Comments on: Elections are Bought, Not Won
By Sam on 11-29-07
The ONLY candidate that is making honest money donated by people like yourself and I is RON PAUL. Ron Paul is a congressman from Texas running as a republican, however is closer to being an independent. I recommend all of you who are fed up with the choices these two parties continue to offer us (the democrats and republicans) vote and support RON PAUL in 2008. Please take 5 minutes to inform yourself of his issues and views at www.ronpaul2008.com See for yourself how he can better our economy, bring home our troops, keep American Jobs, lower taxes, and increase our liberty and freedom. If you believe in the constitution, then you believe in Ron Paul. Nobody understands the constitution or supports its principles as well as Ron Paul.
RON PAUL 2008 Be a part of it! Hope for America!
By Citizen on 11-29-07
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issuesYes! Another Ron Paul devotee. I too am 100% supporting Ron Paul in any way I can. I never before have been so enthusiastic about a candidates bid for the presidency. Thanks for the entry and support as well.
Yes when it comes to fundraising, all too often are major corporations and special interests controlling who we as Americans can choose to vote for. For once, we the citizens have a voice and have gathered via the internet millions of dollars to support a man who truly represents freedom and liberty and justice for all. Ron Paul. He is breaking records with little to no fundraising being done by a major fundraising staff. These are contributions (currently over Nine Million Dollars for the quarter) that are comig from every day hard working Americans. This is why the major media and corporate elites feel threatened by Ron Paul and rarely cover him in the media as a viable candidate. I believe Ron Paul can WIN not BUY this election. Other than him however, this editorial is 100% accurate. Sounds like whom ever wrote this needs to look up Ron Paul as well. RON PAUL ‘08
By Another Ron Paul Fan! on 11-29-07
Go Ron Paul and GO Kalispell for supporting him so much! Spread the words people. Hey Beacon, do an article on how great Ron Paul is. He would support you!
Brief Overview of Congressman Paul’s Record:
He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.
He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.
Congressman Paul introduces numerous pieces of substantive legislation each year, probably more than any single member of Congress.
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/about/
By Jennifer on 11-29-07
He supports the largest cross section of people, more so than any other candidate. Go Dr. Ron Paul!
By Rigged on 11-29-07
THe whole thing is rigged anyway. Look at the 2000 election. The fact is Gore won that and Bush ended up president. Who ever wins is decided by the power brokers who run this world. The money and power comes from those higher than the presidency.
By Roark on 11-29-07
Elections are not ‘bought’, they are lost by an ignorant an philosophically lazy electorate.
By Lazy Citizens on 11-30-07
Why did only 10% of the registered voters in Kalispell show up at the polls last election day.
If you didn’t bother to try to vote them out, then shut up.
By cliff on 11-30-07
Even better than requiring impossible registration, how about limiting the dollar amounts candidates can spend. And further, how about some type of federal program that will fund elections. I know the idea of a new fed funding program sounds bad, but the govt wastes so much, it would be a drop in the bucket. Besides, without candidates having to spend most of their term raising $$ to get reelected, they just might do their g..d .. jobs!!
By j davis on 11-30-07
It is a sad state of affairs when presidential candidates have to spend millions on campaigns. The electorate must be very stupid if they make choices based on television ads.The debates are a big joke, with scripted questions and no room for lively discussion of important issues. Like one person (I forgot who) said—“we have the best government money can buy”. I find myself in the unenviable position of not voting in a presidential election for the first time in my adult life. There are simply no qualified candidates being offered by either party.
By Dave Skinner on 11-30-07
No, I’m NOT supporting Ron Paul. Reason? Iraq. I’m not interested in another cycle of Cambodian-style genocide or the desert version of boat people. The war reeks, but Powell was right inasmuch as it is America’s tar baby to clean up.As for the TOPIC…I want to point out to the limits people that putting spending limits on campaigns makes candidates completely dependent on “free media” exposure, therefore giving the press absolute power over who makes it into the public eye, and what the voters see. That’s inherently corrupt as well.
