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The Spectacle Blog
Roger Simon makes some of the same points about Ron Paul that I made in my column this morning, except he uses Michele Bachmann as his comparison point.
I admit I do not fully understand Ron Paul and his beliefs. But I do understand when a guy gets shafted, and Ron Paul just got shafted….
If it had been an election, such a result would almost certainly have triggered a recount. It was not an election, however, and that is my point. Straw polls are supposed to tell us, like a straw tossed into the air, which way the wind is blowing.
And any fair assessment of Ames, therefore, would have said the winds of the Republican Party are blowing toward both Bachmann and Paul….
And, no, media attention is not based solely on polls. The most recent polls, taken before Ames, showed Bachmann with 10.2 percent of the vote and Paul with 9.0 percent. That’s not a huge difference. Though those polls will no doubt change with all the publicity Bachmann is now getting because of her “stunning” victory at Ames.
Tim Carney and Phil Klein have also debated whether Paul’s campaign should be taken more seriously. I think there is a much stronger case for treating Bachmann like a more serious candidate than there was for Tim Pawlenty, Jon Huntsman, or Newt Gingrich. But I also think Republican primary voters should be the final arbiter of what is in the Republican mainstream.
View all comments (41) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by W. James Antle, III
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/08/15/ron-paul-and-the-media
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simon templar| 8.15.11 @ 4:29PM
But I also think Republican primary voters should be the final arbiter of what is in the Republican mainstream.
Antle, you are redeemed. You are getting it. Now go out there and get us some facts and solid info about these people so we can make the best decision.
Occam's Tool| 8.15.11 @ 5:02PM
Allow me to stroke my cat and hissss....
"Yesssss, more attention should be paid to Ron Paul...he will help us wipe the Zionist Entity off the map, allow Europe to fall, and then it will be the turn of those whoremongers in the Americas...the Caliphate will rule again!"
Nukes are OK for Iran. What a Maroon.
A. Doer| 8.15.11 @ 5:29PM
Now now. I'm going to take those comments to heart. Ron Paul is a serious candidate who got as many votes as Bachmann even though he handed out fewer free tickets than Bachmann. A Paul/Bachmann ticket would be awesome. I put Paul at the top of the ticket because he's got more experience, but then Bachmann would be ready to run as his successor in eight years, if Paul hasn't managed to trigger armageddon by arming Iran with nukes aimed at Israel.
Clint| 8.15.11 @ 7:45PM
Dr.Ron Paul's Foreign Policy Advisor Michael Scheuer, Former CIA Chief Of The bin Laden Unit.
On Iran, The President should:
3.) Call in Israel's ambassador to the United States and tell him that we understand that Israel believes Iran is a threat to its survival, and that we agree that Israel has every right to defend itself. If Israel believes it must go to war with Iran, then so be it. But also tell the ambassador that if Israel attacks Iran, the U.S. administration will declare U.S. neutrality in the war and immediately cut off military and financial support to all combatants in the war."
Occam's Tool| 8.15.11 @ 8:04PM
You would be cutting off all military and financial support to Israel before the war if Paul was elected, Clownhead.
Please tell me the reasons Israel would refuse to use Nukes if the US cut off all support.
Clint| 8.15.11 @ 9:23PM
Apparently, The IDF Didn't Send You The Memo Neo-Chickenhawk Coward Tool Job.
"ISRAEL has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons.
Two Israeli air force squadrons are training to blow up an Iranian facility using low-yield nuclear “bunker-busters”, according to several Israeli military sources. "
Clint| 8.15.11 @ 7:42PM
Dr.Ron Paul,
“Our military’s purpose is to defend our country, not to police the
Middle East.
“As the President prepares to send even more support to Egypt, we should
be reminded that it was our foreign aid that helped Mubarak retain power
to repress his people in the first place. Now we have to deal with the
consequences of those decisions, yet we keep repeating the same mistakes.
“I am not the only one who can see the absurdities of our foreign
policy. We give $3 billion to Israel and $12 billion to her enemies.
Most Americans know that makes no sense.
“We need to come to our senses, trade with our friends in the Middle
East (both Arab and Israeli), clean up our own economic mess so we set a
good example, and allow them to work out their own conflicts.”
Occam's Tool| 8.15.11 @ 8:04PM
Yes, and there are chocolate rivers running in Iran, where everybody is friendly and sports "Hello Kitty" lunchboxes.
Clint| 8.15.11 @ 9:24PM
The Chocolate River Is Runnin' Down Your Pants Leg, Neo-Chickenhawk Pucker Assed Coward,Tool Job.
simon templar| 8.15.11 @ 8:55PM
OT, not sure what you are doing with a cat or if you were objecting to my point.
