Reserve and the monetary system, and a return to gold- or silver-backed currency, which he says would curb inflation and help the poor and middle class. He would radically shrink government and return powers to the states.

Although he calls himself a strict believer in the U.S. Constitution, Paul doesn't consider it a perfect document. He'd like to repeal the 16th Amendment, which created the federal income tax, and also opposes automatic citizenship for children born on American soil, as is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment.

And though Paul said his approach would soon lead to a better nation, he warned there will be darkness before the dawn. "We will get poorer, because we've lived beyond our means, and we will have to pay back the bills we have run up," he said. "But if we do what is necessary rather quickly, if we release the creative energy of a free society, we will not be poor very long."

Whether Paul is in serious contention for the Republican nomination is an open question. Despite all the enthusiasm, his poll numbers remain low.

In Nevada, there are signs that may be changing: Two recent polls here put Paul at 7 and 8 percent support, the first time his percentage has exceeded the margin of error and better than he does nationally or in Iowa. But that still puts Paul in fifth place among Republican candidates.

Paul boosters say he will succeed by bringing people in who haven't previously been active in Republican primaries. In Nevada, where the Jan. 19 caucus requires in-person participation, they hope their grass-roots organizing will be the key. The only other Republican mounting an active organizing campaign in Nevada is former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who, a Paul representative gleefully noted, drew just 200 people to a weekend appearance in Henderson.

Boulder City high-school student Courtney Walman, 17, came to Monday's rally with her boyfriend, even though both considered themselves Democrats. After hearing Paul speak, she said she would register as a Republican to support him in the caucuses, which she can participate in because she'll be old enough to vote before the election.

"Every single thing that came out of his mouth was very, very smart," she said. "He just makes sense."

Walman's boyfriend, Daniel Trujillo, brought his mother Karen to the rally. An independent disenchanted with Republicans, she said she, too, would switch her registration.

"We are intelligent people. We're not sheep," the 51-year-old Trujillo said. "We can make up our own minds. We don't need the government telling us how to inhale and exhale."

In a news conference before the UNLV event, Paul said he sees Nevada as his kind of state, a place where "people understand what individual liberty and individual responsibility and low taxes mean."

Paul said the federal government should not have a say in whether prostitution is legal, as it is in some parts of Nevada. Washington, D.C., also should defer to states on gambling, abortion, gay marriage and drugs, he said.

Paul said he was once one of just three members of Congress, and the only non-Nevadan, voting against Yucca Mountain and has consistently opposed the proposed nuclear waste repository in Nevada as a matter of state's rights. No other Republican has come out in opposition to the repository.

Prior to his public appearances, Paul on Monday held a private lunch fundraiser at a Las Vegas home. According to the campaign, about 80 people attended the $500-a-plate event. Monday night, he was headed to Pahrump, and today he is scheduled to appear in Reno and Carson City.

Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2919.

[George W. Bush]

Ron Paul drew over 1,000 supporters.

A week ago, Mitt Romney drew a crowd of 200.

[George W. Bush]

	Ron's weekly message [5 minutes audio, every Monday] • Podcast • Weekly archive • Toll-free 888-322-1414 •
	Free Republic Ron Paul Ping List: Join/Leave

Dr. Paul, continuing to draw huge crowds everywhere he goes. So different than what we see from the other GOP candidates.

[George W. Bush]

Just for fun, Ron Paul is one of GQ's Men Of The Year, the only presidential candidate to receive the honor. He wont the Dark Horse Of The Year category.

GQ Announces 2007 Men of the Year

[GulfBreeze]

Obviously he was there to greet the strong contention of sex workers supporting him.

“Prostitutes for Paul” is HQ’d in Vegas you know.

[Army Air Corps]

One could only imagine what their campaign contribution would be.

[UKrepublican]

Why would any Republican want to support a candidate that doesn’t even care for the party, that would and has ran against it? And that is opposed to fighting the W.O.T and would rather isolate America and allow threats to gather again in the slick willy mold?

[traviskicks]

There were actually probably somewhere between 1300-1500 people here. Three news channels were here, two have videos you can view on the sites here and here, they estimated 1300 and 2000 respectively.



More photos of the rally can be viewed here.

Photos from the earlier luncheon can be viewed here.

Blog of the days events here.

[Nervous Tick]

Obviously he was there to greet the strong contention of sex workers supporting him.

LOL! "My Johnson is bigger than Rudy's, Mitt's, and Fred's, put together!!"

[traviskicks]

1300-1500 person rally yesterday in Las Vegas, see post 7 for more details.



Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.

[from occupied ga]

SO who's your candidate of choice Hillary? Obama? Rooty-tootie fresh and Fruity?

Is it Romney the "hunter"

How about fred

Or is it "assault weapon ban and to hell with the first amendment McCain?

