Ron Paul's Loyal Student Surrogates
This column was written by Eve Fairbanks.
I get to Ron Paul's headquarters in Des Moines just as an army of student volunteers is surging out of the doors, yelling and clutching signs. "This is the herd we can't contain!" one staffer laughs. ABC's Jake Tapper is taping a live segment in front of Mike Huckabee's neighboring headquarters, and it's time to make some mischief. The volunteers conform to a Washington reporter's expectations about Ron Paul youth - almost all boys, rowdy, eager to disrupt - until they don't.
The ABC guys are clearly charmed by the volunteers' enthusiasm, but they're also worried the kids will mess up the sound for the shot. As soon as the thirty or so volunteers figure this out, they politely troop back across Locust Street, gather in a neat clump on the corner, and fall silent. When Paul fans driving by honk at the crowd, this doesn't elicit a single happy "Woo!" from the now eerily well-behaved volunteers while the cameras are rolling. "McCain wants Huckabee to beat Romney, Huckabee wants McCain to beat Romney ... David?" Tapper is saying into the lens. Behind him, dozens of Ron Paul signs bob furiously and silently, giving the scene from the camera's perspective a ridiculous quality; I imagine it's something like watching a naval reporter talk about the positioning of two warships off-screen while, in the water behind him, dozens of frantic but polite shipwreck victims try to get the world's attention without shouting.
These volunteers' whole idea is to get the world's attention without shouting. They're the closest thing this race has to the Deaniacs of '04: Hundreds of young volunteers, who have traveled to Iowa on their own dime to knock on doors and make pleading phone calls. But where the Deaniacs got a reputation for being revved-up and angry, the Paul guys are pacific. At Paul's headquarters, they hesitate to bash other candidates, even when I goad them. They are unfailingly courteous, holding doors and always referring to their candidate as "Dr. Paul." They pepper me with curious questions. ("Are the police in Washington D.C. under federal or local authority?") After the taping, when the ABC cameraman observes to nobody in particular that "they remind me of Howard Dean's people," several of the volunteers urge him, "Don't say that!" as much to dissociate themselves from the Dean people's wildness as from Dean himself. "I know you meant it as a compliment," one especially young-looking volunteer in a pageboy cap reassures the cameraman, gently.
Paul's youth volunteer project, called "Ron Paul's Christmas Vacation" to entice students, was the brainchild of National Youth Coordinator Jeff Frazee, a low-key, 24-year-old Texas A&M grad whose swept blond hairdo makes him look more likely to pull out a skateboard than your typical campaign functionary. After getting themselves to Iowa, the students are given free bunks in one of seven camps spread over the state -- the Boone location, at a YMCA camp near Des Moines, has 70 Paulites; the Floyd camp, in the north, has 25; Cedar Rapids, 50; etc -- as well as cereal breakfasts, a $50 American Express debit card to buy lunches, and simple dinner catered by the Hy-Vee supermarket.
The volunteers posted at the Boone camp are the elect. They get to ride to and from camp in a red school bus called the "Constitution Coach," whose donor, a die-hard supporter, pre-decorated the sides with what look like the lyrics to a minstrel ballad to Ron Paul: "He is called Dr. No ... No U.N. No ICC." A special mix CD plays on the bus, with Ron Paul country, Ron Paul rap, even a take-off of Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" called "Ron Paul, Ron Paul." "Some of it is dumb, but the rap is the best," says Brittney Lowry, an accounting major from the University of Houston whose trip out here with her new husband, Adam Weibling, constitutes "kind of a honeymoon."
I follow the Constitution Coach out to the Boone camp for purposes of seeing what the Ron Paul youth are like when they're not putting on a show for Jake Tapper. I don't know what I was expecting. Or I do, but I'm embarrassed to say it now that I saw the reality of the Ron Paul youth camps. Let's just say that alcohol and all controlled substances are strictly prohibited for the entirety of Ron Paul's Christmas Vacation. "I tell them the party is January 3," says Frazee. To amuse themselves after an evening of phone-banking, they play Scrabble and Yahtzee.
Working the phones, the Boone volunteers have been assigned a list of independents. This means people who can be marked down as "YCs" - "Yes Caucus" - are few and far between, but they don't seem at all worried or discouraged. Barack Obama supporters are the easiest to "convert," they report. They're especially proud of the "mobile phone bank" they're using, a fleet of 225 go-phones purchased for the amazing deal of $50 each, 1,000 free minutes included. Despite Paul's sudden richesse - he's expected to have raised the most money of any GOP candidate in the fourth quarter - deals are very important to the Paul guys. Somebody at the camp calculated that riding the Constitution Coach rather than in cars is saving them $4,000 in gas. "Ron Paul runs his campaign like he might run his administration," an Arkansan named Nickel, who drives the coach, explains.
The New Republic I get to Ron Paul's headquarters in Des Moines just as an army of student volunteers is surging out of the doors, yelling and clutching signs. "This is the herd we can't contain!" one staffer laughs. ABC's Jake Tapper is taping a live segment in front of Mike Huckabee's neighboring headquarters, and it's time to make some mischief. The volunteers conform to a Washington reporter's expectations about Ron Paul youth - almost all boys, rowdy, eager to disrupt - until they don't.
The ABC guys are clearly charmed by the volunteers' enthusiasm, but they're also worried the kids will mess up the sound for the shot. As soon as the thirty or so volunteers figure this out, they politely troop back across Locust Street, gather in a neat clump on the corner, and fall silent. When Paul fans driving by honk at the crowd, this doesn't elicit a single happy "Woo!" from the now eerily well-behaved volunteers while the cameras are rolling. "McCain wants Huckabee to beat Romney, Huckabee wants McCain to beat Romney ... David?" Tapper is saying into the lens. Behind him, dozens of Ron Paul signs bob furiously and silently, giving the scene from the camera's perspective a ridiculous quality; I imagine it's something like watching a naval reporter talk about the positioning of two warships off-screen while, in the water behind him, dozens of frantic but polite shipwreck victims try to get the world's attention without shouting.
