Liberty Maven

If you know any Ronald Reagan lovers who are supporting a candidate other than Ron Paul then you should probably send the following video to them.

Looking through neo-conservative colored glasses I’d say Romney did pretty well. But I feel a bit sick to my stomach doing that so I’m going to look through my regular eyes and say Ron Paul deserved more time.

He got less than half of the time Huckabee received.  The national poll numbers almost coincide with the amount of time each candidate received. So apparently, the polls do mean something to those moderating these debates.

Ron Paul had 5 questions and a single question he asked to McCain. Ron Paul’s last 2 answers: His answer on Social Security and on a potential third party run were his best answers of the evening. He also gets extra points for making McCain look like a fool for not knowing anything about the Working Group on Financial Markets.

I’ve been praying for Ron Paul to get a direct Social Security question in a debate like this and he got it. He nailed the answer as he framed it around how his plan would be a benefit to the elderly.

I don’t think his question to McCain was intended to make McCain look bad, but it did. I think it was more about educating the public that there is a secretive organization that may or may not prop up financial markets in the face of economic uncertainty. Many, including John McCain, apparently didn’t know this organization even exists. McCain said he’d talk to his “circle” of friends including the Treasury Secretary, not knowing that the Treasury Secretary is the Chairman of the group.

I don’t think the debate will swing voters over to any particular candidate. In the end I think it’s a Romney vs. McCain race in Florida for number 1. I almost hope Romney wins, just to quiet the media’s love for McCain for a few days. However, Romney has the most delegates right now so it’s hard for me to hope for either one of them.

I just hope Ron Paul gets a good percentage of the Florida vote. Anything above 8-10% would be good in my eyes.

I threw together the following video emphasizing McCain really isn’t a “straight talker”.

Here are the 6 questions Ron Paul received during the debate.

Economy:

Taxes/Bush Tax Cuts:

Iraq:

Asks McCain a question on economics:

Social Security:

On Third Party and Republicanism:

Apparently, there is a lot of talk going around in the Ron Paul camp that the Louisiana GOP establishment are playing games by counting the provisional ballots slowly. The reason they say is because most of the provisional ballots will likely be in favor of Ron Paul. In short, they are accusing the Louisiana GOP of “spinning” the true results of the caucus. Below is a press release from the Ron Paul campaign.

Ron Paul Campaign to Louisiana GOP: Count All the VotesState Party Blunders Put Caucus Results in Question

ARLINGTON, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, the Ron Paul presidential campaign calls on the Republican Party of Louisiana to count all the ballots submitted in the state’s January 22 caucus.

“The failure of the Louisiana GOP to properly determine who was and wasn’t eligible to vote threw this entire process into disarray,” said Ron Paul campaign manager Lew Moore. “The party needs to correct this mistake by counting all the votes immediately, and releasing the results.”

Due to mistakes by the Louisiana GOP, hundreds of voters were forced to file provisional ballots, including nearly 500 that could change the outcome of the election. According to party officials, caucus locations relied on a voter list from November 1, 2007 despite the fact that under caucus rules, voters must have registered Republican by November 30, 2007. The Louisiana Secretary of State reports that 2,709 Louisiana residents registered as Republican between November 1, 2007 and November 30, 2007.

In multiple instances on caucus day, state-certified Ron Paul delegates that were on the ballot were forced to file a provisional ballot despite the fact they were pre-approved as delegates.

The Louisiana State GOP also changed the rules at the last minute to allow other candidates to file more delegates. At the time of the original January 10 deadline, Ron Paul had the largest number of delegates pledged to him. The party then changed the rules to give other candidates until January 12 to file more delegates.

Also, some anecdotal information came from someone in Louisiana writing in to LewRockwell.com:

“The McCain loyals that are influential in the LA GOP are trying to make it look like this. It doesn’t compute that McCain has a majority, unless the people on the prolife/profamily ballot that were also on a Romney, Thompson, Huckabee ballot have switched to McCain. Ron Paul had a full delegate list in all districts. Many of the candidates did not. From what we can predict, Ron Paul will likely have nearly half of the 105 delegates(maybe more). So how can McCain possibly have a majority with the other field of candidates? All these provisional ballots are their tactic to stall the results that we know are in Paul’s favor. The registration deadline for switching parties was 11-30th. People that switched before this date did not have their name appear on the GOP roster when going to vote which makes their ballot provisional. The La. GOP had a record number of people changing their party affiliation. Getting these provisional ballots verified is something they are doing at separate districts-stall…stall…..stall…. Also, they extended the delegate deadline; I know Ron Paul had all his people in prior to that. I’m speaking of my particular district which is reflective of the other six.”