[traviskicks]

Is there anyway we could add this to extended news? It was a huge rally in an early primary state.

[JimSEA]

"We are intelligent people. We're not sheep," the 51-year-old Trujillo said. "We can make up our own minds. We don't need the government telling us how to inhale and exhale."

Interesting choice of words. I suppose that if nominated, Paul could run against a candidate whose husband never inhaled.

[Nervous Tick]

>> We are intelligent people. We’re not sheep

You have to respect a man who stands up says, “I am not a sheep”.

On the other hand, a guy who says, “WE are not sheep...”

...is just one more in the herd, IMO.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Jonah Goldberg writes a fair piece about Paul today, saying that Huckabee is the real threat to conservatism.

1,000 folks show up for Paul in Vegas, eh? Boy that's a lot of Truthers and Code Pinkers. < /S >

[SubGeniusX]

Is there anyway we could add this to extended news?

LOL

Dude, you owe me a new keyboard ...

my bet is this as all other "positive" RP articles (even those from mainstream news sources) will remain banished and buried to the RLC board... never to see the light of the Front Page ...

would be nice to be proven wrong though...

[traviskicks]

you tube of rally:

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

[tacticalogic]

RP probably strikes a chord in a state that the federal government owns about 90% of.

[Stevieboy]

Why would any Republican want to support a candidate that doesn’t even care for the party, that would and has ran against it?

I suspect it's because he values country over party.

[UKrepublican]

Really? Then why is he content to ignore the islamic threat which wants to destroy your country?

[Stevieboy]

I think he believes that the Islamic threat is antagonized, in part, because of American foreign policy.

[Mr. Jeeves]

"Maybe they don't feel confident that their philosophy is attractive to the people of Nevada," he said, a twinkle in his eye. "I'm very comfortable with the people of Nevada."

A good point, since The Party That Banned Online Gambling (tm) doesn't yet realize how much of a backlash they are in for as a result. Ron Paul has a lot of genuine support in Las Vegas, from what I've seen and heard. His act won't play in backwoods Alabama, but he'll do well in cities like Vegas that haven't yet fallen too far down the slope into liberal dependency.

[UKrepublican]

Tell me, when you’re ‘antagonized’ do you start bombing schools? cooking children alive? murdering teachers, doctors and nurses?

These people are ‘antagonized’ by the islamo nazi media and propaganda machine that puts young children through terror camps, that turns childrens cartoons into anti semitic propaganda.

We just can’t ignore that threat, and we certainly shouldn’t blame ourselves for it.

Ultimately our guys are out there putting their lives on the line, building schools and repairing hospitals.

Do they really deserve to become targest? Is there any justification for that? Surely not.

[Stevieboy]

These people are ‘antagonized’ by the islamo nazi media and propaganda machine that puts young children through terror camps, that turns childrens cartoons into anti semitic propaganda.

I fully agree that they are manipulated by propaganda fed to them from political and religous leaders. As a libertarian-minded Canadian, I believe that "leaders" in all cultures, including our own, do the same, so to me, the best solution is to remove as much power-by-force as possible from any wannabee leader.

[ex-snook]

Looks like people are not accepting the slime association attacks. Are personal smear efforts working or are they producing blowback?

[Theophilus]

I think he believes that the Islamic threat is antagonized, in part, because of American foreign policy.

Is RP a pluralist? I think Islam is impossible to pacify or placate. It is so evil that it consumes itself.

[SubGeniusX]

Really? Then why is he content to ignore the islamic threat which wants to destroy your country?

I could also be that he see's the Fed. Gov. encroaching on the Constitution as a bigger threat to our Liberty, than the Islamic Terrorists could ever be...

[SubGeniusX]

Ultimately our guys are out there putting their lives on the line, building schools and repairing hospitals.

No reason for them to be doing that ... not our business... Do they really deserve to become targest? Is there any justification for that? Surely not.

There you and I would agree ... so let's get them out of harms way...

[George W. Bush]

Looks like people are not accepting the slime association attacks. Are personal smear efforts working or are they producing blowback?

I think that the attacks are mostly the rhetoric from supporters of other candidates. It's not something the candidates are instigating, just their own self-appointed representatives.

I estimate the number of RP supporters at FR are 4-5 times what I have on my pinglist. I don't think the attack threads do much to hurt him. But it may already be the case that RP has maxxed out his support on FR. You might see a few folks supporting other candidates switch to RP when their guy drops out but the majority of switchers will go to Fred or Romney. FR is an activist board anyway so there are very few uncommitted voters left at FR at this point. There's more of the folks who are shopping a bit for their #2 pick if their guy can't make it.

[GulfBreeze]

I support Duncan Hunter but Ron Paul is at the bottom of the list of ALL Republican candidates for me.

