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Feedback ForumSend us your opinions, reactions, and ideas about "Ron Paul and Internet Politics"Submissions for this question are no longer being accepted. Previously submitted comments appear below. Comments may have been edited for content or space. Poster: Glen Chern Comment: I found your coverage of Ron Paul's Presidential campaign quite interesting and informative. While I am certainly not a Paul supporter, I admire the fact he is courageous enough to stand up to the other GOP candidates regarding the invasion and occupation of Iraq. He obviously has some very fanatical and loyal supporters, but I would agree that he has no chance of being nominated by the GOP. The Republican establishment will make sure of that just as the Democratic Party establishment has made certain that Dennis Kucinich will never receive their party's nomination - and I am a Democrat. Poster: Grady Lee Howard Comment: beretco.op@gmail.com There is nothing wrong with Ron Paul running for President or raising money on the internet. The problem arises that even superb Maria Hinojosa was not able to penetrate the implications of Paul's economic proposals or his view of history and the Constitution. I suspect that were he put to the test he would depict a storybook idealism when it comes to the Founding Fathers and the immediate post-Revolutionary period. The Constitution was far from perfect then and now, but has gradually been both misused and perfected. Paul resorts to folklore rather than analytical history in proposing we can go back to a time of stricter private property and hard currency. If he wants to undo the mistakes he should advocate the phasing out of corporate business rights rather than Social Security. He states the obvious when he says overseas military costs are excessive and would (in the long run after debt retirement) would provide a gigantic peace dividend. His largest contradiction is in his plan to outlaw abortion. Doesn't he understand that real Libertarianism mandates that the first place government should stay out of is the individual citizen's body? (Maybe just male bodies, huh Ron.) Libertarianism is a luxury that could be implemented if the primary corporate activity in the U.S. were not colonization of our minds. We live in an artificial environment materially and socially that cannot be sustained without intense macromanagement. I agree with Paul that individual citizens are being denied reasonable access, but he has to realize we now live in a country that has lost the capacity to fuel, feed and clothe itself. The militarism and privatization that is killing us is an outgrowth of our incapacity which thrives on the resultant insecurity. Venezuala would do us a favor to cut off oil for six months, or China could cut off shoes and socks for a year. Then people would get a glimpse of the real truth. Dr. Ron Paul would melt away like cotton candy if elected and leave us at the mercy of Exxon, GE (nuclear power), Att and Blackwater. Poster: Skrawtsky Lawtsky Comment: I have been researching all the candidates both Republican and Democratic and it is amazing to see a candidate with a voting record based on something so NEW as the constitution of the United States of America. It surprises me other media networks don't find this at all to be a big story. I have decided I am voting for Ron Paul! PBS please do another story on him. Poster: andomando Comment: Hello everybody, this ando here in southern california, i hope all is well and I wish a mery christmas to everybody, but for now I'm here to talk politics. RON PAUL FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008!!!!!! I want evryone to turn their attention to the rational beliefs of this man. Lets get OUT OF THE WAR as soon as he gets elected. We must bring our troops home so they can be happy again, and also so they can rebuild their strength: mentally, emotionally and physically speaking. These guys have done a more than fabulous job there and it seems like now we finally have some comfort in there and are turning things around for that country. We must utilize the oil of Iraq because basically we can't get it anywhere else(everyone else wants there own for themselves), and we need to restore democracy in America! That means we must give the power back to the people and Ron Paul can take us there. This man is qualified and needs to be our PRESIDENT! Please, get everyone you know to jump on the bandwagon, and lets elect him for President. Do what you can to insure that RON PAUL wins!!!!!!! God Bless America Poster: Ron Comment: I just want to say that if we don't elect Ron Paul, we will be the losers and this country will be feaded in a very dangerous direction. This grass movement internet push has proved that we the people, can be of the people, and for the people. That is the way our Government was founded. It is time to take back what is ours to start with. The power you and I have is the vote. USE it to make a difference. This is going to be the biggest histrol one so far. I didn't even know that this was going on till last week. That is what you get from listening to the TV news. They have already choosen for us. Hilary, or Obama. We the people need to decide not Rupert Murdock, and Ted Turner. The only straw vote that counts is the one you must cast in the primary election. Because if you wait for the General Election, they have already decided that one for us. Go get our country back Congressman Paul. Poster: Gary Comment: As much as I like Ron Paul's idealism, I think his political philosophy is wrong. The libertarian ideal sounds like good idea only because we have endured 19 years of horrible governance. I