Ron Paul: Live by the Internet, Die by the Internet

So Ron Paul made the bigtime today: a feature in the New York Times. What about? Those little newsletters that came out in his name a couple of decades back. You know, the ones that (among other things) predicted an upcoming race war and "contain[ed] bigotry against black, Jews, and gays and an obsession with conspiracies."

Perhaps the only surprise is that it took this long for the big guys to notice: plenty of people have known about the more controversial parts of the Paul oeuvre forever (Dave Weigel notes that he wrote about the newsletters four years ago). But the interesting part from an online politics point of view is that this is a classic example of the Internet's double-edged nature.

Paul's message has long resonated on the Internet, and in the 2008 cycle his supporters were everywhere online, even helping him top all other Republicans in fundraising in the last quarter of '07. This time around, he's running perhaps a more balanced campaign, with a strong grassroots structure married to social media buzz (tops on Twitter!) and a digital fundraising machine that's paying for a wave of television ads. Online/offline integration indeed!

But if you live by the 'net, you can die by it, too: the Internet gives old, old documents a new shot at prominence, including those newsletters apparently aimed at winning at least a few of the white supremacist crowd over to the Libertarian creed. Just as Romney's flip-flops are lovingly preserved on video on sites like WhichMitt.com, the words that went out in Paul's name in the early 90's can spread infinitely farther in digital form than they did on paper, and in the process potentially convince a lot of people who might have given an iconoclastic candidate like him a chance to stay the hell away instead. Consistency is Paul's main virtue, and a rare one in a politician. But consistency with these words? Political doom -- and rightly so.

Thanks to long-time friend and Epolitics.com reader Burt Edwards for suggesting that a Ron Paul piece would be a good idea right about now.

– cpd

Originally published on Epolitics.com on December 26, 2011

 

 

 

Follow Colin Delany on Twitter: www.twitter.com/epolitics

Comments

[Nikhil Hogan]

06:02 PM on 12/29/2011

Well he didn't write them and they have nothing to do with him.

If anything, he's guilty of negligence, and as a supporter i can forgive him for that. No one's flawless (although for a politician, he's pretty damn close).

[spyker1]

06:17 PM on 12/27/2011

Elect Ron Paul in 2012

[Backtothepeople]

01:37 PM on 12/27/2011

Look they are starting to control the comments, because they can't win legitimately!

[gus1976]

01:36 PM on 12/27/2011

I think you all neglected to actually read this piece. It's just an observation that the same internet that helped Paul's campaign get to the point where major media will cover him is the same internet that can give the media fuel to scrutinize him. As much as you want it to be this isn't an anti-Ron Paul piece. Sometimes the world is not out to get you.

[kape8]

02:23 PM on 12/27/2011

"...and in the process potentially convince a lot of people who might have given an iconoclastic candidate like him a chance to stay the hell away instead. Consistency is Paul's main virtue, and a rare one in a politician. But consistency with these words? Political doom -- and rightly so." From the article above.
How can you possily say that this is an unbiased piece? Paul is called an iconoclastic candidate and the letters may convince people to stay "the hell" away. These are not unbiased words. They are clearly marginalizing Paul's candidacy.

[JoePenn]

08:48 AM on 12/31/2011

The lambasting is taking place over and over again (for the last 20 years) in TV and print media. The internet as a negative force, in this case, isn't needed - the pundits have been covering it pretty well --- following their masters' desires.

[SalePending]

01:09 PM on 12/27/2011

Go Paul!

[crossini]

01:03 PM on 12/27/2011

The only thing is...Ron Paul is not dying by the net at all...they've actually helped his poll numbers nationally!

These newsletters may make headlines, but are not affecting polling. And Ron Paul is still a favorite of African Americans, especially since he wants to pardon non-violent drug criminals who are needlessly sitting in a cage.

[sbobb]

01:01 PM on 12/27/2011

Your opinion. Ron has always employed minorities, and even given free medical care to minorities when he was practicing OB/GYN. His spokesman is black.

Ron Paul is taking the lead on many important subjects, and taking the lead in polls, so the establishment is desperate to smear the ethical man. Consider:

1)Ron Paul scored higher in polls with minorities than any other Republican candidate.
2) When asked in 2007 who he might pick as a running mate, he named one guy, Walter Williams, a black man as a strong possibility. Walter also refers to Paul as a friend and said of Paul he’s one of 3 people the founders would even talk to.
3) "Austin NAACP President Nelson Linder, who has known Ron Paul for 20 years, unequivocally dismissed charges that the Congressman was a racist in light of recent smear attempts, and said the reason for him being attacked was that he was a threat to the establishment."

