Ron Paul and the Spread of an Idea
Murray Sabrin
Published 11/12/2007 - 8:32 a.m. EST
usadaily.com
My wife and I attended the Ron Paul Independence Mall rally on Saturday. Although the weather was less than ideal for an outdoor rally that began in the early afternoon, the crowd’s enthusiasm made up for the cool, overcast conditions. Paulites from as far as New Hampshire were in attendance.
Before the rally, Rep. Paul spoke to at least 200 members of the Philadelphia meetup group and then held a briefing for about 100 donors who contributed at least $500 per person. Although Dr. Paul had been up since 5:00am to catch his flight from New Hampshire, he was alert, energetic and on message.
At the rally, New Jersey Assemblyman Mike Doherty introduced and endorsed Ron in a more than 10 minute presentation. Doherty, a former army captain and West Point graduate whose three sons are serving in the military, two of whom have endorsed Ron Paul, is bucking the current Giuliani boomlet in the Garden State.
Mike is an example of a courageous elected official who has thought through the key domestic and foreign policy issues and has concluded that a Paul presidency would restore the Constitution and not use U.S. troops for nation building and “spreading democracy” around the world. What other elected officials are waiting for is anybody’s guess. They probably have been “Hannitized.” The antidote is available, listening to Ron’s 45 minute flawless rally speech.
Because Ron’s flight was late, his wife Carol and campaign chairman Kent Snyder briefed the meetup group. This is the first time I heard Carol speak on Ron’s behalf, and the crowd loved her. Mrs. Paul is a delightful, savvy, and a great asset to Ron’s campaign for president. Carol would make a great First Lady.
When Ron arrived the meetup group gave him a thunderous ovation. He did not miss a beat in speaking to the group for about 20 minutes. And then at the donor briefing and again at the rally, there was a noticeable shift in Ron’s perception of his primary run. Previously, when I heard him speak, for example at the New York meetup group on October 12, he spoke passionately about freedom, peace and prosperity, and not about winning the GOP presidential nomination. I got the impression that he did not think he could win the nomination.
The growth in the Ron Paul campaign contributions from $8.1 million in the first three quarters of 2007 to more than $8 million in just 41 days as of late Sunday night has changed Ron’s thinking about his winning the GOP nomination.
The November 5th “Money Bomb” raised more than $4 million in one day. I believe that was the turning point in Ron’s view of his chances to win the nomination. Ron now believes he can win the nomination. Ron has stated he was the skeptical candidate when he first entered the race. As the crowds grew larger and the contributions increased beyond his expectations, he became less skeptical.
And with another “Money Bomb” coming up on December 16th, the sky’s the limit. The campaign’s goal of raising $12 million dollars in the fourth quarter could be reached by the middle of next month, opening up the possibility that the Ron Paul campaign could be top GOP money leader in for the fourth quarter.
Ron Paul campaign’s success is simple: the idea of liberty, sound money and a nonintervention foreign policy is catching on like wildfire. Americans across the political spectrum from all walks of life, from all regions of the country, from every income group, have concluded that America has been hijacked by the welfare-warfare neoconservatives in both parties. And they want someone to restore their liberties.
Everyday more Americans are discovering the Ron Paul campaign. That’s the good news. The challenge for the campaign is to get them to the polls in 2008 so Ron can win the nomination convincingly. At this point in the campaign, everyone in headquarters has to work nonstop to coordinate with all the early caucus and primary states to get the vote out. Nothing should be taken for granted and nothing should be left to chance.
Because Ron is a statesman and not an egomaniacal politician he has taken the high road in his campaign. Carol Paul told the meetup crowd that Ron always discusses ideas in his presentations and never mentions his opponents by name. He criticizes their policies and philosophies and does not attack them personally. This is an invaluable lesson for his growing and sometimes frustrated supporters on the Internet keep the discourse civil and courteous.
The spread of the ideas of liberty is taking off like no other time in our history since the American Revolution. Ron Paul is the Thomas Paine and the Thomas Jefferson of our generation. Ron’s “common sense,” eloquent defense of liberty, and boundless energy is remarkable for a husband of 50 years, father of five, grandfather of 18, and great-grandfather of one.
The freedom revolution is gaining momentum everyday. It must succeed. |
