June 8, 2007
Posted: 09:00 AM ET

Rep. Ron Paul answers a question from CNN's Wolf Blitzer at Tuesday's GOP debate.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — It’s been an exciting week for us at the Ticker – a few days ago, we opened up the comments section of our blog, and since then, we’ve received thousands of responses.

A large number of the ones we’ve posted so far have been from supporters of White House presidential hopeful Ron Paul, R-Texas.

But come Tuesday night’s GOP debate, we were inundated with Paul comments on our ticker post: “Who won the GOP debate?”

Many of the comments we received were supportive of the Texas congressman, while others registered frustration that the flood of Paul posts impeded the general online discussion, likening them to spam.

One thing is for sure: Ron Paul supporters are effective at coordinating and mobilizing online quickly. For the three GOP debates so far, Paul has won or placed high in most of the unscientific online surveys including ABC's, MSNBC's, FOX's, and unscientific polls conducted on a number of blogs.

Paul virtually swept CNN's unscientific survey after Tuesday night's GOP debate: not only did participants say Paul won the debate, but also that he knew the most about the issues, had the best one-liner, had the most surprising performance, and got the biggest boost from the debate. (He wasn’t considered the snappiest dresser, however – see Mitt Romney). The topic is getting some play on conservative blogs, too.

These informal polls are unscientific because supporters can often vote more than once, and are not randomly selected, and while they may be useful indicator of a candidate’s ability to organize online, they are not generally an accurate measure of support across the electorate.

The comments section is intended to be informal, of course, but the strain on resources that night prompted us to take down the “Who won the GOP debate” question (though that didn’t stop Paul supporters from commenting; they started adding comments to the “Who won the Democratic debate?” post). The intention was not to censor Ron Paul supporters — right now, you'll find hundreds of Paul posts on the site.

Given the volume of submissions, we do not post every comment. That said, we will always try to post as many as possible. We know how frustrating it can be to write something thoughtful and never see it published.

Right now “Ron Paul” is among the top-searched terms on Technorati, the popular site that tracks blog posts. According to the community Web site, Eventful, there are more than 16,000 outstanding “demands” for Paul to appear in cities across the country – that’s up 11,000 from just one week ago, leapfrogging him over Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York. Ron Paul video clips get plenty of play on YouTube and there is no shortage of blogs devoted to his support.

What do these numbers mean? How do you reconcile that support with the national poll numbers? In virtually every scientific national poll — generally regarded as the best measurement of public support for a political candidate — Paul registers, at most, between 1 and 2 percent. Do the debate numbers reflect something different than the national polls? Is it too early to tell?

Paul opposes abortion rights, voted to authorize a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border, supports withdrawing troops from Iraq, and defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Is he a “true conservative”? If indeed his support is growing, what is it going to take for Paul to break out and challenge the front-runners for the GOP presidential nomination?

We welcome your comments below.

For more breaking political news, check back with www.cnn.com/ticker

– The CNN Political Ticker Team

Filed under: Ron Paul


Mike   January 30th, 2008 8:37 pm ET

“It should come as no surprise that when you crunch the numbers Ron Paul is the only Republican who would actually shrink the size and cost of the federal government,” said Ron Paul campaign economic advisor Don Luskin.

Greg   January 28th, 2008 12:34 am ET

To bad the news only focus on the ones who cry or argue about worthless topics. Instead of giving everyone an equal chance to speak. Then post all these polls making it look like the one guy you hope wins does not have a chance?? Then they wonder why people don't come to vote cause there is no one worth voting for?

Dani   January 19th, 2008 3:54 pm ET

I agree with everyone who said the media is not giving Ron Paul an equal amount of air time. At time the so called "news" channels will skip completely over his name. Or else they will quickly mention his name and follow it up with a "suprising" statement about another candidate.
It's amazing to me the media isn;t backing this man for presidency. He is the only one who does not waiver in his views. You may not agree with everything he believes in, but at least he doesn't constantly chang his tune.
Americans need to stop watching who the media is "telling us" to vote for; because that's exactly what is happening…We are basically being instructed on who the top candidates should be. We need to look up the candidates on our own and do our own research before going to caucaus our to vote in November.
Ron Paul is a strong voice for the people. Vote for Ron Paul.

dave   January 17th, 2008 2:43 pm ET

This post talks about how Paul only wins "unscientific polls." But I guess the writer either doesn't follow politics, or thinks the Iowa Caucus is yet another "unscientific poll."

Even C-SPAN covered Biden, and Guilliani. Ron Paul got 10% of the Iowa GOP vote. Considering the guy can't even get on C-SPAN, I think that is pretty good.

Bobby   January 11th, 2008 6:22 pm ET

Some conservatives (and democrats as well) have reservations about Ron Paul's stance against the war because they have bought into the post WWII rhetoric that we somehow need to continually expand the military and become the world's #1 arms dealer. And that this defines us as the most powerful nation on earth. This premise is based on fear, all the fear that the Regans and Bushes can drum up to say we are in a continual state of war. Yes, we may one day experience another Pearl Harbor or another 9/11 but all the bombs and military basses around the globe to no ends extreme will be able to prevent these things from happening. They will, as Ron Paul knows, contribute to bankrupting our nation as we spread ourselves too thin around the world in this ridiculous and paranoid quest for global dominanation. Let's join together with Ron Paul to end this! Let's wake up to the rhetorical lies of 'politics as usual' and get behind the only real candidate for change and send a message despite all the lies and bully tactics to marginalize him and laugh at him and exclude him from media coverage and 'electability'. Let's us the people stand up with him for what we believe in!!!!

Bryan, europe   January 9th, 2008 12:47 am ET

Whether you agree with his policies or not, he is at least the most , if not the only, honest and truthful person standing up to be president. He speaks not for some unknown behind the seens agenda. How can the election be truely democratic if the media do not give equally coverage to all the candidates, and give great coverage to denigrating candidates they, the media, do not approve of ?

Former USAF Veteran   December 17th, 2007 6:04 am ET

Mass Media…You can't hide the TRUTH….for long. Someone, Somewhere, Somehow….Will leak it. The Ron Paul revolution has already begun.

Elliott, Mt sinai, NY   November 25th, 2007 10:43 pm ET

Ron Paul is the only one who is offering a significant change from the current policies. All of the other candidates are spitting out the same bull that they think will get the American people on their sides(that goes for the Dem's as well) It is unfortunate that big media outlets like CNN only make Ron Paul's campaign seem like a joke that stands on lies and is undeserving of the public's time. We want change and fair promotion of all of the candidates, not just the "big" ones!

Jared, The Reno, NV   November 22nd, 2007 4:34 am ET

You didn't do your homework "CNN Political Ticker", your lying because Ron Paul is PERSONALLY pro life but he doesn't think the government should interfere with personal decisions INCLUDING gays. Quit lying to the general public you filthy bastards.

Lin Sieg, Clarksville Ky   November 16th, 2007 8:47 am ET

Any other Paul supporters starting to get the feeling that mainstream media is purposely bending the republican party coverage towards less able, less intelligent candidates? it would not shock me in current times for a media conspiracy to promote candidates they KNOW will lose for the republican party, for the sole sake of getting a hyped up Democrat put into office.

I fully support Ron Paul, but unfortunately I don't have as much faith in America as I do in Ron Paul.

David, Oakland, CA   November 13th, 2007 12:38 pm ET

The corporate media isn't doing its job. Ron Paul is a legitimate candidate and the only reason that he isn't obliterating the other republican candidates is because he isn't even being acknowledged by the media. Media controls American perception. That's no secret. On CNN's own website, do you see Ron Paul anywhere? Perhaps,in some obscure little article…, but not on the headlines–Never in the headlines with the other candidates. That goes for Fox, and every other corrupt "news" outlet.

Bob Graham/Las Vegas   October 29th, 2007 1:18 pm ET

With the USA at a crossroad in world respectability , the dollar failing , and the main populace doubting all that comes from the "Hill" , Ron Paul is the only candidate who does not support "Status Quo". Not only does he not support it , his track record and nickname of "Dr No" should remove all question as to his viability not only to be an effective president , but be able to acheive the highest office in this country through open and honest elestion . Dynasties have proven fatal and the "others" put more value on becoming president than they do on improving the USA .

CasiO, Pharrelton, AK   October 25th, 2007 10:24 pm ET

Ron Paul is the new Viagra Spam! Get election horny with Ron Paul commenting! Rowr! Hot chicks won't leave you alone! "Ron Paul 08″ is the new "Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?" Go getcha some! Ron Paul 08!

David, Cincinnati, OH   October 19th, 2007 10:25 pm ET

OHIO's GOT YOUR BACK RON PAUL!

Steve Patterson, Hornell, NY   October 10th, 2007 7:04 pm ET

It really is a shame that the media consistently laughs at the mention of Ron Paul, although guiliani seems to find him humorous aswell. I have no doubt that if common people actually KNEW who he was, there would be a gigantic watershed at the polls. Republicans, democrats, and everyone inbetween loves the message of freedom.

Zachary, Burbank CA   October 2nd, 2007 1:10 pm ET

VOTE RON PAUL!
z

Kris D, Bayonne, NJ   September 26th, 2007 1:42 pm ET

Why wouldn't the CNN poll be credible? It's very easy to count votes by excluding multiple votes through ISP address. I would think that your CNN computer geeks would know that, I do and I'm a novice. I realize now that the media is all a pack of liars. I will not raise my children to watch any news program or newspaper because they all have a hidden agenda and because they are all owned by the same people. Where has all the journalistic integrity gone? Shame on you! This Democrat is voting for a Republican named Dr. Ron Paul.

John   September 24th, 2007 9:39 am ET

The people that understand the money system and history of it, know Ron Paul is trying to free the people of the USA.

Seriously and scientifically accurate, if you're not worth over $100 million don't vote for Ron Paul.

Edgar houston texas   September 22nd, 2007 10:43 am ET

hey, CNN your are no different deen FOX news and the American pepole NOW!!!!!!! Ron Paul 2008

Honest Abe, Marquette, Michigan   September 20th, 2007 12:55 pm ET

Wow, they couldn't hammer the word "unscientific" any more, could they? One would think this is a story about "unscientific polling" more then a story about Ron Paul. This clearly is evidence that the Mind's of voters are being pre-conditioned (psychological control tactics) to believe they will waste their vote on Ron Paul. No matter how many American people are screaming for Ron Paul to be president, the CIA-Corporate, Establishment Media will never admit it. Look up how Karl Rove used polls to counter every mental move American's made during Bush's two elections. Think Tanks, strategists, even basic pyschology…its all about controlling or pre-empting public opinion. Truly, there is a war on for your mind!

Trevor Abilene Texas   September 18th, 2007 12:29 pm ET

Ron paul is a true defender of the constitution, he breaks the status quo of lying elitist politicans and gives hope to the average american going throught he motions of their daily normal lives. He has my vote 100%.

Nora G. Cofresi   September 11th, 2007 8:07 pm ET

I am a democrat who appreciates Ron Paul. Listening to Giuliani laugh in the background when "President Paul" was speaking (yes, it DOES have a nice ring to it) made me realize what a boor Rudy really is. Rudy is a loser and a poser. I'll contribute to Ron (and will encourage my cross-party friends to do the same) just to make sure he stays in the race. THE PEOPLE need someone like Ron Paul.

George, Newburgh, NY   September 11th, 2007 2:59 pm ET

Dr. Ron Paul is not given equal media exposure, why? It’s because of FEAR… the big shots FEAR the truthful words that might motivated the American people, the big shots FEAR losing control over the US Government and the big shots FEAR losing their status of elites. They want to keep the average American hungry and ignorant so they can continue to thrive in their influences and profits.

The big shots are the true UNPATRIOTS of America… Their minds and hearts are contaminated with the spirit of GREED and SELFISHNESS (How evil!).

Akinaw Bulcha, Los Angeles CA   September 11th, 2007 12:40 pm ET

Wow…way to go CNN. Great way to brush aside that media bias reputation. Your article is so negative about the Congressman. Look at the issues you mention Paul is for–all controversial. You didn't mention a balanced budget, cutting taxes, constitutional non-interventionism, that he dislikes the Patriot Act, and all other issues that the majority of Americans believe in. I don't know what kind of "scientific" polls are being taken but on the streets where I am, his support is growing. The more people find out about this man (despite the media bias), the better he does. I made my first financial donation to a political race for the first time in my entire life. We no longer have to choose between the lesser of two evils. He is the first populist president since Reagan. And he will win. The left and the right are for the first time united in this one figure. This election will be a landslide–I am certain of it.

Shirley Scott Hoagland IN   September 11th, 2007 10:37 am ET

I am truly amazed. I thought RON PAUL was the best kept secret in America due to LACK of media coverage. Now I see he is not and there is not much left to say, as everyone has already said it for me. YES, I would like to see the Constitution reinstated. If he does one tenth of what he wants to, he will definitely have this country headed back in the right direction. Please media, help us get it done.

Rick Fisk, Austin, Texas   September 6th, 2007 11:59 pm ET

Please consider this. Nobody is mobilizing or organizing anyone. You are getting so many comments about Ron Paul articles you run for a few important reasons:

In general, the main stream media has ignored Ron Paul – sometimes this has been blatantly intentional.
People interested in his campaign are going to therefore jump on any article by main stream sources.
Ron Paul has a very large following.

Here's what you need to explain to your editors and marketing representatives and bring your webmaster with you when you have this meeting with the log entries and summaries for Ron Paul articles.

This is not spam. People are independently seeking out news regarding Ron Paul. They are not sending out emails to each other encouraging people to comment on a blog item.

Start tracking the advertising revenue you are generating when you cover Ron Paul. You could take advantage of Ron Paul's popularity or you could follow Fox News and your other competitors who haven't yet figured out that there is a significant sum of money to be had by fairly covering Ron Paul's candidacy.

Do this before your competitors discover it for themselves. Cover what is going on with respect and intellectual honesty and you will be rewarded beyond your wildest imagination. News is a business. People do care. And more importantly, people who follow Ron Paul know the difference between propaganda and news.

Tom, Los Angeles, California   September 6th, 2007 9:27 pm ET

Please output your facts in an objective manor. You simply state "Paul opposed abortion rights" which suggest changes to federal law prohibiting abortion. While it is true that Paul opposes abortion rights personally, he would NEVER suggest a federal law; rather, lets the states make those decisions. He is a true republican who doesn't let his own personal views impact the way our President should run the country.

Bill-TUCSON,ARIZONA   September 6th, 2007 11:13 am ET

Dr.Ron Paul is the only candidate any serious person can rely on to give a truthful answer about anything.The absolute smugness of Romney and Rudely(not a typo)can not be ignored.The suckingup to the Radical Right Wing Religious Fanatics by Brownback,
Huckabee is just disengenious or ignorant,take your pick.A proud Arizona Democrat for Ron Paul.

Jake Wulf Tullahoma Tn   September 4th, 2007 2:38 am ET

No he is not a joke. Please just hear him out.

Jake Wulf Tn

Silvis IL   August 8th, 2007 9:58 pm ET

TV news is a sham. Propaganda for the sheeple. Ron Paul in 2008!!!!

Mike

Anonymous   August 8th, 2007 10:56 am ET

Ron Paul is the man! The only one who speaks the truthall the rest are proped up.

Joseph Yazdanpanahi Tyler, Texas   August 5th, 2007 9:26 pm ET

The fact of the matter is with emerging technologies such as the internet, cell phones, et cetera- the accuracy of national polls are bad. National polls call people with land lines whom have voted before. Many of Ron Paul's supporters have never voted in an election before because of age, don't have a land telephone line, or have in the past shown disinterest to polling over the phone. No one in my entire family or any of my many acquaintances, online and in real life, have ever been polled before.

The owner of Fox News supports Rudy Giuliani which is a fact… notice he is also poling at the top. In debates Ron Paul is given a small fraction of time to say anything.

If Ron Paul is not a top-tier candidate then why has he received more than John McCain (over 5 million) in small donations? Why does he dominating every aspect of the internet population? The other candidates most likely receive money from large special interest groups.

Most people do not even follow politics this early first off and due to the grassroots campaign dominance of Ron Paul it is obvious that he will win the primaries and the presidential election.

DailyPaul.com

Rudy G, New York, NY   July 13th, 2007 2:45 am ET

Ok Ron Paul – you may have…just a few supporters. 3rd. in fundraising (having beaten McCain with cash on hand); #1 GOP website (www.RonPaul2008.com)in May for most traffic (27%) going to any GOP site; unheard of on Technorati that 'Ron Paul' is in the top searched terms now for 2 months straight; nearly 21,000 YOUTUBE subscribers (with the next closet candidate, Barack Obama, with less than 9,000); top Republican on MySpace.com, Facebook.com, Eventful.com, Meetup.com; so you may have…just a few supporters. But you're still hated by many. http://www.IHateRonPaul.com – "…they hate us for our FREEDOMS!"

Mike, Northampton PA   July 9th, 2007 5:41 pm ET

Ron Paul personally believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman, and is against abortion rights. However Ron Paul does feel that it is the federal governments' job to decide these matters for the citizenry. Ron Paul believes that states should make these decisions. The CNN Political Ticker Team should do a little more research before generalizing a candidates views. Although, at least it seems CNN is finally starting to talk about Ron Paul.

Tyler, Red Bank, NJ   July 8th, 2007 10:38 pm ET

Ron Paul's support is undeniable and there is plenty of time for the rest of America to get to know him. He has already taught me a lot about federalism and how this great nation was intended to function.

The online support is not a joke. I am not a spammer, I am just one voice in the crowd. I will be voting for the first time in 2008, most likely, for Ron Paul.