By j davis on 12-01-07
Hey all you Ron Paul guys, has he returned that $500 donation from the owner of the racist and anti semitic site ‘stormfront’? Just curious.
By Sam on 12-01-07
j davis, It is not the fault of any candidate who they happen to recieve donations from. Are you saying that 100% of every donation for John MCain and all the other candidates are blemish free? No, of course not. Sometimes whack-jobs donate to good candidates. It happens. There are crazies out there on each side of the spectrum. Do not discredit Ron Paul due to a couple of donations he had no knowledge of. Look at him and his ideas. That is what you should concern yourself with. He stands for individual liberty, freedom and the constitution. Are you a proponent of these fundamental tenets which make America free? Just read his issues and see for yourself. Put your bias aside. Come on man, do it for your country. Bring the troops home, fix the economy, and reduce the size of our leviathon federal government. Thanks for your time j davis. I appreciate your concern.
By Sam Again on 12-01-07
By Dave Skinner on 11-30-07:No, I’m NOT supporting Ron Paul. Reason? Iraq. I’m not interested in another cycle of Cambodian-style genocide or the desert version of boat people. The war reeks, but Powell was right inasmuch as it is America’s tar baby to clean up.
Dave, Dave, Dave read what you just wrote here. Do you realize that before the illegitimate, false pretensed, false intelligence led invasion of Iraq in 2003 is what is causing the genocide and million plus civilian deaths? Before we invaded Iraq there was never a car bomb detonated in that nations history. Each week civilians die at the hands of insurgents, US troops, and contractors. These people are caught in the middle of a conflict that WE started. The only way to end this quagmire (as Bush Sr. called it) is to GET OUT. The US presence in the middle east is the main reason for the bloodshed and conflict. Yes Saddam was evil and cruel. I agree. Who is America to go around the globe deposing leaders? If Iraq is to be free then let them die for their own freedom, not US boys! By the way, why did we invade? Was it WMDs, freedom, oil, staging for Iran, protecting Israel? Why? Do you even know? This war cost our nation 2 trillion dollars (25% of the US debt), 4,000 troops dead, 40,000 wounded, and a million dead civilians. Now the nation is in factions, has no infrastructure, and hates our presence there. How old are you? Why don’t you go help out if you are so positive about it? Sign up, enlist, enlist your sons and daughters. The US military currently has the HIGHEST desertion rate in 35 years, and the LOWEST enlistment rate. THEY NEED YOU. So if you support this military action and undeclared war on a sovereign nation, go ahead and sign up your kids and grandkids. Just don’t ask me to sign up mine. Put your blood where your mouth is. Put up or shut up as they say.
By Sam on 12-02-07
http://www.teaparty07.com/
Attention to all Ron Paul fans. Click the link above to be a part of the Tea Party! This is in commemoration of the Boston Tea Party. This is a fundraiser organized by every day men and women who support Ron Paul. Sign up and donate whatever you feel you can. I just found out about it and pledged 25 bucks. Support Ron Paul!
Lets end this useless war that had nothing to do with 911, and had NO wmds. Lets stop the endless taxation and spending of our grotesque federal government. Lets get America back on track and back to where we as a free republic belong! The answer to 1984 is 1776! VOTE RON PAUL 2008!
By Dave Skinner on 12-03-07
Sam,If I had passed my induction physical back in 1980, I WOULD be there.
The fact is, even Saddam was riffing about the missiles he had, the funky chemicals he was making, and how he was going to, never mind he already had, used them.
It now seems to me that Saddam was puffing up his WMD capability falsely in order to ward off an invasion. So he fooled us. Yet what if he was not fooling, and in fact did have WMD, and did in fact use them, someplace….most likely Tel Aviv, or made them available, maybe in the Western Hemisphere?
