MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 2, 2008
Ron Paul’s Counter Convention
CBSNews.com Reports: As Republicans Gathered At The RNC In Minnesota, The Faithful Rallied Around Their Own Saint Paul
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Ron Paul supporters outside the "Rally For The Republic," Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sept. 2, 2008. (CBS/Brian Montopoli)
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It was, Ron Paul allows, “a bit of a slight.”
Until this year, the longtime Texas Congressman and former presidential candidate has had no problem getting floor passes to the Republican National Convention. This time around, he said, all he could get was a “second class” pass. He was only allowed on the convention floor, he was told, with a chaperone; he could bring no staff with him; and when he left the hall, his credentials would be taken away.
As for a speaking slot - something traditionally offered to candidates who garnered support during the presidential primary - Paul said simply, “that wasn’t available to us.”
Not that Paul didn’t have other plans. On Tuesday, as Republican delegates gathered for the second night of the RNC in St. Paul, the Libertarian-leaning congressman was holding court at the Target Center in nearby Minneapolis, the 15,000-plus capacity home of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Paul faithful had gathered in Minneapolis for the “Rally For The Republic,” an effort to call the GOP “back to its roots.”
“I would only travel for him or my immediate family,” said Nancy Zverev, who had come to Minneapolis from Poughkeepsie, New York. “Ron Paul cured my apathy.”
Paul’s platform revolves around limited government, fiscal responsibility, and protection of individual liberties; he opposes the war in Iraq, wants the Patriot Act repealed, and says parents should be allowed to decide on how their children are schooled. At a morning press conference, Paul said he organized the rally “to satisfy the enthusiasm that was built for the message” during the Republican primary, when he attracted a relatively small but extremely fervent following of supporters disenchanted with the current Republican Party.
Many of those supporters are young men. Seventeen-year-old Conor Deloach, who traveled to the rally from Washington DC, said he wanted to see Republicans return to Constitutional ideals.
“The economic stimulus checks, I thought it was ridiculous,” said Deloach. “And the Republican Party came up with that idea?”
The John McCain campaign has reportedly been in talks with Paul for his backing; the campaign does not want Paul’s supporters, who showed unprecedented fundraising prowess during the GOP primaries, to line up behind Bob Barr, the former Georgia Congressman and current Libertarian presidential candidate. (Paul’s fundraising list, the Washington Times reports, runs to 180,000 people.)
At his press conference Tuesday, Paul said he didn’t “foresee giving any marching orders to the supporters.” He had kind words for Barr and Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin, and said he was not urging his delegates to back McCain.
Rick Michael, a history teacher from Virginia, is both a Paul supporter and an RNC delegate. He said he would support the Republican nominee in the general election - though, he noted, McCain’s selection of his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, “made it a lot easier to do that.”
Michael’s first allegiance, however, was clearly to the man he supported in the primary.
“If you look at what he said in 1988, it’s the same thing today as it was back then,” Michael said of Paul. “And there are so few politicians that are like that.”
Springfield, Missouri’s Charity Davis brought her four small children to the rally dressed in Colonial-era garb in an effort to illustrate her support for Paul’s call to a return to Constitutional ideals.
“We’re a very Constitutional family,” Davis said. “We home school our kids. The Constitution’s a part of our curriculum.” Davis, a self-described lifelong Republican, said she hadn’t decided who to support in November. What she did know, she said, was that it wouldn’t be McCain or Democratic nominee Barack Obama.
Political commentator Tucker Carlson, who introduced the event, said before he went onstage that he was drawn to Paul in part because of the congressman’s willingness to support other people’s choices even if he does not agree with them. Carlson pointed to Paul’s backing of responsible marijuana use - despite his personal avoidance of the drug - as an example.
“I just felt like, you know, I truly admire that,” Carlson said.
The Paul faithful became most enthusiastic when speakers railed against those things that many in the Libertarian-leaning crowd opposed, some of them obscure: The Lisbon Agreement, the North American Union, a National ID Card. (The last prompted cheers of “No ID.”) When the Constitution Party’s Howard Phillips mentioned ending US involvement in the United Nations, he got a huge cheer from the crowd; when he lauded Paul’s proposal to abolish the Federal Reserve, he got an even bigger one.
Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura was one of the featured speakers at the rally; he got an enthusiastic response with a defense of the second amendment based on the notion that it is needed so that “if the government gets out of control…we have the ability to rise up and change it.” When Ventura questioned why Osama bin Laden has not been charged in the 9/11 attacks, some in the crowd chanted “inside job.”
Shortly before Paul went onstage, members of the audience were told there were about 500 seats newly available on the Target Center floor because the RNC delegates who had been in attendance had to go over to the Xcel center; at the Xcel center, meanwhile, floor organizers said their biggest task that evening was to keep Paul’s supporters from making a ruckus during speeches from more mainstream Republicans.
When Paul appeared at the podium after a long day of speakers, he was greeted with rapturous applause from the faithful; near the start of his remarks, he noted that he had said during the primary campaign that he wanted to be president because he didn’t want to run people’s lives, run the economy, or run the world.
“They said that sounds like a weak president,” he said. “I said, ‘well, I don’t think so.’”
“There’s an urgency in what we do, because we are carrying the banner, and we must act,” Paul said later, not long after his mention of the RNC prompted boos. “Once you become knowledgeable, you have an obligation to do something about it.”
“An idea whose time has come cannot be stopped by any army or any government,” he added.
At the morning press conference, Paul addressed the lingering question of the day: Whether Tuesday’s rally marked the culmination of a brief, if passionate, movement, or if it would ultimately be seen as one milestone in an effort that would last long after the 2008 campaign.
“If we’re worth our salt, and the philosophy is worth anything, and we are truly talking about revolutionary changes, this momentum will continue,” Paul said, “and we have a greater presence and a greater voice, not only in the Republican Party but in the policies of this country.”
By Brian Montopoli
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 90 CommentsI guess the media does not want to step on McCain''s propaganda. They are, after all, his "BASE", as he likes to call the media.
It was a night meeting:
somewhere in a troubled land.
They came with no greeting;
left without a shaken hand.
Nearby the town sleeping
was unaware of what was done.
No need for watchkeeping,
they''''ll be gone before the sun.
You may not see just where the sense is
in the actions of the State.
You may not know the consequencses
of their actions till too late.
The rival factions still debate
as shadows gather at your gate.
It was a night meeting:
independent, prearranged,
to get a signed treaty,
force the government to change.
Secret diplomacy without the means to make their policy prevail.
Meanwhile the powers that be behind the scenes have guaranteed to see
them fail.
You seem beyond the jurisdiction
of the democratic powers.
You do not see the contradiction
of the watchmen in the towers,
you turn your back as night devours
the final chance, the final hours.
It was a night meeting:
these are men who won''''t be missed.
Their lives were just fleeting:
they don''''t offically exist.
Ron Paul talks seriously about the Iraq War, the Deficit, Inflation and personal liberties. When was the last time EITHER of the Candidates of the MONEY party- McCain or Obama had the guts or even the intellectual fortitude to even mention these topics? These topics always were and continue to be the top polled topics that voters are concerned about. But all we get are platitudes, glittering generalities and ad-hominem attacks.
Welcome to Brave New World of American politics. It would be disappointing if it weren''t so disheartening and disgusting.
xtrabiggg
+
As for the twit who says Ron Paul took money from his supporters, which one of the others did not?????who paid the little muslim''s bill to paint his rented jetplane with the muslim symbol and all that other garbage about "change"....(not to mention the rent on the plane used to carry his lying butt all over the place to scam more people than anyone else has to date)....is he talking about the "change" he scammed a lot of dummies out of???? what about old Wicked *itch of the Beltway....did she fleece anyone???? naaaawwww...... she and old O''Bammy are gonna give it alllll back!when pigs fly.....oooops! she had a plane, too, didn''t she????
Seriously have you lost your mind? The only Isolationists are the War-Mongering Fools and their war-fever mongrels who continue to isolate us by supporting murderous and foolish policies that lead us to be more resented in the world. Such as Sanctions on Iraq which only made his rule stronger.
Ron Paul didn''t miss 9/11. You did.
Seriously have you lost your mind? The only Isolationists are the War-Mongering Fools and their war-fever mongrels who continue to isolate us by supporting murderous and foolish policies that lead us to be more resented in the world. Such as Sanctions on Iraq which only made his rule stronger.
Ron Paul didn''t miss 9/11. You did.
