The Trail: A Daily Diary of Campaign 2008

Go Ron Paul! Also, if you agree with Ron Paul please sign the petition to Abolish the Federal Reserve.

Now in August 2007, the world financial systems and investment markets, real estate and the availability of credit are all under direct assault due to past actions of the Federal Reserve in the United States.

Read and sign the Ron Paul Is Right - Abolish the Federal Reserve Petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/fed/petition.html

Please link to the petition and forward this message to your friends and help the general public wake up during the current financial panic conditions to the problems we face from the Federal Reserve and Ron Paul's solution.

Also read comments from hundreds of signers who aren't shy in saying what they think of the FED.

Thanks,
Ron Holland, is author of on the new online book, The Swiss Preserve Solution at http://www.swissconfederationinstitute.org/swisspreserve10.htm and he lives at Wolf Laurel Resort in NC.

Diebold Voter Fraud LOOK OUT @_@

Ron Paul > C.F.R SCUM

Diebold Voter Fraud LOOK OUT @_@

Ron Paul > C.F.R SCUM

My husband & I drove from MD to beautiful Des Moines & Ames Iowa to join Iowan Ron Paul volunteers and others from nationwide to help & support Ron Paul in the straw poll.

Iowa is a beautiful state, the people are genuine, friendly, and some of the nicest people we've met nationwide. I/we enjoyed talking with as many people as possible in the few days we were there and by the end of the day on Saturday, countless people told me both directly and I over heard many more comments walking through the crowds how much they liked the Ron Paul message.

Ron Paul's message was overwhelmingly recieved by the people of Iowa, just as he is by the majority of all who hear him.

The people of Iowa are very intelligent, when they see & hear the silence surrounding Ron Paul after hearing the resounding messages he delivered to them on Saturday and througout his events in Iowa, they will clearly understand the media is not reporting what's really going on.

Iowan's and people nationwide are coming to realize the media's obvious attempts to down play Ron Paul's effect and the Ames Straw Poll is one of the most telling of these facts.

Thousands of people in Iowa liked what they heard and main stream media glazed over top that fact, all these thousands, tens of thousands, were there, talking with their neighbors state wide about the phenomenom of Ron Paul. The media is now simply showing their true colors, and they aren't red, white & blue.

Signed, a long time Republican, only one of many real people & Republican's for Ron Paul for President 2008.

There is only one real test: What happens at the nomination? Everything beforehand just gives the press excuses to "diss" him. The word of the day when it comes to Ron Paul is:

"You can 'diss' him - but you can never dismiss him."

He has been dismissed many times in his congressional district, but he always comes back with huge 60-plus percent majority vote returns.

Alex Wallenwein
Houston 4 Ron Paul 2008 Meetup (Google It!)

Illinois is also holding a Republican straw poll on August 16 at the state fair in Springfield. All eligible Illinois voters are allowed to participate and there is no fee. All eligible Illinois voters must present an Illinois Driver's License or State photo ID card to participate. I encourage all Ron Paul supporters in Illinois to go to the fair and vote!

Source: http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/07/sweet_blog_scoop_illinois_gop_1.html

The Texas straw poll is September 1. I encourage all Ron Paul supporters to help out with this poll.

Here are the results for the Iowa straw poll:

Mitt Romney: 4,516 / 31.5%

Mike Huckabee: 2,587 / 18.1%

Sam Brownback: 2,192 / 15.3%

Tom Tancredo: 1,961 / 13.7%

Ron Paul: 1,305 / 9.1%

Tommy Thompson: 1,039 / 7.3%

Fred Thompson: 203 / 1.4%

Rudy Giuliani: 183 / 1.3%

Duncan Hunter: 174 / 1.2%

John McCain: 101 / 1.0%

John Cox: 41 / .1%

14,302 Total Votes

26,000 Total Tickets Sold

Source: Cyclone Conservatives

Visit my site, http://www.thirdpartynews.net for all the latest Ron Paul 2008 news & American third party politics news & information.