subtract 8 years of President Clinton because under his administration FEMA was one of the most highly regarded government agencies. Poster: C Little Comment: THANK YOU for your report this past week on Ron Paul. I was particularly infuriated that the Washington Week with Gwen Ifill that aired immediately before NOW discussed every single notable presidential candidate EXCEPT Ron Paul, who was given absolutely no mention whatsoever, as if he was not even a candidate. So the airing of your show was especially timely. Hopefully we will be seeing more mention of Ron Paul, beginning with a story about today’s outstanding fundraising success (preferably by Gwen) on Newshour Monday. Ron Paul’s story is worth following, and I applaud you for being among the first (apparently) to recognize that. Poster: 1440 minutes Comment: Thank you for covering Ron Paul. However, I do have a question and a concern. How do you know that Ron Paul won't win the presidency? He just beat the all-time one-day fund-raising record that Hillary Clinton previously held. It's still early in the process. Please stop making assumptions. Poster: Diane L McCallister Comment: I just watched the NOW interview with Ron Paul. You left out a very important part of his message. You left out that he wants to use savings from excess overseas military spending to pay for transitional welfare for those who have been and still are dependent on government aid. Instead, you gave face time to a liberal academic who left the impression that a President Ron Paul would try to abruptly cut off welfare to those who are dependent on it. You must know that you were creating a false impression for the viewer. Shame on you. Poster: Matt Christensen Comment: Thanks for your wonderful report about Ron Paul's candidacy. On one hand, it is sad that the mainstream media has ignored Paul, for the most part. However, on the other hand, it has led to an incredible expression of creativity and freedom in America! Thanks, again. Poster: James Austin Comment: Excellent show on Ron Paul! You all are much more brave than the mainstream media. I am a Bill Moyers fan and I will definately be tuning into your show in the future. NOW I kNOW. James Austin Flagstaff, AZ Poster: Paul Davis Comment: I would have expected a PBS television show to produce something more informative and unbiased unlike your national counterparts. Poor form, that is all I have to say. Poster: Disappointed Comment: I expected an honest assessment of the candidate and what I watched was a subtle hit piece. You introduce Paul by adding that white supremacists support him...why? Then your lady interviewerhighlights the supremacist smear...she ignores his platform all together. What you progressive do not understand is that Ron Paul is a message of sincerity. He not only preaches his politics but actually practices. He has a message that crosses party lines and his voting records backs his message. NOW supposedly is a progressive show...but this piece was disappointing in how you try to smear Ron Paul. Media be damned...Ron Paul 08 Poster: Kenneth Biegel Comment: Thanks for the piece on Ron Paul. It was very informative and balanced. Simply, Ron Paul really does seem to speak the truth. I just hope many more people realize it and vote for him in the primaries and caucuses. Go Ron Paul! Poster: Peter Nakashian Comment: I've been following Dr. Paul's congressional career for about 6 years and am grateful he decided to run for President. It is apparent to me that his success is directly attributed to his communication and actions supporting LIBERTY. He's an elegant spokesman and it's way too early to declare that he will not win. My hope is that as more people hear his message without the media spin, they too will will stand with Dr. Paul and his supporters. The flame of freedom is impossible to extinguish. Poster: Marie Soto Comment: I would like to thank you for having Ron Paul on NOW this past Friday. He and his supporters are virtually being ignored in the media even though he has had the most grassroots support than any other candidate in a very long time. I knew that I could depend on this program to give an unbiased and fair report of his campaign. Marie Soto, San Antonio, TX Poster: Ginny Rhine Comment: We teach our children to persevere against all odds, to never give up...and yet, we ask Ron Paul why he is running for president when he is obviously not going to win. What kind of attitude is that? As Americans, we should strive to do our best and accomplish our goals, especially noble ones, regardless of the possible setbacks and challenges. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can and you never know! Poster: People Comment: Why do you think freedom will not win the presidency? Poster: Charles Daniels Comment: It was really informative. The white supremacist stuff was a little unneeded, but other than that it was good. Thanks for taking the time to cover the big story that isn't being covered. Poster: Clay Hegney Comment: Thank you for recognizing Ron Paul's campaign and reporting on it. I think the segment was informative and not biased one way or another, for or against him. As a Ron Paul supporter I appreciate news media that give him a chance to introduce himself and talk about the positions he holds. Poster: Ryan Comment: Overall, I liked the piece. I thought it was great that grassroots supporters were given so much air time. I didn't think the one-sided criticism from the Columbia professor was fair and I would've liked to here a rebuttal from someone with libertarian beliefs. Poster: Comment: Ron Paul is like a breath of fresh air in politics, too bad the GOP can't see it. Poster: Tannim Comment: Decent show. Glad to have the interview section where Dr. Paul clearly denounced the white supremacists. However, the Teachout lady was an idiot and the show could do better without her. Poster: Leanne Talley Comment: THANK YOU!!!! This is the first story about Ron Paul that was unbiased and informative. We are finally getting the attention that we are having to work so hard for. Dr. Paul did cure my apathy! Poster: Marc Pope Comment: Hi. I thought your interview was good. I didn't like so much focus on the crazy people and the fringe element. 