A Texas Libertarian Starts To Make Waves

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Mega-Media Trends

(AP Photo)

You can feel it in the air: Ron Paul fever – it's sweeping the nation!

OK, maybe not the entire nation, seeing as Paul, a libertarian congressman from Texas trying to win the Republican presidential nomination, still isn't polling above 2 percent. But of all the minor candidates trying to break into the "Rudy McRomney" elite, Paul may be getting the most attention lately from the press corps. (Well, other than that actor guy.)

And it seems to have as much to do with his ideas – Paul, love him or hate him, articulates a coherent ideology better than many of his competitors – as the fact that he seems to inspire near pathological devotion in his followers. Look at the press coverage: The Washington Post profiled Paul's young campaign coordinator in New Hampshire; CNN.com today posted among its top stories a piece about how Paul's fans inundated the site after the recent presidential debate. He's even winning over Jon Stewart, who had Paul on the "Daily Show" and said to him, "[y]ou have accomplished no small feat, which is, you're running for President, very much as an underdog, yet you've created a nice little buzz going about the Ron Paul candidacy."

When deciding which candidates to pay attention to, members of the press corps usually focus less on what a candidate is saying than how people are responding to him or her. And Paul's ability to inspire passion in his followers – even if they are still an insignificant chunk of the population – is starting to get reporters to take notice. (They don't want to get caught off guard as they did when Howard Dean created a similar buzz back in 2004.) A little attention from the media is probably not going to propel Paul to the nomination, of course. But for a minor candidate, simply getting reporters to notice you is still quite an accomplishment.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by jeffersonish June 8, 2007 4:38 PM EDT: Ron Paul has it all.

He has never voted:
* to raise taxes
* for an unbalanced budget
* to raise congressional pay
* for a federal restriction on gun ownership
* to increase the power of the executive branch

He HAS voted:
* against the Iraq war
* against the inappropriately named USA PATRIOT act
* against regulating the internet
* against the Military Commissions Act

Most importantly, he vote NO on anything in Congress that is not allowed by the Constitution.

Shouldn't ALL members of Congress uphold the Constitution? Aren't they SWORN to uphold it? You can bet Paul won't call the Constitution "just a G**D***ed piece of paper" like George Bush is reported to have.

If you want a candidate you can TRUST due to a proven track record, visit ronpaul2008.com and get busy spreading the word. The Mainstream Media is a lagging indicator!!; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 June 8, 2007 12:21 PM EDT: It's unusual to hear any politician speak the truth let alone a Republican Presidential Candidate. The word from Ron Paul is getting out and there was even some (if not scanty) applause from the presumed Republican Audience after one of his statements made during Tuesday night's debate.

After 6 and a half years of the Bush, Cheney, Condo-lie-za Administration America wants the truth and disserves to hear it, such as it is%u2026.; Reply to this comment


by cxxguy June 8, 2007 9:09 AM EDT: Thank you for mentioning Ron! Now, please, go whole hog and write a bit about what he says, what it means, why it is consistent with constitutional principals, and why he is the last best hope for mankind. Or at least America!

The war is a wonderful place to start. Economics is a great place to stay. The lower and middle classes in this nation are being bled white by the corruption that started in 1916, caused the Great Depression, and continues to savage this nation in ways that not one man in a million can diagnose. This menace to America will not relent, will not repent, will not confess, and will not abstain from impoverishing the American people until it is destroyed. It is called the Federal Reserve, and it cannot be permitted to continue. The only alternative to shutting down the Federal Reserve is a Depression that will make the last one look like a fleeting bad mood.; Reply to this comment


by wungobob June 8, 2007 5:59 AM EDT: I think Ron Paul is the only Republican that has a chance to beat Hillery. Ron Paul is the only principled Republican that is against the Iraq war and has always been against the Iraq war.; Reply to this comment


by salt_magic June 8, 2007 3:47 AM EDT: HAHAHA "Puff Piece"....After reading this article, I was wondering how I could articulate my feelings on the subject at hand. I'm at least encouraged that he is getting a little recognition, as this could of been just a hit piece.

I just keep on waiting for them to bring up the IRS issue...you know the one where he plans to "Abolish income tax"...Alas, I know how his numbers would surge..and we can't have that, not with a woman like Hillary running. The media knows "it takes a village" of corruption, to get a stooge in office.; Reply to this comment


by joshpurinton June 8, 2007 3:14 AM EDT: The best quote from Jon Stewart was: "What's so interesting about congressman Ron Paul is you appear to have consistent, principled integrity... Americans usually don't go for that. [laughter] You seem to practice what you preach; you seem to preach it consistently. Even though people might disagree with the message, they certainly can't argue that you're not a man of consistent principle."; Reply to this comment


by ronmwanga June 8, 2007 2:35 AM EDT: I've been wondering about Ron Paul's high placement on Technorati for some time. If these comments are any indication of his online popularity, I will be curious as to how many votes he pulls in the primary and, to a lesser degree, how his online popularity affects his fundraising numbers -- and their increments, and from which precincts of American society they come. I think the Dean comparison right now is apt; but does he -- like Dean -- fizzle? And what would that say about the viability of candidates who alight the boiling passions of the blogosphere early?; Reply to this comment


by madshankar June 8, 2007 2:35 AM EDT: Shame on you CBS. This is not journalism. Ron paul deserves a good platform to spread his message. do not underestimate his support. He is a frontrunner. HE IS THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.; Reply to this comment


by freedomway1 June 7, 2007 11:15 PM EDT: Cover a real story on Ron Paul. Not this crappy puff piece. I mean this isn't journalism.

Media covering the fact that a Presidential candidate is getting media attention is ridiculous.

How about you interview Ron Paul CBS. How about you Report on his views and what he is doing in the congress and how he is advancing his platform and his campaign.

O wait. You just save all that for the corporate endorsed candidates...; Reply to this comment