I was in Iowa.

What I saw was the Ron Paul Revolution !

Frankly...it was AMAZING!

I saw people from all sides of politics joining together.

I also saw Ron Paul people in Iowa from ALL OVER THE USA.

NO OTHER PRESIDENTIAL WANNA-BE HAD THIS TYPE OF FOLLOWING. YET THE MEDIA WILL NOT REPORT THIS STORY.

People are absolutely excited about this man and politics again; Ron Paul and his following are more than thunderously ELECTRIC. Go to You tube and see Ron Paul Straw Poll results for yourself.

COME TO THE ILLINOIS STRAW POLL SPRINGFEILD ILLINOIS 8-16-2007
Look at ronpaul meetups

I'll see you theere !

One important point that was pointed to me by a friend and it seems not emphasized in comments I have seem is the fact that Ron Paul had much more vote than Giuliani, F Thompson and McCain, "The MSM Front runners". They are hiding behind the fact that they were not physically in Iowa.

The fact is, unlike with Ron Paul, everybody with any interest in politics knows them and their policy, specially Republicans. Therefore, whoever is supporting them would certainly have voted for them independent of their physical presence. No one would vote to someone else just because their candidate was not physically present there.

Another possible argument would be their, Giuliani, McCain, F Thompson, supporters chose not to show up because their candidate was not coming. This argument doesn't hold much weight, because the hardcore supporters would want to come and vote for them anyway, and their popularity is supposed to be so overwhelming that even the "typical" republican activists should have wanted to vote for them whether or not candidates showed up. Remember that the vote is for who you want for president, not who of the candidates "currently present in the poll" that you want for president.

The sad fact is that the reason Giuliani and McCain have any support at all is that they are CONSTANTLY being mentioned by the media as the front runners. Thus when you conduct a random phone poll, people who
are not particularly active in politics know their names and don't know anyone else's. But every poll, which people self-select based on their interest in the outcome, from Internet to text-message to straw poll they, Giuliani, McCain, F Thompson, come in dead last relative to R Paul. Basically, the more one knows about them the less attractive they are to the most people.

Furthermore, even if you buy the argument of being there, Iowa, to be known to get vote, the numbers show that Ron Paul spent less number of events in Iowa, 17 events,
than McCain, 26 events, and Giuliani, 26 events. F Thompson is 0. (source: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/tracker/candidates/)

Their, Giuliani, McCain, Thompson, campaign should have had the prediction about Iowa Straw Poll based on some study and that is the real reason, why they were not there. Otherwise, they could not have the excuse of their low numbers and would be very damaging to their campaign.

As a collateral, this shows how Ron Paul support is strong and growing. It was
much higher than Giuliani, McCain and F Thompson, the "front runners". 7x Giuliani, 6.4x Thompson and 13x McCain.

We should Congratulate how Ron Paul did much better than "The Front Runners".

creampuff look at what u just said andthink about it ron paul supports america c mon

Most of those are real weak Bills. Mainly, they allow more drug addicts and terrorists to be in the country.

Allow medicinal marijuana, uh huh. Promote drug use, definitely. - Doing away with funding the Drug Czar Office, not wanting to fund the anti-drug war program with grants, and not spraying the fields of Columbia. Also, allowing States to decide whether to make laws for medicinal marijuana use.

Keep from knowing when radical islamists or other terror groups are planning to destroy the U.S. - Vote Against the Patriot Act and opposing the War in Iraq.

Most of those Bills he sponsored and co-sponsored don't do anything of real substance for the American people. So, all that list basically shows he's more for drug addicts and supports terrorism.

