Ron Paul Begins Iowa Barnstorm With Packed Rally

DES MOINES – Ron Paul organizers took down a wall in their Marriott Ballroom Monday to accommodate an overflowing crowd of supporters on the eve of the Iowa caucus. The new super-sized room was filled wall to wall with Paul enthusiasts, media elite and political tourists from out of state, as the Texas libertarian sits within reach of a victory tomorrow.

Introduced by his son Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Paul ran through his platform of individual liberty, withdrawal from Afghanistan and reform of the Federal Reserve system.

Celebrities and media were on hand including Time's Mark Halperin and Joe Klein, Fox News' Bret Baier and Carl Cameron, New York Times columnist David Brooks and ABC's Terry Moran.

Paul, perhaps sensing victory, slightly moderated a stump speech line that generally gets the loudest applause: His insistence that the Fed should not just be audited, but ended entirely, guilty as it is of creating bubbles and distortions in an economy he says would run more smoothly without central bank interference.

"Not only do we want to audit the Fed, we want to," Paul told the crowd, hesitating slightly, before finishing, "make sure that we have something much better than the current Federal Reserve System" The implication was the same, if the rhetoric was toned down.

Paul’s first and loudest applause line, rather, came in response to his call for an end to the war in Afghanistan. Paul is counting on the type of enthusiasm evident here to catapult him to victory.

But unlike a typical campaign, the crowd here was not assaulted by hordes of campaign volunteers collecting emails, phone numbers and addresses to make sure that those who showed up here will also show up tomorrow night. Partly, the hands off approach is a reflection of Paul's focus on personal responsibility and individualism; the campaign wants supporters to self-organize. But it's also an expression of the confidence Paul has that his backers are energetic and committed enough to find their way to their precinct without his help.

That’s certainly the case for Mike and Becky Wachtel, 57 and 55, who both "held our noses and voted for [John] McCain" in 2008, in Mike's words. Mike has seen Paul 10 times, Becky nine. "Ron has enlightened us about a lot liberties we’ve lost," Mike said, naming a bill President Barack Obama signed New Years Eve that will allow the military to detain American citizens indefinitely.

Comments

[jennifercatherine83]

12:20 PM on 01/03/2012

is ron paul nothing more than a "good protest vote"?
http://littlebiggy.org/3634467

[Bobby Conch]

10:22 AM on 01/03/2012

Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness

Dr. Ron Paul

Or

More of the To BIG TO FAIL

[Bschou]

10:42 AM on 01/03/2012

F&F.
What the elite fear are an enlightened citizenry who understand liberty

[Siftingchaff]

09:37 AM on 01/03/2012

Looking back over the last two administrations, Bush & Obama, there really doesn't seem to be much difference between them in terms of either foreign or domestic policies. And certainly neither of them really stuck to their campaign promises - but I'm figuring Americans are used to candidates saying anything to get the vote. US voters are savvy enough to recognize the propaganda. Which may be why the phrases "lesser of two evils" and "hold my nose" have become election memes.

The final choice is theoretically ours. Do we vote for
*Our tax dollars helping to support our seniors and veterans or Pakistan?
*Continued wars using nuclear payload in the form of depleted uranium or bringing troops home to defend our borders?
*Further police state efforts such as Patriot Act, Indefinite detainment, SOPA and US citizens being held without charge or trial or a repeal of these laws?

I understand people being concerned with such things as abortion and public health care. But how exactly can we afford any social programs to benefit our citizens when we're trillions in debt to benefit other nations?

Persistent wars and foreign aid are luxury items the American budget can no longer afford. We could tax the wealthy into poverty and still not make ends meet. Then what?

[sactoman2005]

11:34 AM on 01/03/2012

Romney, heres a stock tip: vote Ron Paul and then short sell tazer and pepper spray companies. We won't need them nearly as much with Ron Pauls policies

[Mike Dar]

06:55 AM on 01/03/2012

Clear Channel Communications which is owned by Bain capitol(Romneys company) shared with Thomas H. Lee Partners. They have 100 Fox Station under Contract..Fox+Bain own 1/2 the Media. Both buyout leverage co.s(combined 100 bill assets) We remember Refco? How about MF Global?
Thomas H. Lee Partners ownes MF global. Remember the hard drives removed from Romneys Governotorial computers?
People better come to understanding that the Dec 14th meeting in New York this year with the Primary dealers JPMorgan, Blackrock ect was when Romney got final approval from the Federal Reserve for the Presidency. Wall Street is going to get a pass on ever being held responsible for it's action, past present or future. Like Greece or Italy and other countrys Bankers now directly run the Govt. There is no Democracy in a Banker run social order. Leverage is what got the world to where it is at, and The Federal Reserve will blow out the dollar to help the Banks all over the World.
And Romney will be saying 'everything is fine' as our ship goes down. Sad thing is his greed and hunger for power will not allow him to see, he is just another Jon S. Corzine, another ex Govenor, 'Ex Banker-Private equity'
who will be taken to the woodshed by the Bankers. Like Obama or Corizone, Romney thinks you can swim the Sharks. America is about to sleep with the fishes