For clarification, I am not a supporter of Ron Paul for President and have some disagreements with his foreign policy and social positions. That being said, I do recognize the fact that the MSM loves to use our candidates, abuse our candidates, ignore those they do not like, smear them, define them, misquote them, label them, and pick them.
Ron Paul is no exception. They are either giving him all the attention and using him as the 'look, see how crazy these Republicans are' or they are ignoring him when he does make some sense.
The upshot of Antles article that we should decide is what I was commenting about and attempting to commend. It is rare when a journalist can find an essential truth and express that clearly these days without their personal bias.
As far as the Charles comment below. Charles, I am doing my research and I was not implying that I agreed or disagreed with Roger Simon.
You see the thing is I do not do this for a living nor am I getting paid to do research on every single candidate or issue. AS is, and the journalist here do. One of their major responsibilities as a free press is to do the research, inform the public, educate the citizen. So, it is not a question of laziness or apathy. It is a question of what I expect out of a free press that is suppose to be serving the public and often is NOT.
I do not come out here to hear the silly opinions of smarmy little washington press corp types who are trying to make friends with the boys and girls on the other side of the street and get thier approval. I, a citizen, am trying to make a living, and am attempting to get some substantive information and insight into political and conservative subjects. I am not here to do their work. I comment to provide an additional perspective and give these people at AS some understanding of what the little guy out here thinks beyond the Washington beltway.
Occam's Tool| 8.15.11 @ 9:06PM
Simon, it's fine to cover more Ron Paul, especially if they talk about his earmarking, his views on legalizing marijuana, and his acceptance of funds from Nazis.
Honestly, Simon, I lived in Galveston---I know his district VERY WELL. It's one of the most backward holes in Texas.
I apologize to you if I was seeemingly insulting, as I like you very much. But Paul has gotten coverage way above what he deserves for years now. He's an asshole who doesn't support his fellow Republicans. He's an antisemitic prick. His views on foreign policy are to the left of Obama's. He would kill us. I expect to see millions of Americans dead if Paul wins. Seriously. He's a nightmare from hell.
Ken Caudill | 8.16.11 @ 12:04AM
Please. Wasting our time and money on the possibility that Iran will develop nuclear weapons is absurd. Surely, we can find better things to do.
Charles| 8.15.11 @ 8:00PM
"simon templar",
Why not trust yourself to some degree? "Go and get the facts" for yourself using the many resources available to you.
Have you checked Mr. Simon's article to which Mr. Antle provided a link? http://www.politico.com/news/s.....61412.html
Perhaps you should, and question the inferences made in Mr. Antle's first sentence.
Regards,
Charles
Solo| 8.15.11 @ 4:50PM
He makes a valid point. The RuPaul is being totally 'dissed' by the Talking Heads out there.
His razor-thin 2nd place showing is newsworthy. And yet...they talked right around him and went from Bachmann to Pawlenty in their coverage.
What's even more curious is the missed opportunity for the media to discuss the almost even split between the libertarian wing of the republican party and the rank&file; conservative wing.
I regard Bachmann to be a "Mainstream" conservative and yet Ron Paul ( a libertarian), for all intents and purposes, pulled to a dead heat with her.
Maybe they're waiting to see if this is a fluke or a trend. After all, RuPaul always does well in straw polls (which are notoriously easy to game) but then falls well short in state Primaries.
It will be interesting to see if he polls higher this year than the 4.5% he averaged last time around. If he can manage a solid and consistent 10% this year, I think that will be a solid indicator that the republican rank & file are moving more conservative....and that would bode well for a republican win in the General election against a staunch left-winger.
If he holds 10% and they ignore him, then there is probably a vast conspiracy afoot. Probably mind control drugs in the water supply placed there by the Bilderberger cabal of Globalists. ;)
John| 8.15.11 @ 5:25PM
If he can hold 10%? Look at the polls. He's maintained very close to, or more than that for a couple months now. The most recent CNN poll has him at 12%. The most recent Gallup poll has him at 14%. Both were national polls. In addition, Gallup has him as the second-best contender against Obama. He is second to Romney, who has far more name recognition.
So, are you ready to admit that there is a media bias? (Conspiracy is probably too strong a word. I don't think the major media is competent enough for that.)
AngelaTC | 8.15.11 @ 5:32PM
John, I think the GOP is smart enough for that. All they have to do is tell the media that anybody who talks to Paul won't get access to the other candidates *and* the campaigns won't spend their advertising dollars there....voila - Paul essentially vanishes from the news cycle. For heavens sakes, the Today show cancelled him? How much more obvious can it be?
Solo| 8.15.11 @ 6:16PM
Oh...I readily admit that there is a media bias. If you need proof, just turn on the network news casts or pick up a large city paper.