These volunteers' whole idea is to get the world's attention without shouting. They're the closest thing this race has to the Deaniacs of '04: Hundreds of young volunteers, who have traveled to Iowa on their own dime to knock on doors and make pleading phone calls. But where the Deaniacs got a reputation for being revved-up and angry, the Paul guys are pacific. At Paul's headquarters, they hesitate to bash other candidates, even when I goad them. They are unfailingly courteous, holding doors and always referring to their candidate as "Dr. Paul." They pepper me with curious questions. ("Are the police in Washington D.C. under federal or local authority?") After the taping, when the ABC cameraman observes to nobody in particular that "they remind me of Howard Dean's people," several of the volunteers urge him, "Don't say that!" as much to dissociate themselves from the Dean people's wildness as from Dean himself. "I know you meant it as a compliment," one especially young-looking volunteer in a pageboy cap reassures the cameraman, gently.
Paul's youth volunteer project, called "Ron Paul's Christmas Vacation" to entice students, was the brainchild of National Youth Coordinator Jeff Frazee, a low-key, 24-year-old Texas A&M grad whose swept blond hairdo makes him look more likely to pull out a skateboard than your typical campaign functionary. After getting themselves to Iowa, the students are given free bunks in one of seven camps spread over the state -- the Boone location, at a YMCA camp near Des Moines, has 70 Paulites; the Floyd camp, in the north, has 25; Cedar Rapids, 50; etc -- as well as cereal breakfasts, a $50 American Express debit card to buy lunches, and simple dinner catered by the Hy-Vee supermarket.
The volunteers posted at the Boone camp are the elect. They get to ride to and from camp in a red school bus called the "Constitution Coach," whose donor, a die-hard supporter, pre-decorated the sides with what look like the lyrics to a minstrel ballad to Ron Paul: "He is called Dr. No ... No U.N. No ICC." A special mix CD plays on the bus, with Ron Paul country, Ron Paul rap, even a take-off of Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" called "Ron Paul, Ron Paul." "Some of it is dumb, but the rap is the best," says Brittney Lowry, an accounting major from the University of Houston whose trip out here with her new husband, Adam Weibling, constitutes "kind of a honeymoon."
I follow the Constitution Coach out to the Boone camp for purposes of seeing what the Ron Paul youth are like when they're not putting on a show for Jake Tapper. I don't know what I was expecting. Or I do, but I'm embarrassed to say it now that I saw the reality of the Ron Paul youth camps. Let's just say that alcohol and all controlled substances are strictly prohibited for the entirety of Ron Paul's Christmas Vacation. "I tell them the party is January 3," says Frazee. To amuse themselves after an evening of phone-banking, they play Scrabble and Yahtzee.
Working the phones, the Boone volunteers have been assigned a list of independents. This means people who can be marked down as "YCs" - "Yes Caucus" - are few and far between, but they don't seem at all worried or discouraged. Barack Obama supporters are the easiest to "convert," they report. They're especially proud of the "mobile phone bank" they're using, a fleet of 225 go-phones purchased for the amazing deal of $50 each, 1,000 free minutes included. Despite Paul's sudden richesse - he's expected to have raised the most money of any GOP candidate in the fourth quarter - deals are very important to the Paul guys. Somebody at the camp calculated that riding the Constitution Coach rather than in cars is saving them $4,000 in gas. "Ron Paul runs his campaign like he might run his administration," an Arkansan named Nickel, who drives the coach, explains.
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Get you news from the government and collect your paychecks. Don''t follow the real stories. . Once the rest of the world realizes you are bought and paid for what will become of your jobs,reputation,morals.Awwh why would you care as long as you get your paycheck let someone else do your job.
He has my vote no matter what!
In addition it is somewhat refreshing to read a story from someone in the MSM who isn''t out to do a hit piece. Thank You TOO!
Check this URL: http://forpresidentronpaul.blogspot.com/
This is my opinion as to why this is happening...
Young Americans from all parts of this beautiful country are awakening; he is the only one delivering the message that is reaching all three views, Republican, Democrats and Independents.
Do you know why? Well I do not claim to know all the variables that play into this but I bet the following has a big role and that is "We the People" are getting tired of manipulations, young Americans sees what is going on with their grandparents, where Medicare is a mess, social security is gone or running out and medication is to the roof, education is at all time high. In addition they see their parents struggling to pay the bills and getting by week by week. In the mean time the Goverment engage in undeclare Wars (Unconstitutional). We need to be aware of who is going to start to put an end to this otherwise we will end up like many other great countries from the past (Example: Rome, England, Spain, Greece).
Back then they were called Empires and they ended up bankrupt due to bad policies and many, many of their people suffered.
As for the Ron Paul "adults", there are a lot of us and we too, revere the Constitution and the American ideal. As you discovered, although we love the "righteous grandfather" or "rock star" Ron Paul is, it is indeed the message that has sparked this revolution and united so many people from so many backgrounds. These people are Americans who love America and what it''s supposed to stand for. My meetup group consists of 300+ people from every age (17 to 76), background, race and political philosophy imaginable. It''s incredible and I marvel at this every day!
When people stand on street corners waving home-made signs on a Friday night or choose The Federalist Papers for light reading, you know something special is going on.
I believe that when the votes come in, Ron Paul is going to surprise a lot of people. Regardless, the genie is out of the bottle and it''s out to stay. This is just the beginning...