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Charles Rex Arbogast / AP
Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, addresses the crowd during the North Dakota caucus on Tuesday in Fargo.
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul remained defiant Tuesday night in the face of no primary wins, rallying his fervent supporters to his signature causes of civil liberties and an overhaul of the country's monetary system.
Paul gave no definitive statement of how long he'd continue his campaign. But he told supporters in Fargo, N.D., that his campaign has sent a clear message to voters that government grows endlessly, ignores personal privacy and spends too much money.
"If we set a standard of individual liberty, the rest of the world will notice," Paul said as he competed aggressively for caucus wins in three states. "It's much easier to promote our cause through peaceful deeds than through war."
Earlier Tuesday, Paul campaigned in Idaho, another caucus state, promising a smaller federal government, $1 trillion in federal spending cuts and an administration dedicated to liberty.
Paul said he chose to spend Super Tuesday in Idaho because it's one of the states where poll numbers show his campaign is strongest.
"We're going to do well and that will excite us going forward," Paul told reporters after addressing about 500 people during a noon event in this southwestern Idaho town. "I think it's a super-good opportunity for us to get votes and a chance to win the states."
About 1,200 people showed up to see Paul in northern Idaho's Sandpoint on Monday and roughly 2,000 attended an Idaho Falls event at which he appeared Monday evening.
The Texas congressman hoped for victory in at least one of the Super Tuesday caucus states: Idaho, Alaska and North Dakota. Paul apologized for being unable to take questions in Nampa and said he had to get on a plane for a campaign stop in Fargo.
The Nampa crowd applauded Paul when he panned the nation's "entitlement system," which he said bailed out big corporations better than it did average Americans.
"The difficulty and the real challenge is people don't want to cut any type of funding. This idea of the entitlement system — anybody who wants something or needs something or demands something has a right to it — that's not true," he said. "You don't have a right to other people's income. You have a right to keep your own."
Paul also drew cheers for his plan to balance the nation's finances. He said he could achieve the feat within three years by cutting the federal government and taking $1 trillion out of its budget.
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What? Didn't he win Maine?
Oh, sorry I forgot about the election fraud.
Oops, am I allowed to mention that?
it is always easier to blame others (as in voter fraud) than to blame one's inadequacy.
Ron Paul's own operatives did NOT complain about "voter fraud" as alleged by many bloggers here. rather, Ron Paul's campaign managers blamed the young voters, who are Paul's base, failed to show up to vote.
Right on Tamhas! Let's not forget the 8 missing precincts in Iowa.
Also, how is Ron Paul giving few clues to the future of his campaign? He has made it VERY CLEAR over the past few months that he is remaining in this race all the way to the convention. Don't you just love the way the media fails to report all of the facts?
How about a mention of Ron Paul's actual delegate count? Like it or not, the revolution WILL continue beyond 2012! The GOP establishment should be PRAYING that Ron Paul gets the nomination, because they CANNOT WIN without the support of his voters. I, like 90% of Ron Paul supporters, WILL NOT vote for any of the other GOP candidates. I will either write-in Ron Paul or I will vote for the Libertarian candidate, which is likely to be Gary Johnson.
I refuse to waste my vote on somebody that is wrong for this nation (i.e. Mitt, Frothy, Newt, Obama).
I'm afraid Ron Paul is starting to remind me of Pat Buchanan or Ralph Nader...probably all good decent men...unfortunatly it seems this country seldom does what might be good it!
"Operation Mockingbird 101"
Step 1: Ignore Ron Paul entirely.
Step 2: Talk about Ron Paul if Step 1 fails but say that he is cooky, old and can't win.
Step 3: Interview the strangest Ron Paul supporters that can be found. If they start to make sense, cut them off because of "Connection Issues".
Step 4: Rig the elections.
Step 5: Disregard and ignore all proof that elections are rigged.
Step 6: Talk about how Ron Paul isn't winning any of the rigged elections and ask when he will drop out.
Step 7: If all else fails, pull a JFK/MLK
Isn't that the truth? I mean Ron Paul has been telling them for 30 years that if they continued to run the country the way they were this would happen, and yet no one listens to him. Ron Paul hasn't supported any of the wars we have been in, nor did he support the bailouts, and yet he can't win a single vote. Anyone that follows the Government blindly are sheep, and no one wants to see change. But it's the only way that we are going to have it, if someone like Paul gets in office. He has some radical ideas but they are good ones, and something has to be done. However, Paul won't obey the masters from behind the scenes, so if he does get into office, he'll be shot or die in a horrible crash or something else that will be a "tragic accident".
Don't care for Mr. Paul, don't car for Romney, he has no substance, he has no ideas, can't figure how he gets people to vote for him They say he can beat Obama, well if no one votes for him in the General how is he going to win, I won't vote for him.
Ladyjag,
That leaves two chickenhawks, Santorum who wants to run your bedroom or Gingrich who wants to be in your bedroom.