Way to go Ron Paul. Thanks for being willing to give OUR Country over to the ILLEGALS, Dope-fiends, and Terrorists. That's the loyalty Americans need from a President, none-what-so-ever.

why not ron paul he is the only candadite bringing something different to the table im sick and tired of hearing the main stream medias candadits ron paul endorsed the best president that this country has seen in recent years in ronald reagan he cant be that crazy the middle class working people if their still is one i am sure are sick and tired of being treated like robots but cant do anything about it because they are too busy working too try to keep their houses that the government is too willing too take if they dont pay thier taxes bring back those kids that are fighting a no win war stop worrying about the mexicans rights in america and worry about americans who are working and paying taxes too support all your bullcrap i am not no where near a politian and am not scared by the bullcrap yellow or red orwhatever color homeland security tells me it is today if people are going to attack this country thier going to try the government will try too keep us as scared as possible so we will listen to the main stream media and vote for thier politians and just keep us as the robots we are sorry for the misspeled words but i can only learn what the government wants me to please vote for ron paul

Ron Paul supporters will probably be no different from the Howard Dean supporters. Lots of idealistic talk and zero practical action. Too self-absorbed and starry-eyed to do the hard work of electioneering. We should be glad because Dean would have been a disaster. Ron Paul seems a better guy personally. We'll see if his supporters rise to the caucases and primaries when he needs them.

As to Ron Paul's voting record and introduction of bills in Congress;

I analysed the 435 US Representatives in Congress voting record in the 109th Congress (2006), and Ron Paul was the only Congressman who received a perfect score of the TEN VOTES in 2006 we looked at.

here is a summary:

For a member of the House to achieve a ZERO point rating -as GRESHAM BARRETT of South Carolina's 3rd District and 66 other US Reps did - they would have voted to:
1) spend $25 million more on anti-marijuana ads,
2) uphold the Justice Dept. campaign to arrest the sick & dying in med-pot states, voting against Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment,
3) authorize power to the Drug Czar's office (ONDCP),
4) encourage terrible corruption with anti-drug task force federal grants,
5) spray poisons over the rain forest in Colombia (PLAN COLOMBIA),
6) support the police state powers of the PATRIOT ACT,
7) support an immoral and unjustified WAR IN IRAQ, killing tens of thousands and costing billions monthly,
8) authorize the build-up of a massive bureaucracy called HOMELAND SECURITY,
9) support a ten-fold increase in punitive fines for controversial broadcasts for TV and radio (Broadcast Decency Act), and
10) keep a torture school (SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS) operating in the USA at Fort Benning, Georgia.

65 Republicans and 2 Democrats believe just that! We rated them TOXIC/EVIL because they are the worst. They are death, literally. And they must be defeated this November 7th wherever possible. This is purpose of this survey. The votes don't lie.

If a Representative voted correctly on all ten votes, as only Ron Paul of Texas' 14th district did, this is what was supported: -RON PAUL RECEIVED 175 points of a possible 185 points, THE CHAMPION OF THE CONGRESS, the highest possible grade.
RON PAUL VOTED CORRECTLY TO;
1) oppose a $25 million increase in anti-marijuana government propaganda,
2) oppose the Justice Dept. war on med pot patients in states with med-pot laws (Hinchey Amendment)saving the sick and dying from persecution,
3) oppose the reauthorization of the Office of the Drug Czar (ONDCP),
4) oppose a $287 million transfer of funds to the BYRNE JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANTS federal anti-drug task force program,
5) reduce the spraying of poison over the Colombian rainforest (PLAN COLOMBIA),
6) oppose the police state apparatus known as the PATRIOT ACT,
7) oppose the War in IRAQ,
8) oppose the authorization of a massive government bureaucracy -HOMELAND SECURITY,
9) oppose a tenfold increase in punitive fines on TV and radio broadcasters of controversial material (Broadcast Decency Act)
and
10) close an American torture school for foreign military interrogators - The SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS at Fort Benning, Georgia.
RON PAUL is also sponsor of the TWO of FOUR drug-law reform bills assessed in this survey; * The States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act. This is a very important bill (H.R. 2087) that would reclassify marijuana as a schedule 2 drug, allowing states to enact medical marijuana laws without federal interference. * H.R. 4272 - Steve McWilliams Truth in Trials Act. This bill will allow an affirmative medical marijuana defense in federal or state courts where such states have a legislated medical marijuana program.