99% of the people are just ordinary Americans. It's not that we all want everything gone from the Fed. Govt, it's that the size and control have government have just gotten out of control and it's time to return back. Privacy is for people. Secrecy is not for government. Poster: pdubya Comment: We appreciate the coverage of Dr. Paul. That said, your analysis was incomplete, sensationalized and still made an attempt at marginalizing him. How one $500 contribution by a questionable source garners more attention than the fact that he has the only plan to make whole the Social Security fund and Medicare fund in an interim period to sound money and a vibrant economy baffles me? Well, not really, I suppose I expected higher standards than that of CNN, ABC, Faux, or NBC. Will you all report his straw poll results and national caucus results? Doubtful. Poster: Paul Miller Comment: Thank you for this tremendous interview! Very well done! Poster: Jacob Wilson Comment: I just wanted to thank you for the excellent interview with Ron Paul. It was very informative and helped me to become more interested in the man and politics in general. Sincerely, Jacob Wilson Poster: Sheila Comment: Thank you for your program on Ron Paul and Internet Politics. Mainstream media is doing everything possible to ignore Ron Paul, such as saying he is low in the polls when the polls don't include his name...He has won most polls that do include his name. The party in general is treating his supporters as though they don't exist. Do a story on that bias please. Poster: Norman Comment: Hey, Nice exposition on Ron Paul. As a Canadian, i'm beginning to feel the Ron Paul Campaign FEVER! As an American, are you? Vote Ron Paul!! Poster: Shawn Dickinson Comment: Are you against Ron Paul because he wants to eliminate federal funds to PBS? You do know that the Nevada brothel owner was a plant by MSNBC's Tucker Carlson don't you? Hof is a personal friend of Carlson and Carlson invited him to see Dr. Paul speak in Reno. Then Carlson did his piece on the brothel owner supporting Dr. Paul, without mentioning his own involvement. Did you really not know this or did you know it and put it in anyway, without explaining Carlson's involvement? Then after that you interview two nobodies, who have nothing whatsoever to do with Ron Paul or his campaign, that Communist guy who says his social ideas are unrealistic, and that lady who says he can't win? The federal government has to level the playing field? What an idiot that guy was, if he thinks the government is doing anything like that. The government is run of, by, and for big corporations, not some worker's paradise in that guy's fantasy. Why not mention Dr. Paul's plan to end the federal war on drugs? What a piece of crap you produced, I wish Bill Moyers was still making the show. Poster: George Demas Comment: The thing that the political pundits miss is that Ron Paul supporters are so dedicated that upwards of 80% of them will show up to vote in the primaries. History shows 5-10% of the other candidates supporters will vote in the primaries. Why is that so important? It means Ron Paul polling at 10% in a state will beat Huckabee or Romney polling at 25%. The country is in for a big shock when they see the actual voting results--and the mainstream media will have to pay attention to Paul. Once that happens, the larger public will start hearing Ron Paul's ideas, setting the stage for him possibly to win the nomination. Poster: Rolland Comment: Wow. That was a great show. it was the first time I had watched NOW, but it certainly won't be the last. How refreshing. Poster: Kevin Comment: Nice piece on Ron Paul, but there was no reason to bring up the white supremacists. There are very few of them and it really has nothing to do with Paul's issues. You could easily find bad groups connected to any candidate but they only talk about Paul and these white supremacists. Is there even any data to back this claim up? Poster: Marc Comment: Ron Paul is not advocating getting rid of all government, just scaling it back to its constitutional levels. If a state or a city wants to impose taxes to take care of health or roads or schools, which they do already, I don't see that as such a bad thing...It just cuts out the middle bureaucracy, the Feds. The Federal government collects plenty of money to finance constitutional programs ... Courts, Military and a few other functions prescribed in the Constitution. If we want them to do more we can amend the Constitution, which is difficult, but legal rather than the way they do it now and just ignore it. Poster: Buzz Comment: It was quite obvious that your tongue-in-cheek coverage of Ron Paul had more to do with your job security than objectivity...shame on you! Poster: Greg Dotson Comment: Interesting. I’m surprised PBS follows the mainstream media by allowing the opinion “he’s not going to win” to be presented as fact. Do you know something we, the voters, don’t? This message is inappropriate coming from any media organization about any candidate. It saddens me when I’m forced to lump NOW in with shows like “The View.” Poster: M.Malloy Comment: I found it interesting