Showing posts with label ron paul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ron paul. Show all posts
Friday, July 27, 2007
Ron Paul And The Power Of The Internet
Ron Paul supporters swamp online polls, vote their candidate up high on social networking sites, and he still is not going to win a single state. Howard Dean would be president right now if the internet was a real king maker.
Discuss.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
The Washington Post today has an article on the Ron Paul phenomena. Ron Paul is running in the low single digits in the opinion polls. On the internet, the former libertarian, is the hottest thing on the market.
Others may have commented the same on the parallel, but I see this as "Snakes On A Plane" part two. Last year, buzz was building about the movie, just based on the title alone. Websites, spoof youtube videos, chat rooms were all dedicated to the movie. The media started reporting the phenomena, the script writers did reshoots with more money to catch up on the hype. The movie was released, and bombed.
We are in the age of micro audiences. Bill O'Reilly has a massive lead in the total viewership on cable political shows. He has two million viewers often. This also means that two hundred ninety nine million people aren't watching.
Some of the top blogs on the internet have several hundred thousand people reading. These several hundred thousand people spread about the internet and make a lot of noise. While they can donate money and affect a race, their really is no Big Three networks of the internet.
If there was, the world of politics truly would be shattered. Picture ten million dedicated readers of a blog all giving $5 each to a candidate once a month for any race. If people could be harnessed that way, it would change the world.
Some obscure challenger for a congressional seat with fifty million tossed his way five dollars at a time, might be able to buy an ad or two. The internet does have it's impact, don't get me wrong. But internet hype leads us to talking about the massive popularity of Snakes On A Plane, and Ron Paul when we could be focusing on genuine popular trends. The internet can build a buzz now, but the other bees have to chip in too.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
FearTheReaper takes apart the libertarian lion in an uncivil way. It's a good read.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Let me preface this by saying, neither are my candidate. I haven't selected a favorite yet, but these two are not my cup of tea.
That being said, there is something fundamentally dishonest about the dialogue the media is having about their inclusion into the debates. There are less than 20 candidates for president in the main two parties almost 18 months away from election day. The voters aren't "suffering" for having them be included. In fact, the debates are the great equalizer. Those candidates who have corporate cash are able to get their message across to the viewers through ads, continually getting invited onto talk shows. The lesser known candidates have just one real chance to speak directly to the American people. This is the debate format.
Picking winners and losers at this point is like playing the lotto. At one point in the run-up to 1976, Governor Carter of Georgia was at 3% in the polls. In today's climate, many suggest that including him would be a waste of the other candidates time.
We jus't don't know. A dramatic event could shift the public mood to a position held by a "fringe" candidate. There is also a certain catch-22 factor involved. A candidate polls low so we won't cover or interview him, which could increase his/her standings. Look! A new poll came out after we ignored this candidate and acted like the top three were winners and put them on the covers of our magazine. Therefore, we can't cover them. Lather, rinse, repeat.
The media should get out of the electability game as it is. Their track record is pretty poor. If they had their druthers, Washington, Jefferson, FDR, Kennedy, and Clinton would be unelectable because of adultery, but family men Richard Nixon and George W. Bush would have the right stuff.
The debates are realistically, their only chance. Taking that away from the Ron Paul's and Mike Gravel's is well undemocratic. It is not the media's job to pick our candidates for us. Seriously. When did this happen, and why did we allow it to occur?
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Supporters of U.S. borders and sovereignty urge more Americans to join Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), Virgil Goode (R-Va.), Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Walter Jones (R-N.C.) in fighting a little-known plan to create a North American Union. The scheme would combine the U.S. with Mexico and Canada into a single political and economic system modeled after the European Union. The merger would erase U.S. borders and sovereignty and allow for the free movement of people, products, and capital between the regions by 2010. It would allow unelected bureaucrats and corporate internationalists to "harmonize" U.S. laws with corrupt Mexico and socialist Canada, according to Daniel Sheehy, author of "Fighting Immigration Anarchy: American Patriots Battle to Save the Nation."
In September 2006, the four congressmen introduced a resolution opposing the merger and the construction of the NAFTA Superhighway system that would connect the three countries. The massive corridors would result in the loss of countless acres of private land and more terrorists, criminals and drugs entering the U.S., Sheehy said.
"I urge Americans to learn about this radical agenda to erase our country and tell their state and federal representatives to join these brave congressmen in putting a stop to this madness," Sheehy said. "We are in grave danger of losing our Constitution, national independence, standard of living, and common English language and culture."
Wow. All the winners are assembled to fight together. We have Tom Tancredo, who has never met a person of color he likes. Virgil Goode, who thinks that muslims in the congress is a sign of an islamic takeover. Ron Paul is also there. He believes that radical libertarianism is the way to win in a GOP presidential primary. But they are joined by Walter "Freedom Fries" Jones. His brave effort to stave off the pernicious french influence on our potato products has earned him the admiration of people throughout the world.
Now this supergroup, (think Traveling Willbury's), has uncovered a plot to turn North America into the European Union. The truth is getting out there. Curt Weldon, who brought Able Danger to light, wanted to join the group, but sadly he was not re-elected to congress due to a joint CIA/Mossad/UN plot to make it look like he was corrupt. We don't have the fab five(sorry Bravo), but there are four brave members of congress taking on One World Rule.
I applaud you men of valor. Use your special gifts to announce this danger to the world. Like great prophets such as Chicken Little, your clarion call shall be trumpeted and given the same consideration.
I love you guys.
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