Marcy Phy Griggs, RN of Texas   July 7th, 2007 2:56 am ET

Not only was I a patient of Dr. Ron Paul's back in the 70s but, as an RN, I had the privilege and the honor to work along side him in the Operating Room in later years so I feel I can truly comment on Ron Paul, the Man. I believe him to be honest and trustworthy and truly care about the American people. In my opinion, he's the only one I think I'd trust in DC. We NEED a MAN like him to lead us. Someone with INTEGRITY. Remember what that is? He does.

cole, Jackson MS   July 6th, 2007 2:11 pm ET

why is Ron Paul being censored?

Dary, Jacksonville, FL   July 2nd, 2007 4:00 pm ET

I see that CNN is censoring Rep. Paul's 06/30 rally in Iowa.

It figures.

Of all the footage coming out of the rally, my favorite is at http://www.ronpaulnation.com/tv.html#iowa1

Mike, Toledo OH   June 25th, 2007 5:21 pm ET

Like Ron Paul, I don't believe our federal government orchestrated the attacks on 9/11. The support for Ron Paul is for real, whether people acknowledge that or not is up to the individual. The reason Ron Paul is attracting millions of supporters is because the message of liberty and security by following the guidelines of the U.S. Constitution is a powerful one.

Shepherd, Olympia, WA   June 24th, 2007 7:32 pm ET

What do you get when conspiracy theorists, neoliberals, and online gamers somehow get merged into one person with a whole lot of time?

1448 comments by a handful of trolls.

Anonymous   June 23rd, 2007 12:03 pm ET

CNN provided an online political post-debate blog for the June 5th Republican debate, which showed overwhelming support for Ron Paul. According to CNN that blog was pulled due to "strain on resources that night" This sounds like censorship to me!!!

The internet and independent honest journalism might at the end save the republic.

http://www.ronpaul2008.com

Arun, New York and New York   June 20th, 2007 8:02 pm ET

Wow, almost 1500 comments. Anyway, I think Ron Paul should be getting more coverage from the media. If he did, I'm sure he would be winning all the polls, not just the internet ones. His policies just make sense. But you know what, you should make up your own mind. Go to Ronpaul2008.com and read up on the issues. Compare him to other candidates.

Richard J E, Austin, TX   June 20th, 2007 4:42 pm ET

I'm tired of MSM media bias (including YOURS, CNN). Ron Paul's candidacy has cast a glaring spotlight on how the MSM 'sells' the candidates they want.

Ron Paul is the only candidate worth voting for; he has integrity and honor.

He isn't bought and paid for by large corporate or financial interests.

The others don't have a clue about the Constitution, or worse yet see it as an impediment to their agendas.

Our country needs more people like Ron Paul right now.

Shari Peterson, Chicago IL   June 20th, 2007 11:48 am ET

If the Internet and digital communication is the norm now and the most widely used method of relating to people and buying consumer goods, at what point will the polls and media realize that there is nothing bogus going on here with Ron Paul's online popularity? Today's college and high school kids LIVE on the Internet. Anyone with access to a computer, which has got to be 75% of the population, are going to use that method to relay their opinions. People are using the computer to voice themselves and why shouldn't they? Nobody I know has ever been phone polled (which is kind of like paying bills by check and snail mail now!) including co-workers, friends and family. Who the heck are they polling? That's what I'd like to know. Plus, if the intelligent and well-read are not polled we are not seeing a truly scientific and fair poll; that is unless you consider uneducated, ignorant people the norm, you are not properly sampling for polls.

Jason, Rancho cucamonga, CA   June 17th, 2007 2:33 pm ET

I'm a Ron Paul supporter, and I am also upset at the lack attention in mainstream media. But I also believe most internet supporters are naive to the fact that many Americans out there don't frequent the internet as much. Many out there use it strictly for shopping and e-mail. I know my parents are like that.

Don't assume that just because he is popular on the internet, that he is popular with mainstream America. Just go out there and ask random people about him, not friends of yours or just young people, and I think you'll find that many really don't know about Ron Paul.

Ron Paul needs to move beyond the internet. He needs more money for television, radio and newspapers. Many Americans, don't use youtube and myspace.

Dev Vaz, Indianapolis, IN   June 17th, 2007 12:44 am ET

Dr. Ron Paul possesses integrity, consistency, and the intellectual honesty that makes him the only worthy candidate for president in 2008. It is outrageous to me that all the republican candidates, except Dr. Paul, endorsed a preemptive strike against Iran with nuclear weapons, if felt necessary. They represent an extension of the Bush-Cheney war mongering and continue to defend a colossal mistake. Furthermore they seem to want to escalate the conflict. Dr. Paul’s staunch opposition to this stance and his compelling arguments against such flawed foreign policy and his profound insight into the reasons for the proliferation of terrorism make him the ideal person to fight the ‘ War on Terror’. He is truly the defender of the constitution and a patriot and is the only individual who can reverse the downward spiral of this great nation. It is therefore not surprising that so many Americans stand behind him and will prove that we still have a democracy and power does not rest with corrupt politicians and the corporations that finance them.

Anne Adams   June 16th, 2007 1:19 pm ET

I have just finished reading all responses, 1438 comments in all, the last one added on June 15, 2007, at 1:29 a.m. As it is now June 16, and it is now 10:10 a.m. PST, I just wonder whether this comment blog has been closed. I would think it would be very educational to see just how many responses would have been generated, given news of this blog being spread via word-of-mouth.

Nevertheless, I am so pleased for the many, many positive responses for Ron Paul. I have followed his career for many years I don't remember anything he has ever said that I disagree with. He is a wonderful, honerable man and would make us a wonderful president. Having him as president will give us another chance to lead the free world, lead as in 'by example.' We have wonderful people in this country and by the responses in this commentary, we have many, many, many wonderful people. We do need to be active in letting the various medias that we want to hear about Ron Paul. If we fail to make that clear, crystal clear, then they will just ignore us and business will go on as usual. We have a wonderful chance to make our selves heard and we each need to find a way to do just that. I am retired and on a fixed income but I can sit at the computer and write e-mails all day if that is what is needed…to my friends, family, the networks, etc. I already contact my congressmen and the entire congress for other issues that I am concerned about. I have just added Ron Paul to my list and I joined a local Elect Ron Paul group. At the very least, each one of us can talk about Ron Paul to everyone we can get to listen. He is what we've been waiting for even if we did not know it. We never had choices before. Let's don't waste this chance.

ashley, jackson mississippi   June 16th, 2007 12:05 pm ET

"If indeed his support is growing, what is it going to take for Paul to break out and challenge the front-runners for the GOP presidential nomination?" this is the question.
Well, perhaps if the media would simply report the news and not report their opinions then Dr. Paul would win this election in the largest landslide victory in american politics.

STACEY ,NEW CASTLE PA   June 15th, 2007 10:24 pm ET

I WAS DISGUSTED AT CNN'S OBVIOUS FAVORTISM OF THE SO CALLED TOP TIER CANIDATES..PEOPLE ARE SICK OF YOU SAYING YOU DON'T CENSOR WHEN IT IS SO OBVIOUS YOU DO.

PAUL   June 15th, 2007 1:29 am ET

Dear CNN, Please put Ron Paul on Louu Dobbs it would be the best!
Ron Paul is a genuis Visonary and has better Ideas than all other Canidates combined!- Both parties- CNN please support this Hero of a man-standing up for America…
We dont want to be part of Mexico- We don't want RFID cards-WE don't want never ending war- We don't want to live in poverty-We don't want to keep polluting the atmosphere-We don't want to live in a police state-we don't want to pay 56% of our money to Taxes!
We don't want to live in fear!
CNN Please help your Country when it needs you. There seems, at least to me that Lou Dobbs veiws match up perfectly with Ron Paul- You can't say he's not a front runner!-He won all the Polls in all the debates-Well just about all! Money shouldn't be a factor now that he has amazingly raised 7 million dollars from tens of thousands of ordinary Americans!!!! In just a few weeks without any big Media help!- AND YOUR NOT COVERING IT AND WE KNOW IT- THIS IS NOT FAIR!!!!
How long can you contain It? Those who are commited are 10 times more diehard than any RUDILLARYMCROMNEY! Supporter we've converted many already…. Let his message be heard and let Freedom Ring in this Country again…….
Thank you,

Teddy Bancroft   June 14th, 2007 8:19 pm ET

I am a republican paleo-con who is sick of my party being hijacked by warmongering neo-cons, who pander to the religious right, grow government, and ignore the environment. I support Ron Paul wholeheartedly, and am insulted that my opinion is dismissed and marginalized in favor of mainstream bought-and-paid-for so called 'top-tier' candidates.

dan barnes   June 14th, 2007 6:40 pm ET

The more I hear about Ron Paul the more I like his stances and unimpeachable record of consistency in supporting the intention of the constitution. His views definitely warrant more mainstream coverage, and I suspect it will more and more, as his underground buzz is phenomenal in scope and momentum.

Marc-Felix Otto, Zurich, Switzerland   June 14th, 2007 4:58 pm ET

Dear all,

these last weeks have been a marvellous time for freedom-loving observers of Ron Paul's campaign overseas.
It seems like Switzerland and Hong Kong may soon be challenged being the countries with the highest levels of individual liberty – by the old favorite USA which originally started that race.

Good luck from Zurich!

Rudy, Jackson,MO   June 14th, 2007 4:04 pm ET

Ron Paul is a true American. Forget about Republican or Democrat. This man stands for America's true values. Anti-war and Non interventionist and Smaller Government and I love this one above all. ABOLISHMENT OF THE IRS! We Americans are a freedome loving people and want a candidate who reflects that. Ron Paul is the only one who comes close.

brooks sisters oregon   June 14th, 2007 3:57 pm ET

forget all the media polls go to the vegas bookmakers they have the true odds, yep its Ron Paul

Brian, Richmond, VA   June 14th, 2007 10:30 am ET

All we ask for as Americans is a true deomocratic process. That means EQUAL REPRESENTATION of all candidates! It is becoming apparent that the media controls how much you see of each candidate, so the big corporate sponsored candidates(as mindless as they are) get all the play. We need responsible media! The media needs to be the last line of defense in a democracy, not an information sculpting machine working towards its own agendas.

Don, Ashtabula OH.   June 14th, 2007 3:55 am ET

I shut my TV off long ago because of the worthless, and very one sided opinions constantly being shoved in my face from the media. I have never once in my lifetime seen a candidate that was worthy enough for me to talk about to my friends and family until Ron Paul hit the scene. Ladies and Gentlemen, this country belongs to the PEOPLE of the United States, and we're coming out in numbers to take it back! The Constitution says "We The People.." and it's our guarantee of freedom. REAL FREEDOM. Ron Paul will restore dignity and honor to this country. This country is "ill" right now, and the doctor is banging on the door. Listen to what he is saying, NOT WHAT THE MEDIA TELLS YOU!!!

BRING BACK "REAL" AMERICA RON!!!!!!!!

Dr.Ron Paul 2008

Manilow, Nashville, TN   June 14th, 2007 12:34 am ET

I have never voted before. Usually, I am turned away by both candidates. After seeing Ron Paul, I am highly interested in keeping up with what he has to say. I think Dr. Paul is genuine. That by itself sets him apart from all of the other aspiring Presidential candidates. It's a shame he isn't getting the coverage he deserves. It seems like the liberal media like Ron Paul more than the conservatives. Listen to what this man has to say. He has my attention, but he deserves so much more.

M. Robateau Valley Stream,NY   June 13th, 2007 9:30 pm ET

Dr. Ron Paul is a walking American civics lesson. He has followed our Constitution to the letter from day one. And he has been at it since the early 70's. This great man will bring back American pride and respect. We won't have to be affraid to travel outside of our borders anymore.
May god bless him. And god bless our Republic!

Roger, Argyle TX   June 13th, 2007 12:36 pm ET

I support Ron Paul.
I don't appreciate being pandered to.
I agree with his positions.
He is the one candidate that I can vote FOR rather than select as the "lesser of two evils".

Ron Paul 2008 – Because the lesser of two evils, is still evil!

Lake Richard, Houston, TX   June 13th, 2007 12:27 pm ET

All I can say is that I for the first time watched the GOP debates and saw and heard someone who had something substantive to say, was historical erudite, and conveyed HONESTLY about their devotion to the constitution, too conservative ideals and to critical thinking….that was Dr. Paul. He has won my vote.

Jack Thomas, Harrison Twp, Michigan   June 12th, 2007 11:28 pm ET

I just got back from a two week trip covering seven states. About a dozen times I asked, "Is there a Presidential candidate you favor right now?" One Dem said anyone but Hillary ("too polarizing"), another said no; others, presumably Republicans, leaned towards Romney or Giuliani or said they hope Thompson (the actor) runs, but none were committed — except Ron Paul supporters. Sat next to one on a flight (a physician), talked to one by phone, and met a third in a parking lot — not realizing she and her cousin had a Ron Paul sticker on their Ford Explorer bumper. It was the first and only political candidate bumper sticker I've seen this year.

Point is, unless my experience was an abberation, something is going on here that the polls do not explain. He is the only candidate in either party to actually vote against the war from the start; and, unlike the GOP front runners, he doesn't have to explain or apologize for past votes or changing views because he votes based on principles that don't change with each new poll. Like him or not, I think most voters respect him from the debates. More recently his post-debate appearances with Bill Maher and Jon Stewart proved him to be likeable as well. He has done all this on a shoestring budget about 1/20th the size of what Mitt Romney has raised. I agree his chances are slim, but we have become too much a nation of sheep. If we just follow along and elect another party favorite whose chief talent is raising money, we will get what we deserve: Another President beholden to special interests.

Bill,Portland, OR   June 12th, 2007 10:39 pm ET

To say he opposes abortion and gay marriage without also saying that he leaves these decisions up to the states is dishonest. As president his personal views on this matter would have no affect by law. I have witnessed the media time and time again attempt to slander Ron Paul. Somehow I don't think the comments would have been removed had they show support for Romney, McCain, or Ghouliani.

Jennifer, Houston, TX   June 12th, 2007 5:04 pm ET

A politician with integrity? Could it be? Yes, Ron Paul is that! I consider myself neither a Democrat nor a Republican but an intelligent American who can think for myself, and I think I like Ron Paul! This man has convictions, he also knows the meaning of the words, "mind your own business", something our govt should have learned a long time ago.

Charles, Sacramento, California   June 12th, 2007 3:51 pm ET

(3rd try, forgot city last time)

Ron Paul presents a golden opportunity to us to restore our government to its proper Constitutional form. This is what is desparately needed, not ever-expanding socialism or the pending fascism we now face.

And seeing that the media has made itself an enemy to truth and goodness, we should rightly wonder how much of the sickness and despair in our society is a result of its ongoing and deliberate distortions, in tacit cooperation with the forces of Big Government.

Look at the other topics' comments on CNN's political ticker. Almost nobody has any personal passion for the likes of McCain, Giuliani, Hillary, or Edwards. Votes for them will mainly be cast by a fatalistic electorate, trained by the media to only consider the lesser of evils.

If we can't wake up and elect men like Ron Paul, we deserve what's coming.

Hilary, Pittsburgh, Pa.   June 12th, 2007 2:19 pm ET

View all the stories on politicalticker.blogs.cnn for june 8th 2007.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/06/08/

The number of comments for the various stories:

14
13
0
9
66
5
4
16
22
7
11
6
3
13
1421
0

It is interesting to note, that the story on Ron Paul got 4 digits of responses (aka over 1000) while the next most popular news story for that day got 66.

The news media is grossly skewing the news away from issues that the American citizen find important.

Mark Muncie, IN   June 12th, 2007 10:52 am ET

It is really kind of humorous how the big time media suggests that online polls are rigged! All you have to do is go to (any) news topic concerning Ron Paul and see how many comments favoring his views there is compared to any other candidate. I guess there must be one person leaving all those pro Ron Paul comments also that means this person is taking the time to log in under thousands of different usernames and posting completley different comments Man what an incredible computer hacker he must be, maybe we could find this person and punish him(her) for making Ron Paul look so good. What kind of idiots do they think we are? (Fox you are number one on the list of Corporate suck ups) The Ron Paul Revolution is here to stay and growing stronger thru the internet because he speaks the truth not because of some hacker Ron Paul speaks to real American people about real American issues and we are listening. Regardles of party afilliation. Ron Paul all the way for the good ole U.S.A.

Paul, Herrin, IL   June 12th, 2007 4:46 am ET

Ron Paul is definitely the best candidate

Bill James   June 11th, 2007 9:14 pm ET

Good question!

Answer: 1. Listen to him
2. Publish him 1/4 the rate that you publish the "scientific" favorites.

JayJay Atlantic City, NJ   June 11th, 2007 8:38 pm ET

The internet has the least amount of corporate influence and bias based on the sole fact that it is the most uncensored form of media. Everyone has a right to post their opinion – for or against. To assert that nationwide support for a candidate is not legit is just plain ignorant, and suggests a corporate/political bias from CNN. The more spin you put on coverage, the more people will turn to the internet, so it would be in your best interest to report honestly. By the way, I am a scientist, and eventhough you attempt to disprove your own polls, it is impossible to deny the information that they do give or the questions that arise….see if you can answer why he has so much support and popularity, and why none of the other candidates do. Also, all scientific studies are biased regardless of methodology, you can only hope to minimize the error. I'd like to see the sample pools from the scientific polls.

C. william, Wichita ks   June 11th, 2007 6:16 pm ET

"The Ron Paul phenomenon?"

I love the title! It's as if Ron Paul is a UFO or some such nonsense that invalidates everything he represents.

Too bad Ron Paul is the only down to earth candidate that actually makes sense in comparison to every other warhawk that the media pushes down our throat.

I'm done with CNN and their biased censorship when it comes to who THEY think I should vote or even know about.

Chris Schuler, Belleville, IL   June 11th, 2007 5:20 pm ET

The reason for the discrepancy between nationwide polls and post-debate polls is because people who have watched the debates (and have therefore has an opportunity to hear Paul speak) overwhelmingly support Ron Paul. Rudy McRomney don't have any real support — all they have is a pile of special interest money. And because they have money the media feels obligated to give them free airtime? What a joke.