that the broadcast version of this interview differs from the extended web version you released earlier. The fact that the broadcast version infers a white supremacist connection and fudging the fact that he stated that it wasn't his intent to get rid of social programs turned the interview into what smacks to me as a hit piece. PBS just lost a memnber. Poster: David Sarosi Comment: I just wanted to first say thank you for doing such a wonderful job covering the phenomena that is the Ron Paul revolution. It would have been nice to see it done without the unsubstantiated "he won't win" comments, but overall the piece was even handed and much more professionally and objectively done than the garbage one can expect from the rest of the main stream media. Thank you especially for the final comment from Lyman. People incorrectly seem to think that this campaign is about Ron Paul. That would be like saying the first American Revolution was about Thomas Jefferson or Thomas Paine. This is about ideas. That most folks think of small limited federal government with disgust only goes to show how truly far we have come from the ideals of the founding fathers. That taxation and fiat money are not recognized as the blatant mechanisms of the theft that they are only further supports the evidence. None of Ron Paul's ideas are new. They were the foundation thoughts and ideas of this country for at least its first 30 years. We wonder how our country got so messed up, yet we ignore how far our country has come from its greatness. We can't imagine how the unfortunate will survive while we turn our backs on the needy and vote for someone who will steal from our neighbor to hire a bureaucrat to help the needy. There was a time when family, church, and society were our nation's safety net. Now we blindly worship at the altar of the federal government and give up our freedoms so that they can do what we no longer wish to do. This movement is bigger than the candidate and the rest of America who sits around in front of its collective big screen TV thinking things are OK, better get ready for the change the rest of us are bringing forward. The revolution WON'T be televised, so you won't understand how it happened. Poster: Sojourner Comment: I wonder why NOW bothered to include the comments of that one alleged politics guru concerning a federal safety net for those less fortunate. NOW didn't bother to inform the viewer that he was giving misinformation when he said, in so many words, that Ron Paul was against any form of public safety net. Dr. Paul has never been against such a thing. He only says it should be in line with the Constitution and such provisions decided upon and met by the States and/or the people and NOT the feds. Such affective power as control of health care and the like should be regulated by the vote of the people where the people would have more control over it and not some distant bureaucracy. Paul has nothing against LOCAL safety nets. Soj Poster: Dave Comment: I wanted Perot. I would like to have Paul. I'd love to have them both. Poster: Al Low Comment: I voted and supported Ron Paul since 1976 and ever since. I married in 1996 moved to Arizona amazingly my wife's ex-mother inlaw would distribute Ron Paul literature to everyone she met. It was the only subject that my wife and her ex-mother-in-law ever agreed on. Go Ron Paul we love you..... Poster: Matt Whitlock Comment: Thank you so much for giving Ron Paul a fair review. Two points I would make clear, though: 1) Ron Paul does not want to eliminate the federal government entirely, and 2) Ron Paul is neither a white supremacist nor a racist, and you only have to look at his voting record to see that he always votes for equal rights for all individuals, not special rights for certain groups. Poster: Jeremy Ervin Comment: Three cheers for RON PAUL!!! Finally, a politician who is more interested in America and committed to the Constitution than himself! How refreshing it is to hear a voice of reason in the chaos of modern political discourse. This man speaks like one of the nation's founders. The only reason why Ron Paul's ideas sound outlandish to some people is that we've been subjected to so many years of truly outlandish policies from Washington to that point that actual lawful, Constitutional ideologies seem foreign to us by comparison. The fact is that Ron Paul is the ONLY candidate who is willing to go right to the heart of the corruption and say enough is enough. As he suggests, not only do we need to eliminate many government programs to be fiscally and morally responsible, we must eliminate entire departments at the federal level including Homeland Security, Education, and the IRS! Poster: Jane Comment: i just wanted to thank you for having the (only deserving candidate) Ron Paul on. I have always been a registered Democrat, until Ron Paul. Please air the second half of interview. Not everyone has access to the Internet. Thank you. Poster: Cathy Comment: I appreciated the piece you did on Ron Paul and his campaign. I agree with him that limited government does work. I am an adult and I don't need or want another mommy and daddy. I want to be free. I am an American. Poster: Tim Comment: Great piece on Dr. Paul. One of the fairest I've seen. Thank you NOW. I'm sure your presentation will open more eyes and ears and bring more supporters to his message. For those viewers seeing Dr. Paul for the first time, man, do I envy you!! As you investigate further, you'll get the same rush as when going down the first hill on a new rollercoaster, only it's not adrenaline that you feel.....it's patriotism. Enjoy the ride. I am. |
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