There exists a huge media bias against republicans of all stripes. Heck...even RINOs get the full treatment from the press.
Conservatives of all stripes get the "knuckle dragger" treatment from the media.
Libertarians don't get any consideration, at all. When was the last time you saw the Libertarian Party Convention covered live on NBC?
(By the way....I watched it on C-Span in 2008 and it was a zoo).
Ron Paul is WAAAAAAAY out of the mainstream on some issues. Most of his policy positions, however, have mainstream relevance and he should have been granted the respect and coverage due to the VERY CLOSE 2nd place winner.
Even though I don't support Paul, I was incensed when he was cut out of the debates last time around. You may recall that FOX News didn't invite him to one of the last debates, even though he was still in the race. Bad form on their part and I'm sure they heard about it.
He finished a close 2nd. If the Iowa Straw poll has any relevance at all, then give the man his props!
That's what I say.
Clint| 8.15.11 @ 7:48PM
Harris Poll: If Ron Paul Won GOP Nomination, He Would Split Vote With Obama
Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.), an official candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, has performed well in several polls throughout his campaign. In may, Paul took second place in a CNN/WMUR poll of likely Republican voters. In June, Paul won a Republican Leadership Conference straw poll. At the beginning of July, Paul came in first in a Texas GOP poll, conducted by the Azimuth Research Group.
Perhaps the best indication of Paul’s candidacy so far is a Harris poll released today by Harris Interactive. According to the Harris poll, Obama and Paul would split the vote right down the middle if they were to run against each other in 2012.
AngelaTC | 8.15.11 @ 5:25PM
Ron Paul has been on the news almost daily for the last 4 years, but now that he did well in a poll that couldn't be spammed, he's suddenly a persona non-grata? This has to be coming down from the party bosses. And don't care if you like him or not, watching the media do this to any candidate should frighten you. This isn't "fair and balanced", unbiased coverage from independent sources. This is a corporate owned government , closing ranks and protecting itself.
A. Doer| 8.15.11 @ 5:35PM
but now that he did well in a poll that couldn't be spammed
Huh? The tickets cost $30 each. Ron Paul bought over 4000 of them to give away for free. Bachmann bought 6000 and gave them away for free. If buying the most tickets doesn't count as spamming the poll then what does?
Fair is fair though. If it means anything for Bachmann, it means even more for Paul because he didn't have to buy as many tickets to buy second place.
Paul/Bachmann 2008! Woohoo!
A. Doer| 8.15.11 @ 5:53PM
Um make that Paul/Bachmann 2012. Woohoo.
Clint| 8.15.11 @ 7:32PM
Now, ObamaBoy Will Tell Us Exactly Which Candidates Were Denied The Right To Buy Tickets.
You're Up Asshole.
AngelaTC | 8.15.11 @ 5:28PM
And I disagree that Paul "always does well in Straw Polls." He didn't do at all well in straw polls during the last election cycle, and has only won CPAC for the past two years. Considering he more than doubled his vote count year over year at Iowa, it seems that his popularity has been steadily climbing, a fact that people who still think cliched name-calling is funny and insightful can't seem to figure out on their own.
Sean| 8.15.11 @ 5:44PM
You know that Ron Paul is the real deal when media tries to ignore him or tells us he can't win. He is the only credible threat to the big spending, nanny state government of the Democrats and Republicans of the past 20 years.
A. Doer| 8.15.11 @ 5:53PM
Liberals are afraid of him! Even more afraid of him than they are of Bachmann! They know he can win so they try to make him sound nuts when he wants to cut spending and cut taxes and let Iran have nuclear warheads on missiles aimed at Israel.
Well here's how you can teach those liberals a lesson: Paul/Bachmann 2012! Woohoo! Patsy Cline has the perfect theme song for them.
Sean| 8.15.11 @ 6:08PM
What I think is crazy is people like you who want a nanny state to take care of you? Do you cower under your bed at night?
A. Doer| 8.15.11 @ 6:21PM
I'm on board the Paul/Bachmann train!
It's true I'm concerned about Paul wanting Iran to have nuclear warheads on missiles aimed at Israel. I'm concerned that this plan may not go far enough. Can we also make sure that Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and the Palestinian Authority all also have nukes? Pakistan already has them. Am I leaving anyone out?
I figure this scenario is my best chance of making my 401k last me the rest of my life.
Occam's Tool| 8.15.11 @ 8:02PM
Well, Bachmann as President won't help, but Paul as President would result in you having a very short time to spend your 4501K money in. If he is elected in 2012, When in 2013 do you think the EMP will come over?
what a joke| 8.15.11 @ 8:19PM
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA.
I heard there were some african tribes out there that have some pointy sticks. Try not to wet the bed there, cowboy.