With what is now known, we would probably not invade. But we did, and then Rummy pulled a McNamara. Now wiser heads and the surge have had an effect, mainly opening a chance that all that has happened since the invasion is not a total waste. To cut and run now would mean that it was all for nothing. I cannot support that.
By Nick on 12-04-07
Sam-Don’t forget who voted FOR the Iraq war… it wasn’t just republicans… in fact, I believe that over 70% of the Senate voted FOR the war… just so you know. Don’t go throwing all Reps under the bus when the dems are just as guilty. And also, Im pretty sure that after 9/11, the MAJORITY of America wanted something to be done over there (not necessarily Iraq, but what the hell, we were in the area)... sure opinions have changed over the years as this trudges on, but WE ALL started this and pushed for it, and now we have to deal with the consequences. I hate how everyone places sole blame on Bush and his “false accusations” about Iraq, etc. Ummm, last time I checked the most of the people in the Senate can think for themselves, and if they were able to allow one man (who ALL OF YOU have said is the dumbest president ever) to convince over 70% of them to go to war, then there was more than meets the eye. We as the general public only know a quarter of what they do. If you want ot complain, get involved. Otherwise, all we can do is watch as much news as possible and still only get half (at best) of the whole story of what is really happening.
By Sam on 12-05-07
Nick said: “...sure opinions have changed over the years as this trudges on, but WE ALL started this and pushed for it, and now we have to deal with the consequences. I hate how everyone places sole blame on Bush and his “false accusations” about Iraq, etc. Ummm, last time I checked the most of the people in the Senate can think for themselves, and if they were able to allow one man…”
I was against the invasion of a sovereign nation (Iraq) by our military from the beginning as were multiple congresspersons, countries, ambassadors and the CIA! Ron Paul voted against it as well. More diplomats and ambassadors resigned from positions due to our invasion of Iraq then EVER before at one time in US history. Iraq had NO CONNECTION TO 9/11 and that is a fact repeated by Colin Powell and Bush himself, as well as the head of the CIA in 2003 and 2004. Yellow-cake was a hoax, Achmed Chelabi was a drunken liar and our only source of insider information claiming that Iraq was making WMDs. I do not wholly blame Bush. I blame Bush, those who reelected Bush and his entire cabinet as well as those who actually tell him what to think and say (the neo-conservatives). I am more involved now then I ever have been before with the political process, because of the fire I and others feel for the Ron Paul campaign. You seem like a highly intelligent individual Nick. Here are some excellent sources of information that you may like to peruse and read sometime. Give it some time, do some searches online and read some good articles. www.lewrockwell.com Search for the war in Iraq, WMDs, Neo-Cons, Cheney, etc etc. This site is a compilation of professors and scholars as well as ex-military, ambassadors, heads of state all of which write articles on various topics. Try it out for me and tell me what you think. I also enjoy www.antiwar.com Take a moment as well to really familiarize yourself with Ron Paul and the real issues that matter. Look at how a grass roots movement is boiling around this nation for Ron Paul. There is a reason for it. People want change, truth and an end to the ONE PARTY we have (Republicrats). Lets face it we are a one party system with two factions that are pretty much the same. Ron Paul is changing all of that and scarring the Dems and Repubs. Ron Paul is gaining support from both sides of the spectrum. People want freedom back (voted against the patriot act and wire taps), want the economy back (against WTO, GATT, NAFTA, inflation and tax increases), wants to give the majority of the power of law to the STATES and take it away from the federal level. That is the very principle our nation was founded on; a republic and collection states. Please ignore the rants of angry republicans and ignorant democrats. Make up your own mind and decision after you read the facts at: http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues
This is a chance to change things for the better. America is at a crossroads my friend. Freedom and liberty, or a tyrannical police state controlled by a fearful populace. Google Ron Paul and look him up on youtube as well. You will see for yourself why so many are dedicated to the cause. Thanks for your time Nick. Pleasure discussing this all with you.
The views expressed in the comments section do not reflect those of the Beacon.