Your attempt at humor or whatever it was didn''t work because you created it as a one-paragraph rant.
Breaking up the paragraphs would have made it more readable.
Seriously have you lost your mind? The only Isolationists are the War-Mongering Fools and their war-fever mongrels who continue to isolate us by supporting murderous and foolish policies that lead us to be more resented in the world. Such as Sanctions on Iraq which only made his rule stronger.
Ron Paul didn''t miss 9/11. You did. Ausus. Please use your brain.
Seriously have you lost your mind? The only Isolationists are the War-Mongering Fools and their war-fever mongrels who continue to isolate us by supporting murderous and foolish policies that lead us to be more resented in the world. Such as Sanctions on Iraq which only made his rule stronger.
Ron Paul didn''t miss 9/11. You did. Ausus. Please use your brain.
Seriously have you lost your mind? The only Isolationists are the War-Mongering Fools and their war-fever mongrels who continue to isolate us by supporting murderous and foolish policies that lead us to be more resented in the world. Such as Sanctions on Iraq which only made his rule stronger.
Ron Paul didn''t miss 9/11. You did. Ausus. Please use your brain.
Seriously have you lost your mind? The only Isolationists are the War-Mongering Fools and their war-fever mongrels who continue to isolate us by supporting murderous and foolish policies that lead us to be more resented in the world. Such as Sanctions on Iraq which only made his rule stronger.
Ron Paul didn''t miss 9/11. You did. Ausus. Please use your brain.
Saddam was a dictator, Hitler was a dictator; Saddam invaded his neighbors, Hitler invaded his neighbors; Saddam attempted to exterminate a race he did not like within his borders, Hitler attempted to exterminate a race he did not like within his borders; Saddam toyed with WMD (in case you forgot Israel bombed his nuclear facilities}, Hitler toyed with WMD; Saddam used poison gas, Hitler used poison gas. I hope even you might have noticed some parallels.
On the subject of assassinating a foreign leader, Saddam was executed by Iraqis after being tried by an Iraqi court. The case of a US government assassinating a foreign leader that comes to my mind is Ngo Dinh Diem, who was killed under the Kennedy administration.
Whether it was isolation or non-intervention, the US did nothing to stop Hitler until after Pearl Harbor and millions paid the price.
Saddam attacked his neighbor because our government enabled him, providing the gas. The killing started when the CIA gave him names of leftist intellectuals in his country.
Could we please drop the Hitler conversation? I already know what Isolationism does. We can''t keep propping up dictators and coming in like knights in shining armor to take out those dictators (Saddam/Bin Laden).
The government of Iran was overthrown by the Shah in 1925, at the height of America''s isolation (Keep cool with Coolidge). His son, the last Shah, was installed by the UK and USSR. If you are talking about Mohammad Mosaddeq, he was imprisoned by the Shah and died in prison. He was not assassinated. The Shah was head of state from 1941 until he was deposed and imprisoned. Mosaddeq was only Prime Minister.
If you wish to believe something else, go ahead.
For Iran, the CIA%u2019s role became well-known, and caused controversy within the organization itself, and within the CIA congressional hearings of the 1970s. CIA supporters maintain that the plot against Mosaddeq was strategically necessary, and praise the efficiency of agents in carrying out the plan. Critics say the scheme was paranoid and colonial, as well as immoral."
Sound familiar? (cough Saddam cough)
"In March 2000, then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright stated her regret that Mosaddeq was ousted: "The Eisenhower administration believed its actions were justified for strategic reasons. But the coup was clearly a setback for Iran%u2019s political development and it is easy to see now why many Iranians continue to resent this intervention by America." In the same year, the New York Times published a detailed report about the coup based on CIA documents."
Response: Way to tout the Satanist party line! Only vote for one of ours, they say, or your vote will be wasted.
Imagine it is Judgment Day. You are asked by God what motivated you in your voting decisions. What do you say?
Prime Minister is the head of State in most countries that have them. If he wasn''t, the CIA would then have felt no need to depose him.
Then the Repugs get a lip-stick Ron Paul as their VP, only she''s nowhere near as smart, and nowhere near as experienced, as Paul.
Ron Paul is going to be a big problem for the Repugs in November. Why vote for McCain to get Palin, when you can vote for the real thing?
