The damage is done, the media did its job

[Joe3113]

I think a lot of you are forgetting that Ron Paul stands for Liberty. The real meaning.

That means that if racists, nazi's, black panthers, truthers, anarchist, commies, whatever... if they want to say things they have that right to say it, as long as they aren't violent or threaten the rights of others.

They have the right to believe what they want to believe, vote, give money, write papers... they are Americans. Ron Paul believes in the true concept of liberty that all people have the right to think whatever they want, even if it's disgusting and vile. I support that too.

Ron Paul is a christian and is anti-abortion. I'm very very against both of those ideals but I still love the man.

Why are you letting the MSM push you out of this?

Please grow some stones and stand up for something instead of worrying about being PC.

Hell Yeah!!!!!!

 

[integrity]

I see two streams of thought in this argument:

1) He's at worst a closet racist, at best delinquent in management by allowing these articles to be published.

2) He doesn't know who wrote them, and he didn't write them--so who cares?


I'd like to offer a third, that, to me, appears to be completely absent in all discussion.

The articles themselves, while distasteful, are neither racist, homophobic, or anti-semitic.

The articles on the LA riots aren't racist. They're harsh, but neither racist or false. If people can't deal with it, it's not Ron's place to apologize for hurting their feelings--regardless of who wrote it.

The David Duke article does not praise David Duke. It argues that Duke was able to garner 9% of the black vote running on the platform of individual liberty despite his background, and questions what it was that allowed an admitted KKK member to get that many votes from black voters--concluding that the liberty message is powerful enough to overcome even Duke's serious issues to get a reasonable amount of minority vote. It is not a praise of Duke--it is a praise of the liberty message using Duke to make the point as to how powerful it is.

The MLK articles (not in Ron's writing style from what I've seen of it) is very harsh, but apparently true as well. The data offered appears to be pointing to another author's work (that author being a black man who outs this info.) The article is also an argument of voting against a federal holiday for King--which, FWIW, is no longer celebrated at the corporation I work for since being purchased by the Brits. (I guess you don't have to worry about not honoring King's holiday if you aren't a US company as it can't be used in the squealing points.)

The articles on staying in the closet just appear to be ranting decrying the need for homosexuals to proudly proclaim their orientation to all. Where I live, there is a fairly large football homecoming parade yearly that always has a gay pride float where the participants are often clad in leather chest straps and chaps, dirty dancing and making out with their partners for shock value. Simultaneously, the streets are usually lined with parents with small children. (Adults don't watch parades by and large.) Now, I don't give a sh!t who you sleep with, love, or want to marry (hell marriage is financial trap in the modern era anyway, and if gays get state-backed marriage, they may come to regret it)--but no parent should have to answer a lot of questions from a 5-6 year old after seeing a float like this when no other float's parade participants feel the need to act this way in what is designed as a family atmosphere.

As to the anti-semitism, being against the Israel lobby in Washington is in no way anti-semitic period.

I guess my point is this:

We are buying into a two-pronged smokescreen whereby we are now correctly defending Paul against the attacks, but missing the point that the attacks have been framed to generate dissent due to matters of taste--not factual -isms.

Top that off with the blatancy of some posters who are here to stir the sh!t in a "sympathetic" manner, and you have what I am now witnessing.

It's a facade! The whole argument!

Hell, if I knew the authors, I wouldn't out them either in the face of a bullsh!t scandal.

I'm done now.

great post. And I personally feel blacks are fleet footed. thats why they do well in sports.

 

[RickyJ]

Well, it hasn't blown over for me. I am having serious reservations about campaigning for Ron Paul now. I can now longer tell people Ron Paul is an upstanding man. He is in many ways, but he's had an obvious moral failing with not policing his own newsletter for years when it put out vile commentary under his own name. I may resign from my campaign positions over this.

Adios false freedom fighter!

Ron Paul has never ever uttered racist words in his life. If he had then you better believe it would be broadcast non-stop. Obviously a infiltrator wrote this trying to take Ron Paul down. He is not exactly liked by the establishment you know.

 

[ChooseLiberty]

Correct. Some of them were reactions to the LA riots. The LA riots were crazy. Remember the black men that drug a random white truck driver out of his truck cab and almost beat him to death?

I'm sure leaving the articles in the newsletter had something to do with FREE SPEECH. They were the opinions of the writer and even if RP read them he probably didn't feel the need to act as the "thought police".

The articles themselves, while distasteful, are neither racist, homophobic, or anti-semitic.