After witnessing first hand the fraud that went on at our GOP county convention (Koochiching, MN) I have lost faith in the Republican Party. I am with Ron Paul on whatever he decides to do. The only solution for this country may be for a complete crumble and when we start picking up the pieces we can follow the constitution as it was designed.
Please everyone vote for Ron Paul. He is the only one that can beat Obama. He believes in getting Washington out of our pocketbooks.
I am voting Ron Paul, even if he doesn't get the nomination.
I can't bring myself to vote for any of the others.
If it is an honest election, Ron Paul will win. If not, we'll keep seeing stories like this one.
It's really sad that the American people have voted themselves out of their own right to choose the next president. I will vote for Ron Paul either way, but I have little faith left in our system. I wonder what it will come to, to get the U.S. government to be honestly "for the people... by the people." Is it really just a far-fetched dream now?
Shame on you, MSNBC.
You have your head up in your rear-end, Capkillsbirth. (What kind of a stupid name is that?) It's called 'the media ignores, slants, or twists anything having to do with Ron Paul.
He got WAY more than 5%. He beat Santorum and Romney and Gingrich in some states.
The system fails us. It's designed for candidates from the same party to rip each other apart in order to "get ahead" of their opponents. This practice is ridiculous as it weakens each individuals chances of running a clean campaign, get their true message across, speak to "all" the issues, rather than the "safe" ones, gives rise to the opposing party's future attacks, tears the constituency apart from the inside, etc. This is true for all parties. I don't care about personal foibles as much as I do about one's competency in performing their job. Enough of the dirt digging. Shame on Larry Flynt for his bribery offer of $1mil. Shame on Adelson for his bribery of $20mil. We need to get back to grass roots and fix this country. As for Ron Paul, I believe he has a plan, albeit perhaps too aggressive...at least it's a plan.
What I don't understand is how politicians can make outrageous claims of what they will do if they get in to office, when they can't possibly know what their constraints are going to be because of prior "deals and arrangements" that can't be broken. That's why they call it Politics...give some, take some.
Let's fix the House, Senate and Congress. Let's take away their abilities to push aside important legislation that has been passed by another group. Too bad politics is so political. Whatever happened to representation of the people? Oh yeah, I forgot, we're changing our system for all the entitlements for legals and illegals. We're so pitifully aggressive on making sure we are "politically correct" that we stifle our own future and back ourselves into an imaginary corner.
The message Paul sends is: "I'm a grown man, a medical doctor, and I have the emotional level of a thirteen year-old." How can anyone take this racist, hate filled man seriously as a possible president of the United States?
Succumoffsedge,
What ever your blasted name is. You go ahead and vote for your party, NOT for whats right for this country. You bunch of sheep need to be herded to slaughter. You are a bunch of PUZZIES. THE man has good ideas for this country, yet people are so DAMN, biased to their parties. There needs to be ONLY ONE PARTY.....For the middle class, that carry this country. You probably freeload off us AMERICANS, that work hard to make a living!! See you at the REVOLUTION...which is coming soon!!!!
I am a Ron Paul supporter. This election season, no candidate will get my vote for the Office of President of the United States of America except for Ron Paul. There will be no exceptions. If he does not win the nomination, I will write his name on the ballot.
No amount of slick talking, flip-flopping, wooing, cajoling, threatening, or condescending will persuade me to vote for any other contender for that office.
You don't want to admit it, but you know that the Republican Party cannot beat Obama without me, a Ron Paul supporter. It's long past time you admit it.
You and I have conflicting goals. I will only cast a vote for liberty, for peace, for small government, for fiscal sanity and respect for the Constitution of the United States and adherence to the oath of office of the Presidency. You however are content merely to vote for whatever Republican the GOP leadership and the media approve of.
I will not move. I cannot be persuaded. You cannot win without me.
I am not here to convince you that Ron Paul's positions are superior. I am not here to convince you that his foreign policy is in line with traditional conservatism. I am not here to convince you that his understanding of economics puts everyone else in Washington to shame. I am not even here to convince you that the positions of the other candidates are essentially identical to Obama's.
No, I don't need to do any of that. I only need to tell you that without me, you have lost. If you do not vote for Ron Paul in your Primary or Caucus, you are already defeated. If you fail to nominate Ron Paul to be the Republican candidate for President, Barack Hussein Obama will serve a second term.
This is not blackmail. This is not a threat. This is a simple statement of fact.
I stand firm and I will not accept anything less.
I TOTALLY AGREEwith alden wayne dumas' comment!!!!! OBAMA Must LOSE!!!!!!
He won't though. None of this group of GOP idiots has a snowballs chance in hell of beating Obama.
F--- Off, DDubb-Troll.
I have a new campian slogan for Mr. Paul.....
His should be refered to as Mr. CONSISTENT!!!
Please like this enough to get it to the top of the request list. If enough people see it and say it, the media will definitely latch on because they love a good slogan. They can't help it. That will get him the media coverage because they are trying to black ball him out of the election since they can't discredit him.