The support for Ron Paul you are seeing here is absolutely real. And previous questioners have pondered, if all of these pro-Paul comments and online polls were overwhelming favorable to Obama, CNN would make this a headline story. All media outlets would. You cannot deny this. The people who work in the lower tiers of the media really need to ask themselves why their superiors are choosing to ignore this major news story.

And moreover, the media needs to take a look at the LACK of support for the other candidates. The only negative comments I have seen about Paul are that "he doesn't have a chance" and "who the hell is Ron Paul?". But this isn't opposition to Paul, but rather the inevitable effect of a media which seeks to keep the American people ignorant of their choices. The only reason people are supporting Rudy McRomney are because you in the media have repeatedly told them that they have to.

But none of the supporters of the "top tier" really seem all that gung-ho about their guy. The generally don't (and can't) explain why they like their own candidate, but are only picking a candidate from the list of people that you in the media have told them they must choose from. The American people are tired of the way that the corporate media has undermined Democracy in this country, and we're not going to stand for it anymore. The Ron Paul “phenomenon” only serves to highlight just how disconnected from the American public the mainstream media has become.

sv, palm beach florida   June 11th, 2007 4:53 pm ET

I didn't expect cnn to be so blatantly biased against Ron Paul, but since they choose to do so, I choose not to watch their station. I can get the news elsewhere. Bye, bye cnn, hope others will follow.

James, Temecula, California   June 11th, 2007 2:27 pm ET

I am becoming a Republican just to vote for Ron Paul in the primaries. It's a shame that the media will not give him fair time. I believe in this nation, and I believe in Ron Paul.

John, American abroad in Cranbrook, Kent, UK   June 11th, 2007 1:25 pm ET

I will leave the Democratic party if Ron Paul becomes the GOP candidate. We need to protect the Constitution in order to avoid disater in the future… in both foreign and domestic policies.

Rox, Nashville, TN   June 11th, 2007 1:24 pm ET

Bud Roberts:

What is your specific beef with Paul? Sounds like you are making something out of nothing.

Joy, Raleigh, NC   June 11th, 2007 1:03 pm ET

Ron Paul has a significant chance of winning the election. He doesn't pander or talk down to people. He is hope for America. People are using more than just the Internet to by pass the media. They are going to friends and family. They are showing up to malls, doing meals on wheels, going to festivals and just about everywhere else American's gather. They are educating themselves about Ron Paul's voting record making them ready willing and able to promote Ron Paul to the best of their abilities. They aren't worrying about those who are brainwashed by the mass media as they use the truth like a razor sharp weapon. They are taking it to the streets in the cities, towns and just about every backwater in America. I think those in the media are use to being the King makers and are going to be very disappointed when it becomes clear that the sheep have woken up in this country.

For those who think that Ron Paul isn't significant consider the fact that he now has raised close to 5 million dollars as reported by Free Market News. Raised within the last handful of months with small contributor donations. This is astonishing and should be news worthy.

Joe Jackson Tallahassee Fl.   June 11th, 2007 10:15 am ET

I am a Democrat that is thinking about changing to a Republican so I can vote for Ron Paul . He is the only candidate that is talking to me at this time.CNN please let the American voters chose by giving Ron Paul and all other candidates in the debates equal time.

Chadwick Hurlburt, Campton Kentucky   June 11th, 2007 8:00 am ET

Ron Paul all the way I say. He represents the ideals I believe in. The other presidential hopefuls scare me to death. I want illegal immigrants to be ILLEGAL. Not given a tax-free ride and cutting the value of the work we do by working for less. I say build a wall 100 feet high and take the troops out of Iraq and let them dare an illegal to come through. The majority of this country feels this way. Why is it the ones we elect to represent us don't represent us.

Ed Duree, Fairfield, CA   June 11th, 2007 3:37 am ET

I am tired of the sinister implication that I have been organized by Ron Paul to spam your online polls. I have sent him $500.00 and haven't received a thank you or any other communnication at any time, not that I am complaining, but it's true.

As for your scientific polls, how scientific are they? If people don't get to see Ron Paul on television and he is minimized during debates by CNN commentators, and he only has a million to spend because the establishment does not support him, how do the subjects of the scientific polls know if they like him or not?

The online votes are from people interested in the political debate, probably younger, more educated and more affluent than the subjects of the scientific sampling. Few of us are probably in your scientific demographic. I for example am a formerly registered Democrat ruing that I may have to register Republican to vote for Paul. Will you be calling me soon?

Just treat all of these people running equally. That's why you have debates–to allow us to be informed about the views of the candidates, what they have to offer. Then let us decide who to vote for.

Paul. CA   June 11th, 2007 1:59 am ET

The only reason you say that Ron Paul's supporters are good at coordinating online and doesn't represent the country across the board is because he gets NO MEDIA coverage. Corporate greed and mainstream media will not spread the truth, they want to keep people in check. So don't use this as a front that "Oh Ron Paul only has support on the internet" that's crap. You people and all other news stations are told not to cover him, being biased because he upholds the Constitution. You people make me sick.

Joel McCreight   June 11th, 2007 12:52 am ET

Thanks for posting this article. If these poll numbers came from on of the so called 'front liners' none of the media establishmen would be saying these things. Two possibilities are quite obvious. Either the classic scientific pollsters have old data or they are lying. Ron Paul support is growing faster than any other candidate.

Felipe, Houston, Tx   June 10th, 2007 11:37 pm ET

I believe, as a Christian, that this candidate, Congressman Ron Paul is an honest man. I MEAN IT. The man is an independent thinker. I can just sense it. I am with him when he says we have to change the Foreign Policy, over throw the IRS who steals from the American people, bring back the TRUE meaning of the Constitution which was written under Biblical Terms and does not change over time, its the same until the Lord comes back; we shouldn't begin war and force democracy but show it's true meaning to the peoples of the world, that's right. I believe in Freedom, and that freedom is of Jesus Christ. That's right.

Steve Savage, Oklahoma City, OK   June 10th, 2007 10:24 pm ET

This is the only blog entry with over 1300+ comments, and you have to ASK if Ron Paul is an internet phenomenon?

Matt Harris, West Lafayette, Indiana   June 10th, 2007 9:14 pm ET

I am pleased to see that cnn is addressing the Who Won comments issue. I was very angry when I saw that the post was removed with the comments, I can now watch CNN again. As long as they start talking about Ron Paul, obviously there are people out there that want to see him on tv…..and there are alot of us.

Brett, Riverside, CA   June 10th, 2007 8:21 pm ET

You can start by putting a decent picture of Ron Paul in the "Election Center 2008″ section of CNN.com. Then get rid of Huckabee, Brownback, Gilmore, Tancredo, (Tommy) Thompson and Hunter for the next debate, they are just taking up space if you ask me.

Jeff Johnson, Whitefish MT   June 10th, 2007 7:44 pm ET

Simply, Ron Paul is America's only hope to restore constitutional order. Paul is grass roots and all the other candidates are a bunch of new world order corporate suck-ups.

J Martin, DeRidder, LA   June 10th, 2007 5:57 pm ET

Ron Paul is the only Republican in the race, including Fred Thompson, that I would consider voting for in the Presidential race. The man actually tells the truth, which is unusual for Republicans.

dallas, tx   June 10th, 2007 4:17 pm ET

Listen America Dr Paul is rihgt on most issues

Jeff Bloom Glendale Az   June 10th, 2007 3:45 pm ET

rom Paul is the only canidate that is going too stand up for the average american. We havent had that for over 150 years.FDR the socialist does not count. Paul is the only one worth paying attention too!

Bjorn, CDA, ID   June 10th, 2007 3:25 pm ET

I've never commented or voted in an online poll– but I support Ron Paul.

When I lived in MN, I saw the same thing happen with Ventura– he didn't register in "scientific polls", but yet, he won. I see the same happening here!!

Carl, Los Angeles, CA   June 10th, 2007 3:15 pm ET

Paul opposes abortion rights, voted to authorize a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border, supports withdrawing troops from Iraq, and defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Is he a “true conservative”?

Ron Paul may be the only true conservative, but more importantly he is the only sensible candidate and the only one I've heard from who might represent the people's interests. People don't know how to take him because they are used to being told my the news media what the political realities are, instead of thinking for themselves and figuring out what is needed politically first, without regard to the propaganda and norms hyped by the society.

Pietro Cappello NYC   June 10th, 2007 1:48 pm ET

You keep citing the difference between the "scientific" polls and the polls that you display on your website, internet response etc. The only reason why the "scientific" polls are not showing Ron Paul to be in the lead is because those polls scientifically designed to exclude Ron Paul. These polls are meant to promote very specific candidates that support very special intrests group.

Randy Turner, Olympia, WA   June 10th, 2007 1:37 pm ET

Given the so called national scientific polls are taken from, in large part, ill informed Americans that get their information from the biased major media in this country, it’s no wonder these polls show Ron Paul polling in the 2% range.

In regards to spamming, I would dare say Ron Paul’s internet polling numbers are quite real, given the number of supporters that are online.

With every person I encounter, either in person, on the phone or on the internet, I mention Ron Paul and give out his web address. And with these encounters, I’d say at least 99% agree we need a change in leadership in America.

Peace and Liberty,
Randy

chad kansas city missouri   June 10th, 2007 12:01 pm ET

i think its funny how the media thinks they can decide things for us and tell us which polls are scientific, and which are not, when the people watching their programs know more about the subject matter than they do ( like they told us that we were spamming the fox text message poll but then noted that none of them even knew how to send a text messsage.)
for pretty much my entire adult life i have hated politics and news in general because its always the same crap, turn on the local new to see who got murdered, learn about the newest desease i might catch, and etc. olitics is the same way, its always two guys that you have to choose between the lesser of two evils, and i have always though, why vote at all? they are not any different, once any candidate gets into office it will be buisness as usual. you always hear presidential candidates talk about lowering taxes, healthcare, social security, etc. but nothing ever changes ( go watch the bush/kary debates and see what i mean) bush tax cuts only help people that make over something like 90,000 a year and buisness owners, oh wait i think it dropped my income taxes like .025 percent or something.
basically ron paul is the only one offering any substantial change to our current oppressive government and WILL do the things he says, also he is a people person and is just as likely to be seen hanging out with his supporters/ people in his district than attending social gatherings, tv interviews, hell he is coming to kansas city just to meet our meetup group.
anyway, we can read between the lines, and noone wants anouther george bush for president, personally i will never watch cnn again unless you start showing more balanced coverage of the candidates.

Leanne   June 10th, 2007 11:18 am ET

Free America! RON PAUL 2008

Ann Dothan Alabama   June 10th, 2007 10:42 am ET

This is my third post so I'll make it my last on this board realizing that I am getting close to spamming. I just wanted to add the thought that Dr. paul is so different from the other candidates from both parties that I believe what ever support he has is rock solid. And I believe his support is growing daily along with the camaigns warchest. Lastley Thank You CNN for alowing this blog Ann

Brian Smith, Portland Maine   June 10th, 2007 8:53 am ET

I watched the republican debate over the internet on CNN's Pipeline. One of the ways you could watch the debate was with graph overlays showing NH viewer responses to the candidates as they were speaking, this was split into republicans, independents an average and also by male and female at the bottom. The only candidate that consistently hit the +10 area was Ron Paul, it was amazing to watch. I never heard anybody mention this, but it was quite dramatic and his high numbers in this really stood out I thought. He got especially good responses from independents, but also scored well with republicans, consistently beating the three front runners. What I thought was also impressive was that the numbers would sometimes start out low when he first answered the question, but as he explained himself they would take off.

I think this shows two things; one that Dr. Paul has a strong message that people respond to, and also that he can articulate it in a way that people understand and can identify with. I think this is an interesting departure from candidates who started out high with their snappy sound bites and often trailed off as they muddled around in their explanations.
I personally think that if Ron Paul actually had media coverage and people knew who he was and heard his message his support would grow leaps and bounds. People respond well to this guy, but as he is constantly reported as a contender without a chance, he is dismissed as not a real option. I think this does America a disservice.

Lorin, Thompsons Station, TN   June 10th, 2007 7:48 am ET

Sorry CNN, but we still smell a rat. It's not just about the comment pages after the debate; it's about the debate itself. The 3 front runners are positioned prominently on center stage – making for the perfect, excessively used 3-shot. Then these front runners are given more than double the questions and double the amount of time – despite the talk of equal time at the beginning of the debate. Ron Paul supporters are pissed because they saw CNN marginalizing him in the debate with their own eyes.

Josh Dallas TX   June 10th, 2007 6:20 am ET

Ron Paul provides a voice for all of us disenchanted with politics. It is amazing how encompassing his views are, people from all over the political spectrum have started to support this man. Just look at this comment thread. Thank you Ron Paul and thank you Ron Paul supporters for giving me hope.
P.S. any bets on how long it takes for cnn to pull this thread?

Chris. Madison Wi   June 10th, 2007 5:18 am ET

Without a doubt Ron Paul is the best candidate on from either side. He's got my vote!

Anonymous   June 10th, 2007 3:02 am ET

He doesn't oppose abortion rights.. that's not true

Leyton, Des Moines, Iowa   June 9th, 2007 10:18 pm ET

Ron Paul is the first candidate most people have ever donated to. This includes myself. We will see how much of a phenom he is after June 31st.

Hollis Matthews   June 9th, 2007 8:55 pm ET

Ron Paul is a classic liberal. And to anyone who has not studied history, that is a compliment.

Suzan, Flemington, NJ   June 9th, 2007 8:14 pm ET

The MSNBC poll doesn't allow you to vote more than once. Last time I checked, 20,000+ people voted and 63% thought Ron Paul won.

I don't think this was organized. I commented in favor of Ron Paul and voted for him and I'm not apart of any listserv that told me to do so. I think CNN and its website looks pretty bad after this whole thing.

Pepper, Pagosa Springs, Co.   June 9th, 2007 6:35 pm ET

You asked "what is it going to take for Ron Paul to "breakout" in the national polls. Its going to take the mainstream press ending its censorship and boycott of anything remotely related to Ron paul.

The only organized activity I have seen was that conducted by the power brokers who have always controlled our elections and who the candidates will be. I didn't know that was happening until I was looking for information on Ron Paul after the first debate when I realized he was the only candidate who was CANDID, and it was refreshing.

I don't agree with him on several subjects, but he has integrity and takes a stand, so I wanted to know more and could find NOTHING IN THE MAINSTREAM PRESS. Then the RNC was going to boycot him from other debates and then I KNEW he was not bought or paid for by anyone.

It was so evident, that I became a supporter. These censors created us supporters…. how ironic… LOL

Kelly E. Griffin, Maple Lake, MN   June 9th, 2007 6:20 pm ET

Wow, I can hardly believe my eyes. I'd given up on CNN after both the Democrat and Republican debates for their unfair treatment of the Candidates they feel are unviable according to their "Scientific polls". Well Lou Dobbs can thank Alex Jones for posting this article, as I feel I can watch CNN again with the printing of this report. Heck just in comparing the amount of comments for this article 1349 to 541 for all your other articles added together on this page as of 5pm CDT 6/9/07, is enough in itself to show the support is real and spreading. Ron Paul gives Americans real HOPE, he has a proven voting record of 10 Congressional Sessions to support his beliefs and positions. I think the question and you next Investigative report should be on the legitimacy of the Scientific Polling process. When you consider on the MSNBC poll (which can still be accessed I believe) shows ron paul in the first poll with 42% of almost 95000 votes, versus a Scientific poll that only contacts maybe 700-1000 respondents, from a list we have no idea of whom they're calling in the first place. Go to myspace, meetup, you tube, to mention a few places to verify and measure the amount of support he has. It's time for the MSM to play fair and let Ron Paul be heard and the People decide, because the more you try to avoid, ignore, and ridicule him the more interested people become in him. Again Thank you for addressing this subject as CNN's acitons are very questionable after both debates you presented, and whether you should be allowed to present any additional debates. If you truly had any courage and cared at all about the Sovereignty of America you'd let Lou Dobbs host the next series of debates, then we'd really get to the bottom of the issues that are concerning most Americans.

A True Ron Paul supporter
Kelly E. Griffin
Maple Lake, MN
griffthegrand@yahoo.com

Donald Mironov   June 9th, 2007 5:51 pm ET

I love my country because it has been such a remarkable experiment, in so many ways very successful, a place where a person need not be limited by caste, need not be locked into ancient feuds a thousand years old, and has basic freedoms to flourish which have been very uncommon in human history. However, as I hve proceeded in life I have very frankly come to believe we are now living in the twilight of this noble experiment and that I will live to see the end of our republic as it has been envisioned. When I heard Ron Paul duringthe debates I was astounded. I had not heard such a person in public life in a long time. I don't care if Ron Paul is a good orator or a poor one on a stage, his words speak the truth and the truth hits home for me in my gut, where what he says resonates in a way the others just do not for me. I believe this nation is blessed, or has been, with being offered remarkable ilndividuals at crucial turning points in it's history. I truly believe Ron Paul to be such. We are ever so fortunate that such people still exist in public life. Perhaps there is room for hope for a better tomorrow for this nation. We shall see. At least inb looking back on these days we will not be able to say the opportunity was not offered and made available to us to have it be so. Thank you.

Sitting-Bull, Oneonta, NY   June 9th, 2007 4:56 pm ET

The national polls are rigged as the media perception of Ron paul. They even rigged the last two presidential votes. And Bush, besides dropping to all-time lows in the surveys all the time, is still ranking in the 30% of supporting. If you believe this, I smell a rat…and have a bridge to sell…

RYAN, PHX   June 9th, 2007 4:19 pm ET

IT'S OBVIOUS THAT RON PAUL IS THE CANDIDATE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO SEE IN THE OVAL OFFICE IN '08. HE IS WINNING EVERY POLL BY A BLOWOUT. HE'S FOR REAL. "AND IT'S OBVIOIUS THAT EVERY DEBATE IS RIGGED AND BLACKS HIM OUT". I CAN'T IMMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF HE GOT THE MEDIA ATTENTION THAT MC CAIN, GIULIANI, AND ROMNEY GOT. WHY DO THEY FEAR THAT GUY. IF HE WINS THE NOMINATION! HE WILL BEAT HILLARY OE OBAMA IN A LANDSLIDE! HANDS DOWN.