 

[mosquitobite]

I see two streams of thought in this argument:

1) He's at worst a closet racist, at best delinquent in management by allowing these articles to be published.

2) He doesn't know who wrote them, and he didn't write them--so who cares?


I'd like to offer a third, that, to me, appears to be completely absent in all discussion.

The articles themselves, while distasteful, are neither racist, homophobic, or anti-semitic.

The articles on the LA riots aren't racist. They're harsh, but neither racist or false. If people can't deal with it, it's not Ron's place to apologize for hurting their feelings--regardless of who wrote it.

The David Duke article does not praise David Duke. It argues that Duke was able to garner 9% of the black vote running on the platform of individual liberty despite his background, and questions what it was that allowed an admitted KKK member to get that many votes from black voters--concluding that the liberty message is powerful enough to overcome even Duke's serious issues to get a reasonable amount of minority vote. It is not a praise of Duke--it is a praise of the liberty message using Duke to make the point as to how powerful it is.

The MLK articles (not in Ron's writing style from what I've seen of it) is very harsh, but apparently true as well. The data offered appears to be pointing to another author's work (that author being a black man who outs this info.) The article is also an argument of voting against a federal holiday for King--which, FWIW, is no longer celebrated at the corporation I work for since being purchased by the Brits. (I guess you don't have to worry about not honoring King's holiday if you aren't a US company as it can't be used in the squealing points.)

The articles on staying in the closet just appear to be ranting decrying the need for homosexuals to proudly proclaim their orientation to all. Where I live, there is a fairly large football homecoming parade yearly that always has a gay pride float where the participants are often clad in leather chest straps and chaps, dirty dancing and making out with their partners for shock value. Simultaneously, the streets are usually lined with parents with small children. (Adults don't watch parades by and large.) Now, I don't give a sh!t who you sleep with, love, or want to marry (hell marriage is financial trap in the modern era anyway, and if gays get state-backed marriage, they may come to regret it)--but no parent should have to answer a lot of questions from a 5-6 year old after seeing a float like this when no other float's parade participants feel the need to act this way in what is designed as a family atmosphere.

As to the anti-semitism, being against the Israel lobby in Washington is in no way anti-semitic period.

I guess my point is this:

We are buying into a two-pronged smokescreen whereby we are now correctly defending Paul against the attacks, but missing the point that the attacks have been framed to generate dissent due to matters of taste--not factual -isms.

Top that off with the blatancy of some posters who are here to stir the sh!t in a "sympathetic" manner, and you have what I am now witnessing.

It's a facade! The whole argument!

Hell, if I knew the authors, I wouldn't out them either in the face of a bullsh!t scandal.

I'm done now.

Great post Korch!

 

[RickyJ]

But because it's on the issue of race it gives me pause because what was (1) in his own newsletters (2) under his own name (3) for a number of years was antithetical to the reason I support him.

OK, what exactly in his newsletters is giving you a problem? The fact that carjackers were called animals? Or the fact that David Duke was actually praised for his anti big government platform?

 

[texasbelle]

My 2 cents... If Ron Paul exposed who wrote these racist remarks then that would be a form of pandering to the media, IMO. To pander to the media is not presidential. I think it is much better to state that he is not racist, has never been heard uttering a racist remark, and define how he is the anti-racist. He apologized for not monitoring the newsletter. If this is the worst the media thinks they have on Ron Paul then we are fine.

 

[ecliptic]

Will You Fall On A Sword Of Your Own Making?

WILL YOU FALL ON A SWORD OF YOUR OWN MAKING?

The identity of the author of the 'objectionable' material from past issues of Ron Paul's Newsletter -- material that is currently being used by major media to skewer Paul [see blog post below] -- is an open secret within the circles in which I run. The news accounts refer to him merely as an "aide." We call him by his first name.

I am addressing an appeal to this man. Damage is being done to the libertarian movement (see Radley Balko's analysis) and to Ron Paul. Frankly, I don't give a flying fuck about the latter...but I know you do. Will you now do the decent thing for libertarianism and come forward to acknowledge responsibility for the material being used against your mentor?

A reader of this blog comments, People are calling for Paul to name the author but the problem is that the name most mentioned over the years as the ghost-writer for those horrid newsletters is equally as prominent to Paul and remains a close confidant of the Paul campaign. He [Paul] can blame a former aide if he wishes, and he does, but if the former aide is a good friend and top advisor today then his severing himself from the writer doesn't work. He can't talk about it being a former aide if, in essence, the author is now a top adviser to Paul and good chum.

