There is an eerie déjà vu to the sight of another Texan with the same initials crossing a Clinton's path to the White House as Ross Perot did in 1992.
News that Ron Paul raised more than $4million on the Internet the other day recalls Perot's surge in the polls back then, at one point running ahead of both the first George Bush and Bill Clinton.
Perot's erratic on-again off-again campaign as an Independent faltered but still drew over 19 million votes, reflecting unhappiness with the two major parties and politics as usual.
Four Presidential elections later, after Clinton and another Bush in the Oval Office, that disaffection has led to the odd sight of another maverick Texan drawing support, this time in the race for the Republican nomination.
Paul's surge reflects a mixed bag of discontent--with the plastic Republican front runners and their failure to call for getting out of Iraq, as he does; with politicians of both parties who hem, haw and hedge about issues, as he does not; with the linear nature of political discourse, which Paul's digital supporters have rejected and imaginatively left behind and, according to some, distorted.
All this makes good political theater to enliven the long, boring slog of an overheated campaign, but older observers may be put off by Paul's oversimplifications and nostalgia for an America-that-never was and troubled by his roots in the conspiracy theories of the John Birch Society.
Perot turned out to be an egotistical clown without staying power, but Ron Paul has been around for a long time and is not likely to fade away. It's time to stop finding him refreshing and take a closer look at what he is really offering.
I think you meant to say $4 million... love the site!
ReplyDeleteRoss Perot did a great job of highlighting problems with government and of shaking up the system. Unfortunately he did not have the temperament to withstand the rigors of constant public scrutiny and harassment that all politicians face. It was easier to go back to being a highly revered billionaire.
ReplyDeleteRon Paul, on the other hand, is a true patriot who has a strong respect for the constitution and the rule of law. He will be our next president because he has sound answers regarding monetary policy and our foreign policy.
He will win because in America it is not the media, the special interests, the pundits, or even the political parties who elect the president.
The president is elected by the people.
Check out ronpaulforums.com
December 16th will be the largest single fundraising day by any candidate for any
party in the history of our nation.
Great blog by the way.
DEJA VUE! Definitely. Paul + Perot = Clinton as Pres. I think Hillary has been donating more to Ron Paul's Campaign than you think. Ron Paul needs to do Americans a favor and drop out. He has made his point... don't take it past the primaries! PLEASE or another Clinton will be in the office and demolish America!
ReplyDeleteWhy on earth would Ron Paul want to drop out?
ReplyDeleteHe's going to win. He's raised more money in the fourth quarter than any other Republican candidate. He has more cash on hand than Huckabee, Tancredo, McCain, Thompson, and Hunter.
He's the only Republican who can beat Hillary. 75% of Americans want us out of Iraq. Every Republican except for Ron Paul is running on a pro war strategy. You do the math.
Realizing this is a much older post, I'm sort of curious if Toronator is still hanging around and would like to revise his prediction on the 2008 election yet.
ReplyDeleteEspecially where Ron Paul "is going to win."
Ross Perot captured my heart and the hearts of many with his "we the people" language he spoke when he ran for president. After witnessing how a vote for Ross Perot only amounted to a vote that George Bush didn't get I shamefully realized the super critical thing missing from Ross Perot's campaign. "We the people" is a very endearing term to the largest percentage of Americans but the power just...isn't there until it's "We the people after God's own heart".
ReplyDeleteRon Paul is strikingly similar to Ross Perot. Not only in his mission but it really struck me the other day when I realized they even have the same initials (R.P.). Possibly God trying to stir our thinking reminding us of the day when He smacked us w/ Bill Clinton (a wake- up call we all needed).
Mike Huckabee is a servant bringing it all to the table. Most importantly the one true God. This man speaks the complete language of our heritage and does so in very genuine fashion constantly bringing George Washington, Abe Lincoln, and the like to my mind.
Back on that Ross Perot/Ron Paul same intial thing, right after I
realized their initials were the same, for some reason, I started thinking, "What else could R.P. stand for?". Rock Pile immediately came to mind very soon followed by the Biblical word eben-ezer which means a pile of rocks or a big rock used as a reminder of something God has done for His people.
I shared that very compelling personal experience of just a few days ago very sure that
most who read this will first think, "Wow that guy's a real idiot" so, for fun @ your expence, I'll fill you in on something I intend to do in the very near future knowing this will drive you absolutely nuts if it catches on. (lol) I'm going to build a very conspicuous rock pile on my front lawn and every time I look @ it and mow around it I'll remember the day when God made me mindful that "We the people" make very bad choices when God is left out of the equation.