[thrashertm]

12:47 AM on 01/03/2012

Progressives should support Ron Paul if they care about ending the wars, stopping the continued bailouts for the rich bankers, stopping the civil liberties abuses (Patriot Act) and ending the federal drug war (hurts minorities). Ron Paul as president could have a unilateral impact on these issues, while he would not be able to enact his domestic economic/fiscal agenda without a super majority in the Senate (not likely any time soon). He's also on the record in saying that the money being spent overseas should be used to tide over those dependent on our entitlement programs; he's the only one talking to us like adults.

[Bschou]

09:27 AM on 01/03/2012

F&F. Fantastic post!

"he's the only one talking to us like adults. "
Absolutely true. Here is Ron Paul telling the unadulterated truth about our absurd foreign policy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y6An3X9jic
Fox CENSORED this video and CUT IT from all reruns of the debate

[SeanBell]

11:52 PM on 01/02/2012

The press is still seeing this fight as Left vs Right, and the politicians still think this is a Demomcrats vs Republicans contest. The problem is that with 10 years of war and the nastiness that goes with it-- Patriot Act, NDAA 2012, TSA, SOPA, 4.5T wasted on 2 wars and 15T (100% GDP) in debt, and the Feds tit shoved so far down Wall Streets throat that the economy risks choking on it, we the people are waking up to the fact that it is actually Us vs The State.

Ron Paul is positioned well to go all the way in this election cycle-- support in all 50 states, a well-run political machine, a HUGE soapbox in the internet, and an as yet bottomless campaign fund. His most important strength though, is the ability to destroy party lines. The only polls that Romney leads in are all, or at least almost all, Republican voters. Among Independents and Democrats he beats all comers by a large margin. Whether the GOP kicks Ron Paul to the Americans Elect ticket (online voting-- Paul Utopia), the Libertarian ticket, or keeps him at home in the GOP, will decide if the GOP is to become a much larger, and younger party, or gets broken in half in 2012.

[Bschou]

09:32 AM on 01/03/2012

F&F
Very informative with fantastic political analysis
I think Paul is very unique because he has a lot that appeals to both traditional conservatives and liberals as well.
It's sad to see the media focus on horse race politics while Washington gears up for a war against Iran and plans to indefinitely detain American citizens(They've already killed two American citizens with drone strikes. Throwing people in prison is nothing to these power hungry madmen)

[sactoman2005]

10:50 PM on 01/02/2012

So many people are having a hard time getting thier head around it, because it is depressing and the press doesnt cover it. It is concentration of wealth and power. It has been around a long time, grows exponentially like a snowball, and really got Rolling a hundred years ago with the establishment of the federal reserve and an illegal unconstitutional income tax to pay for the phony debt to pay for money that isn't based on anything...and so it continues....at our great expense....if we let it.

[gaoxiaen]

10:39 PM on 01/02/2012

Read New York times about this- Everybody who turned up was able to get into the Ron Paul event (In a large ballroom in which they had to remove a wall to enlarge) but "scores" (40?) were not able to get into a Rick Santorum event (in a small cafe) because it was half full of presstitutes. So the NYT pushes Santorum's surge. They make it sound like Santorum's winning. What a joke.
http://loyalopposition.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/ron-paul-sounds-good-at-first-but-then-gets-pretty-scary/

[sactoman2005]

10:32 PM on 01/02/2012

I like Beyonce's singing and she was great in the Chipminks, but I do not trust her take on geopolitics or macroeconomics. I prefer to trust the opinion of those who have been right for many years about our problems, those experts that don't have a lot of skin in the crooked game. I mistakenly voted for Obama too (because of his empty promises), but he isn't working out....he is not on your side...let it go. Mitt Romney is the same guy, but in a different suit, and Newt is just outright corrupt....the rest are a car full of clowns....Peace and love to you and do what you wish, but don't say you weren't warned when your children are destitute and can't complain for fear of it being against the corporate/bankster agenda to have complainers....maybe Oprah, Chris Matthews, Leslie Stahl or Bill O'Reilly will have a good book-of the-month club idea for that problem?

[celebs4truth]

10:02 PM on 01/02/2012

Ron Paul leads the latest PPP poll! http://www.examiner.com/conspiracy-in-denver/ron-paul-leads-latest-ppp-poll

[sactoman2005]

09:49 PM on 01/02/2012

Ps - I forgot to mention that we are not really out of iraq...we still have he largest embassy ever built and 17,000 private soldiers making twice what a regular soldier makes.
And what about Afganistan and the war they are frothing at the mouth for in Iran ....it is never ending if you let it be...