ABOVE: I cited two of Ron Pauls's bills that he is co-sponsor, but he sponsors many terrific bills. This year Ron Paul is the chief sponsor of the 2007 Industrial Hemp Act among many other Repeals of government.

So your assertion that Ron Paul does not sponsor bills is completey wrong. His voting record in Congress is without peer.

Ron Paul is more a liberal than a libertarian. He seems to have the philosophy: "If the going gets tough, it's time to cut-and-run". Basically, it's the same way the Democrats categorize the Iraq War. I'm sure Ron Paul charged cheaper rates to deliver those 4,000+ babies, his tv adds keep talking about, than any of the other doctors do, right? I'm sure he never gave out any samples of prescription-style drugs that the pharmaceutical companies provide to all of the doctors so they'll do business with them, right? I'm sure he's introduced so many Bills in Congress to give all of the Freedoms back to the American Citizens, right?

So, where are those Bills? They don't exist. He talks a lot but doesn't seem to do much of anything other than that. When you do a search for Bills introduced in the Congress, by Ron Paul, there are more Social Security Bill introduced than anything else, this year.

So, when you decide to vote, vote for someone that has actually done more than just talk a good fairy tale. That's basically what he's been doing, telling people a good bedtime story. When it comes down to it, that doesn't say much for a supposed person for the American Citizen.

Paul is a Kook when it comes to Iraq. This is a shame because he is so right when it comes to Constitutional issues. He either doesn't understand or refuses to look at the Big Picture when it comes to Iraq. I would love to see a viable Libertarian candidate, unfortunately it ain't Ron Paul.

Nine percent is a good start. It's a long race, and Dr. Paul proved wrong a lot of people who said he could only garner 1 or 2% of the vote. Tommy Thompson campaigned a lot more in Iowa than Ron Paul did, and he only got 7%. Fred Thompson got even less. I think when the Ron Paul message gets out more, he will overtake candidates with less clearly defined positions such as Brownback and Tancredo. There is no reason for Congressman Paul to drop out of the race. I await my chance to vote for him in the primary.

I agree with lizviering. I just returned from Ames and it looks as though Romney simply bought the vote. The whole affair was pointless if not to a chance for Romney merely show off how fast and loose he plays with money. A fiscal conservative? Not on your life.

I'll vote for Ron Paul!

9% of the vote maybe be many times the figure someone made up, but 9% is nothing to get excited about. If that's the best you can get after all that stridency then Paul should follow Tommy the T into retirement

Looks like Ron Paul passed your test.

With only six days of campaigning, spending less than 1/100th of the Romney budget, Paul got 9.1% of the vote ... about seven times higher than any poll estimate.

The key reference point is that Romney bought almost 12,000 tickets to Ames and could only entice 4,500 people, while Paul bought 500 tickets and got 1,300 votes.

At least three "lower tier" candidates will drop out of the race, either because they exhausted all their funds or made poor showings. Paul is in the race for the long haul. I'm looking forward to his convention speech.

PS: The comments suggesting that Paul is a racist, anti-semite, or anti-gay are just grossly misinformed. He is an apostle for equal individual rights for all.

"Paul is also a segregationist, in addition to being anti-gay. Like Wallace, he would deprive many Americans of basic freedoms, including the right to vote. Paul is exactly what our increasingly diverse society does not need. Hopefully, the drubbing the demagogue just took in Iowa will send him back to Texas where he belongs."

Ron Paul is against using the Federal government unconstitutionally for special interest agendas - whatever they may be - such as the unconstitutional Federal income Tax or illegal undeclared wars. He is for using the Federal Government for what it is constitutionally specified to do - such as the printing of our money, not to be outsourced to the private, unconstituional Federal Reserve system.

He is pro-freedom and pro-liberty - not a demagogue. George Bush and the war-mongers in both parties are the demagogues.