VOTE for MR. CONSISTENT, VOTE for Ron Paul!!!
Americans have two choices: vote for Ron Paul now, or wish they did later.
It seems that nations, like the people they're comprised of, often resist inevitable change until crisis compels that change. We can change proactively (for example, by cutting $1 trillion in the first year of the next administration, and getting out of wars we can't win, shouldn't be in, and CAN'T AFFORD), or we can change re-actively, like Greece.
Ignorance is not a badge of patriotism. We can be proud of our country, and still see that it is headed down the same road as Greece. China will be our Germany. Maybe people will stop voting about trivialities like abortion and faith (they're important personal issues, not political ones), and prioritize the hard cuts when we're China's bitch.
Our nation, like many of its people, would rather make excuses to live on borrowed money, rather than make the belt-tightening sacrifices necessary to avoid crisis.
A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for the American people, not a politician. Unfortunately, he's a brilliant visionary, but too principled to succeed in politics by saying whatever is expedient to whoever is listening at the moment, only to reverse that position for the next group.
No, he's not the youngest, and he's not the slickest speaker, and he could do a better job of dumbing down his message for the masses that are evidently too ignorant or entrenched to get it, but a vote for Ron Paul is a vote for the principles that made our nation great.
If you don't understand his national security policy, don't say he's too naive unless you've read "The Revolution: A Manifesto."
My experience in the Colorado Caucus, what happened in Maine, and Super "PAC" Tuesday have disgusted me and taken my belief in our political system to a new low.
I have given up hope for his nomination: People don't have to have IQ tests to vote. My hope is for disruption at the convention, that he will throw a monkey wrench into the political system, and that if 90% of our country doesn't get it now, our children will recognize him as a patriot of historical significance. A ruckus at the national convention would be the most patriotic thing to do. Don't give up Ron!
Don't support the GOP -- support our nation and its future. Vote for Ron Paul or wish you did later.
As a independent(with GOP leanings early not so much in the last 20 years) I will either write in Dr. Paul or look in to the Americans elect deal. After doing the research I don't think I can vote for anybody else. I'd rather lose being moral than win being immoral.
Do you know how many people in this county even know what is going on? The truth is not many. When Obama said Americans were stupid, I hate to say it but ignorant might be a better word, but to a point he is right. The point is most people are clueless and vote for free money and what they hear from the Main stream media.
Ron Paul supporters get it and are far more knowledgeable than most than most voters. The US constitution was designed to constrain government and protect the individuals from the masses but it is being shredded by the media and government and the complacent majority don't care. At this point, I would think that the best we can hope for is Ron Paul team with Mitt Romney which may be our best chance to get input in government. Without this we will get 5 more years of Obama.
We all need to start our own truth TV show. The ratings would be off the chart for truth. What do you think? soldtoday@live.com
hang it up grandpa!
hang it up grandpa!
wow,some of you are just stupid,really do you not read or pay any attention,obv,your not,if you can't tell,the news wont cover ron paul,ya obv,if you paid any attention and wonder why you see nothing of ron paul,the news hates him why,most news stations are bias as @!$%#,they know he is th eonly person that could retunr the us to the way it should be,not ran by moneu hungry @!$%#s,who's own armed forces are speaking out like crazy,i really think some of you just sit at home on your welfare gov check,watching fox 40 saying go romney,really you make me sick,and i'm just happy this world is not filled with people like most of you,how are we ever gonna change if we have people like obama in office or people like romeny,well he won't be prez but still,we let people run our country that can even gov a small town,people need to stan dup before its all over for you,and they tell you what pills you have to take,what you can eat,what you can drink,we need to be more like the swiz gov,but no our gov doesnt say @!$%# about border jumpers,doesnt say @!$%# about all th ekillings going on to us people from mexcian border jumpers,nor do they talk about all the none speaking enlighs kids that are @!$%#ing ou tour whole school system,ya teach a 4 year old in school that doesnt speak 1 word of english,and tell me how hard that is,and you wonder why we area @!$%#ed country,cause no one says anything,and thinks every thing is a ok,well my friends,times are gonna change,and when they do,all you people who rely on the gov for food money ect,i'm gonna laugh so hard at you,yes i dont belive in gov assistamce at all,the gov has 0 money nothing none at all,it's tax payer smoney,and ya vote ron paul,he is th eonly one who has a clue wtf to do,obama is a @!$%#en joke,why don't you all go look it up pretty crazy obama is related ot the bush family well all the prezs we had,think about it,ron paul is our new jfk.
Obama, Romney, Santorum, Gingrich... they all want the same thing: endless wars and more debt for us. Both parties are the same. Corporations get more, we get less. It's too bad most Americans are asleep in front of the TV instead of learning the truth.
George Carlin described it in better terms during his "Life Is Worth Losing" special. Look up George Carlin - The American Dream on Youtube.