[George W. Bush]

Didn’t notice you here, thought you might want Le Ping.

[ex-snook]

" I think that the attacks are mostly the rhetoric from supporters of other candidates"

I think hardly. Others are closer to them than Paul without personal attacks. Paul is drawing most opposition from those opposing his non-intervention foreign policy - an intolerable position from anyone to them that should not see the light of day.

[rineaux]

“Why would any Republican want to support a candidate that doesn’t even care for the party, that would and has ran against it?” UKR, great question

“I suspect it’s because he values country over party.” SB, good answer

I’m with UKr here and would add, why would Rudy, Mitt and McCain even run as republicans in the first place?

Now if UKr was referring to RP, than SB, you really gave the best answer.

[rineaux]

Love the photo of “when rudy had hair”.

[from occupied ga]

Shows who he chooses to associate with too.

[from occupied ga]

Ron Paul is at the bottom of the list of ALL Republican candidates for me.

SO you'd choose Julie Annie, Romney and McCain over RP? Amazing.

[rineaux]

“I support Duncan Hunter but Ron Paul is at the bottom of the list of ALL Republican candidates for me.”

That’s funny breeze, because I support RP and I really like DH. I don’t know how it happens, but every time I take those “what candidate do you support”, RP and DH always come up being first or second.

DH seems like a great guy and why he is not in the top tier as a candidate, is beyond me. Get his supporters motivated and start raising some dollars to get him elected.

Good luck.

[GulfBreeze]

Not once you understand what self important totally deluded nutcase Ron Paul is.

[jmc813]

I could also be that he see's the Fed. Gov. encroaching on the Constitution as a bigger threat to our Liberty, than the Islamic Terrorists could ever be.

Blasphemy!!!!

[from occupied ga]

nutcase Ron Paul

Yep so nutty that he voted against gun control, voted to defund UNESCO, wants us out of the UN, wants to reduce the size of government and voted against tax increases. Wants to do away with the IRS and the BATF. Wants to end the "war on drugs" Sounds like a right dangerous head case (at least if you're a statist anyway)

[lormand]

Suicide Monkeys for Ron Paul Ping

...too lazy to check if you are already here...

[jmc813]

Yep so nutty that he voted against gun control, voted to defund UNESCO, wants us out of the UN, wants to reduce the size of government and voted against tax increases. Wants to do away with the IRS and the BATF. Wants to end the "war on drugs"

You're not allowed to give him credit for this. We're only allowed to talk about his foreign policy and the white supremacists that support him. Duh.

[jmc813]

Can you add me to your ping list, please?

[lormand]

Can we ask the admin moderator to nuke this spam instead?

Any candidate that echoes enemy propaganda deserves hostile treatment here. Any "freeper" who propagates such a candidate should also expect hostile treatment from Conservatives, here and elsewhere.

[lormand]

"Can you add me to your ping list, please?"

I must respectfully ask why? The list is targeted for like minded people, i.e., Freepers AGAINST Ron Paul 08'.

[from occupied ga]

You're not allowed to give him credit for this

I guess I'm one of those people who think that we've a lot more to fear from our own oveweaning government than external threats. Over the course of the last 20 years the federal government has extorted over a million dollars from me cut my choice of automobiles to homogenized nerdmobiles (it took detroit 40 years to make a car I liked after 1967) is giving my water away to striped bank climber mussels, has told me that I can't have a full auto weapon made after 1986, etc. The terrorists have done what? Murdered 3000 in one day. The illegal Mexicans coming over the border have killed more people than that, and the feds do nothing but loot my hard earned assets and pass more laws evey day to restrict my freedoms without doing anything substantive to increase my safety.

[George W. Bush]

Man, is the media unloading on Fred today! Did you see these?

TheSpoof.com : Fred Thompson Gets Plastic Surgery to Look Like Ron Paul, Doesn't Fool Anyone funny satire story

Is Fred Dead or Just Resting? - Yahoo! News

I'm a hardened political hack and they even surprised me.

If Fred wants this thing, he'd better stop walking and start running like he wants to win it!

[ejonesie22]

...too lazy to check if you are already here...

Did we ever leave?

[lormand]

"I guess I'm one of those people who think that we've a lot more to fear from our own oveweaning government than external threats"

Yes, Ron Paul is the kook candidate for you then.

[jmc813]

I must respectfully ask why? The list is targeted for like minded people, i.e., Freepers AGAINST Ron Paul 08'.

I've enjoyed these threads over the last two weeks or so, so I might as well know when they're posted. Back in the heyday of the FR drug war threads, I did the ping list and had people on all sides of the issue on it and had many epic threads.

[jmc813]

I guess I'm one of those people who think that we've a lot more to fear from our own oveweaning government than external threats.

You hate the troops. And Jews.