Anthony, Albany, NY   June 9th, 2007 4:00 pm ET

I am a supporter of Ron Paul. I like what the man has to say. I like his voting record. I admire his honesty and courage. We, the PEOPLE must pledge our support to the only real candidate who is not a puppet of the wealthy and powerful elite. Send your donations to Ron Paul's campaign. Stand up for Ron Paul. Put a sign on your lawn for Ron Paul. Tell all your friends to 'check out' Ron Paul. They will like what they hear. This is true grass roots democracy. TAKE BACK AMERICA!

Leslie Jones Virginia Beach, VA   June 9th, 2007 3:47 pm ET

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to express my opinion on this subject. I am not a spammer, but a 52 y/o woman who actually searches for information on candidates. Your debate was part of that search. Your coverage of all the candidates participating in your debate was lacking. Since I was having difficulty finding much information about Dr. Paul and the other lesser known candidates, in the mainstream media in general, I have gone to the internet. My use of television as a source for political information has diminished. It seems that there is a growing major mistrust in the information disseminated by television news outlets such as yours. CNN and other media outlets need to wake up. Take in the scope of these 1349 comments. It took me 2 days to read all the comments on this particular site. I felt it represents a large group of citizens who do not want to continue to get the same kind person for President. The debate you presented on Tuesday needed to be more equitable. I want to make an intelligent decision on who I will vote for in the 2008 presidential election. I have never contributed to a presidential campaign, until now. I have sent a contribution to Dr. Paul based on all the information I have been able to find about him versus the other candidates first tier or second, as you rated them. It’s about time we have a person in the White House who speaks to the citizens with integrity and honesty. IMO Dr. Ron Paul is that candidate.

Jessica   June 9th, 2007 3:38 pm ET

1350 comments. Probably more than have ever been posted for a single story on cnn ever.. They say " Ron Paul supporters are effective at coordinating and mobilizing online quickly "
That is because we have studied, and we truly feel like he is this country's last chance at freedom. We know that if he is president he will not take any of our liberties, he will include We the People in decision making. He will not let the title President turn him into a bought and paid for greed machine. We know that if Paul is president, we will once again be loved around the world. Point is, Ron Paul supporters have done their homework. We know the histories of other candidates, we know their records, and we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he will do what is right, and fair, and just. We truly love Ron Paul because of his brilliance and attention to equality.
If more people would learn for themselves, they would undoubtedly see that he is the only qualified candidate Constitutionally speaking, who will uphold his oath to obey the constitution of the USA.

Anthony Racine, Wisconsin   June 9th, 2007 3:06 pm ET

Thanks for the write up CNN. I didn't visit your Who Won The Debate site but I did catch the buzz about the Republican comments being linked over to the Democratic debate comments.

According to the national polls, they're a few months old and some didn't include Ron Paul as a choice. His support seemed to be growing rather exponentially of late so maybe that's why those polls don't reflect the support we see online.

Thanks!

Saint Louis, MO   June 9th, 2007 2:47 pm ET

Consider signing the petition at:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/487443841

for fair and equal treatment of Ron Paul in the media.

Nathan LaHue   June 9th, 2007 2:28 pm ET

515 days left. The more the MSM tries to hide Dr. Ron Paul, the more 'techtonic' stress builds. At a time when the sheeple of America least expect it, America will receive a Ron Paul 'Tsunami' from the build-up of stress. Ron Paul supporters are the build-up. When it gets too big, it will crack MSM and cause the world to notice the damage to the Institutionalized/MS media & the military industrial complex. Prepare for the calamity Judy, Billery, Flip McRomney supporters. The big one is coming and you can't stop it.

David Lau, THE BAY AREA, CA   June 9th, 2007 2:23 pm ET

Wow 1350+ comments on this article. Now give Ron Paul the attention he so sorely deserves.

Christi, Woodbury Heights, New Jersey   June 9th, 2007 2:17 pm ET

I am a registered Independant who has voted Democratic in the last several elections but Dr. Ron Paul has my vote for President. My advice to Independants and Democrats alike, register Republican for the primaries and vote Dr. Ron Paul. Basically, hijack the Rebulican primay to allow this informed, thoughtful, honest man to have a real chance at the presidency. We need him.

Tim, West Islip, New York   June 9th, 2007 1:43 pm ET

I'm glad to see Ron Paul is being recognized and that this 'phenomenon' isn't being completely ignored. We supporters recognize him as someone who loves freedom as much as we the people do. I think those who call him 'crazy' and a 'kook' haven't really looked into what he stands for. I just wish people would stop the childish name-calling and listen to what he has to say before passing judgment.

Michael Felch, West Palm Beach Florida   June 9th, 2007 11:32 am ET

After watching the Republican debate I did some extra reading on Roy Paul.
I found appearances he did on Bill Maher. When I watch the one he did after the debate, my eyes watered over and I actually felt my pride for this country surface. This is still a great nation but we are currently so lost. It was incredible to hear a voice in Washington echo my feelings.

David Stocker, Dallas, TX   June 9th, 2007 11:22 am ET

In the end, it will take lots of money to get the message out. It takes money to get the exposure, to create the buzz, to get the message out at the scale needed for a chance at the White House. The media is not going to help and, while fun, complaining about the media doesn't help either.

M., Colorado   June 9th, 2007 10:14 am ET

I have never understood who the pollsters talk to because the polls rarely reflect what I feel or the feelings of my associates. So, I am not surprised that Ron Paul barely registers…however, the people who take the online polls(and I am one of them), put Ron not a little ahead…but WAY ahead of the pack. You can manage a few points difference by manipulating an online poll, but not the 30 to 40 point spread (unless it is all spammed or rigged…which I doubt in this case).

I hope Ron Paul challenges the McCain/Romney/Giuliani trio. I am an independent and like what Ron has to say. He is an honest straight talking who is the "most" in line with my thoughts about personal liberties and responsibilities. I am an independent, and I am tired of the 2 party corrupt system. Ron has to run a Republican, but I believe that he will maintain his independence as the President. His record shows it and if he makes it, he will have my vote. Incidentally, I have NEVER donated any money to any political campaigns but have done so for Ron's campaign. He has integrity, courage, and firm beliefs…and we need that desparately in the White House after what we had to endure in the last eight years.

Wally Lemis, Laurel, Mississippi   June 9th, 2007 8:23 am ET

I agree with the posters who rankle at CNN's claims that Ron Paul's online poll results are the work of a vast organization urging people to vote and/or "spam."

Acting totally as an individual, I make it a point to vote for Ron Paul whenever I know there is an online poll. In elections, I generally vote for Libertarians or other third parties, so it's natural I would support Ron Paul.

Additionally, it has long been recognized that Internet users lean more to libertarianism than does the general population, so the results can't be all that shocking, can they?

What I really like about Ron Paul is he is not afraid to say "outrageous" things. Of course, I am using "outrageous" as most in the media do, to mean things like, well, uh, that US foreign policy has an effect on how foreign nations view and act toward us.

Anyway, the picture the media strives to paint is that there are 5,000 Ron Paul nuts in the US, and that they all ritualistically call to urge each other to vote online, neglecting the prevailing views of Internet users. Note that AOL users — who are considered more representative of the general public — voted Giuliani on top.

About the general polls, I find it ridiculous that they often don't include Ron Paul's name. And news accounts of the debates all too often overlook Ron Paul. Paul, who polls at 1 or 2% is often excluded when other candidates at 1 or even 0% are written about.

I don't think he'll do it, but I'd like to see Ron Paul run as an independent in the general election. I doubt he'd do as well as Ross Perot, but he'd do better than the Libertarian candidate. America really needs to move beyond the current two dominant parties. Again, when a peson states that US foreign policy has repercussions and the leading GOP contender (Giuliani) demands an apology, well, I can only conclude policy debate in America is in sad shape.

PAUL LEMIEUX   June 9th, 2007 5:30 am ET

RON PAUL IS A VISONARY GENIUS AND COULD HAVE US HUGGING ADJEMDEMADAD IN A COUPLE OF YEARS-LOU DOBBS NEEDS TO HAVE ON THE SAINT LIKE CONGRESSMEN WHO WAS SENT BY GOD TO HELP SAVE THIS NATION FROM TYRRANNY THERE'S ONLY 2 CANIDATES NOW…..

RON PAUL VS RUDILLARYMCROMNEY

HIS IDEAS ARE BETTER THAN ALL ONTHER CANIDATES COMBINED!

HE CAN CRUSH HILLARY IN A ONE ON ONE DEBATE SO IF YOU LIVE IN NH JOIN THE MEETUP GROUP AND HIT THE STREETS WITH US WE ARE OUT EVERY OTHER DAY NOW- AND MAKE SURE ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY SEE THE ON LINE SMASH HIT DOCUMENTRY -FREEDOM TO FASCISM- THIS VIDEO WILL CONVERT ANY HILLARY CLONE IN 2 HOURS!!

JOIN THE REVELUTION AND TAKE ACTION!

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!! RONPAUL2008!

Joe Blanding, Fullerton, CA   June 9th, 2007 4:47 am ET

Was glad to finally see a story about Ron Paul on your website. Ron Paul is a true American Patriot and the only one running that is making any kind of sense of the mess Bush has made of our foreign policy. He truly has America's best interest in his heart and he will for sure get my vote!!

Jason, South Florida   June 9th, 2007 4:07 am ET

Ron Paul is a true patriot !!!

Unlike these corrupted politicians

Rob   June 9th, 2007 3:39 am ET

Dr Ron Paul is the most educated and honest politician I have ever seen in the US ( I am 35).

He made the other candidates look like stupid sock puppets

Kevin, Lincoln, NE   June 9th, 2007 3:32 am ET

I'm not a supporter of Ron Paul, in fact, I'm a former Republican who is now registered as a Democrat. But, during Tuesday's debate he was the only one who seemed to speak honestly from the heart, and not just say the sound-bites that the various factions of the electorate want to hear. I believe McCain meant what he said to that woman whose brother died in Iraq, but the way he did it seemed too opportunistic to me. Furthermore, Ron Paul was the only one who seemed to make any sense most of the time, and actually answered the questions. I probably won't vote for him, unless there is more support generally, but I have to say, I found myself agreeing with most of what he said, and dissagreeing with what most of the others said. Bravo to Ron Paul!

Phil D. Austin Texas   June 9th, 2007 2:14 am ET

Having been a Libertarian since 1991, I and having gone to two state conventions for the Libertarian Party, I find it funny that CNN or any of the other News networks could even think that Rep. Ron Paul or his campaign staff could orchestrate the amount of comments that cnn.com/ticker or any other blog has received.

If you have ever been to a Libertarian State Convention, you will realize that if there are 2 answers to a question, Libertarians will find a 10th alternative. Then add on the all important, "None of the Above"

I love my Libertarian friends dearly, but this is the truth.

So when you see this many people all posting for Dr. Ron Paul, you have to realize they have no central command relaying orders to do so. This is over a thousand different individuals writing to support him of their own free will because they love the message and the messenger is above reproach in his integrity.

Annette, MS   June 9th, 2007 2:04 am ET

Ron Paul is becoming so popular because he is honest and he is the real deal. People are fed up with government intervention and the games politicians play. We are also thoroughly disgusted with the media giving Ron Paul the shaft. We don't want who and what YOU pick for us, we will decide for ourselves.

Brian, Baltimore, MD   June 9th, 2007 1:46 am ET

The Scientific Polls aren’t very scientific if they don’t include Ron Paul in the Poll.

A friend of mine from work got called by the the Gallup Poll people last night. They began asking various questions about Hilary and Rudy and Mitt. After they finally got done on what I would almost consider “push-poll” My buddy finally asked them, “When are you going to ask me about my favorite candidate”? They said “who would that be”? And he told them Ron Paul.

Then the Polling person hummed and hawed around for a minute and said, “The computer just gives us the questions we should ask”.

With that my buddy ripped into them about how they claim to be a viable, honest poll. They finally gave him a number that he can call to complain.

So which Polls are unscientific, and which Polls are Scientific?
Posted By Fred, LA, California : June 8, 2007 10:27 pm
– Worth Repeating

J Chris Bousum, Kokomo, IN   June 9th, 2007 1:08 am ET

You state in the article that Paul is the most searched, most viewed, and most demanded, yet you act surprised that he is dominating the online polls? Isn't there a pattern showing up here? The media refuse to give him equal treatment but he is the center of a spontaneous grass roots effort to take our country back. The network that finally realizes this will get a huge boost in the ratings.

Matt Chase Rochester New York   June 9th, 2007 1:04 am ET

Ron Paul is a fresh drink for a nation thirsting for change. His integrity speaks for itself. Our constitution is the foundation and groundwork of this land of liberty, and is the basis for ALL law in this country.He intends to adhere to the oath of office, to protect and defend our constitution, and the rights of the american people. Let us open our eyes to the controls being put into place, and the powers that are being usurped by modern administrations. This is OUR country, let us define ourselves as a "free" people by electing the ONLY candidate that will work to protect our freedoms, and that candidate is Dr. Ron Paul. Read about him, listen to his inteviews and I believe you will agree.

Walter Whitt Fredericksburg VA   June 9th, 2007 12:44 am ET

I remember in the last election,one candidate suggested Iraq was more dangerous after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein than before. The other candidate suggested…`my opponent says the world would be a better place if Saddam were still in power,….these people are either too stupid to understand CONTEXT or they are INTENTIONALLY MISREPRESENTING the words of their opponenents,,,….our choices have been between idiots and liars…I DONT BELIEVE THEY ARE IDIOTS

Lee, Tupelo, MS   June 9th, 2007 12:27 am ET

If you care about your rights then you only have one choice for President – RON PAUL! It's as simple as that.

Jim, Philadelphia, PA   June 9th, 2007 12:22 am ET

The deluge of comments on Ron Paul can only be a semi-managed effort to muddy the waters of the Republican primary. The amount of actual support that Paul garners from the Republican base is what the national surveys show: nothing.

Duncan Stewart, Birmingham AL   June 9th, 2007 12:21 am ET

I am a very strong Dr.Ron Paul supporter and I organize a Ron Paul group. I have never voted more than once on any poll whether online or in person. And I believe my members to be the same in only submiting one vote. I think the media is completely ignoring the fact that Dr.Ron Paul is gaining alot of momentum and Americans are starting to rally behind whom I believe to be the best candidate by far. As for the media get your heads out of the dirt and give Dr.Ron Paul the coverage he deserves! Dr.Ron Paul if elected could help America make up so much lost ground and we might actually have a reason to be proud of our great country again!

Bill, Setauket, NY   June 8th, 2007 11:13 pm ET

I have followed Ron Paul since about 2002 when I read some brilliant articles he had published warning about the dangers of a possible invasion of Iraq and the dangers to liberty in undeclared war. He is a constitutional scholar and is very well versed on monetary policy and its history here and abroad. Very few have grasped this most important subject. It does not surprise me that he is not yet well known on a national level. Who follows every vote in congress? I even suspect that but a small number of his own colleagues in congress recognize him for the rare statesman that he is. His colleagues are too busy flip flopping on issues, as opposed to sticking with timeless principles embodied in upholding the constitution. A statesman like Ron Paul does not come along every generation. Who else has carried such a consistent and unwavering stance of protecting liberty? Who else has served with such integrity? I am delighted that his message is catching fire. Why is it catching fire? I believe it is because the love of liberty is embedded in every human heart and its simple message is easy to recognize. This message of liberty, endemic to the human spirit, when recognized, will light in one a fire of enthusiasm and passion like nothing else will. That explains the fervent response of those who have discovered Ron Paul’s message. They recognize that he is not a fake, that he is speaking of something very relevant and very important. Let Freedom Ring.

Anonymous   June 8th, 2007 10:52 pm ET

Thank God for Ron Paul. I am a physician and an ashamed ex-neocon Republican who voted for Bush in 00 (but not in 04). PLEASE TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW ABOUT DR. RON PAUL!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am not part of any 'conspiracy' or spammers league for Ron Paul. I get so tired of hearing that RP supporters utilize spam only. The FACT is that there are a LOT of us and we're just starting to come together

Dallas 2nd post not spam   June 8th, 2007 10:44 pm ET

How can you deny and call Ron Paul supporters spamers after all of these comments, do you really think this is not "real" there is an army that support Ron Paul, we just wish we had millions of dollars to support Ron Paul. If a company wanted to endorce Ron Paul publicly you would see the sales rise, this is no joke we are here to make america free again, even though you the media do not give him the media he deserves.

Dallas 2nd post not spam

Ann Dothan Alabama   June 8th, 2007 10:33 pm ET

Since the MCCAIN campaign has begun its implosion any chance you could move Dr. Ron Paul up into your open spot in "THE TOP TIER"

Fred, LA, California   June 8th, 2007 10:27 pm ET

The Scientific Polls aren't very scientific if they don't include Ron Paul in the Poll.

A friend of mine from work got called by the the Gallup Poll people last night. They began asking various questions about Hilary and Rudy and Mitt. After they finally got done on what I would almost consider "push-poll" My buddy finally asked them, "When are you going to ask me about my favorite candidate"? They said "who would that be"? And he told them Ron Paul.

Then the Polling person hummed and hawed around for a minute and said, "The computer just gives us the questions we should ask".

With that my buddy ripped into them about how they claim to be a viable, honest poll. They finally gave him a number that he can call to complain.

So which Polls are unscientific, and which Polls are Scientific?