America needs to get it's out of control spending in check and return the power to the individual.

Currently, the common man has little say in how this nation is run or how our money is spent. We are merely cogs in the wheel forking money over to the elite. I am tired of candidates who are backed by lobbyists, corporations, and special interest.

I disagree with Ruffini assessment. Once Ron Paul gets the appropriate coverage then his polling will improve. I think Ruffini was being way overly, optimistic maybe purposely so.

The corporate elite, who are running our country , do not want someone like Ron Paul as President. I would not either if I was part of this elite crowd.

I would like a break down of exactly which special intersts groups have funded Romney in comparison to Dr. Paul. I think it would make for an eye opening report.

Support Ron Paul. Give America back to the American citizen.

The current array of Presidential mainstream demagoges is laughable. Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich are the only candidates capable of addressing our core economic issues with any credibility. The fact that they continue to be considered "longshots" (as our media likes to report) is a sad refection of where we are as a nation.

It is interesting that a Ron Paul supporter quoted segregationist presidential candidate George Wallace. Paul is also a segregationist, in addition to being anti-gay. Like Wallace, he would deprive many Americans of basic freedoms, including the right to vote. Paul is exactly what our increasingly diverse society does not need. Hopefully, the drubbing the demagogue just took in Iowa will send him back to Texas where he belongs.

I think Paul is going to win the '08 election. That is my feeling considering his massive grass roots support level.

That vaporous phantom of epic fictitiousness arises from the oubliette and once again stands before an invertebrate media that still refuses to see what a growing number of the American people already do. Ron Paul is real, he is here and he proving that media today is more bovine excrement fueled dragster ride to the fantasy fringe of a dead enterprise...the once proud fourth estate. Good job Ron Paul and to all those imaginary people and holograms that filled television screens with Ron Paul for President signs. I thank you and America thanks you. - Yours truly, the United States Constitution.

Mitt, Obama, Rudy, Clinton, it does not matter. Unfortunately it took segregationist Governor Wallace to reveal the truth that "there's not a dime's worth of difference between" Republicans and Democrats. The Democrats willingly went along with the War in Iraq, suspension of Habeas Corpus, detaining protesters, banning books like America Deceived (book) from Amazon, stealing private lands (Kelo decision), warrant-less wiretapping and refusing to investigate 9/11 properly. They are both guilty of treason.
Support Dr. Ron Paul and end this madness.

To my fellow Ron Paul supporters: Enough with the complaining. We are doing the good Dr. no good by whining about media blackouts or voting machines. For better or for worse, politics (to many voters) is about feelings as much as it is about ideas. We must first convince people who are considering him to like us (as an extension of the man himself) before they will consider listening to our ideas. People like winners, not whiners.

If we had done exceptionally well in the straw poll, it would have been marginalized as a result of the same criticism we had just leveled against the poll the day before. As far as media coverage, Rep. Paul has gotten far more free coverage than Brownback, or Huckabee, or Tancredo. Let's just focus on what we can do to help bring people to his side. The rest will take care of itself.

On the plus side, I can say that today's was one of the best speeches I have seen RP give during this campaign. Somebody ate their Wheaties this morning.

Also, my prayers go out to Mrs. Paul and to the Paul family. I hope she is doing well.

Peace be with you.

I feel like the main stream media and the republican party is blocking or boycotting Ron Paul. I am a life long Republican. I am also an Iraqi War veteran and disabled veteran. Is this America or a conspiracy state. He is the only candidate. The rest are all the same. I can't tell the difference between Democrats and Republicans any more. I beg you please help Ron Paul save our great Republic. To me my friends and family he is our only and best hope. For our children, for our future, we must have a tomorrow . The country cannot go on as is. I beseech to more robustly cover this great American. Restorer of the Republic and possibly one of the last defenders of the Constitution.
Sincerely,
RFD