We fail, as a country, limiting ourselves to McCane and Obama...total failure.
America will continue to fall as an influential player on the world''s economic and political stages, no matter which of these two morons gets elected.
hahaha
McCain/Palin at 47%, compared to 45% support for Obama/Biden.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2071565/posts
Ron Paul is worthy of the support of all the America people, he is the only one who truly respects his Employers, the Flag and the Constitution.
Sadly we blew it again !
As a result it will be more of the same and I include Obama in my comments, more crooked lobbying, more vested interests and more hardship for the people of this nation. Yes this article is good BUT too little too late CBS.
We have become so susceptical to hype, we no longer understand the word INTEGRITY and without it we will fail as a nation.
Of course we allknow the answer, I think.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
blacks less then 13% of America''s population
blacks more then 80% of DNC population
whites 99% of the RNC population
A good reason to vote for Johnny Mc
His mother must have been REETarded because she have him 2 first names that all I know.
The other faux gathering in St Paul is just a flashy media show. It''s a circus put together for the free spending cowards who have usurped the Republican party, our very government and the American way of life.
Real GOP would never have doubled the national deficit increasing taxes on the next generation or authorized preemptive warfare in Iraq.
For shame!
His mother must have been REETarded because she have him 2 first names that all I know.
Posted by XmanBorg at 09:28 AM : Sep 03, 2008
Now folks THIS is a full blown Fascist in the mold of George Worst Bush! Out of ALL that was said, all the points made in this article this losers who gave us the WORST in our History decided to attack Paul''s NAME! Man YOU get the SEIG HEIL of the day. The THIRD REICH couldn''t have done any better!!
Amen.
blacks more then 80% of DNC population
whites 99% of the RNC population
A good reason to vote for Johnny Mc
Posted by macamaca at 09:02 AM : Sep 03, 2008
You do know just about EVERY High School offers Night Classes don''t you? 6th grade tops!! This Knuckle Dragging Trailer Dweller can''t exceed that limit at all! It''s embarrassing to see people living in this nation with THIS little education..
blacks more then 80% of DNC population
whites 99% of the RNC population
A good reason to vote for Johnny Mc
Posted by macamaca at 09:02 AM : Sep 03, 2008
MCVet said it well, but people like you should not be alllowed to vote; you defy the very principals that our country was founded on. Your bigotry is astounding!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/02/palins-church-may-have-sh_n_123205.html
QUOTES FROM HER PASTOR:
Jesus called us to die. You''re worried about getting hurt? He''s called us to die. Listen, you know we can''t even follow him unless you are willing to give up your life. ... I believe that Jesus himself operated from that position of war mode. Everyone say "war mode."
Kalnins has preached that the 9/11 attacks and the invasion of Iraq were part of a "world war" over the Christian faith, one in which Jesus Christ had called upon believers to be willing to sacrifice their lives.
He preaches repeatedly about the "end times" or "last days," an apocalyptic prophesy held by a small but vocal group of Christian leaders. During his appearance with Palin in June, he declared, "I believe Alaska is one of the refuge states in the last days, and hundreds of thousands of people are going to come to the state to seek refuge and the church has to be ready to minister to them."
hahaha
McCain/Palin at 47%, compared to 45% support for Obama/Biden.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2071565/posts
ZOGBY IS A MORE ACCURATE POLL THAN THE LEFT WINGNUT KOOL AID DRINKING BARKING MOONBAT LIBERAL PRESS NANCY,,,
BOUNCE HUSSEIN BOUNCE
hahaha
McCain/Palin at 47%, compared to 45% support for Obama/Biden.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2071565/posts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BHyqtaECLI
BIDEN SAYS HUSSEIN NOT READY,,,
BIDEN SAYS HE IS READY TO RUN WITH OR AGAINST MCCAIN,,,
BIDEN SAYS COUNTRY BETTER OFF WITH MCCAIN,,, THAN HUSSEIN,,,
Joe Biden On Barack Obama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDVUPqoowf8
HILLARY SAYS HUSSEIN NOT READY,,,
"I think that I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. Sen. John McCain has a lifetime of experience that he''''d bring to the White House. And Sen. Obama has a speech he gave in 2002." Hillary Clinton
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/03/hillary-clinton.html
THEY ARE 100% CORRECT,,,
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