Posted on 12/12/2011 5:06:42 PM PST by americanophile
WAVERLY, Iowa -- Iowa Republican voters are taking Ron Paul very seriously.
So seriously, in fact, that few would be surprised if he finished a strong second - or even won - the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses.
The 76-year-old Texas congressman's potential is evident in recent statewide polls that show him in or near second place, trailing former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich and in a virtual tie with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Paul's strength is also apparent anecdotally - he draws big, diverse crowds, like one recently in this small northeastern Iowa town.
People in the audience at the community library last week shoehorned themselves into the meeting room, listening intently to the libertarian Republican presidential candidate, as have people in meeting halls and college auditoriums all over the state.
They were sympathetic to his no-frills message of dramatically smaller government and a scaled-back foreign policy - a message he's long preached, but one that now has wide mainstream appeal. And they appreciate how he's engaging Gingrich, accusing the front-runner of "serial hypocrisy."
Paul draws no big cheers; his audiences are serious and polite. They applauded in Waverly when he told them that the U.S. government can't possibly continue spending at its current pace because the world economy is on the brink of chaos.
"The solution is that we have to decide what we want from our government," Paul said.
Paul is attracting three kinds of Iowa voters.
There's his cadre of longtime supporters, who helped him finish fifth with 10 percent in Iowa in 2008. And this year two other types of voters have joined the Paul army: Young people, and those simply fed up with the government and eager for drastic change.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
I agree with much of what Paul says, but he is a flibberty jibbit. He is not at all presidentital.
Well he’s way better than Zero but Ru Paul doesn’t inspire much confidence to me as a. Voter. Heck he’s even older than McLame. Maybe for VP but then again pick a younger VP for the future.
how many of you guys played a part in being a policeman of the world.
“show me where in the constitution we are the policemen of the world? “
Nowhere. However, we tried to be isolationist in the 1930’s. How did that experiment work out?
Unfortunately, world is evil place, and bad things will happen to the US, if we don’t protect ourselves. If we don’t eliminate the threat of Taleban, Iran or AQ (or Japan/Germany in the past), they will eventually kill us in the US.
I like being alive, compared being dead. I prefer US government to keep threats in check.
“show me where in the constitution we are the policemen of the world? “
Nowhere. However, we tried to be isolationist in the 1930’s. How did that experiment work out?
Unfortunately, world is evil place, and bad things will happen to the US, if we don’t protect ourselves. If we don’t eliminate the threat of Taleban, Iran or AQ (or Japan/Germany in the past), they will eventually kill us in the US.
I like being alive, compared being dead. I prefer US government to keep threats in check.
Paul will never be president, it’s not even in the realm of possibility. I’m just talking about his ideas, which really do resonate with people, and if they could be paired with a responsible foreign policy, and be advocated by an electable candidate, they could prove extremely potent.
You sure do like to parrot those phrases like a good sheep don’t you?
Don't you know that the Constitution is, oh so, nineteenth century? Don't you know that 9/11 changed everything! If we don't bomb and invade countries that had nothing to do with 9/11 (while at the same time hand other countries over to the perpetrators of 9/11) scary Muslim terrorists will kill you and your kids. Why if we don't allow the TSA to grope Grandma and the NSA to listen to your phones calls and read your email and the military the ability to secretly arrest, jail, and execute American citizens on American soil without judge or jury (while the borders are wide open and tens of thousands of Muslims legally immigrate annually) then scary Muslims terrorists will destroy America - somehow. You must be some kind of America hating, Jew hating, pot smoking kook!
You’re right to be concerned with the Taliban, Iran and AQ. I think that’s perfectly reasonable, and I agree the world is a relatively evil place. I am more concerned, though, with the petty tyrants in this country. I think it’s much more likely the evil people in this country will bankrupt and enslave us, unless we put a halt to the wild, unrestrained growth of government. To me, Paul is the best candidate to kill the nanny state, and cut spending.
I did. I lost part of right leg doing it - and I wouldn't have a senile divot like Ron Paul responsible for the safety of this country if was the last person available.
Remember how well isolationism served us in the '40s? They came for us then and they are coming for us now. We need a president who knows how to fight, not a nitwit that will let Iran have the bomb.
If Paul were a bit more reasonable on foreign policy, people might take him seriously.
Now he is simply a joke. His good message on domestic issues is wasted..
wide open southern border--Check. direct flights from Iran to Venezuela---Check. Chavez making Iranians citizens of venezuela and giving them spanish surnames ----Check. Hezzbullah working with Mexican cartels----check.
the only parrot I hear is you
bawk----I dont like his foreign policy ---bawk.
lol you are channeling Mccain and lady lindsey arent you
One of the reasons I know he’s serious about cutting government are his foreign policy positions. If you’re going to tackle a $15 trillion debt, you can’t just elminate the Department of Education. You have cut everywhere, including defense. He’s one of the only candidates to say he’ll cut defense. Personally, I’d rather he did not have to do that... but like I said, when you’re $15 trillion in the hole, everything is on the table for cutting.
Actually, I think he is a fraud on all aspects and he is as much of a fake constitutionalist as Fred Phelps is a fake Christian.
So you can get back to your “Bwak, police the world.. bwak, only living founding father, bwak, never vote for a tax hike, bwak...” (all lies..)
Paul has my vote 100%.
“If Paul were a bit more reasonable on foreign policy, people might take him seriously.
Now he is simply a joke. His good message on domestic issues is wasted.”
I agree. I was a Paul supporter in ‘08. Since then I’ve learned a lot more about his views on foreign policy. Having lived in several foreign countries, his views are loony. About the only thing I do agree with is that we need to quit taking American’s tax dollars and putting them into the pockets of rich foreign leaders. I’ve seen some of what’s done with our foreign aid. The more I listen to Paul the more I think he’s becoming senile.
yeah, I know you are not a paul guy but I hope you are active in ensuring newt or romney is not the nominee...who are the retards boosting those two? why arent the primaries held the same day nationwide? maybe because they dont want the people to have 8 or 9 choices? hell by the time I can vote in the primary they will have selected the guy...like with mccain I had no voice in that one.
Amen. The party is committing suicide again, preparing to coronate another reach-across-the-aisle cretin (Gingrich). Bachmann is the most thoroughly conservative on all the issues, but the inside-the-Beltway establishment and its useful idiots have "decided" that she is to be ignored.
As for Paul "not wanting to defend America," I doubt that. He simply does not want us to waste our limited resources defending people who contribute zilch to our own survival. G.W. Bush and his nation-building neocolonial wars are what opened the door to the White House for Baraq Hussein 0bama.
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