Daily Archives: April 8, 2015

Ron Paul : US resolution on Russia scarcely read by those who voted for it
The U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a resolution denouncing Russia #39;s foreign policies. Former presidential candidate Ron Paul has called it one of the worst pieces....

By: Elsa Walsh

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Ron Paul : US resolution on Russia scarcely read by those who voted for it - Video

Civil Unrest In America 2015
MY WIFE IS HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER AND GOT THIS URGENT E-MAIL FROM THE SECURITY COUNCIL. OTHER WARNINGS ALSO.SHARE,PREPARE,BE AWARE.GOD SPEED,GOOD LUCK TO .

By: 2015 Finance Crisis

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Civil Unrest In America 2015 - Video

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Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson on March 2 announced the launch of an exploratory committee. The move will allow him to raise money that could eventually be transferred to an official presidential campaign and indicates he is on track with stated plans to formally announce a bid in May.

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South Carolina's Lindsey Graham has said he'll make a decision surrounding a presidential run sometime soon. A potential bid could focus on Graham's foreign policy stance.

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Hillary Clinton continues to have an overwhelming lead over other possible 2016 Democratic presidential candidates. Although the former first lady and secretary of state has not said whether she'll run, a group of PACs and advocacy organizations have begun the process of raising money and aiding a hypothetical campaign.

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Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin is considered a possible Republican candidate, but he told CNN that his priority is to first help the GOP capture the Senate in next November's midterms.

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Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican rising star from Florida, was swept into office in 2010 on the back of tea party fervor. But his support of comprehensive immigration reform, which passed the Senate but has stalled in the House, has led some in his party to sour on his prospects.

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Election 2016: How Rand Paul is different from Ron - CNN.com

Washington Ron Paul, father of Rand Paul, has always been an original thinker.

As a longtime member of Congress from Texas, on paper a Republican but in posture a Libertarian, Congressman Paul rarely met a spending bill he could like. He was an avowed isolationist and civil libertarian, voting against the Iraq War and the USA Patriot Act. His nickname on Capitol Hill was Dr. No.

Paul was, and still is, the hero of the liberty movement. His three presidential campaigns once as the Libertarian Party nominee and twice as a Republican were a testament to his devotion to the cause. And his voters were devoted to him like no other candidates supporters.

Now his son, Senator Paul (R) of Kentucky, is following in his footsteps sort of. Hes more libertarian-leaning than big-L Libertarian. Hes a physician like his dad, but no one confuses him with Dr. No.

When Paul launches his presidential campaign Tuesday at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Ky., his father will be there. But his presence will reflect an uneasy reality for the freshman senator: The junior Paul needs his dad, and a similar devotion of core supporters, even as he needs to create some distance from him.

His father had a basic floor of support below which he wasnt going to go, but he also had a ceiling, says Dennis Goldford, a political scientist at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

The son seems to have a floor those so-called liberty and tea party Republicans but does he have a ceiling? Hes been trying to expand that, and reach out to younger people and minorities. We dont know how that might work.

Paul is not the only political scion competing for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Jeb Bush, son and brother of former presidents, is expected to jump in soon. For both Paul and Mr. Bush, the family name is a help and a hindrance. I am my own man is a core message.

But their challenges are different. The former Florida governor is grappling with Bush fatigue, precisely because his family has been successful at the highest levels of politics (three successful presidential campaigns) and because of the failings of his brothers presidency, namely an unpopular war and a near economic collapse. Paul fatigue isnt an issue. Rather, the younger Paul has to distance himself from his father precisely because he has views that are firmly outside the mainstream views that made his brand lively and unique, but also made it impossible for him to be elected president.

And unlike the former Presidents Bush, Ron Paul is still a public activist, adding to his sons challenge.

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Rand Paul is not Ron Paul, for better or worse (+video)

WASHINGTON --Rand Paul's campaign slogan is "Defeat the Washington machine." The Kentucky senator is running as an outsider, but even in this legacy-laden field, he may be the ultimate insider.

It's been less than three years -- not even one full presidential election cycle -- since former Rep. Ron Paul gave up his last presidential campaign, his third run for the White House. Now his son is set to make his own run. Rand Paul begins the daunting task of building a presidential campaign with unique advantages: the network his father built, the experience of running a modern campaign and the potential to tap into a loyal base of supporters. He enjoys name recognition that rivals that of his likely opponents. Rand Paul will seek to position himself as his own candidate and bring in some of his own political team. But the foundation of his father's campaign is intact-- for better and for worse.

While Ron Paul was never able to translate his core of supporters -- more than a million votes -- into primary victories, he ran well in several states and remained in the race longer than many GOP competitors. He even placed second in New Hampshire in 2012, with 23 percent of the vote.