Candace Hensley, Birmingham, AL   June 8th, 2007 10:20 pm ET

I'm tired of people saying, "yeah, I agree with Ron Paul and he's amazing, but he'll never win". HE CAN WIN. If you believe him, and if you believe the other candidates are wrong and crooked, tell people about Ron Paul. Don't tell them why they ought to vote for him, but why you are voting for him. Show them Ron Paul video's on You tube, tell them to watch the debates. Most freedom loving American's who hate senseless and illegal wars will be convinced. Get the word out, donate money. HE CAN WIN, but not with the "he will never do it" attitude. Me and my husband plan to print out fliers from his website and hand them out on our university campus. If every supporter committed to doing this, his popularity would grow even more. I don't think a candidate this sincere, intelligent and moral will rise up again for generations or even at all. RON PAUL 2008!!!!!!!

Scott, Tucson AZ   June 8th, 2007 9:53 pm ET

If you think this is somehow coordinated, then you people at CNN need to get a grip on reality. How is it that with such a small budget Ron Paul could pull off a coordinated effort to do *anything at all*? Do you people bother to use your brains before spewing such garbage?

Sharon Winterstein, Pound, WI   June 8th, 2007 9:48 pm ET

Can I safely assume that if CNN received an onslaught of support for the Hildabeast that it too would be considered spam?
Dr. Ron Paul is the only candidate with a grasp on the Constitution and wants to uphold it. I say this as a staunch Libertarian.

Fred Albini, Las Vegas, NV.   June 8th, 2007 9:09 pm ET

List of some of the CNN Bias Paul has to go through

1. "Opposed Abortion Rights" (This is the negative form of "pro-life" – and actual misconstrues Paul's true opinions on the subject if you dig deeper)

2. "Voted to authorize….fence" (Paul noted that he didn't like this part of the bill, yet he thought the other parts were so important, he had to vote in favor)

3. "Supports withdrawing troops" (This is the most negative form of actually saying "Pro-peace" or the lesser "anti-war"… CNN here is trying to tag Paul as a defeatist)

Those are just three… if you read the above 1300 posts, you'll find the others people have noted.

Caught again CNN! Ron Paul 2008.

Cason West Virginia   June 8th, 2007 9:08 pm ET

Wow look at all the comments in here!
Ron Paul wins america wins. Nuff said

steve, st.louis, mo   June 8th, 2007 8:37 pm ET

Major media reported on paris hilton on average 40% of the time and Ron Paul got a whooping 1%. During the debate Guliani got asked 2 questions before Ron Paul got asked 1. Unless Major media changes and does a complete turn around and start reporting the real news and stop creating symantics to brainwash the people the INTERNET will be the only place to go for real info.

P.S. Ron Paul R3volution is here

Donxon, Santa Rosa, Ca   June 8th, 2007 8:15 pm ET

The newscasters are ignoring Ron Paul because they don't know what to make of him. He doesn't fit any of their preconceived notions. He's a republican, but he's against the war; he's from Texas, but he's educated. They are baffled, but let us all hope they can find their way through the confusion and give him some serious ait-time.

rnesti   June 8th, 2007 8:01 pm ET

The web site USA Election Polls
http://www.usaelectionpolls.com/2008/articles/are-pollsters-censoring-ron-paul-from-states-polls.html

He is not being included in these polls every say shows little support. He is not even included in his home state and in only 5 of 32 state polls to date.

Chad Spence, Orlando FL   June 8th, 2007 7:56 pm ET

It's no secret that Ron is being sidelined by the media. Five major corporations control 85% of what we see and hear here in America. Time Warner, Rupert Murdoch, Viacom, and others would rather show us Anna Nicole,Britney,and Paris than pretty much anything else. The internet support is absolutely real and not the work of a few motivated activists as many would suggest. Since it's not likely that he will get much airtime over Rudy, Mitt, Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan, this has to be an internet dominated campaign for him. That and prayers for his safety and success are what will drive his campaign.

Marnie Pehrson, Ringgold GA   June 8th, 2007 7:51 pm ET

The fact that Ron Paul supporters are so evangelical says something about the man and his message. It also says something about those candidates who do not garner such evangelical support, whose supporters don't flood blogs, polls and web sites making sure their candidate's message is conveyed.

It shows that other candidates are saying the same-old-same-old and that people are ready to hear something innovative – which ironically is a return to time-tested principles of honesty, integrity and the U.S. Constitution. If every American could hear Ron Paul's message, no telling what would happen in America. We might see something sweep this nation on the level of what our Founding Fathers fought and died for.

Elizabeth Comeau, Dover NH   June 8th, 2007 7:38 pm ET

CNN is biased and unfair in its coverage. I was AT the debate, sitting 4 rows back. I saw first hand how Ron Paul was ignored by Blitzer many many times. He definitely favored the top 3. How is that fair? And to suggest that Ron Paul supporters can mobilize well, that's just silly and implies it is all a scam. I am desperately wishing there were more organization of Ron Paul supporters. Right now it is very loose and unstructured! Imagine how much energy the campaign would have if there was real organization!

But don't worry CNN. MSNBC and FOX were also unfair and biased.

Dennis, Norman oklahoma   June 8th, 2007 7:26 pm ET

we need 8yrs of Ron Paul to reverse 80yrs of unconstitutional taxes, entitlements & foriegn handouts.

Alex, glendale, ca   June 8th, 2007 7:03 pm ET

Ron Paul has my entire family and extended families vote from here in california… No spamming here :)

Christian, Midlothian TX   June 8th, 2007 6:59 pm ET

CNN – As you are well aware, most people understand that polls are designed to SWAY public opinion. And unfortunately it has worked long enough to bring America to its current discontented state. The internet is fast becoming the favored choice for information gathering due to the “mainstream’s” transparent bias – Bias that has recently become so clear that even the casual observer (known to you as “sheep” while discussing the propagation of globalization in your board rooms) is disgusted. Allowing this blog to run its course is a step in the right direction, but I’m still fairly certain that your condition is terminal. Soon the only messages that will be seen as credible will be those with uncensored blogability; known to us, the modern media consumer, as accountability. There is hope for you though. You can set aside the agenda and face those consequences – or slowly fade away.

Kenny, New York   June 8th, 2007 6:57 pm ET

I think the most obvious, overlooked truth is that Ron Paul is simply more popular with his supporters than the other candidates are with theirs.

It's not that we (his supporters) are more organized. It's that he INSPIRES us to vote in these polls and email comments.

Paul Savelli Houston Texas   June 8th, 2007 6:53 pm ET

I think Paul might be the man. He states the facts in a understandable and hearted way. I consider myself an independant and I am strongly thinking about going for him. Keep up Paul!!!

Jason, Tulsa, Oklahoma   June 8th, 2007 6:48 pm ET

It will take equal coverage of the candidates.

The top candidates in each party are receiving most of the news coverage, most of the debate time, and most of the money.

Unfortunately, journalists have failed to counter this popularity contest with fair and informative reporting. Instead, reporters reinforce the idea that some candidates have no chance before the first primary election has been held.

Would it be difficult for a news outlet like CNN to at the very least allow for equal time for each candidate present during their debate? Why even invite the "second-tier"? Why not tell America, "We think these three candidates are the only candidates worth your time and ours"?

Thankfully, these are the old rules. There are new rules ahead. The internet is the great equalizer and free distributer of unregulated information from a source which will not be controlled nor censored — the people.

The people will create their own news on election day.

Thomas Jefferson   June 8th, 2007 6:44 pm ET

Mew World Order vs. Ron Paul in 08′
I'll vote for Ron Paul.

Ron N., Tucson Arizona   June 8th, 2007 6:11 pm ET

I am a Ron Paul supporter and a black male and not a spammer. I don't watch the news and the arguing heads on FOX any more either. I used to think they were kinda conservative, but Sean Hannity's abuse of Ron Paul sealed the deal for me. How can anyone call him a nut job, a racist, or any other character killing names? He's a nut for wanting to go back to the gold standard? Where has this country found itself? Thanks to CNN for this little piece, but we expect to see more. My wife and I are military and we hope Ron Paul's name recognition spreads like wild fire. If we all stick together and see this thing out, Ron Paul can win!

James Lafayette Indiana   June 8th, 2007 5:49 pm ET

Nice to see this article on CNN thanks for addressing our considerations. My question is that if CNN was really interested in hearing each runner "weigh in" on the issues in the debate why is it that they did not ask the only medical doctor running (RON PAUL) about his plan for health care. Instead we got to listen to Tommy Thompson talk about his healthy preemptive plan to keep kids from eating junk food (seems to be working for him lol) and a bunch of hot air from the big 3. (No matter, Ron Paul said more in only half the time that Rudy McRomney got) Ron Paul 2008 Liberty has Two First Names!!!

Jennifer M, Corydon Indiana   June 8th, 2007 5:42 pm ET

CNN, I am glad you finally addressed this issued. I see that you have already received over 1300 comments on this article since it was posted this morning. That should give you a clue as to how the people are feeling.

I tried to post a comment to the Who Won The Debate page after the debate Tues, but the page was removed during the time it took to compose my comment, and I was redirected to the Dem page. (Why redirect and not just get the error page?)

I'm starting to feel that this is intentional and inappropriate censorship of the debate. Is it a coincidence that Dr. Ron Paul was getting quite a few favorable comments in regards to his message? I would sure hate to think that CNN is trying to manipulate the coverage to marginalize and minimize certain candidates whom you judge as not valid candidates.

CNN, I hope you remember that your job is to report the news and inform the population at debates, not decide whom the people are allowed to hear from. It is very early in the nomination process, and the people need to hear from ALL the candidates, not just the ones approved by CNN.

Let the people decide whom they are interested in after giving a fair hearing to all candidates.

In regards the debate, I think that each candidate should be given equal time and coverage. You need to use a clock and bell/buzzer and cut off the mike of persons who constantly go over their allotment. Rudy and Mitt and McCain seemed to often ignore Mr. Blitzer when he tried to cut them off. This takes time away from all the other candidates. I kept waiting for Mr. Blitzer to ask the healthcare question to Dr. Paul, and was stunned that he didn't, as he has real life experience in the health field — the DR. before his name is not because he has a PHD, but hands on experience helping sick people and delivering babies.

As far as Dr. Paul's appeal, it has to do with his fidelity to THE CONSTITUTION. Remember that document? You know, the one (along with the Bill of Rights) that supposedly sets our country and form of government above all others.

People are tired of seeing the "elite", whether Rep. or Dem. get the attention of our government, while the regular ordinary people get more taxes and neverending wars for the gain of the military/industrial/pharma complex. People are tired of having their basic rights (like habeus corpus and freedom of redress of greivances and free speech) curtailed because of the "global war on terror". It turns my stomach that our very freedoms which set us apart as a country are now being set aside so we can go to war to give these freedoms to other countries! INSANE!

I think alot of people are just fed up with the status quo, right and left, and are starting to see that we must return to Constitutional standards in our government if we wish to regain our standing in the world.

By the way, I am not a spammer, and I do not belong to any Ron Paul groups, online or offline. I like Dr. Paul's message, and after hearing him in 2 debates and reading up on his positions, I intend to contribute to his campaign. No, I don't agree with him on everything, but he at least can answer a question, not talk circles around the question, and I feel is honest in his opinions. I'll take that over any of the other pervaricating fools running, Dem or Rep.

Dream ticket…. Dr. Paul for President, Dennis Kucinich for VP, and appoint Johnathon Turley, constitutional scholar from Geo. Washington University as Attorney General!

WAKE UP CNN and smell the coffee… maybe you should try and scoop the other networks and give Dr. Paul more coverage. As someone noted earlier, your ratings would improve.

Alan Chugiak, AK   June 8th, 2007 5:39 pm ET

Regardng the media's refusal to cover and mention Ron Paul in any meaningful way, never in my 44 years has it been so obvious how corrupt and self-serving the MSM is, and how completely and shamelessly it parrots, and fights for, the Establishment status-quo.

Ron Paul should be a media sensation, and thirty or forty years ago he would have been, but today the megacorporate-controlled MSM gives him only enough (minimal) coverage so as to be able to claim that they have not completely shut him out from public exposure. Not completely, but in practice the next thing to it.

Whatever happened to REAL news, not wildly twisted, biased opinions paraded as objective reporting, or breathless hourly accounts of the latest disfunctional celebrity media darling?
What a nation of attention-deficit afflicted, superficial children we have become! Maybe we as a nation don't deserve a candidate as upstanding, thoughtful and principled as Ron Paul.

Michael McDaniel, Jackson, OH   June 8th, 2007 5:24 pm ET

I'm a liberal Democrat….so I can't and wouldn't vote in the Republican primary. I WILL ABSOLUTELY vote for Ron Paul if he runs on the Republican or Libertarian ticket. He is a wonderful breath of fresh air in a crowded garbage dump.

Robert, Chicago IL   June 8th, 2007 5:10 pm ET

Lets get real about these "scientific" polls.

They only poll people with land lines that will actually pick up the phone and not screen with an answering machine. How common is that? On top of this, they only poll 400 people.

Also, who honsetly believes that these polling places aren't paid off and rigged by now?

Jonna Ryan, Cartersville, Georgia   June 8th, 2007 5:07 pm ET

Yes, indeed. Dr. Paul needs AIR TIME! He is not showing up in the polls because many people who rely on the mainstream media have not heard of him yet. We do not have cable tv so we rely completely on the internet & radio for news and frankly we are loving you tube, blogging and the networking sites. This is not a bunch of spammers. We are average Americans who have been ignited by the timeless message of liberty. Dr. Paul is a man of principle. Everyone may not agree with all his points but he has earned our respect.

Thank you, CNN, for running this article and allowing us to respond. I've always voted, but I've NEVER been so excited about a candidate like this. I can hardly get to sleep at night. It's going to be a LONG year but if RP can go the distance so can his supporters!

I saw a comment from an Australian woman who said, "I wish my country had the opportunity before her that you (America) has in Ron Paul."

We know this is our opportunity to return to the principles of our founding fathers and Ron Paul is the only candidate who can deliver!

Marjorie Hermann Phoenix AZ   June 8th, 2007 4:46 pm ET

So if you support Ron Paul you're a spammer? Has the writer ever considered that Ron Paul may actually have a large support network out there, based on his tireless efforts for quite a few years to share information and ideas? Ron Paul did not appear yesterday. He has been around and had a large and growing online network for quite a few years. Listening to the CNN talking heads is like listening to people who live in a bubble. They just have no idea of what's really going on, no matter which side of the issues they are on.

tim longwood fl.   June 8th, 2007 4:06 pm ET

left and right are supporting him not because he is full of the best ideas.

but because he is the only honest person running. if the house was full of honest people and so was the whitre house then we could argue the points of life and get stuff done for a change.

Paul, New Orleans, LA   June 8th, 2007 4:01 pm ET

I have recently read that some of you would not vote because of the Iraq war and he has no solution. NO ONE DOES!! As opposed to letting our soldiers/marines get killed, I would get them out and focus on law enforcement and state dept activites to bring down those who want to hurt us (that is the solution). BUT, if you read about US foreign policy in the past, you will know that blowback is a serious issue that the US faces. I was over in Iraq as a marine corps military policeman and I can honestly say that most of my fellow marines would vote Ron Paul and that all we ask for is straight shooter and who understands and "reads" intelligence reports. Ron Paul speaks from the heart and mind. That is something that I can't say much about the republicans. I am a registered independent and I will vote for RON PAUL!!!

Matt, Huntsville AL   June 8th, 2007 3:56 pm ET

I still don't understand why Rudy McRomney each got double the time in the debate that Ron Paul, Gilmore, Thompson, and Hunter received.

I would hope that CNN would be more fair in future debates.

I am not a spammer, just a proud Ron Paul supporter.

Benjamin Otto, Iowa City, IA   June 8th, 2007 3:53 pm ET

Do you really want to test Ron Paul's real support? Just gander at how many comments this CNN ticker story has compared to ALL of the others! Over 1300 at this point. Way more than any of the others! It wasn't just a few people hitting a button again and again. We're all for real! Wake up big media and give the people what they want!

Ed Smith Ocala Florida   June 8th, 2007 3:51 pm ET

Ron Paul's supporters are not mobilizing in so much as the citizens of the U.S. have found a candidate that would represent them instead of international business interest. We are digusted at the way our country is run. Lobbies such as the AIPAC, big pharma have more control of future than we do. How could our politicians even consider allowing our involvement with Codex Alimentarius or the SPP/NAU. Rick Perry is in Turkey currently at the Bilderberg meeting, to discuss the trans-national highway. Where is congress? Where is our "one world government" president? We are sick and tired of where these treasonous "leaders" are taking our country! Codex is supposed to go into effect Dec 2008. Our country is terminally ill, and Ron Paul is the only candidate in either party that has the integrity to lead this country. I wonder if he can switch and run as an independent, and assure his name will be on the'08 ballot. But then there is always their fall back plan lest we forget…Diebold.

Chris Wilshere Toronto Canada   June 8th, 2007 3:48 pm ET

I had never heard of Ron Paul before the fisrt SC debate. But he is by far the most interesting candidate in both the democratic campaign and the GOP. He is NOT another Mike gravel who just screams non-sense at his opponents. he has excellent points to make and is stiring up the debate. (Key word here being DEBATE) I'm surprised that the media isn't all over this guy! He is so fascinating!

AGE, SAN DIEGO, CA   June 8th, 2007 3:30 pm ET

It's interesting that this article stresses the unscientific nature of online polls. While I agree with this, I think that this fact is ignored when polling for the top tier candidates. A nice piece of investigative journalism might be to examine the private companies that do polling for the media.

Before I forget…Go Ron Paul '08!

mesogen   June 8th, 2007 2:58 pm ET

Someone commented:

It would be less propagandistic to qualify the statments that Paul opposes abortion rights and defines marriage as between a man and a woman with the fact that Rep. Paul does not believe in Federal regulation of these issues.

