WaPo; Ron Paul’s run isn’t about Ron Paul

In an opinion piece posing as news, the Washington Post put on page B1 of yesterday’s paper that truly mischaracterizes the entire Ron paul campaign;

Now with about 5 percent (and climbing) support in polls of likely Republican voters, Paul set a one-day GOP record by raising $4.3 million on the Internet from 38,000 donors on Nov. 5 — Guy Fawkes Day, the commemoration of a British anarchist who plotted to blow up Parliament and kill King James I in 1605. Paul’s campaign, which is three-quarters of the way to its goal of raising “$12 Million to Win” by Dec. 31, didn’t even organize the fundraiser — an independent-minded supporter did.

When a fierce Republican foe of the wars on drugs and terrorism is able, without really trying, to pull in a record haul of campaign cash on a day dedicated to an attempted regicide, it’s clear that a new and potentially transformative force is growing in American politics.

That force is less about Paul than about the movement that has erupted around him….

Well, unfortunately for them, the “the movement that has erupted around him” isn’t what’ll occupy the White House in 2009 if Ron Paul were to win the election. There are political realities like working with Congress that Pauliens, much as their predecessors in the Ross Perot days, don’t understand. The President doesn’t rule by decree. Much of Paul’s “beliefs” aren’t within the realm of possibility – and many Pauliens would oppose his efforts to do away with their SSI payments and their free healthcare. The “movement” around Paul, is politically and socially naive, much as one would expect 5% of the population to be. Much as one might expect Libertarianism to be.

Much of his “support” comes from voters who will never pull a lever for a Republican outside of a primary election. People like Adam Kokesh, whom I’ve spent gigs of bandwidth on his deceit and political ambitions. Anyone who thinks that Adam Kokesh will vote for Ron Paul next November is fooling themselves. Kokesh supports Paul to make it appear as if Paul’s appeal crosses party lines. I don’t care if you ran Teddy Kennedy as a Republican – those hardcore Leftists still couldn’t bring themselves to vote Republican.

5% of Republicans won’t win a national election. Weeks from the primaries, Paul has hit his peak at 5% (if that number is even correct). If Paul did win the primary nod, he still wouldn’t have the support he needs from mainstream Republicans or Democrats to carry him through to a national victory in November. And sorry, but that’s what he needs.

So why are Democrats supporting Paul? For the same reason they supported John McCain in 2000 – he’s the easiest candidate for them to beat.

So, in many ways, the Washington Post is right – Ron Paul’s candidacy and his support isn’t about him at all, it’s about the clowns around him whom he either seems willing to exploit or he doesn’t recognize the character of his supporters (or, rather,  the lack thereof). Paul’s candidacy seems more in the model of Pat Buchanan’s Reform Party run – an attempt to destroy the Republican Party from within.

Category: Media, Politics