During the last week in August, Ron Paul responded to Larry Reinsch’s question about whether, if he were the Republican nominee, he would participate in inclusive general election debates. Paul said, “Absolutely! You know, I’ve been there…I’ve done it…I know all the handicaps. Isn’t it tragic that we pretend we’re going to spread democracy overseas, and at the same time we’re exclusionary over here…Not just the third parties! Have you heard of a few efforts to try to exclude (in the primary season)? They already have! They don’t want to hear this message, because they don’t have answers…And I think this is what we need. Today when they asked me about what kind of change did I think should be done in the Executive Branch, and my answer is openness, transparency…Our Constitution was never designed for secrecy in government, it was designed to protect your privacy! Now just think of the attack on our privacy today…and so we want, we need openness in government, we need freedom of choice, we need free entry, we need these debates…and we shouldn’t have laws that keep people from voting for parties other than the Democrats and Republicans, and to keep anybody with an alternative view either out of the debates, or off the ballot! So Yes, the answer’s Yes.”
UPDATE: Thanks to Belinda Lawler for doing the difficult work of transcribing all these presidential candidate responses to the debate question.
Talk about evading the question . . .
“Absolutely!” and then “the answer’s Yes. Sure doesnt sounds like evading the questsion to me…
Evading the question? Are you illiterate? “Absolutely!” was the first word out of his mouth. For the morons who can’t read, that means yes, he would participate in inclusive general election debates.
Dumbass!
Sounds like you are so used to the way our current administration evades the questions that you do not recognise it when someone answers a question without evading it.
RON PAUL in 2008
That first comment is hysterical. I about died laughing…and then I thought…this is scary! What are the odds this individual has a drivers license?
You guys have no sense of humor.
“You guys have no sense of humor.”
You don’t know how to tell a joke.
=)
In response to: “…That first comment is hysterical. I about died laughing…and then I thought…this is scary! What are the odds this individual has a drivers license?…”
Never mind the driver’s license! It’s scarier still when you consider the odds this guy has a voters card.
If you want to see something pretty juvenile, click on Eric Sundwall’s name at the top. He’s the guy who wrote, “Talk about evading the question…”
It reminds me of my own youthful puppiness, when I thought I knew everything. Slack needs to be cut with this guy. He is finding his way.
How about “Absolutely! Yes, the answer is yes!” Why all the superfluous intellectualism which makes it SEEM like evading the question?
I know the use of “love” in “revolution” was meant to be cynical, but Ron Paul really does bring love according to this article:
http://spirituallibertarian.blogspot.com/2007/09/libertarian-love-revolution.html
zenpiper – If you have a comment for my blog, make one.
Otherwise spare me the wise man bit. This shouldn’t be a big deal.
Ron paul speaks straight to the issue with courage. This is a Presidential response for sure.
RON PAUL for President!
everyone has a right to his opinion. even if it is dumb. let’s not attack the messenger but attack the issue.
Comments 6 and 7 are both great. Unfortunately, due to comment 1, the thread has derailed.
CONCERNING RON PAUL’s 3RD PLACE FINISH IN TEXAS.
Ron Paul’s third place finish in the Texas Straw poll on September 1 is FAR from a defeat.
When you consider that the ONLY G.O.P. DELEGATES or Alternates (read “Republican Party ESTABLISHMENT Reptiles”) were allowed to vote what is really remarkable is that Ron Paul even managed to place AT ALL! That he managed to place third is absolutely staggering.
The Ron Paul campaign is also pointing out that – where tickets to vote in the straw poll were sold to that elitist crop of G.O.P. activists who WERE allowed to vote for SEVENTY FIVE (f#ckin’) FEDERAL RESERVE NOTES …and where 2,000 people had been EXPECTED to participate …only 1,300 Delegates or Alternates actually DID vote. By all accounts there were more Ron Paul SUPPORTERS at the convention than supporters for any other candidate …but the poll was structured to actually PREVENT them from voting. Think about it: if these people don’t think the average person should be allowed to participate in a F#cking STRAW POLL …do you think they would even want the great unwashed to actually be allowed to VOTE???