This is NOT TRUE. Paul CO-SPONSORED the Defense of Marriage Act in the House. This is most definitely a type of Federal Regulation of marriage, that the Libertarian Party itself disagrees with and said is unconstitutional. I don't agree with Paul on this issue, but these issues are TINY in comparison to getting our country back and ending these disastrous wars.

Jack Parker, Lafayette, Louisiana   June 8th, 2007 2:57 pm ET

It will only take for the media to give him as much time as they give to the other challengers. It will only take for the debate sponsors to give him fifteen minutes, like they gave Giuliani, instead if six minutes. Air time is all he needs and he wins it!!!

Diana, Middletown, DE   June 8th, 2007 2:56 pm ET

I researched all of the candidates online before I watched the debates. I wanted to educate myself about my options. I don't vote along party lines and I'm not part of the "coordinated web effort". More now, than ever, the internet is becoming the best unbiased research tool available. If you understand that mainstream media has an agenda, they are corrupt and controlled… you can break the cycle of depending on them to provide your news.

I'm disheartened by what I see and hear on MSM. I did my research on the candidates and was looking forward to see what they had to say. Unfortunately, I had the neo-con puppets pushed in my face. Why should the candidates with the most money or name recognition get the most airtime? Don't let us make up our OWN minds… right?

I'm angry. Our country was founded on freedom. And the very first amendment? FREEDOM OF SPEECH! Why then, aren't EVERYONE'S views being shared equally? No matter how much real or imagined support someone has, they should have an equal amount of time to share their views with the American public. I for one am sick of MSM pushing their corporately influenced views on the American people.

I like what Ron Paul stands for. I'm done with the cookie cutter regurgitated politicians like Edwards and Romney. Paul has what most of them lack… realness, intelligence, and integrity.

I'm a 31 year-old female American. I'm not a blogger or an internet junkie. No one solicited me to post this or poll. I am concerned for my country. I am angered at what it has become, and I want a change.

Eric, Dallas TX   June 8th, 2007 2:50 pm ET

Your fourth paragraph: “These informal polls are unscientific because supporters can often vote more than once, and are not randomly selected, and while they may be useful indicator of a candidate’s ability to organize online, they are not generally an accurate measure of support across the electorate.”
Of course you know that millions of Americans no longer believe the “randomness” of the “scientific poll.” As matter of fact I believe most Americans understand that the “credible” polls are designed to sway public opinion.

Now you should do I poll to convince everyone I’m wrong.

Chris, Richmond VA   June 8th, 2007 2:48 pm ET

it's the money

the "top tier" candidates have 20 times the funding that the "2nd tier" candidates have. Their sponsors ensure they get preferential treatment on T.V.

The internet can change the world, keep spamming, America!

Tom Walston, Johnson City, Texas   June 8th, 2007 2:45 pm ET

Ron Paul used to be my congressman before districts were realigned. He has some kooky ideas like going back to the gold standard, but he is honest and will tell you what he really thinks. I think people like him because he gives straight answers and doesn't try to finesse everything.

Matt, Denver, CO   June 8th, 2007 2:42 pm ET

Ron Paul deserves the national attention he is beginning to receive. Much of the media is opposes his ideas (Dr. Paul is pro-life, not against "abortion rights") and he does not have the massive funding of the more famous candidates. Dr. Paul, however, has the best ideas and the electorate is starting to respond. Just some more national media attention and Ron Paul will start to register in national opinion polls.

A. Magnus, Florida   June 8th, 2007 2:36 pm ET

If you want more wars, higher taxes, more regulations, less privacy, personal freedom and more BS, then vote for Rudy McRomney and the rest of the Council on Foreign Relations Fabian socialists the mainstream media are ramming down our throats. If you want a genuine change and renewal of Constitutional law and justice, then vote for Ron Paul.

Ben Dallas, TX   June 8th, 2007 2:30 pm ET

Ron Paul is a principled policy based candidate whose voting record is without question the most desirable to republicans. I support him and I have never given any Republican candidate a second thought. I've been a fan for years, now is the time. RON PAUL 2008!

Grant Fleming, Manassas, VA   June 8th, 2007 2:29 pm ET

You forgot to mention that his attraction and popularity is raising despite the faulure of major media to provide equal coverage to Ron Paul campared to other candadates. Also, don't forget to mention his mission to do away with the IRS and Federal Reserve.

Jason, Seattle WA   June 8th, 2007 2:19 pm ET

MAKE SURE TO DONATE MONEY TO THE RON PAUL CAMPAIGN. He is going to need the money because he does have the big dollar backers like the other canidates.

Ron Paul 2008!!!

Craig of Azusa, California   June 8th, 2007 2:13 pm ET

"Paul opposes abortion rights"
If this is your position, then could you back that up with his voting record? Yes, Paul is personally against abortion in any form, but his voting record doesn't support your claim at all. People can hold personal beliefs that differ from what they believe should be legislated.

"voted to authorize a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border,"
That's being slightly intellectually dishonest. He voted in favor of a bill that would demand immediate action from Homeland Security to secure our borders. The first step would be to construct a fence in the most insecure parts, yes, but the bill also states that Homeland Security would have to evaluate the Canadian border as well.

"supports withdrawing troops from Iraq,"
Finally something that is a little bit more honest and accurate.

"and defines marriage as between a man and a woman."
His position is that marriage is a religious rite and shouldn't be recognized by the state at all. His voting record doesn't even remotely support your claim regarding his position. He voted against banning same-sex marriage, and he has said that he considers DoMA to be unconstitutional (and he's right; violates 14th Amendment).

"Is he a “true conservative”?"
Yes.

"If indeed his support is growing, what is it going to take for Paul to break out and challenge the front-runners for the GOP presidential nomination?"
Air time on CNN! ;)

Philly Dave, Phoenix AZ   June 8th, 2007 2:10 pm ET

It's going to be the summer of R3v0Lution!

This summer the media formerly known as mainstream will have to play catch up.

Paul is the only candidate with significantly different views than the rest of the field.

Paul is probably the most honest and most principled of all the field. (Of course this makes him "too ideological")

Paul has real grass roots support. So much that the campaign is scrampling to catch up to it.

The front runners will have to spend millins to achieve what Paul has for free. An Army of devoted supporters.

The only thing missing is the kind of media coverage and debate face time Fr-udy McRomeny is getting.

Give paul that and you will have the most facinating Primary season in years, improved quality of debate… and get this networks… RATINGS.

The media formerly known as mainstream is setting itself up to miss that biggest story of the year.

Mohammed, Chicago, Illinois   June 8th, 2007 2:04 pm ET

if you guys take notice…this article on the cnn ticker has receieved, oh…around 1300 comments!!! the next MOST comments received…9 comments received for the Edwards article above this one! That should clearly tell CNN kooks up there that RON PAUL is becoming a MAJOR candidate!

Will - Miami, FL   June 8th, 2007 1:49 pm ET

I would like to clarify a couple of things:

I've seen several people here suggest that the majority of Ron Paul supporters are under 30. That is simply not true. I am 34 and two of my co-workers (34 and 36) are also Paul supporters.

I think that there are also a few bad apples among us – those that post anti-semitic remarks and some of the far-left kooks. To me it looks like a few radical muslims, some skin-heads, and a bunch of hippies. I wish that those that I'm referring to would back off of the crazy talk – they're going to hurt a REALLY good candidate with it.

Ron Paul is a great candidate because he makes choices based on one thing: "is it constitutional?" That translates to what is good for AMERICA (not NATO, UN, WTO, Darfur, Etheopia, Poland, Moscow, Isreal, Palestine, or Iraq)…

So – if you REALLY want him to have a chance, stop the radical and crazy talk – post Mr. Pauls views (using his words) instead.

Corrina Birman Gilbert Arizona   June 8th, 2007 1:49 pm ET

Wow, I am so excited to see something in mainstream media that acknowledges the peoples vote!! Yes I am a proud supporter of Ron Paul too!! What the media needs to know is that the support for Ron Paul online is REAL, and the strong support is because we feel like, "well its about time" that we finally have a decent candidate, one who is telling us the truth,one we can trust, Ron Paul.

Louis L., Orange Park, FL   June 8th, 2007 1:45 pm ET

Ron Paul is probably the candidate with the closest ideology to the common citizen. Though he lacks name recognition, his thought process and moral compass are just what this country needs….and this is coming from a registered Democrat!

Vidya, Ashland, MA   June 8th, 2007 1:34 pm ET

Ron Paul is the only sensible candidate on either side. People are noticing him beacuse he is speaking the truth – plainly and simply. For him to break out of the lower tier and be more prominent, what is required is more coverage by the Media. Interview him a lot, run commentaries on his views and stand. It is quite sickening to look at the "Top Three" from each party over and over and over and over… well you get the picture

SK, Orlando, FL   June 8th, 2007 1:30 pm ET

Why wasn't Ron Paul given fair access time during the CNN Debate? Why were all the so-called "First Tier" candidates place in the middle of the line up while the others were placed on the outside? Why was Ron Paul not given any interview time at the end of the debate by Mr. Cooper? I don't buy for one minute that debate response blog was removed because of technical reasons — it was because of corporate reasons!!!

Give Ron Paul the attention he deserves — he is the only real conservative — the Libertarian kind that, that believes in limited government and individual liberties like our founding fathers espoused!

Arlene Chester, Hinesville, GA   June 8th, 2007 1:23 pm ET

CNN practiced prejudice during the republican presidential debate towards Texas Congressman Ron Paul. Segregating Ron Paul from questions and answering time was unfair, bogus, unprofessional and illigitamet. Wolf Blitzer played the pawned collaborator. America's legal right to vote goes in hand with America's right for equality, fairness, showing no prejudice during an important political debate regarding our country's future welfare.

Arlene Chester
Hinesville, GA

Natasha S., Madison Heights, VA   June 8th, 2007 1:00 pm ET

Oh yes, that must be it. We keep voting again and again. Sorry sirs and madams, I have only voted once on every online political poll I have come across. As far as the "scientific" polls. You neglect to include the fact that Ron Paul is left out of polls in places that he would have the most support and included in those where he has little. I don't find that scientific at all. If any poll should be counted they should include ALL candidates and only those that include ALL candidates. The spin doctors must be having a hay day with this one. It appears to me, that the mainstream media is trying its best to silence and disregard Ron Paul. We on the Internet are combatting that. We the people are determined to combat the twisted and spun mainstream media with accuracy and truth. Your apologies would be greatly appreciated for your insults on our intelligence.

G Pease, Denton, TX   June 8th, 2007 12:49 pm ET

We now know Ron Paul is the best person for the job of US President. So we must now do what we can to make this a reality. Please go to Ron Paul's website to help in anyway you can. JOIN THE REVOLUTION!

Tom H, Redmond, WA   June 8th, 2007 12:46 pm ET

Why do I like Ron Paul? He just makes sense to me. To me, he's very clear if you read what he says (rather than reading silly media interpretations/selections of what he says). While I certainly don't agree with all his beliefs, he's one of the few politicians I've ever found myself interested in and would actually feel good about voting for. In answer to the question, I don't really think he has to do anything different to become a front runner. It seems to me he already is.

Sam Marsh, Falls Church, VA   June 8th, 2007 12:40 pm ET

You might have noticed that Ron Paul had more supporters on hand at the NH debates than ANY other candidate. He's raised millions in the last few weeks. His website outscores Clinton and Obama. And his campaign employs SIX people!
You imagine we are organized… not yet we aren't, but we're getting there.
What you have on your hands is many thousands of individuals who know a good thing when they see it, and won't shut up about it. Ever.

AnObserver, California   June 8th, 2007 12:25 pm ET

ATTENTION RON PAUL SUPPORTERS!

I am a supporter as well, but I am going to take a different position here. Most of the comments I have looked at, and there are more than a thousand at this time, are looking at the glass as being half empty. Ron Paul would not agree with this perspective. I just watched his video, the one in which he addresses his supporters after the CNN debate, and he was positive. He said he didn't need as much time because the message is so powerful.

Going by the positive example set by Ron Paul, I am going to choose to look at the glass as being half full and say THANK YOU to CNN. Why, you ask? Because CNN was kind enough to create this article. Just look at it from their perspective. Hardly any of their articles on the TICKER receive many comments. I think they are trying to adapt to the unexpected. Sure, Ron Paul supporters should point out the deficiencies, but they should also be grateful for what has been provided to them now by CNN. CNN cannot change the past, but they can do something in the present. No other presidential candidate has a Ticker article like this, with over a hundred comments, and as long as the comments keep rolling in, I wonder if this Ticker article will ever be removed.

NOTE: If Ron Paul has over 15,000 YOUTUBE subscribers, there should be just as many comments on this Ticker. We should be pressing CNN to Archive some of the earlier comments on this TICKER article so that it does not become too cumbersome. With over a thousand comments, this webpage does take a moment to load on the computer screen.

Geno, Colorado   June 8th, 2007 12:25 pm ET

If you are the type who would be willing to sacrifice some of your liberty for a little more security then Ron Paul is not your candidate. You deserve Rudy or McCain.

If you do not like government being involved in every aspect of your life and you are sick and tired of unlawful IRS tactics and a falling dollar, then you should take a closer look at Ron Paul.

This man has been fighting destructive FED policies for years and he knows about the IRS fraud being perpetrated against Americans. Google Grace Commission and find out more.

Make America Great! Vote Ron Paul in '08!

Anonymous   June 8th, 2007 12:20 pm ET

what will it take? Oh, don't worry. We won't need you to make it happen. The grass roots effort will handle it. Thanks for caring though!

Greg, Oklahoma City, OK   June 8th, 2007 12:19 pm ET

To understand the appeal of such an unconventional candidate, one need simply look to the "analysis" of the various debates, on CNN and elsewhere, and the declarations of who "won".

Virtually everywhere one looks, accounts of the debates focus on how deftly this or that candidate dodged some question, or reframed an issue to present the message he wanted to get out, rather than honestly respond to the question asked. Perversely, points are awarded to candidates who are skilled in this game of rhetorical dodgeball, as though the ability to obfuscate one's positions on important issue is a valuable prerequisite for holding the office of the Presidency.

Now ask again why the only candidate in the race who consistently gives sincerely-held, honest answers, with little regard for how they will play with the focus group du jour, has generated a growing, excited following…

Shawn, Birmingham Alabama   June 8th, 2007 12:00 pm ET

Dr. Paul is a political phenomenon we don’t see much anymore, and I think that’s why he generates so much grass roots support. Too many times we voters get caught up in the flashiness of a candidate. We hear some things they tell us and think they’ll truly fight for our cause. But, sadly, we then treat the election of the president much like we treated our senior ‘who’s who’ list in high school. I believe that many Americans are now starting to rethink how we elect our leaders. The glass is half-full naivety, maybe, but hope nonetheless. Dr. Paul offers Americans a choice. We can shun the politically bankrupt notion of electing a person based on fake charisma, and instead vote for a candidate whose ideals are sensible, responsible, and much needed. Dr. Paul’s position on issues is not new and radical, nor is it outdated and antiquated. His positions are built on sound policy that has stood the test of time. A sound economy *is* one that is based on sound monetary policy. By retying our currency to a tradable commodity that has intrinsic value, we allow our economy to be directed by the sound economic laws of supply and demand. By restoring the meaning of our Constitution we restore the letter of our law, and by doing so, we force elected officials to act sensibly. By changing our foreign policy to one of peace instead of police we will be able to break down the walls of hate. This is not a weak position, this is a sensible position. By protecting our borders we ensure that we control who and what enters our country, and ensure that legal immigration is upheld. While this is not the forum to discuss each issue, my point is to validate Dr. Paul’s position on issues with legitimate discourse. I called Dr. Paul a political phenomenon because he speaks on the issues in a way that he truly believes, he exhibits a stately presence that is admirable and presidential, and he speaks directly to the point. A phenomenon because no other candidate has done so in such a long time, that voters have forgotten what that looks like. Dr. Paul’s grass roots support is swelling in to mainstream America because we like what we see, and we know what we see is a man concerned about a greater cause than himself. Is that not the character of a good leader?

Brandy Tifton GA   June 8th, 2007 11:56 am ET

Ron Paul 2008….Everyone needs to get registered in primary election and lets show the coutry's political "base" who the goverment is supposed to represent…We The People

James, Plymouth, RI   June 8th, 2007 11:53 am ET

Representative Ron Paul speaks (and votes) with integrity that has not been seen for many years in American Politics.
If you read the following story by U.S. Representative (and frontiersman)Davy Crockett,
http://www.house.gov/paul/nytg.htm

you will see that Ron Paul has a solid grasp of what our government should be for its constituents, not the monster of waste that it has become.
It's time for a change!!!!!!!!!

Brady, Oklahoma   June 8th, 2007 11:50 am ET

It is misleading to say that Ron Paul "opposes abortion rights" and is against gay marriage. Ron Paul actually is a Constitutionalist, and as such, believes these are all state issues. So as President, his personal views on these would be irrelevant as he believes the federal government should stay yout of it.

Adam Deutsch, Pittsburgh, PA   June 8th, 2007 11:42 am ET

Have you heard of a little thing called "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart? That is a cultural phenomenon, and voice to be reckoned with in national politics. Ron Paul's appearance on that show can explain a large part of this surge. Stewart's viewers/fans can and do make things happen.

Brandon Wilhoite, Columbia, MO   June 8th, 2007 11:39 am ET

I'm sure its been mentioned elsewhere, but the "scientific" polls are generally based on land lines, which is not something that a large umber of Paul's supporters have (18-30 age range). Furthermore, Paul's supporters also stem from that group of people politicians have been trying to reach for years — that 60% of registered voters that haven't voted in the presidential election in decades group. A large number of these people (myself included) would be willing to vote for Paul because he is the only politician with integrity and consistency in his stances on the issues.