At some point the provisional ballots will be counted and we’ll know the true results because press releases can be spun but the votes don’t lie.

Don Luskin who recently endorsed Ron Paul has been named economic advisor to the Ron Paul campaign.

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – Newly appointed Ron Paul economic advisor, Donald L. Luskin, issued the following statement about Dr. Paul’s proposed comprehensive economic revitalization plan:

“Ron Paul’s economic plan is the real thing – a plan. It’s not just a band-aid designed to ‘stimulate’ the economy in an election year. It’s a fundamental agenda for real and lasting change, making the US economy more vibrant and competitive, and removing barriers to advancement for all Americans.”
Donald L. Luskin is Chief Investment Officer for Trend Macrolytics LLC and contributing editor to the National Review Online and SmartMoney.com.  He is also a frequent guest on CNBC, and the author of two books: Index Options and Futures: The Complete Guide and Portfolio Insurance: A Guide to Dynamic Hedging.

Mr. Luskin is available for interviews regarding Congressman Paul’s economic policies.

Congressman Paul’s comprehensive economic revitalization plan can be found online at: www.RonPaul2008.com/Prosperity

(Source: RonPaul2008.com)

Ron Paul, as promised, has released his economic revitalization plan. The good doctor makes a house call to America to ease our financial woes. Of course, it has nothing to do with band aid fixes like the current “stimulus” packages being discussed by George Bush and Congress.

Introduction

America became the greatest, most prosperous nation in human history through low taxes, limited government, personal freedom and a belief in sound money. We need to return to these principles so our economy can thrive again. When enacted, my plan will provide both short-term stimulus and lay the groundwork for long-term prosperity.

Other candidates talk a lot about stimulus packages, but my record stands alone. I have fought for these measures for years as a member of Congress and will make them a top priority as president.

Ron Paul, a 10-term Republican congressman from Texas’s 14th District, is currently the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology. He has been named “Taxpayers’ Best Friend” for 10 consecutive years by the National Taxpayers’ Union. Ron Paul is also the author of several books on monetary policy and economics.

Read the rest at RonPaul2008.com

Blogger “John Armstrong” over at NolanChart.com has written an excellent article that I encourage all to read. The original article is here but I’m pasting it here because it was a bit difficult to read it on that site:

Topic: Presidential Campaign 2008
Is Fox News Killing Reagan Conservatism or Just Ron Paul and Fred Thompson?

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Did you know that Fox News/News Corp. Execs are among Hillary Clinton’s biggest Contributors?

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by John Armstrong
(Libertarian)

Reagan Conservatives, before you read this article I want you to know who is writing it. The rest of you can skip to the article that begins after the next paragraph. John Armstrong is just a pseudonym, but if you have a good reason for wanting to know my real name, email me and I will be glad to tell you; I’ll even give you my phone number or meet you for coffee when I’m home or in a town near you. I grew up on a farm in West Tennessee. I now live in Franklin (just south of Nashville) and have become a successful businessperson. I registered Republican in 1996 when I was attending liberal-haven UNC-Chapel Hill so I could vote for Jesse Helms and Bob Dole. I voted for Bush twice. I supported the invasion of Iraq six years ago. I loved Fox News.

But then something happened. I turned off my television and started to educate myself about the issues that Conservatives used to believe in but now only give lip-service to. These are the issues about which Fred himself challenged his opponents during the debates. I found that the Party of Reagan and Helms had become something else entirely different while I was sleeping. The words of a hymn my mom played on the piano of my Southern Baptist home church best describe the last six months of my life during this awakening process. Those word are: “I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.” I am not a nutjob for Ron Paul. I am just like most of you; or at least like what you raised your sons to be.

Read More »

Recently, a friend said the following words to me as we began discussing the Presidential election:

“I’m thinking McCain because he’s always been consistent and tells it like it is.”

I held back in my reply, but judging by his reaction to me “holding back”, I’m not sure I was successful in doing so. I calmly mentioned that McCain was trumpeting how easy and quick the Iraq war would be, then more recently said how he always said it would be long and difficult (source: video).

Apparently, people believe McCain when he toots his own “straight talk” horn. When listening beyond the tooted horn it seems the talk is rather crooked. Most politicians, including McCain, are no more “straight talkers” than dogs are cats.

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A Republican Presidential Debate is being held tonight in Boca Raton, Florida at 9pm Eastern. The debate will be broadcast on NBC. It will be moderated by Brian Williams along with questions from Tim Russert.

Taking part are former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. John McCain, Rep. Ron Paul and former Gov. Mitt Romney.

Hopefully Ron Paul will be able to get some good answers in since there will only be 5 candidates on the stage. Rudy will probably do some attacking since he needs to win Florida and he’s behind in the polls. Should be interesting.