Regarding the candidacy of Ron Paul, several media misrepresentations are discussed. by Fearless Citizen
(libertarian)
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Iowa Caucus is finally in the books. My favorite, Ron Paul, came in 3rd with 21.4% of the vote. It truly is a win for Ron Paul as he will likely get the same number of delegates when the time comes for the Iowa GOP to settle the delegate count. However, one must wonder if Ron Paul would have taken 1st if the media had not opened up the floodgates of negative interviews and misrepresentation of Ron Paul's positions. Would he have taken 1st? Maybe, just maybe.
Let's examine the common memes percolating through the mainstream media and many talk radio venues.
"The Newsletters"
The mainstream media never fully investigated this issue. There was always the ever present negative spin with the false implication that Ron Paul wrote the incindiary remarks. In every recent interview, Ron Paul denied writing them and disavowed them. He has also taken responsibility for those things going out under his name. Yet, the media has continued the badgering without fully investigating the issue nor have they put it in full context. What the mainstream media has not done is show the full scope by looking at how many issues contained suspect remarks, and when the suspect newsletter editions were published. The mainstream media did not review the "spoken" record of Ron Paul over the same time period that the questioned newsletters were written. If this is done, there likely is overwhelming evidence that Ron Paul was NOT the person who wrote those words, and it is not in his character to do so. The behavior of the mainstream media, in my opinion, was irresponsible at a minimum, bordering on unethical. Outside of the mainstream media, there was one recent report by Ben Swann of FOX19 in his "Reality Check" segment. This report can be seen at: Newsletter Report - Ben Swann - FOX19. This situation with the newsletters, in my personal opinion, reduced Ron Paul's votes in the Iowa Caucus when it should have been a closed issue prior to the voting.
"He Wants to Legalize Drugs"
This is not true. It has never been his position. Ron Paul approaches this issue from the point of view provided by the Constitution. Firstly, the power to federally regulate drug usage is never explicitly stated in Article 1 Section 8 (powers of the legislative branch). Secondly, the power is handed to the States per the 10th Amendment: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." As you can imagine, most states will have laws making dangerous drugs illegal. Ron Paul would not be against the States making that decision.
Ron Paul does not believe that people should use dangerous drugs nor does he promote it. His position is simple, the Federal government has no authority to regulate drugs, the States do.
"He is Weak on Foreign Policy"
Again, this is a misrepresentation. Ron Paul has clearly stated on multiple occasions that if Congress deems another nation a threat to national security and if Congress formally declares war, he would go to war, win it quickly, and then come home. Ron Paul does not believe in nation-building. Ron Paul's position does not fit the definition of "isolationism". From the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary:
Isolationism: a policy of national isolation by abstention from alliances and other international political and economic relations
Paul wants to actively engage in diplomatic efforts with the goal of peaceful relations. Paul wants to have free and open trade with other nations. He wants a "cautious" approach to foreign policy that doesn't involve the caveman-like knee-jerk approach of violence. He believes that a non-aggressive approach is better and will result in an enhanced level of peace.
You will also commonly see the media saying that he is "anti-Israel". This couldn't be further from the truth. Ron Paul wants to support Israel in a different way, by allowing them to do as they please to defend themselves without influence from the United States government. He believes in the sovereignty of Israel. In 1981, Israel decided to bomb the nuclear sites being developed by Iraq but the United States government condemned this action. However, Ron Paul did not agree with the condemnation as he believed that Israel had the right to decide on it's own. In light of recent developments with Iran, if Israel decides to bomb Iran, that is their right to do so. That is what Ron Paul believes.
"He is Unelectable"
This is a myth. It is something you hear over and over again in the mainstream media and on many "conservative" radio talk shows. If you look at the polls where Ron Paul is compared to Barack Obama, Paul is closer to beating Obama than all of the other candidates except Mitt Romney. There is a nice summary at the Real Clear Politics website showing individual polls and averages: RCP: Obama vs. Republican Field.
A deeper dive into the polls results shows that Ron Paul does very will with Independents and even pulls over some Democrats. Isn't it the goal of the GOP to expand it's voter base? It makes complete sense that it is important to have a message that is attractive to Independents and even some other political parties. How can the GOP reasonably expect to beat Obama if the candidate hold values and uphold policies that will likely be rejected by Independents?
On a recent Fox News broadcast, Dick Morris, a frequent Fox News commentator, openly lied about the poll results in an attempt to sway public opinion about Ron Paul's electability. Here is a link to the video: Dick Morris Boldly Lies On FOX News About Ron Paul VS Obama Poll Numbers. Compare that to the RCP values.
Humbly, I ask all voters to give Ron Paul a chance. Be objective about his policy positions and always search for the truth. I personally believe that what the media has done to Ron Paul is un-American and un-Patriotic with the constant misrepresentation of his policies. I believe that we need a President that will follow the Constitution and will do what he has promised to do. Should we expect anything less?
Further information regarding issues that are often misrepresented can be found at: www.ronpaulmyths.com. In my opinion, it is a worthwhile exercise to visit this site and spend some time reading.
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