Paul's real world support and live (in person) polling is close to (though a little less than) his online polling, indicating that it is the methodology of the scientific polls such as Gallup, that are not properly reaching Paul supporters.

As a travelling presenter I've started asking as an opening joke (but also for personal interest), "that with all the "spamming" of online polls in Paul's favor I'm curious to see how many of you have ever heard of Paul and how many then support him?" In each audience (varied backgrounds of high school seniors to grad students).

Furthermore, the real world Iowa futures market has the GOP candidates as Rudy, Romney & McCain , & "Other." Other is currently leading with of 40% of the market. This is people waging money on the outcome. And I'm sure that "other" is people supporting Paul & Thompson, who as the other category have more than double that of Romney (19%) as the 2nd highest candidate.

Zac, Ypsilanti, Michigan   June 8th, 2007 11:38 am ET

I have been a lifelong Democrat. I have switched party affiliation to vote for Ron Paul. It is important that I support someone who is opposed to the oppressive globalists that all candidates other than Ron Paul and Mike Gravel are in bed with.

Beholden to nobody, Ron Paul can save this country from the iron grip of fascism.

Robert Rodgers, Briarcliff, NY   June 8th, 2007 11:34 am ET

I think Ron Paul is great as do many people, he should be our next President but, Isn't it obvious that the press is ignoring him? Can't anyone see the bigger picture? Everything is being controlled from higher up. Remember Ross Perot? Something made him quit and it wasn't lack of money! The only way to break this up is for MILLIONS of Americans to come forward and speak for Ron Paul. Turn out for anything that speaks for Ron Paul. We need numbers!

Arthur from Hartford, CT   June 8th, 2007 11:27 am ET

Finally in Ron Paul, we get a candidate who is not afraid to speak about issues that really matter to the average citizen and the media downplays and/or ignores him entirely. You would think he would be a breath of fresh air and actual "news", rather than the other parrots simply pandering to the mainstream.
Ron Paul's view of supporting America and Americans' interests FIRST is a policy sorely needed at this time.

Media – put all the FACTS out there and let the people decide who they want to represent them, not just two or three "play it safe" puppets.

Regardless of what Giuliani says, he and the current administration are afraid to scratch the "Go get 'em Boys!" surface of what truly happened on 9-11. Too many questions and Rudy is complicit right from Day One.

Mike Neal   June 8th, 2007 11:27 am ET

Dr. Paul appears to be the only candidate who has read the "law of the land", that being the Constitution of the united states, and takes it seriously. For example, some of us still remember using the money of the realm, silver and gold, until it was replaced with nickel clad copper coins and paper. The removal was unlawful, I might add; no ammendment, just an edict.

dan williamson kelloggg id   June 8th, 2007 11:26 am ET

seems ron paul is the only one running that has not sold out to aipac and the isreali jews!

Lance Jacksonvillie FL   June 8th, 2007 11:24 am ET

Gotta love Ron Paul…what American patriot concerned about were this country is going wouldn't be behind him. Either vote Ron Paul or get ready for the same old song and dance for four more years from both "sides". Both parties are corrupt and the American people are ready for a change. Get with the program CNN…first major meida to let Ron Paul message out will blow the others away in ratings, the people are watching closely and cannot be ignored.

Greg Boulden, Wilmington DE   June 8th, 2007 11:24 am ET

What's it going to take?

It's going to take news networks, like yourself, to include Ron Paul in general discussion. I'm sick of our media – they decide who we get to vote for by not mentioning any non-front running opponent. I can recite the news verbatim, it's always, Giuliani, McCain, Thompson and Romney. Why? I won't speculate, but I like other Americans have my suspicions. Thank you for at least mentioning him here.

Greg

elle Shaw Knoxville, tn.   June 8th, 2007 11:24 am ET

Regarding your lame attempt to discredit the outstanding response to
Ron Paul, let me just say that your cnn
group is totally out of touch with the
good old grass roots citizens who want
REAL CHANGE..not the old used up recycled men that have made a mess of this country and totally trashed the
constitution. Ron Paul has not even
contacted me but I like his message
and the TRUTH is ringing loud and clear.
Your controlled news is so obvious that
we, the peple, ignore your lying, unfair and un balanced reporting. WAKE
UP..it is a new day. Thank God for Ron Paul.

Todd, Austin TX   June 8th, 2007 11:22 am ET

Ron Paul: integrity, intellect, respect for the constitution. Being a President should be about more than having a great head of hair, a fat bank account, and snake oil salesman charm. We NEED a leader like Congressman Paul who will restore order to our Federal government, which is out of control, violating the constitution, violating our civil liberties, and violating fiscal sanity with an overwhelming need to spend more than we should…

Rich   June 8th, 2007 11:18 am ET

I never post twice to a board like this but I had too post this Have you Cnn
thought about the consequences of a nuclear holocaust are you openely promoting nuclear war with Iran because That in essence is what you are doing or

at least contributing to it or the possibility. During the third debate the candidtes were asked about a first strike nuclear attack on Iran allthough Dr. Ron

Paul did not get to answer in that round he was skipped. He had to answer with his last statement and he is against that but the other candidates and

especially the top three were promoting nuclear war with a first strike and your broadcast cannot even acknowledge that fact and continue to promote

these 3 guys as the only choices we have for president in a country of 300 million people and the only sain voice on the stage is silenced not mentioned

ignored, after the debate Ron Paul is mentioned like 1 time in the background by Anderson Cooper and you do not feel the notion to say Ron Paul says

that Iran doesn't even have nuclear weapons and his candidates favor nuclear strike. No instead you go wasn't Rudy,Mitt,and McCain great they are so

awesome their the best lets doube gitonamo. Wasn't Rudy great when he said Terror,Terrior,Terror, Goabal Terrorrrrr!!! and Terror and more terror,

nuclear bombs uhh!! no your guest did not say that But the candidates did You run statements of text under Ron Pauls name during interviews on national

tv that say "blames america for 9/11″ and Ron's voice is saying look at the 9/11 commission report have your researched it we contributed to it some. Are

you telling me that cnn with its vast resources and billions of dollars cannot come up with some answers on why Ron Paul is left out of 22 of the 27 polls

for the caucus or you cannot come up with a reporter to investagate the people responsible. Ron Paul is low in the polls because of corporations like you

fueling war and slave labor and silencing voices printing propaganda all for greed you know it, I know it, and the people know it. I ask you is the money

you are making for getting greased by the so-called front runners worth the risk of all our lives including yours. When you print false statements and igonre

statements you hurt us all even you. here is another one Hillary said all repulicans are for the war. Well Ron Paul isn't. You do not bring that out you allow

Hillary to promote propaganda as if only the democratic party can stop the war so your company can collect profits by her this way you win on both sides

Dem & Rep. Wolf Blitzer knows their was a republican who voted less than a month ago against the war and 4 yrs ago The people on the broadcast after

the dem debate being interviewed know but not a word was said that Ron Paul wasn't. I could go on but I think you have the point now

Ethan, New York, NY   June 8th, 2007 11:06 am ET

Ron Paul defends the constitution. He doesn't make "gut" decisions like so many congressman. He doesn't make decisions to help his constituents at the peril of the rest of the country.

He is a highly educated man; a student of history, economics and government. The writers of the constitution were educated philosophical men who studied the great philosophers. They put together a wonderfully flexible well reasoned document that is as appropriate today as it was then. Dr. Paul knows, loves and protects this document. Not one of the other candidates pays it nearly the same type of reference. There are some 1st amendment candidates. There are some 2nd amendment candidates. Paul is for the entire document. This is why he is such a wonderful candidate and why he has such strong support.

The most overlooked amendment in the constitution is the 10th:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved for the States respectively, or to the people."

Mr. Paul has not and will not ever forget this. Every other candidate has. This is why we should vote Mr. Paul as the next president of the United States of America.

Steve Houston, Texas   June 8th, 2007 10:56 am ET

Ron Paul the only true American running for President. You media better wake up and report the truth, instead of the script you are give to read. The American people are waking up to the lies you have report for decades. Your gig is up! "Fear nothing but fear itself"

C. Oplinger, Charleston SC   June 8th, 2007 10:54 am ET

You guys in the MSM are just slow to catch on. Ron Paul's been in the House for years, and he puts out a weekly press release-where ya been?. This is why your ratings are down & the internet is growing in popularity. Many of us have been watching & reading him for a while now-just not through you. I'm just glad he's finally getting some face time on TV to get his message out to more people. Don't be surprised if he ends up a front runner.

Woody Tampa Florida   June 8th, 2007 10:50 am ET

I am a true independent but I will vote for Ron Paul. Ron Paul is the only candidate who actually stands out from the rest of the big money candidates. All the front runners on both sides are all just talking points puppets and be it republican or Democrat they all are rehearsed and the same. If the mainstream media does not sell out to big money and acually reports the truth about Ron Paul then we may actually have a president who is good for this country for a change. Thank you Ron Paul an may god bless you :)

Mike Gates, Cincinnati, OH   June 8th, 2007 10:49 am ET

Who is Ron Paul? Is this some kind of joke?

Posted By Kyle, Seaside, CA. : June 7, 2007 2:00 pm

No Kyle, It's NO JOKE!!!! He is a true constitutionalist. The Joke is CNN and other Major Media Outlets trying to concel the fact that his popularity is rising and trying to hide the fact!!!! That's the "Big Joke"!!!!

Brad, Harrisburg, PA   June 8th, 2007 10:36 am ET

Most people who know who Ron Paul is like what they hear. The reason why he doesn't do well in scientific polls is because alot of his supporters are 1st time voters who don't get included in "scientific" polls because they don't have a landline phone. Of course there's also the factor of people telling the media what they want to hear or of pollsters not including Ron Paul's name. I'm absolutely certain that his support is far greater than what the polls show because even scientific polls are not without bias. About 25% of the Republican Party opposes the War in Iraq, according to polls. Since Ron Paul is the only anti-war Republican and the only true conservative in the race, it makes sense that he has a legitimate chance to win. With Rudy McRomney-Thompson splitting the pro-war/RINO vote, Dr. Paul can win with 25% of the vote.

KJ, New York, NY   June 8th, 2007 10:32 am ET

Much has been said about how online polls are not scientific and do not reflect the feelings of the general electorate. This may be true, but online polls do reflect the true feelings of an important demographic, namely, those people who have actually watched the debate. Ron Paul also had an extremely strong showing in the South Carolina debates call-in polls, so this isn't necessarily an online phenomenon only. The point is, Ron Paul winning all of the online polls IS a story, and if the national media conglomerates don't want to recognize that, they simply aren't doing their job.

Linda N. Cambria Pennsylvania   June 8th, 2007 10:30 am ET

"Hillary Clinton has been chosen by the elite to be the next president. "

No its not Hillary. The new guy, Fred Thompson is the chosen one. Just watch.

He is quiet now because he is figuring out his position according to what is happening. He has acting experience. So he can be whatever the Establishment thinks is needed.

Watch him come out mimicking a lot of what Ron Paul does. It has already been reported that he will be utilizing the internet for support. It has been reported that Bush's nephew, has contributed to his campaign and encouraged others to do the same.

Ron Paul doesn't need to act or pretend. He just is what he is. Fred Thompson will never get my vote.

The old media is being replaced by the new media. There are several real news reporting sites online. I only listen to the old media to see how they have chosen to twist/spin things around.

William M. Coats   June 8th, 2007 10:28 am ET

It is to the advantage of all to treat all candidates equally. If so Dr Paul will be better known and Americans can decide for themselves. If you continue this "Dinamic Silence" it will destroy your credibility. Please be fair in the future,

G. Melechinsky Kansas USA   June 8th, 2007 10:22 am ET

Once again, biased reporting by CNN. Ron Paul does not "oppose abortion rights", he is in favor of the rights of abortion victims. An unbiased report of his position would have said "Paul opposes 'abortion rights'" or "Paul opposes so-called 'abortion rights'" or "Paul believes any 'law' that tries to make the murder of any class of people, including those still in the womb, somehow legal, is clearly unconstitutional; and that the Supreme Court should acknowledge that the laws of this nation as they currently stand, already make all abortions illegal."

KG, Erie, PA   June 8th, 2007 10:21 am ET

Yes, Ron Paul is a traditional small government conservative. He is the only candidate who promotes the ideas of liberty, the rest are all big government socialists and corporatists. A large reason Paul has such an Internet following is that the Mainstream Media ignores him. The web is an alternate outlet for news, more accessible, and less controlled by gatekeepers. The media gives hours of free publicity to who they have decreed are the "frontrunners", thereby ensuring they are frontrunners. Talking heads, some of whom I've never heard of, with questionable credentials opine that Paul is a "nobody" with no right to be in the debates. The debates themselves are shamelessly rigged to exclude and set up Paul, repeatedly asking him why he is running as a Republican and other such nonsense. Chris Matthews and Wolf Blitzer should especially be ashamed of their treatment of Paul in the debates, they have shown us their true colors. The polls frequently don't even mention Paul as a choice, skewing results to influence folks who only vote for "winners". Voters are sick of Giuliani being shoved at us as a worthy candidate because he was mayor of New York during the second terrorist attack on the trade Center, a circumstance that should eliminate him. McCain has a much more questionable conservative position than Ron Paul but he is never accused of masquerading as a Republican. Romney is the quintessential weathervane, who knows what he will do if elected? We know what Ron Paul will do, he has consistently and courageously bucked the system and promoted liberty, truly serving the people, re-elected for 10 terms. Paul is a real human being, an extremely intelligent, educated, moral person. People are recognizing that, in spite of their government schooling and media brainwashing.

Mike Sticklen, Round Rock, Texas   June 8th, 2007 10:13 am ET

The RNC and the corporate controlled media is very biased in how they view political candidates. They only want the political snake oil type salesperson getting the most attention – not the person who actually tells the truth. The general public is also dumbed-down after years and years of being lied to – hear the lies enough and they become the truth. BUT – We the People, are waking up and seeing the dog and pony show for what it is. We're tired of it. It's time for the Bush/Clinton dynasty to come to an end. It's time to save America, and Ron Paul will do just that. Sure, more media coverage will help, but the word is spreading through other channels, and because of that, and the fact that Ron Paul stays loyal to the Constitution, he will rise above the rest.

God Bless Ron Paul, and God Bless America.

Stan, Clearwater, FL   June 8th, 2007 10:12 am ET

"what is it going to take for Paul to break out and challenge the front-runners for the GOP presidential nomination?"

Fair reporting by the media.

He already is the front-runner.

roberto madrid, florida, orlando   June 8th, 2007 10:07 am ET

Ron Paul Is THE PERFECT EXAMPLE of what a president shold be, A true American, He is the only one that when asked to protect our Constitution He meant it, and he has, and he will, he is not a flip flop or someone who goes with what is convinient for the moment. Republican or Democrat or whateverelse is out there- that do not matter, YOu need a President who protects people privacy and do not wiretaps your line illigally, one that does not tell you what to beleive, one that Understand that we can not fight every country in the sand box, Dr Paul actually has a brain and can think by himself, and that is what they are afraid of.

River, NY, NY   June 8th, 2007 9:41 am ET

As of this writing there were 13865 votes for Ron Paul for Question #1 – "Who won the debate."

If 90% of those votes were bogus/duplicate, that still leaves 1384 votes for Ron Paul which puts him in 4th. Can't let people know that now can we?

I voted for RP. I voted once.

Did 90% actually vote more than once? Ya'll have the weblogs. You actually know for *a fact* how many people voted more than once for each candidate. Why not write a real piece of journalism and base it on facts rather than spin it to justify censoring the one candidate who would send the corrupt owned by the corporate media FCC packing?

Jared New York, NY   June 8th, 2007 9:40 am ET

I think it's interesting that if we assume that the media works according to the demand of the market — which it does — and coverage of Ron Paul appears to be relatively very popular — which it does — why isn't the media responding by having more Ron Paul interviews and coverage?

Steve, Mount Prospect, Illinpois   June 8th, 2007 9:37 am ET

Ron Paul is America's best hope for the future. We desparately need leaders like Ron Paul to not only get us out of this no-win , unjustified war in the Middle East but to restore
our country's true legacy as the beacon of hope throughout the world.

Jorge, Sunrise, Floirda   June 8th, 2007 9:35 am ET

It's all rather simple. People are waking up to Ron Paul's message. If had had more play in the big media then we would see his poll numbers begin to jump. The intellecually lazy of this country will not support him as they want easy feel good fix it solutions to this nation's problems. Unfortunately as we have seen, once elected our politicians do nothing and just go about their intended business of doing their own thing. If anything Ron Paul has injected meaningful thought into the election process instead of the bland, scripted and focus group based responses we are getting from the slick triumverate of the monied presidential wanna-bees. Ron Paul may not win be he deserves the same chance that every American deserves and that is "To Be Heard".

Wade Smith, Bradenton FL   June 8th, 2007 9:31 am ET

STOP trying to minimize the Ron Paul phenominon. Your excuse about removing comments from "Who won the GOP debate question" is suspect along with your inference to Ron Paul "spammers" and the "unscientific polls." THOU DOST PROTEST TOO MUCH! Listen, the more you downplay Ron Paul, the more you validate his candidacy. Wake up and smell the oil fires. RON PAUL RON PAUL RON PAUL!!!

Gina Giardino Rapid City, SD   June 8th, 2007 9:29 am ET

Thank God for Ron Paul! He gives us Americans some hope again.

Gary Lloyd, Philadelphia, PA   June 8th, 2007 9:27 am ET

I pray that Ron Paul get elected for the sake of my childrens future.

DK. NY   June 8th, 2007 9:11 am ET

ABC seems to be claiming the same thing – Ron Paul is fringe and will not be the nominee. So was Dean. Oh wait, the Dean Scream ya'll played for us every 5 minutes nixed that. Nevermind.

As a former Deaniac I can tell you from experience that it is not possible to slant these polls *to the extent* the corporate media claims. I know because we Deaniacs tried.

