I just had a long chat with a long-time D.C. insider who knows all the major players on both the Republican and Democratic side of the aisle. He should not be considered a Ron Paul Republican by any stretch.
As a matter of fact, he reached out to me on this call and started by telling me he was not a Ron Paul supporter, but then he went on to simply rave about Congressman Paul.
He said that what Ron Paul has been saying over the last 30 years is resonating with the general public. This insider tells me that when he meets with Wall Street types, they all want to talk about the Fed. He said even 10 years ago that wouldn't have happened.
He said he is really looking forward to the debates because when the topic of the Fed comes up, "It's going to be Ron Paul educating even the other candidates."
"What's Romney going to say?" he asked.
When he suggested that Dr. Paul "should move more to the center" and not be so adamant, for example, about shutting down the Department of Education. I replied, "I don't think you are going to see him change. He's a pretty principled man."
This insider replied, with almost wonder in his voice, "Yeah, I can see that he is very principled."
This is a shrewd insider of many inside the Beltway battles. D.C. indideers fight for turf and the edge. I think he is amazed at the support Ron Paul is getting. This is an insider that watches polls and sentiment and wouldn't pay attention to Ron Paul for a minute, if it wasn't for the fact that he sees the numbers and the sentiment building around Dr. Paul. He is looking at the Republican candidates and thinking Ron Paul really has a chance.
I just checked the call length. It was 26 minutes and the entire conversation was about Ron Paul. A Washington D.C. insider wanting to talk about Ron Paul for 26 minutes, that in itself is pretty amazing. Ron Paul is making an impact in places he can't even imagine.
Good to hear. I get that sentiment too--I think there are a lot of people that are waking up to RP--I myself am one of them.
ReplyDeleteAnother positive note, it seems that the likes of Rush, Hannity, and Beck are coming around to RP as a realistic candidate and somebody FAVORABLE to have on their shows (instead of bashing on their shows--youtube it). Say what you want about those guys but they command the ear of many conservative people (even if a lot of them have lost their way). Not to forget too, that when RP goes on liberal infested shows like The View and In The Arena he comes off well liked by even the hosts.
In short, I'd say that Ron Paul is not moving to the mainstream but the mainstream is moving to him.
Ron Paul doesn't need to compromise, he is the compromise!!!
awesome!
ReplyDeleteWhen the topic of the Fed comes up, they will do the same thing they did in 2007: a toady like John McCain or Mitt Romney will mention "The Wealth of Nations" without any frame of reference, knowing full well that 90% of the people watching have never read it, and then they'll move on to the next question without giving Dr. Paul an opportunity for rebuttal.
ReplyDeleteBob, I love your site and the work you do everyday keeping your readers updated on matters of the economy. Next to mises.org, EPJ is one of the highest quality econ sites out there.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it really saddens me to see you joining Lew Rockwell's Ron Paul cheerleading team. I had to stop reading LRC during the last election cycle because I couldn't take it. The state is a means by which evil people control others. It is not, and has never been, a means by which good people help others.
Can we please recognize this, forget politics, and go back to good old Austrian economics on EPJ?
Well, the revolution ain't gonna be televised, but Guiliani did have his ten seconds of fame questioning Paul on blowback and everybody knows how that went.
ReplyDeleteIf McMussolini or Medicare Mitt know whats good for them, they'll keep their mouths shut. But that ain't gonna happen which should make for some interesting, if not entertaining "debates".
IOW by the time you know the tsunami is coming, it's too late.
I hope you're not going to bill me for the full half hour.
ReplyDeleteThe elite are in a quandary. If he runs, and wins, and is allowed to use the bully pulpit of the presidency to TRULY EDUCATE the masses about the benefits of increased liberty from government, the federal government and the UN will have less power. If he dies, mysteriously or otherwise, he becomes a martyr, and martyrs have power.
ReplyDeleteHe has no skeletons. His record is pure as snow. His patrician manner is soothing to a hurting populace, even if it recommends tough measures. His positives in favoribility are astounding- people genuinely like him, even if they disagree. His wife would become the anti-Barbara Bush ver 1.0- a grandmother but also a sage and dignified teacher.
If he can continue to press his momentum, and his support grows organically- family members becoming overnight acolytes promoting the Gospel of Ron- then he might become unbeatable. They smear campaigns - his racism and homophobia and blahblahblah- won't work because the Internet squashes false intrigue quickly.
In short, he could become unbeatable compared to other primary contestants early in the game, and as the presumed favorite begin "governing" by elucidating his exact agenda once he wins, winning the respect of the people by making hard and fast promises of what he WILL do in office. His core ideology is so simple and universal that common sense will win out.
The People are sick and tired of politicians that make empty promises. They will be reassured by Paul's common-sense explanations of why he is doing what he is doing, and the benefits of his proposals. They will sense in his passion that he will follow through to the best of his ability, and expect the Congress to do the same. The benefits to the people who carry the "Liberty Party" label to the primaries could see a radical change in the House, with hundreds of freshmen.
In short, in a general election he would be hard to beat.
The cynic in me -- and my life has taught me that's it's almost impossible to be too cynical -- would say that this call was entirely about the insider trying to get you to have Ron Paul "lighten up." It's known you "run in that crowd," and the smart manipulator would start by trying to infiltrate the periphery of Ron Paul's inner circle. And don't interpret that as disrespectful to you in any way. It's just an insidious shot at trying to influence Ron Paul.
ReplyDeleteEither way, this is good news, but the more powerful Ron Paul becomes, the more shots will be taken at him. The really good guys at doing that will do it without giving themselves away. It pays to be cautious.
"The state is a means by which evil people control others. It is not, and has never been, a means by which good people help others."
ReplyDeleteAgreed wholeheartedly. So why the reluctance to support a man whose entire message consists of explaining how and why the state should be deconstructed?
To anon
ReplyDeleteRon Paul is the biggest boon to Austrian economics ever. I want a free society in my lifetime and I'm not going to ignore our biggest asset in that cause. You don't have to vote or read anything about Ron Paul but why should the rest of us ignore a Titan for liberty like Ron Paul? I hear the Cato Inst. likes to ignore him. I guess you could always go there for info.
Anon 4:54
ReplyDeleteSince we have to live in this world, the ideas held by those in positions of power do matter. And there is a BIG difference between Ron Paul and all the others (the differences between the others' ideas are trivial and, in actual practice, unknowable). So I would rather my children and I live in a country with Ron Paul opposing the wars, police state measures and economic predations of the state from within. It does make a difference. Doesn't mean I endorse the state.
Ron Paul is the reason that I got into Austrian Economics. I think they go hand in hand. He is in position to educate the masses even more so than before.
ReplyDelete