Paul's question to McCain

[Quick]

I've seen a few criticisms about Paul's question where people are saying that no one in the audience even understood it, so it wasn't a good question.

Personally, I think that was the point. McCain is very weak when it comes to economic issues (to name one), by his own admission. When he was questioned about it at the debate regarding his comment that he doesn't understand economics, he claimed he never heard that quote and went on to talk about how well he understands the economy.

So, when Paul asked the question, he was demonstrating that McCain has no idea about economic issues. The question wasn't intended for the audience to understand. It was intended to make McCain look stupid and to call him out of his lies.

On top of that, while I understood the question, even if I didn't, I'd expect the person who is running for President to answer it. So if I was an undecided voter in the audience or on TV, while I might have said to myself.. "I don't understand his question" when McCain was babbling on for 2 minutes I would have said.. "Well, sure, I didn't understand the question but I think that if someone is running for President, that they should."

My only criticism is that Paul didn't ask the question clearly.

 

[smoke.stack]

it was brilliant.

 

[N13]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plunge_Protection_Team

 

[AlbemarleNC0003]

it was brilliant.

It's gotten a few people on the local board looking more into why the markets didn't tank on Tuesday. That's a good thing.

 

[josh24601]

It would have been brilliant if he said "Will you please define for us the role, definition and membership of the presidential Plunge Protection Team as well as your specific thoughts as to what place, if any, it has in our government, and how this view demonstrates your readiness for the highest office in the land given the current economic climate?"

As it was, it was A for effort, B- for execution. Nobody ever accused our beloved Dr. Paul of being a fiery orator...

 

[Blowback]

Fantastic question. McCain looked like a fish out of water.

 

[Cleaner44]

I think the debate really hurt McCain. He was definetly exposed and Romney looked much better in comparison. I think we will see Romney start to pull away from McCain and the comeback kid will start to drop off like Huckster is. We will need to get the voters that are going with McCain because they bought into his faux staight talk bullshit. People do like straight talk, its just that only Ron Paul delivers. We need to get that through to the morons.

 

[DAaaMan64]

Here I just made this from the clip.

 

[meadors]

Considering that RP had advance notice

It would have been brilliant if he said "Will you please define for us the role, definition and membership of the presidential Plunge Protection Team as well as your specific thoughts as to what place, if any, it has in our government, and how this view demonstrates your readiness for the highest office in the land given the current economic climate?"

As it was, it was A for effort, B- for execution. Nobody ever accused our beloved Dr. Paul of being a fiery orator...

The question should have been better delivered esp. since RP had pleanty of time to prepare the question in advance.

 

[JS4Pat]

It's gotten a few people on the local board looking more into why the markets didn't tank on Tuesday. That's a good thing.

That was good. He helped me AGAIN become a more informed American but politically it was a HUGE MISSED OPPORTUNITY!

He could have taken any one of those guys down last night with that opportunity!

I was sooooo disappointed!

 

[Just Come Home]

where's the clip at?

 

[Kuldebar]

where's the clip at?

Paul's McCain question:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ1OB2iLxcY

 

[newyearsrevolution08]

I doubt any of the other candidates wants ron paul to ask them an economics question lol. He looked scared while ron paul started asking it lol. What do you expect, ron paul is the ONLY candidate who knows what the hell an economy even is.

 

[Opiner]

I think if Dr. Paul aimed the question to all the candidates on a more general topic it could've been beneficial. Like, "Most Americans feel strongly about freedom yet you support the Patriot Act which is unconstitutional, un-American and morally disgraceful. Why shouldn't the average American perceive you as a treasonous, corrupt and a dishonest person?"

I think it is important for Dr. Paul to expose them as being corrupt liars with bad intentions. They are trying to represent themselves as being good people. A quick examination of their history one can see how corrupt they are but the average person doesn't know that. If Dr. Paul could get the point across that whatever these people say is not important because they are dishonest and ill-intentioned. This can be accomplished by slipping a line like this, “let them (should be clear that it is the candidates) say what they want but their actions are to the contrary.”

 

[mello]

I think Dr. Paul could have simplified the question even further:

"Since you said that you know alot about economics, could you explain what the P.P.P.T. is & what their role is in the Bush White House?"

Mccain would still look like he saw his mom naked!!!

 

[DeanToPaulIn4Years]

This is part of the beauty of the Paul candidacy. He LIFTS the country up by challenging the people to get more informed. Most candidates pander, literally making the American people stupider.

So while I initially often think that Paul missed an opportunity or didn't answer a question perfectly, I almost always change my mind after I've seen the clip a few times. Whereas when I view the clips of the other candidates, I can feel myself getting dumber with each view.

I think that's one of the coolest aspects of the whole campaign, but I recognize that the traditional school of thought would assume that he's not winning votes with these types of statements.

Was it the right move in the end? I have no idea.

 

[brainon4u]

RON PAUL PINGS JOHN MCCAIN LAST NIGHTS DEBATE (also a You Tube video which compares McCain w/ Miss Teen S.C. on question of location places on the US map...)
http://thirdpartywatch.com/2008/01/25/ron-paul-pings-john-mccain-in-last-nights-debate/

Even Mrs. Paul knew McCain had no idea what Dr. Paul's question meant!

 

[painter4Ron Paul]

I did not understand it until i came here.

 

[mello]

I wish Dr. Paul would have interjected that Senator Mccain didn't answer the question & then follow it with:

"Do you even know what the President's Working Group on Financial Markets does?

 

[Goldwater Conservative]

If he had asked McCain about his 100 years comment, he would have been playing to his strong suit. McCain would have launched into a speech about how he knows firsthand the struggles of war, but also its importance to the existence of civilization, yadda yadda yadda, and then he would make everyone feel bad and admire him so much and they'd applaud.

Instead, Paul called him out on his claim earlier in the debate that he actually knows his stuff when it comes to economics and that's why he sits on important economic committees. McCain was made to look a fool, rambling and name-dropping and not making a single point. The only thing that could have made it better would be if Paul had asked him if he had any idea what he just said.