Consequently, the G.O.P. only managed to raise $97,500.00 …while – during the same weekend – Ron Paul held a rally attended by some 1,000 people …who contributed about $102,500.00 to his campaign IN A SINGLE NIGHT. So, at first glance, it would appear that Ron Paul outdid that G.O.P. by about $5,000.00.
But – if you remember that Ron Paul took 16% of the vote (which would represent $15,600 of the $97,500.00 collected at the straw poll altogether) and you were to take those dollars (representing those who FAVOR Ron Paul) out and add them to the Ron Paul ledger for the weekend, that would leave
the Paul campaign with $117,850.00 for the weekend by comparison to the rest of the G.O.P. with a mere $81,900.00!!!
The more they ignore us …the better we do! GO RON PAUL!!!
In Liberty!,
James Hines
Ron Paul panders to individuals.
All joking and sarcasm aside, you really can depend on Ron Paul for a straight answer. I think this is one reason people like him.
If any of you (who consider Ron Paul a no nothing) remotely knew what the constitution actually said,you would know he is the only Constitutionlist running for president right now,look at his voting record,he is a true Originalist when it comes to the Constitution.
As much as I disagree with Paul on a number of economic issues (I’m a Green), I really respect his candor and willingness to take stands on issues of fairness in regards to third parties, ballot access and open debates. Alot of former third party folks forget that sort of stuff the minute they get any power.
Glad to see that Paul seems to be an exception to that.
James Hines Says:
“Ron Paul’s third place finish in the Texas Straw poll on September 1 is FAR from a defeat.”
Agreed. However, the reason Paul didn’t do as well as expected, was because some delegates for Ron Paul arrived at 10:00 am when their letter said to collect their credentials. That was the time when the person with the credentials left the building, so consequently those delegates who had already paid to vote, were denied access. Talk about exclusion!
See video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDnWT4gCJSE
I’m amazed when a very short transcription is posted and some people still imply Paul didn’t answer the question…. For all the ADD crowd and those who lack comprehensive skills
This is Paul’s answer: Paul said, “Absolutely!
I accept Eric’s comment as a joke.
Eric,
Are you a dumb #@!?&*, can’t you read – look what he said you piece of #@%&!?.
Talk about not understanding – just joking I love spoofs.
Ron Paul for Presdient 2008
Please give a campaign contribution today
Eric,
Are you a dumb #@!?&*, can’t you read – look what he said you piece of #@%&!?.
Talk about not understanding – just joking I love spoofs.
Ron Paul for President 2008
Please give a campaign contribution today
Paul gave the best kind of political answer: a clear one. He gave a decisive position and then spent the rest of his speaking time explaining it and reaffirmed it at the end.
If you want evasion, listen to the answers of Rudy and Hillary, where they dance all over it and never commit to anything.
Don’t worry, the first comment was funny. I lawlz’d
I thought he was being sarcastic, no emphasis in the end would make people think otherwise however. I got a chuckle out of it..
RonPaul2008.com
williscoulis Says:
Ron Paul panders to individuals.
Pandering would imply that he just says things to get people to vote for him (ie: Mitt Romney running as a pro choice liberal in Mass, then saying he is pro life 2 years later to appeal the base while running for president).
Now please give us an example of how Dr. Paul is pandering.
The first comment was obviously sarcastic. I’m amazed at how many people took that seriously. Wow!!
#23
You make yourself look like an idiot by not reading the replied to the posts. On the other hand, the sarcasm was a bit shallow, and a simple 🙂 probably would have made it come across much better. Anyway instead of arguing online about pauls’ virtues let’s go out and talk to some people, maybe stick some fliers in mailboxes or something. On nice quick method is to put fliers under car windshield wipers…everyone throws that in the front seat and drives around with it for days….maybe they’ll look at it eventually.
Eric is a liberaltarian who probably thinks it’s ‘statist’ to have a drivers license so he likely doesn’t have one.