[vermoce]

12:58 PM on 12/27/2011

Ron Paul wants us all to have freedom. He is against the crony capitalism. He is for getting the government closer to the people so we can hold it accountable. He is for bringing peace. He is for sound money. Ron Paul is hope for America.

[JackOfAllTech]

02:12 PM on 12/27/2011

Ron Paul does not believe in freedom for all. He believes that any state should be able to force people to live the way the majority wants them to if it can be justified as morally correct. Just look at his stances on Lawrence v. Texas and Roe v. Wade. I'd love to hear what he thinks of Roe v. Wade.

[vermoce]

03:44 PM on 12/27/2011

There's no perfect government but a government closest to the people is the one closest to consensus. Paul wants the moral laws made by the state legislatures. The people can vote them out easier than they can get rid of the US Supreme Court.

[Ben Doverheeritcomes]

12:58 PM on 12/27/2011

Nice try. The funny thing is that we won't change our minds. We'll vote for Ron and no other. You're clapping with one hand.

[Tyler Brennan]

12:48 PM on 12/27/2011

It's funny that the biggest thing "large media" has against Doctor Paul are words that can't even 100% be pinned to him. In fact, they don't stick at all. He's admitted that he was not a very good publisher at the time, as his primary focus was his medical practice (yes, he was one of the few Congressman who didn't rely on USG salary, and continued a private business while in and in-between office), and that he let these newsletters slip out without even knowing about it until years later. When he found out, he disavowed them.

If you want to try a successful "slander" piece, try using video or words that he's actually said. Oh, wait, what? You can't find any? Hm. That's what we all thought.

[kape8]

12:45 PM on 12/27/2011

The most telling part abot this piece is the "thank you" at the end. It clarifies the media's concerted efforts at smearing Ron Paul. They tried to call him "unelectable" but he gained ground. They tried to call his foreign policy "naive" but he gained ground. Now, they will saturate the news with his one mistake. He has disavowed the letters, did not write the letters and he has admitted fault in not paying more attention to something going out under his name. Hopefully Americans will clearly see that this man is not racist. He consistently stands firm on individual liberty for all!

[Sylvia25]

12:34 PM on 12/27/2011

"Perhaps the only surprise is that it took this long for the big guys to notice." It's no surprise at all! The "big guys" happened to "notice" this in the last Presidential election too, remember? Right before the primaries, remember? Strange timing, huh? Funny, the things the "big guys" just happen to notice...and when they choose to notice them. Luckily, at this point, I think the "little guys" are starting to notice the patterns of the "big guys" and can see propaganda for what it is. The media is DESPERATELY trying to harpoon Ron Paul. It's completely obvious. It isn't going to work this time.

[Ron Dearborn]

12:31 PM on 12/27/2011

Ron Paul or God help us all!!!!!!

[baughshreddz]

12:27 PM on 12/27/2011

Your own argument can be used against you here. Ron Paul is unwaveringly consistent. And if you have ever heard him speak on the drug war or foreign policy or individual lliberties now or in the past 30 years you would know that he is not racist or antisemetic. Paul has already admitted negligence in allowing the articles to be printed. Are the newsletters a politcal gaffe. Most certaintly. But to say he should have known everything that has been written under his name is ridiculous. Do you really think Obama, Romney, or any other high profile political figure writes or reads everything written under his name?

[wliberty]

12:27 PM on 12/27/2011

Ron Paul is a humanitarian in the sea of political lobbyist and corruption which undermine the American people. Look at not only his voting, and record while in Congress, but take a snapshot of his entire life. As young boy growing up on a far, learning what hard work and savings really meant. Then a humanitarian choosing to not dodge the draft like Gingrich, but instead joining the Airforce to become a Flight Surgeon, and later a humanitarian becoming an OBGYN Doctor delivering babies.. multitudes of them. This man cares for life, as a humanitarian took his fight to congress and challenged the de-linking of the Gold standard, by history knowing that empires have consistently come to an end once the monetary policy of that empire was based on a fiat standard.. Paul, once again as a humanitarian sought to protect that very same thing which the Founders of this great nation sought also to protect, your life, your liberty, natural law rights which would ensure a freedom to obtain prosperity. Not only does Paul have a sound understanding of history, and where we have come from, he has endorsed the continued education in economic philosophy (Austrian Economics), he is very aware of the history of foreign nations (read: The Foreign Policy of Freedom) and again as a humanitarian seeks the protection of rights for all citizens of the whole world, which more so than any other candidate is known and supported by people around the world.