Occam's Tool| 8.15.11 @ 8:52PM
Really, what a joke. Well, let;'s give you the weekly body count for THIS week:
Weekly Jihad Report
Aug 08 - Aug. 15 Jihad Attacks: 41
Allah Akbars: 5
Dead Bodies: 190
Critically Injured: 467
By the way, schmuck, the guy concerned about the possibility of EMPs is Newt Gingrich. People have called him a lot of things---"stupid" isn't one of them.
I'm sure you were one of those clowns on Sept. 10th who thought the US was safe from major acts of terrorism, too.
Clint| 8.15.11 @ 9:33PM
Iowa Straw Poll:
8. Speaker Newt Gingrich: Votes (385) , (Pct. 2.28%)
AngelaTC | 8.16.11 @ 6:27PM
Speaking of September 11th, want to guess which one of the candidates repeatedly warned Congress that such an attack was going to happen again?
Occam's Tool| 8.15.11 @ 8:53PM
Sorry, Mr. Doer. 401K. Bet still holds. I think 9/11/2013.
Sean| 8.16.11 @ 12:55AM
Yeah Occam probably wets his pants thinking of all the bad guys out there. We need to do something about China, North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, Chad, Libya, Syrai, Palestinians, Turkey, Iran, Yemen, Somali, the list goes on and on. Of course his neocon heroes are all the open border proponents who let all these third world fanatics in our country. Did I forget to mention we need to bomb Saudi Arabia also as that is where most of the terrorists came from.
AngelaTC | 8.16.11 @ 6:29PM
But heavens forbid we employ the historically successful strategy of simply ignoring them while they kill each other in large numbers. Nooo, we have to be over there doin' the killin', because if there's one thing that's going to make them resolve their differences, it's us. Or rather, their common hatred of us.
Clint| 8.15.11 @ 7:28PM
Actually, ObamaBoy A,Doer Is The Chairman Of The Bores.
We Tea Party Patriots Support Dr.Ron Paul.
The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here.
Rise Up In Rebellion.
mark| 8.15.11 @ 7:55PM
Last election, the results of the Ames straw poll were read in reverse order: from losers to winner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuxlhelO6Q8 .
This year they said "Michelle Bachmann is the winner. Goodnight." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuxlhelO6Q8 .Its enough to make you question whether Bachmann won at all.
Herb Tarlek| 8.15.11 @ 11:06PM
Any discussion of Ron Paul as president is a waste of time, the guy will be heart attacked unless he steps off. The people who own this country do no need any interruption with the good gig they have going.
Herb Tarlek| 8.15.11 @ 11:06PM
Any discussion of Ron Paul as president is a waste of time, the guy will be heart attacked unless he steps off. The people who own this country do no need any interruption with the good gig they have going.
JimH| 8.16.11 @ 8:19AM
I think much of Paul’s support is less for him as a person and more for the positions he is seen to represent. These include reduced government, a sound currency, reduced regulation, increased personal liberty combined with personal responsibility, a strong but non-intrusive defense and what seems to be conveniently omitted by his opponents on the right, and maybe not known to some of his supporters, an uncompromising opposition to abortion.
redneckbluecollarwhitetrash| 8.26.11 @ 1:11AM
The even larger story is the Tea-Party take over of the GOP at the grass-roots level.
Bachmann and Paul finish first and second, respectively, in the Iowa Straw Poll. Both are Tea-Party favorites. Together, the two candidates accounted for more than 55% of the total vote.
And what is lame-stream media's reaction? Indifference at best, dismissive at least. Why? Because the establishment realizes that if Bachmann or Paul can unite the libertarian and socially conservative wings of the Tea Party, the entire political culture of Washington is in danger.
Another reason the Iowa Straw Poll is dismissed is because the Tea Party is the most vibrant and politically diverse force in American politics. Despite the lame-stream media's effort to define the Tea Party as a block of like-thinking anti-gov't radicals, the Tea Party has more diversity of political thought than any similiar grass-roots organization of the past 25 years. The one uniting principle, however, are two words that strike terror in the heart of the Beltway Establishment: STOP SPENDING!
Don't let the yawns and indifference fool you. They are running scared:
WASHINGTON POST: Shoud The Iowa Straw Poll be Put Out To Pasture?
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/should-the-iowa-straw-poll-be-put-out-to-pasture/2011/08/12/gIQAvZMSBJ_story.html)
NPR: Meaning of Iowa Straw Poll Is There Is None
(http://www.wbur.org/npr/139609647/meaning-of-iowa-straw-poll-is-that-there-isnt-one)
REAL CLEAR POLITICS: What Is Going To Happen In Ames? Not Much
(http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/08/13/whats_going_to_happen_in_ames_not_much_110927.html)