argh!

7 Commentsno, i'm not a pirate, even though i totally wish i was.

kidding aside, can i bitch for a second? why is it that even though ron paul has beat rudy guiliani in EVERY primary thus far, he is almost never mentioned in mainstream media? i just finished reading an article on msnbc regarding last night's gop debate, and they quoted every candidate, except paul. at the very end, they say something to the effect of "ron paul, who has a large vocal following, also had a spot in last night's debate."

as bryan would say... what the deuce?

large vocal following? as opposed to that all-important NON-vocal following? gotta hate those non-vocals... always screwing things up.

i wouldn't give two shits what mainstream media thinks about dr. paul, but the problem lies in that many Americans actually put their trust in the media to push them in particular directions. if you did NO research on your own and only watched the news on tv or read your daily paper, you would have no idea ron paul was even a candidate.

ron paul has raised more money THAN ANY OTHER REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE. that speaks volumes, considering he has no special interest groups backing him. but do you hear that in the news? no. he's known as "the guy that wants to get rid of the IRS." oh crazy ron paul. silly boy.

do you know he came in SECOND in nevada?? of course you don't. i was flabbergasted when i watched a clip by fox news that was 3 minutes long. they posted nevada's results WITHOUT RON PAUL. they showed 3 pictures: McCain, Romney and Huckabee. underneath each picture they showed the percentage that each of them got. romney had the most, and even though ron paul PLACED SECOND, they didn't show him! and then they mention him towards the end with a little blurb saying that the reason he did well was because he spent a lot of money there. (and they show mccain as placing second, but paul ended up beating him)

i had lunch with some colleagues the other day, and we were discussing politics and i mentioned ron paul, and this girl went OFF, saying that he's a nutjob and completely crazy. i asked her why she thought this, and she couldn't give me ONE reason. i said, what about his platform do you not agree with? and she couldn't say!
look, if you don't agree with dr. paul on his issues, fine. but at least know what you're talking about before you make a decision.

but it's unedumacated people like that, who think they're getting the news when they watch tv, and let the media do the thinking for them, that are going to drive this country into the crapper.

wow, i used CAPS a lot this morning. it's like i'm MAD or something. or maybe i just need a DRINK and a LITTLE DEBBIE. nawm nawm.

Comments

Pauline

Marketing is key.  He needs to use a huge bulk of all that money he has raised and use it to promote himself.  
If he can't get the media to focus on him, he needs to buy the media.  Buy spots on the late night shows, go on Colbert Report.  Things like that.  

I saw Huckabee playing in the band on Jay Leno.  It's easy nowadays to get promos since there's a writer strike.  

It's sad, but people do vote for the name they recognize so just make sure you get your candidate out there.  You are such a vocal Ron Paul supporter, are you communicating with him and voicing your frustration?  

Also, alot can be done in the Internet space.  I read on TechCrunch that Obama had something like 50000 myspace friends or something.  The number in my memory seems high but he is the clear web winner.  Perhaps Paul can do some damage online with help from his younger and vocal supporters online.  

It seems that Paul has a good brand and product, he just needs to let people know.

2/18/2009 11:09:21 AM #

Pauline

lfc

oh and pauline, i just looked up ron paul's 'friends' on myspace...  119,339!

2/18/2009 11:09:21 AM #

lfc

-J

There definitely seems to be a lot of passion with respect to this upcoming election, from both Democrats and Republicans.  And many people seem to feel their candidate has been overlooked.  I find it interesting.

I for one did know most of the things you said about Paul.  Mostly because if you listen to NPR, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report long enough, they'll fill in most of the holes.  Not to mention that thing we call Internet.

I don't agree with the bulk of his positions, including the tax reform package - something I feel very strongly about, actually.

2/18/2009 11:09:21 AM #

-J

The [Cherry] Ride

Wait, who is Ron Paul?

2/18/2009 11:09:21 AM #

The [Cherry] Ride

-J

Yes, I'm not sure if I would be entirely opposed to some sort of litmus test for potential voters, which would indicate their overall intelligence level.

2/18/2009 11:09:21 AM #

-J

lfc

j - you're right about the passion.  it's refreshing actually.

pauline - ron paul's ENTIRE fanbase is online.  ZERO marketing needs to be done in that arena, because 'youngsters' are supporting him online more than anyone.  and i'm not referring to the 'cool kidz' on myspace with their bad html and lame graphics.  i am referring to the 21-35 generation - people like me who grew up republican but can't stand the current party.  go on youtube - ron paul's videos are among the top rated and mostly viewed videos on there.  read the comments - talk about passion.  

he probably would appeal to the masses more with some more 'blitz', but the fact is, it's not him.  he is not smoke and mirrors, and he isn't into sound bytes.  he simply believes strongly on several issues, and speaks about them when he can.  he has done several talk shows, but tries to focus more on 'political' shows more than fluff pieces.  he's often on meet the press or cable news networks, where he can really discuss his stance, rather than what he did over thanksgiving and what his favorite fast food chain is.

it's often said that the American people aren't given enough credit.  that things are 'dumbed down' for us.  well the fact that people get more excited about a candidate that plays in leno's band vs. a candidate that passionately believes in the future of our country...  well it speaks volumes as to the intelligence of the mass public.
look, i fall for marketing just like the next person (hello taco bell commercials).  i am often sucked into the hype.  but when it comes to something as important as this, i simply try and look past it.

2/18/2009 11:09:21 AM #

lfc

Bryan Peters

The mainstream news is focused on sensationalism and drama, and if drama doesn't really exist, it'll make it appear that way.  

Example: www.thedailyshow.com/.../index.jhtml" REL="nofollow">Mitt Romney Erupts | Daily Show

I don't see Ron Paul getting involved in slander and pandering, which makes for Good Newsâ„¢.  If he started some petty drama, he could get thrown into the news rumble pit.  But that why he's got such a loyal following - he has ideals, a plan, and doesn't insult your intelligence.  That doesn't make for entertaining news.

2/18/2009 11:09:21 AM #

Bryan Peters

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