[sactoman2005]

09:41 PM on 01/02/2012

Obama rules by ceremony, nothing more. It isn't your fault, you just didn't know....and the propoganda machine is very good at what they do....but you have no excuse now. spread the word.

[sactoman2005]

09:38 PM on 01/02/2012

RE Obama....

in a speech in iowa 2008 obama said:

he would fight for affordable health care...... check (So, affordable is people who can't pay for their own paying for everyone else's health care through taxes? Where is the real promise....public option? I don't know, but I do know my care is thousands more per year than 3 years ago..How about we don't spend half our check in taxes and we can afford insurance...?)
he said he would fight to lower taxes for middle class..... .check (keep believing that one....you cant lower taxes by taking on more debt, promoting war and creating more giant federal spending programs...it is impossible....they are opposites Also printing money from the federal reserve is a hidden tax that has been and will continue to hit us all....it is called inflation or dilution of your money value)
he said he would get us out of iraq...... .check (3 years and  several trillions later, too little too late)

during the debtat with mccain 
he was asked if bin laden was in a sovereing nation like pakistan would he go in, mccain said no, obama said yes....... .....check (Navy seals got Osama, not Obama and right where Ron Paul dais years before he would be)

Check Mate ....got any more...

[jonmag]

09:15 PM on 01/02/2012

wish obama did not sign NDAA...because right now it seems to be Ron paul supporters ONLY talking point :)

[sactoman2005]

10:00 PM on 01/02/2012

Right...the only thing...Oh wait there's economy, war, corporatism,'the list goes on.....I do my research and I pay attention, I wish I could be mindless and think all is ok, but logic and attention says it is not....go back to getting your political opinions from beyonce and Oprah...nothing against beyonce

[thrashertm]

12:47 AM on 01/03/2012

I wish NDAA was the only problem with Obama. Unfortunately he's a complete corporatist tool =(

[PurpleTomato]

09:11 PM on 01/02/2012

Ron Paul opposes the President's health care plan,which means Ron Paul would allow insurance companies to deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.

[lakristinita]

01:07 AM on 01/03/2012

wow that is a strange remark,, so if you use electricity to heat your house, you then obviously are for the nuclear power and that means you want to poison everyone,, STRANGE,, so he wants to fix the health care so that kids can have good health care, it does not have to do with him denying kids with pre-existing conditions, and have you looked at why they have these conditions,, thanks to Monsanto, Areva,GE and tons of other corporations that are killing our kids with their poisons, and they are given permission from Obama and Bush and Clinton, all of them dont care and either do we if we are the ones that keep paying them to kill our kids,, so it is time to start taking personal responsibility and stop paying to have our kids poisoned so then we can complain later that they are not covered by criminals to make them even sicker. You topic is so strange to me,, doctors are good if your in an accident but they are not good for your health,, kids could be healed from their illnesses if the FDA would let them. Cannabis cures cancer, and so does non gmo fresh food. So lets get real about the kids your trying to use to trick people. Look in the mirror and look at how you live your life, stop spreading poison and lies

[PurpleTomato]

02:35 AM on 01/03/2012

Did you know that Dr.Paul opposes federal regulations
that protect our air,water and food?

[PurpleTomato]

02:21 AM on 01/03/2012

Prior to the President's new health care law,insurance companies could refuse to provide insurance to children with pre-existing conditions or if they were covered they could drop them on a whim to protect company profits.The new law protects these children.Ron Paul has said he would repeal the President's health care law.I find that to be unacceptable.

[Bschou]

09:52 AM on 01/03/2012

I understand your concern
The bigger question should federal government run healthcare at all?

Paul's issue and my main issue with Obamacare are the individual mandates which fine people for not purchasing health insurance. That's a pretty heavyhanded approach to FINE people for not purchasing a CORPORATIONS PRODUCT.

I think a large portion of our problem is our system based on healthcare and employment After World War 2 corporations needed to attract workers with healthcare in a tight labor market. CORPORATIONS could deduct health insurance premiums from their income tax but INDIVIDUALS could not. That's why employment got mixed up with health insurance in the first place
This leads to the sick, twisted, and senseless system where losing one's job meant losing one's health insurance.
This eventually ballooned into the health insurance fiasco we have today.

I'm not sure if repealing Obamacare is the right thing to do. But the INDIVIDUAL mandates which FORCE people to buy a corporations insurance plan or BE FINED should be absolutely removed from Obamacare and I am with Paul 100% on that. It is absolutely IMMORAL to have government fining people for not buying a corporations product.