I disagree on one point. The author can talk about it. He should talk about it. I will not 'out' the person in question on this blog although people are urging me to do so. One of them writes, After the way he's treated the rest of us [ex-friends who criticize Paul], it might be worth taking him down a peg or two. I won't...but neither will I pretend that I do not know the background of the matter. I appeal to the author to do the decent thing. Don't let Ron Paul take the fall for your words and actions. Don't further sully the libertarian movement by your silence. I know that -- in writing this -- I am severing all connection between us in the future and, frankly, I am sorry to do so. Nevertheless...so be it. Through our years of association, one thing I have never considered you to be is a coward.Please prove my assessment correct; please take responsibility.
Wendy McElroy - Tuesday 08 January 2008 - 22:01:55

 

[Young_Apprentice]

This can only lead to more interviews; more interviews in which RP performs like he did on Wolf yesterday can only be a good thing.

 

[RonPaulFTFW]

This can only lead to more interviews; more interviews in which RP performs like he did on Wolf yesterday can only be a good thing.

Exactly!!!

Quitters please go help McCain.

 

[Peppy690]

I'm glad cnn is still reporting the story. They just teased it.."If you are a ron paul supporter, did you know...."

 

[ecliptic]

FOX after-debate text poll screenshot



( click image for 0:31 YouTube video )

 

[Paulbot_9876]

they are trying to get rp to drop out.....it is not going to happen....he is in it for the long run....
the media needs to know their bs is not going to work.....rp is in it till the end.....they know he will take votes from the other candidates....best we can do to counter the media is keep rp in the race and his money rolling in......

 

[apropos]

Arguments that depend on proving you "aren't" something can never truly be won. That is why they are so effective.

The only way that this attack can be effectively handled is by observing that the accusation of racist is too easily applied to people in an argument. Most Americans would agree with that, especially after seeing a year of the Duke Lacrosse case. Whether Paul is a racist or not has nothing to do with his economic policies, foreign policies, etc.

Any of the views expressed in the newsletters are matters of taste, emotion, PC indoctrination, and etiquette - and ultimately they do not matter to the ideas of the platform. The Fed needs to be removed and the hundreds of US bases worldwide need to be brought home regardless of what someone thinks about blacks, whites, or Asians.

Do mere words matter more than proposing real solutions this nation's problems? And words that are judged by the fickle god of political correctness, no less? Considering that PC is communist propaganda writ small, I think not. It's merely meant to humiliate one into silence.

 

[constituent]

Do mere words matter more than proposing real solutions this nation's problems? And words that are judged by the fickle god of political correctness, no less?

unfortunately, yes.

from a song:

language is the liquid that we're all dissolved in, great for solving problems after
it creates a problem.

 

[gb13]

I'm a bit worried though. Everywhere I look, I see a story about it. CNN is playing it like twice an hour, and it's always heavily spun. They don't even show the full clip of him defending himself to Wolf Blitzer.

 

[rockandrollsouls]

Ron Paul supporters are here through and through. Unlike other candidates, we cannot be swayed so easily. We are a different breed. When others are giving up, we will be gaining momentum. Don't worry so much; this is far from over.

 

[WeWillWin08]

I'm a bit worried though. Everywhere I look, I see a story about it. CNN is playing it like twice an hour, and it's always heavily spun. They don't even show the full clip of him defending himself to Wolf Blitzer.

Do you honestly expect anything different from the MSM?

 

[gb13]

Ron Paul supporters are here through and through. Unlike other candidates, we cannot be swayed so easily. We are a different breed. When others are giving up, we will be gaining momentum. Don't worry so much; this is far from over.

There is no doubt about that. We are truly a different breed. What I'm worried about is that we need more new supporters - and fast. If the first thing people are hearing about RP is this bogus racist charge, it may affect their judgment if they don't research to find the truth. And the trouble is, that so many Americans consider watching CNN and FAUX as doing their research.

We need to combat this.

 

[clintontj72]

Well Ron didn't write that stuff.

John McCain definately did refer to Asians as "gooks" for years, in print and in person.

Nobody makes any fuss any more.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/hongop.shtml

http://www.asianweek.com/2000_02_24/feature_mccainapology.html


And this is before we get to all the arabs he would kill in the middle east, and the children of african-americans he would sacrifice to do it.

Ron Paul is the anti-racist candidate and we have to help him get the message out.

Rather than damage being done I am impressed the last couple of days how completely Ron has killed it as an issue. On CNN no less he destroyed the accusation.

Ron Paul needs to deflect this on to the real racist McCain! Let's make this happen!