It seems that the mainstream media is being tight-lipped about the Straw Poll wins Ron Paul has accumulated over his time running for the GOP nomination. The media is picking and choosing which Straw Polls to report on based solely upon the performance of the so-called front runners in the National Polls. Perhaps it is time that Ron Paul supporters step up the rhetoric and hold these media outlet’s feet to the fire.
To date, there have been a total of thirty four Straw Polls which Ron Paul has participated in. According to the Straw Poll data, Ron Paul has placed first in fifteen of those Polls. According to the data there were only two Polls in which he did not place in the top five. There is no other single GOP candidate which can claim that same record and it is my opinion that if it were Giuliani, or even Romney which performed this well in the Straw Polls, that is all we would hear about in the media.
In many online polls, hosted by the major news networks, Ron Paul almost always places in the lead by incredible margins. This happens, much to the chagrin of these media outlets, and they soon attribute it to only online supporters of the Texas Congressman. Nevertheless, it begs the question, why is it that no other candidate can get their supporters to mobilize and vote in these online and call-in polls? Something smells a little fishy about the excuse the media uses to belittle Ron Paul support.
So why does Ron Paul seem to get all of this support from the general public anyway? It is quite simple; people on both sides of the aisle are disenchanted, and in some cases disenfranchised by their own parties. Republicans are witnessing the greatest increase in governmental growth and power, than at any other time in this nation’s history. The ideal of small government has always been a fundamental issue with Conservatives.
Democrats on the other hand, see that the leaders and representatives are simply not acting in the way that they had hoped they would, especially after the mid-term elections. It is almost a foregone conclusion that those in the Democratic Party want the war in the Middle East to end. Of course, there are those on the Right which are of the same opinion, which is drawing both sides together in a single cause.
Ron Paul represents both sides of the aisle. It is hard to imagine that it could happen, but Ron Paul’s Libertarian ideologies are striking a resonating chord with the American people. He is for ending the wars in the Middle East and bringing troops home. This appeals to the Liberal side of the aisle, however there is growing support for this tactic on the Conservative side as well.
Ron Paul also speaks of reducing the size of government, including such things as abolishing several governmental agencies which the American people have grown to be dependant upon, to their own detriment. This is appealing to many which call themselves Republicans, although I suspect more people are Libertarian and simply do not realize it, much like myself.
It is his non-interventionist view which appeals to many on the Left, as they do not like the government manipulating world events by becoming actively involved in Nation building, a bad policy that our Nation’s founding fathers were aware of. It seems that the Democrat and Republican Parties have been having a grand old time manipulating our Constitution through false interpretations, often times in direct opposition to the intent of the document’s architects.
It is clear that there are many in the media and in politics that do not want to see a Ron Paul Presidency. However, this should serve to bolster support for a man that promises a change in direction, a change in direction which may be the only chance for the survival of this Nation.
Sources
Website – Ron Paul 2008
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/straw-poll-results/
Website – Daily Ron Paul
http://dailypaul.com/node/3195