If he can inherit his fathers network up here, that will be at least a significant initial advantage, University of New Hampshire political science Professor Dante Scala said. A crowded field might be good for Rand Paul. Maybe this will be a year like 1996, where 30 percent is enough to do not just well but really well in New Hampshire. (Pat Buchanan won the state's primary that year, with around 27 percent of the vote.)

While Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton are widely seen as dynastic candidates, Rand Paul is actually the only one who'll inherit an up-to-date campaign operation.It's been 15 years since a Bush appeared on a ballot -- before Facebook or Twitter, before donations could be made via website, before candidates posted YouTube videos.

Paul doesn't get just an extensive network. There is family knowledge that comes with the campaign. Jesse Benton -- who is married to Rand Paul's sister -- was a senior adviser for Ron Paul's two previous presidential runs, managed Rand Paul's Senate campaign and will now runa super PAC supportingthe 2016 campaign.

Ron Paul pursued a smart strategy by targeting states that held caucuses instead of or in addition to a primary. Aside from Iowa, which draws disproportionate attention as the first presidential test, most states that opt to use that process have very low turnout. Voters are required to attend a meeting at a specific time and place, driving down the number of participants and allowing a small but passionate group to tip the outcome.

Rick Santorum won the Iowa caucus in January 2012. Hardly anyone remembers that Ron Paul won the second, less publicized Iowa caucus, giving himmore delegates from the state than any other Republican -- a testament to his organizational power. He did the same in Louisiana and Nevada, picking up delegates at later caucus events after not winning on the main primary day.

The Republican field is unlikely to produce another candidate who appeals to the Ron Paul fan base. He built a coalition of voters who didn't traditionally participate in GOP primaries. It's unlikely that Bush or Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio could make strong inroads with those voters. "Add in any number of other possible candidates, and I dont see any having a better 'claim' on the Ron Paul vote than Rand Paul," said Eric Herzik, the chair of the political science department at the University of Nevada, Reno. "Rand Paul might not be a clear favorite in Nevada, but he will, like his father, have a base from which to build his campaign."

Ron Paul was virtually an isolationist who opposed foreign aid to almost every nation, wanted to drastically cut defense spending, and was one of only a handful of Republicans to vote against the war in Iraq.Rand Paul is the least hawkish Republican in the Senate, but he has tried to shed the isolationist label; he supports some foreign aid and hasn't fought funding the Pentagon. But he's still out of step with his party.South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham has been outspoken in criticizing Rand Paul's foreign policy positions.

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Election 2016: Rand Paul Inherits Father Ron Paul's Political Network

If you watched cable news at all this morning, you saw that all eyes were trained on Sen. Rand Pauls (R-KY) entrance into the 2016 presidential race. But what you might not have expected to hear was all the hoopla about Pauls father, the libertarian firebrand Ron Paul.

The elder Paul, a former congressman and GOP presidential candidate himself, pioneered the same appeal to young conservatives and libertarian-minded voters for which his son is currently known. While the two differ on policy in many areas, the general message remains the same: Less government, fewer foreign entanglements, criminal justice reform, and an end to NSA surveillance.

Ron will obviously not be irrelevant to Rand the elder libertarians hardcore fan base will be an important asset for the campaign. But unlike his father, the senator is more openly attempting to court traditional conservatives, as indicated by his recent rhetoric about radical Islam, same-sex marriage, and other wedge issues. To be blunt: Rand is not Ron.

And yet the media fixates on their connection, as if Rand isnt his own person. According to a TVEyes search of Fox News, CNN and MSNBC from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. today, Ron was mentioned 29 times during discussions and reports about his sons candidacy.

Just today, CNNs David Gergen said the younger Paul has daddy issues. MSNBCs Jos Daz-Balart declared the shadow of Ron Paul is looming large over his son. NBCs Kelly ODonnell said Rand was trying to create distance between him and his father by staging Ron off to the side, ensuring there is no hand-raising moment between father and son at the speaking podium. And CNNs Dana Bash suggested Rand has to be more mainstream than Ron in order to win.

Why is Ron so relevant when reporting or commenting on Rands presidential bid? Is it because of the seemingly outlandish things the elder Paul has said of late? Or is it because of his positions on the relevant issues?

Either way, his name comes up in a way that suggests Rand needs to answer for his father.

Meanwhile, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has yet to announce her presidential run, but how often will the media harp on the influence her husband, former President Bill Clinton, might have on her?Will they mention Bills potential influence close to 29 times during a six-hour period on the morning of her announcement?

Lets explore that possibility. Has anyone thus far argued that Hillary has husband issues? Or that Bill is looming large over Hillary? Would Hillary be at the whims of her husband if she were president? Such rhetoric could be considered sexist and yet, its perfectly rational to treat Rand as if hes not his own person, inseparable from his fathers more radical beliefs and words.

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Why Does Media Think Ron Paul So Relevant to Son Rands Campaign?