Noam Chomsky actually talked about this kind of stuff during the “Manufacturing Consent” days. I believe he called the process “concision.” Certain people or ideologies are simply too scary for the media, the two party system, corporate sponsors and the imaginary “centrist” citizen, so we can’t give these “fringe” people too much attention. Why are they scary? Because they question the military-industrial complex, like Ron Paul or any number of Green Party Candidates. Or because they question the drug war and mass incarceration, like Ron Paul and any number of Green Party candidates. Or because they say nasty things about corporate state capitalism, like Ron Paul and any number of Green Party candidates (though Ron Paul and the Green Party would disagree with how to tackle state capitalism).

I have a number of issues on which I would disagree with Ron Paul. But I agree with him, in theory, on many more issues and I believe he deserves to be heard. If only there were a movement that combined Ron Paul’s ideas with Green Party ideas. That is a movement this Left-libertarian could support!

Well shucks. I guess that showed them MSM beltwaytarians or whatever. Though to be fair, I doubt he is much of a racist these days. Contrarian racism (and police brutality apologism) was sort of an intellectual fad among conservative-leaning libertarians back then; even Rockwell and Rothbard eagerly partook. My guess is that he dabbled, then got over it, and now wishes he never wrote the articles in question.

“and if Ron Paul were a racist, why in the world would he advocate ending the drug war?”

Libertarian principle? (Misguided) constitutionalist principle? Many 18th and 19th Century abolitionists retained fairly racist sentiments – maybe he’s a racist but still doesn’t think black people should be sent to rape camps for smoking pot? There are plenty of people I find contemptible but I wouldn’t wish police harassment or SWAT raids or prison on them; I imagine racists could feel the same way about the objects of their bigotry.

But it’s kind of the point that’s being made. This isn’t a real vote. It’s very artificial and it’s meant to show organizational strength for those candidates who chose to participate. Bachmann gets a bump because these results show she’s built a legitimate operation. Pawlenty gets the boot because this is a fight he should have won. The candidates who mostly stayed out of it get a pass because you don’t have to participate if you don’t want to.

As for Paul, this is the kind of event that he’s shown he can do very well in, so it’s kind of a non story. If he wants to be taken seriously, he needs to raise a lot of money and do well in Iowa and New Hampshire when it counts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oULpsuoEY7c

Bullshit. He disavowed them repeatedly, and if Ron Paul were a racist, why in the world would he advocate ending the drug war?

-jcr

-jcr

Remember when that was known as “getting out the vote”?

It seriously pisses me off when the leftards act like showing up and participating is tantamount to ballot-box stuffing.

-jcr

Boyd Durkin | August 16th, 2011 at 1:42 pm

How much will they ignore Rand Paul in 2016 (when we have 100,000 dead in Iran and a Nicki Minaj song costs US$200 on iTunes)?

How much would that $200 be in Swiss Francs?

As far as the general election goes, I expect that the effect of her support would be either neutral or slight net negative on the campaign that receives it.

The conservative movement is divided into “Neos” and Paleos. The neos obviously have a bigger presence in the media (Coulter, Savage, Malkin, Hannity, Limbaugh, etc) while Paleos really only have Buchanan as a presence in the MSM (thank god). Conservatism as a whole is not for liberty, they just make themselves appear better than the liberal. They just differ (in regards to Neo vs Paleo) on who they hate/want to kill more and what areas they want to apply the government jackboot.

I dunno. He’d have no chance at winning Minnesota. They probably still hold a grudge against him for missing that FG in the 1998 NFC Championship Game.

This Vikes fan has a grudge against Denny Green, not Gary Anderson. Gary did a bangup job all season long. If Denny Green had been a halfway decent coach, Gary wouldn’t have been in the position to win or lose the game. Fucking Denny Green.

My point is that the media seems to consider Ron Paul as “not a serious candidate” while fawning over people who are at least as unserious, or who are not even running.