I feel like the main stream media and the republican party is blocking or boycotting Ron Paul. I am a life long Republican. I am also an Ira feel like qi War veteran and disabled veteran. Is this America or a conspiracy state. He is the only candidate. The rest are all the same. I can't tell the difference between Democrats and Republicans any more. I beg you please help Ron Paul save our great Republic. To me my friends and family he is our only and best hope. For our children, for our future, we must have a tomorrow . The country cannot go on as is. I beseech to more robustly cover this great American. Restorer of the Republic and possibly one of the last defenders of the Constitution.
Sincerely,
RFD

Why is the focus of this article on whether or not Ron Paul's supporters are valid Iowan citizens, instead of the remarkable fact that so many of his supporters are willing to travel across the nation in order to be there to support him? How many other candidates have supporters who would travel 500 miles just to be there to give their support? How stark a contrast is that to all of these big money candidates who have to bribe people with a free dinner, transportation, or a free trip to washington in order to get the necessary votes.

Ron Paul supporters realize that he is the best republican candidate in the field; that's why they're so passionate.

What good would it do to have and establishmentarian in Giuliani, McCain, or Romney up against an establishmentarian from the Democrat side? Then we get the same old regurgitated establishment crap, which most of us are sick of.

That's why it's important to vote for the most promising of the remaining candidates--Ron Paul.

Actually, my dream presidential election would be Ron Paul vs Barack Obama.

"I suspect many Dr. Paul supporters, the most principled and independent people around..."

That hits the nail on the head. Principled and independent people support principled and independent candidates. I grew up in what I believe is the biggest town in his district, Victoria. My mom and stepdad still live there. I never miss a chance to tell her that she has one of the very best congressman in the country.

I would like to lend my support to Ron Paul. Why are so many Republicans wedded to the War in Iraq when that war is not consistent with true conservative principles?

Ron Paul has my vote.

Ron Paul seems to be a combination of Howard Dean in 2004 and John McCain in 2000. He is appealing to a great # of independent and idealistic voters. However, the primary process is controlled by other forces. Translation, his support is a mirage. His signs are everywhere in my state and his support is loud, but his likely chances of scoring any real victories is long. Like Dean (2004) and McCain (2000), his supporters are unlikely to have any real impact over a closed primary process that tends to strictly favor the the establishment's candidates of choice.

Look it is clear. 30% of Republicans do not like what we are doing in Iraq (and Ron Paul is VERY clear in his position on Iraq). 10% of the population is libertarian. And everyone can vote in Iowa, even the Democrats (for free if they take up ALL the candidates offers!!) to mess with the Republicans selections or even if they do not like any of the candidates better except Ron Paul.

The question is have ALL of these folks been paying attention. Have they heard of Ron Paul? Do they have any clue of how good he is? After all at first glance he IS a politician AND it is 15 months before the real election AND we have been disappointed for 27 years since we last had a statesman running, who was charismatic.

This is a real test for Ron Paul:
Can he get HIS base to the polls in a state that loves the federal government and where a profit is made by the state in return on taxes paid to Washington and dollars back from the feds. If he can NOT get 3-4000 votes or 10%, then in my opinion we are in trouble as a country!

There have to be that many people, only 10% in Iowa, who have not given up on America. Hopefully? Please.

Go Ron Paul!!

I live right by Ames and would love to go and support Ron Paul but unfortunately i have to work 2nd shift. You see being recently single plus the cost of living and taxes i have to work over time just to eat. Like lizviering said up above Maybe most of his supporters are the working class Americans who don't have time or the money to enjoy daily life.

Or the real caucus even...?

"I mean, if he can't translate it in Ames, then where can you translate it?"

Possibly somewhere that votes are not so blatantly purchased by the one with the most money. How representative is it to only have people who are able to pay $35 to cast a vote? I suspect many Dr. Paul supporters, the most principled and independent people around, would have a hard time participating in such a sham. They may wait till they can vote for free, in the real primary, rather than a fundraiser for the GOP.