I only became aware of Ron Paul a day prior to the recent debate. This was after seeing a youtube video of him on some talk show. I was not looking for political videos. I was watching bootleg concert footage. The Ron Paul clip was simply linked as "similiar".

Perhaps Ron Paul's popularity is coming from the fact that he doesn't treat Americans like the brainwashed by the corporate media drones the rest of the candidates need for us to be in order to vote for them? Can't have that now can we?

jen asheville nc   June 8th, 2007 8:58 am ET

I agree with a lot of ron paul's ideas but he is very weak on the environmental issues and more about keeping the rich richer. look closely at his voting record. I think Dennis Kucinich is the best anti-war canidate. he is more balanced.

Joe, New Milford, NJ   June 8th, 2007 8:54 am ET

Its simple really. If the MSM gave Ron Paul half of the coverage that they give the so called front runners he support would grow by leaps and bounds. If the media would stop trying to write off the support that he does have as irrelavent online fanboys, then Ron Paul will get the respect he deserves. To all Ron Paul supporters, make sure you register as an Independent or Republican and vote in your state primaries.If enough of us do it then Ron Paul will surely become a front runner.

Mary F.   June 8th, 2007 8:51 am ET

You've asked what it will take for Ron Paul to get ahead. It will take me. It will take my knowing his voting record. It will take my telling my family and friends why I support him for President. It will take my finding out what issues are important to my family and friends and addressing those with his track record. It will take me being my own media, suggesting youtube views of him to others and finding ways to share with others. When the media use their "polls" to try to dissuade me from voting my conscience, I need to remember what kind of country I'm setting up for my kids. And finally, it will take my financial contributing and my voting for Ron Paul. I have a lot of work to do!

Steve, Statesboro GA   June 8th, 2007 8:50 am ET

But what I want to know is, does L. Ron Paul have what it takes to divide the Republicans and allow the Dems to win easily? If so, I'll support him online as well!

Jan R. Texas Austin   June 8th, 2007 8:49 am ET

Ron Paul is the only chance for a free america, North American union is coming!

RON PAUL 08 !

Jim Brown Kingsport, TN   June 8th, 2007 8:46 am ET

I am not in any way affiliated with the Ron Paul campaign. As for as I know, the Ron Paul internet supporters are not “organized”. They are very passionate about Ron Paul’s message.

You (CNN) are seeing the frustrations of the Ron Paul supporters why? Because, we feel as though you guys in (MSM:Mainstream Media) are trying to select the presidential candidates for us. The Democrats and the Republicans are almost one and the same (except on Iraq) they are both Pro big government and way to cozy with the MSM. Ron Paul has an important message. It’s the Constitution Stupid!

In New Hampshire Ron Paul may have a historic shot at winning why? New Hampshire and Ron Paul think the same. Live Free or Die! New Hampshire’s motto says it all, the people of New Hampshire are free thinkers and still believe that a person should be able to live without being lorded over by the government.

Live Free or Die!

Mary, Haines City, Florida   June 8th, 2007 8:42 am ET

I am more and more impressed with Ron Paul. Our constitution has been trampled for too long. My husband and I will be contributing to his campaign.

ron paul voter   June 8th, 2007 8:05 am ET

Ron Paul does *not* oppose abortion rights. He believes this issue should be decided at the state level, along with many other things. Let's start with representing his positions correctly.

Alex, living in Japan.   June 8th, 2007 7:43 am ET

Ron Paul is a breath of fresh air in a polluted system. He is the only one I'd trust to keep us safe (by staying out of wars).

Jeff, Orlando, FL   June 8th, 2007 7:42 am ET

I'm an independent with liberal tendencies. I don't agree with many of Ron Paul's views, but I do agree that he is the only candidate out there from any party that can get this country back on the right track. I'm actually switching my voter affiliation from Independent to Republican so I can vote for Paul in Florida's primary.

Jason Mitchell, Fredericksburg, VA   June 8th, 2007 7:25 am ET

As a veteran, and a long time Republican, Ron Paul is the only candidate from either party that I can support. He is the only one that even mentioned the Constitution in any of the debates. Without the Constitution, we are a country without laws, without rules, and will fall as Rome did. Both major parties have abandoned the principles in which this country was founded on in order to pander to their constituents wants and fears. They use everything from threats of "terror" to "global warming" to keep us going to the polls and voting them back into power, when that power is all they truely care about. Ron Paul is not running to gain power, he is running to return it to the states and localities and most importantly, the people. People are individuals and should be treated as such. None of the other candidates seem to understand that point. They also don't seem to understand that you cant beat "terrorism" by military means because it is only a tactic and Islamic extremism is a set of ideas. We didn't fight "Nazism" in WWII, we fought Germany. We beat the concept of Nazism by leading the world by example and by showing the world that our way of government was more successful. The same goes for communism. Had we fought a shooting war with the USSR, we would have been fighting the country, not the concept. The saddest thing is that none of the other candidates seem to be able to get the idea that our interventionist policies are percieved completely differently by the people on the other side. All that is leading us to is perpetual war. Having 4000 of our people killed in a pointless war is just the same as them killing 4000 people "over here" as the Republican chickenhawks like to say. An American life is an American life whether they are brave enough to put on a uniform or not. It seems like they are putting our troops over there so that they won't have to see the terror, but the soldiers are living through 9/11 every day. What a country of cowards we have become, especially our politicians.

Please do more stories on Ron Paul, he is the only candidate that is saying anything different, and people who follow politics this early and have heard his message are flocking to him. Most of the rest of the country could care less at this point.

Sam, Hartford, Ct   June 8th, 2007 7:24 am ET

Dr. Paul is a breath of fresh air in the swamp of political sharks. He is so far not an agent of corrupt lobbies, he is true representative of the people of the United States of America. There are some areas that I do not agree with him, but it is an extremely sensitive time for our nation and the world so you elect a president based on the most critical issues facing a nation.

Dr. Paul and Mr. Kucinich will make a very good running mates to bring sensibility and to save the world from madness and destruction. Good luck

Kathleen, Salt Lake City, UT   June 8th, 2007 7:10 am ET

I have followed Dr. Paul for a number of years now. His ideas are refreshing and bring me hope that we can return to the vision that the founding fathers set forth. He is not afraid to speak boldly in order to get us back to our roots.

John, Cedar Rapids, IA   June 8th, 2007 6:59 am ET

An awful lot of people are sending in money, voting in online polls, and commenting in 'blogs like this. Too many to simply be a handful of computer spammers (unless those spammers are filthy rich, violating FEC rules, and have *a lot* of free time on their hands. And if they're coordinated, they're doing a heckuva job considering the Paul campaign didn't even have a paid staff until last week.

Maybe you should do a story on this Ron Paul thing and find out whether it's real…

A Nuffer   June 8th, 2007 6:41 am ET

I know he is going to be smeared and all kinds of junk will be dug up to attack him, but watching Ron Paul under attack is unbelievable. He never flinches and answers in a very calm way. I used to be a die hard democract, but since they did not do what was requested by the american people, end the war, I no longer support them. I have been listening to Ron Paul for years, he is great! I sent him an e-mail and he answered it himself! Now that tells me something about the man! I would love to see him come out on top! He is a true fiscal conservative and really has brains, not like the bunch running for president now! He stands out and I wish him luck!

Dana, Raleigh, NC   June 8th, 2007 6:38 am ET

The country is in big trouble. The Republicans HAVE lost their way. The Democrats don't offer anything better, so alot of American are literally going crazy at the thought of what can happen in our future. The Republicans are in denial and have lost touch. I and obviously alot of other Americans feel that Ron Paul is our only hope. Thats why Ron Paul supporters are so passionate. We are not "wackos" we just need to get the message out b/c the fact is that most Americans don't know who he is and won't b/c all they know is what is forced fed to them by the media (Rudy, McCain and Romney). I've heard people call Ron Paul a crazy wacko. And this is coming from so called Conservatives. Its completely absurd. I don't even think the average American is smart enough to even know what a real conservative is. If they did they definately would not be calling Dr. Ron Paul a crazy wacko. Anyways, RON PAUL FOR PRESIDENT!

Carl S. Gunn, Prospect Plains, NJ   June 8th, 2007 6:21 am ET

The dirty secret of "scientific" polls is that 2/3 of those chosen hang up on the pollster.

Put another way, Ron Paul polls a few percent among those people who are willing to be interrogated by a rude, pushy stranger. Ron Paul polls vastly higher among people who use the internet to gather information and express their opinions.

KS Huffman Topeka KS   June 8th, 2007 5:57 am ET

Are you guys that stupid????
Ron Paul is supported for his strong message, Americanism is on the rise, I think! He is not a phoney baloney Democratic liberal or Neocon in Republican clothing (RINO) war profiteer, like all the front runners. Go to the You Tube and watch the Underdog video. We may not agree with all of his stances, but he makes us think for ourselves about individual rights, and responsibility, conservative principles of an America long ago forgotten. We are the free and the brave. We are not terror stricken by all the war and Al Qeuda nonsense. Let them come here, we'll fight them. And with a non enforced border, they probably already are. Our country needs help here with the illegal alien problem, who have killed more Americans here than have died over seas.

comradejoe   June 8th, 2007 5:49 am ET

i am a Ron Paul supporter
Much of the media attribute Ron's online support to 'mobilization' or spamming. However, i do not believe this is the case. I been in this country for more than a decade and this is the first candidate i ever felt excited about. I believe that like me, Ron Paul supporters sincerely believe in the concept of liberty. These simple words such a freedom and individualism are the foundations that our founding fathers built upon. However, today there notions are often taken for granted. As a immigrant i found Dr. Paul message reflecting what America truly stand for.

JKuchar, East Lansing, MI   June 8th, 2007 5:42 am ET

The choice is very simple, Ron Paul represents the creators of this country, the other candidates are the destroyers of it.

A vote for Ron Paul is a vote against Idiocracy.

mike sandel manistee,mi   June 8th, 2007 5:40 am ET

I only voted once on cnn.com. Ron paul answered the questiond direct! no danceing at all! He won the debate!

Wayland, outside the states.   June 8th, 2007 5:38 am ET

I don't think that it's an indicator of how well Ron Paul supporters can organise online, I think it's a good indication of who supports Ron Paul. I think he often attracts younger and more tech-savy people with his message, he attracts the sort of people who are going to take part in online polls. I doubt that there is any sort of organisation going on.

I don't agree with him on a few minor issues, but at the moment I think he's the candidate I'd most like to see win the presidency.

Carl, Los Angeles, CA   June 8th, 2007 5:04 am ET

If more Americans weren't kept in such isolation and actually had the opportunity to hear the ideas and views that Ron Paul has the courage to speak and bring into public debate, this country would be a much different place.

I am voting for Ron Paul because he speaks the truth, serves the will of the people, and does so directly in the face of overwhelming adversity.

mike john tucson arizona   June 8th, 2007 4:35 am ET

If CNN was to post an article about any of the other candidates how many comments would it receive?
If any of the top tier candidates won the internet polls they would be trumpeting their success.
And why are the big 3 so obviously upset at people's support for a candidate?
When there is a poll or a blog about Ron Paul it is flooded. Why is this not happening with any of the other candidates?
Good day.
Proud Ron Paul supporter.

Bernhard, Zug   June 8th, 2007 4:19 am ET

I disagree with Ron Paul on a great many issues — I oppose a border fence, I support gay rights and I support a strong welfare program.

However, on the two things that matter more than everything else combined — ending Bush's illegal wars and restoring the constitutional rights taken away by the Bush administration through the likes of the Patriot Act — Ron Paul has an excellent track record and exactly the right ideas.

I'd gladly take him over those who have been complicit in Bush's war plans, such as all other Republican candidates, Hillary Clinton, and Barak Obama (whose anti-war statements seem to be a mere marketing effort – his senate voting record shows his true thoughts).

My favorites for 2008 are, in that order, Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel and Ron Paul.

The reason none of them has much of a chance is that they aren't with the Big Money guys – so they can't afford marketing campaigns on the scale of a Clinton, Giuliani, Obama or McCain.
Unfortunately these days, the support of a warmongering oil company is worth more than the support of thousands of individuals.

This must be stopped, equal time for all!

John Shepard, Orange City FL   June 8th, 2007 4:09 am ET

I would like to inform all Ron Paul supporters that the campaign has said they have probally reached over 5 million dollars in donations towards the campaign, and more is coming in every hour! The truth moves people!

Dallas   June 8th, 2007 4:03 am ET

I do agree with a lot of the comments that are being posted in your comments, Ron Paul is not getting a fair shake, the media gives more attention to those who are raising the most money. Which only shows how good of a politician they are, not how good they can run the country or know more about the issues.

These candidates don’t even feel Ron Paul is a threat because they know the media will not give him the same amount of air time. But if he was given the right amount of time in debates, and invited on air, and to answer the real questions that others won’t even let you ask.

He will not only get more support, the other candidates would have to stop doing fund raisers to get more money, but to hit the books, and to get on air to come up with an argument.

This is the dream of all of us who study, read, and watch the world’s problems; we would like to see someone like Ron Paul who is real, and not just a fund raiser get a fair chance in the media at least to get his message out.

I dare you the media, to challenge Ron Paul with a no limit, Q&A live on TV for 1-2 hours let the dogs out on him, about the issues, about problems in the world, and not only will he give you the truth, he will be right on.

PS. This letter comes from someone who is fed up with the same old politicians it is time for Ron Paul

Alan D. Price, Ph.D., Honolulu, Hawaii   June 8th, 2007 3:49 am ET

CNN's Webmaster Knows If the CNN Poll Was Spammed!

It is disingenuous and misleading to attribute the online support for Ron Paul to spamming, which is an unfortunate misnomer. While it is true that some informal polls do not prevent persons from voting more than once (so-called "spamming"), certainly CNN's tech staff know whether or not this was prevented in the CNN poll. And, anyone who wanted to find out needed only to try to vote more than once on the CNN poll site. It was not permitted! I tested it. Therefore, I must conclude that the results on CNN's poll showing that Dr. Ron Paul won overwhelmingly probably reflected that most people only voted once. (I discuss a way that the poll could have been intentionally distorted below.) The same was true for the MSNBC poll which showed that Dr. Paul won with an even greater margin than on CNN…67%, while none of the other candidates broke into double digits. A person could not vote twice on this poll either. Surely, your tech experts checked this out if you didn't yourselves.

Of course, a person could vote from a different IP address on another computer, but it is unlikely that this happened more than a relatively small number of times because most people don't have access to more than a couple of computers at most. Nevertheless, suppose every one who voted had access to three computers. The last time I checked there had been more than 36,000 votes cast on the MSNBC poll. Ron Paul got 67%. I'll round the corresponding number of votes off to 24,000. Let's now suppose that this number actually represented only 8,000 actual persons (3 computers each). This would reduce the total number of actual voters (assuming that the voters for the other candidates only voted once) to 20,000.

Ron Paul still would have polled 40% of the vote, while the top tier three, Rudy, Mitt, and John, would have basically split the remaining 60%. The most that they would have tallied would have been under 20% each (considering the other candidates tallies). So Paul still would have won handily even if EVERY Ron Paul supporter voted three times each on average, which is highly unlikely in my estimation.

Now, regarding your assertion that the informal polls do not reflect a random sampling from the voter population, you are, of course, quite correct. However, typically, "scientific" polling only samples a few hundred to perhaps a thousand or so eligible voters. There are a number of issues here. Are the people sampled from both land phone owners and cell phone owners? A large number of people only have a cell phone.

It is also important to point out that, although the sample of people voting on the Internet in the MSNBC poll, for example, were not randomly selected, the sample was extremely large, in excess of 36,000 people. This is about 36 times larger perhaps than the typical random sample and becomes perhaps statistically closer to representing the online population of people who inhabit the cyber world.

In addition, I strongly suspect that the so-called scientific polls are not very scientific at all in that they probably do not stratify their sample to reflect the number of people who get most of their news online. This would give a more accurate and scientific poll result.

The bottom line is that, while I commend you for your coverage of "The Ron Paul Phenomenon," I must say that your article misled your readers by presuming that your own poll was "spammed" as well as the MSNBC" poll. This is manifestly untrue and you have done your readers a great disservice. I submit that an apologetic mea culpa retraction is in order.

Aaron Simmons, Portland Oregon.   June 8th, 2007 3:48 am ET

Equal time. Dr. Paul is a great guy, we just need to see more of him. Let him speak for himself. The debates were stacked for the "front-runners"
Give him a fair shake, and this will be a good thing for the U.S. I think that even joe sixpack will know a good thing when he is allowed to see him.

muni, Manchester, NH   June 8th, 2007 3:40 am ET

Thank you for covering Ron Paul.

Clayton, Chicago, IL   June 8th, 2007 3:29 am ET

Who is Ron Paul? He is a celeberity of the people.

The "scientific polls" are not very scientific if ron paul is left off the ballot in some states, as well as, the pollsters on call up "old republicans" who don't use the internet and only listen to mainstream media. Also, the independent and regean democratic base ron paul represents isn't represented by the pollsters. A poll isn't very scientific with only 400 republican voters – How did you select and spread out these voters by state?

Ron paul is the voice of the people who are feed up with goverment spending, iraq war, fear, and corruption an lies of washington; not to mention the mainstream media.

I am not a spammer from Chicago, IL.

Vote for Ron Paul in 2008

Del, Eugene, OR.   June 8th, 2007 3:22 am ET

Ron Paul is the only one at the debates that truly answered questions. And even better he based all of his answers on the rule of law as defined by the constitution, not pandering or even his own personal beliefs. I find that inspiring.

Hanna, Los Angeles, CA   June 8th, 2007 3:17 am ET

Those "scientific" pollsters have never called me or anyone I know. Everyone I know supports Ron Paul! CNN, do the right thing and give Dr. Paul equal coverage.

Mike Uehara, Corvallis Oregon   June 8th, 2007 3:16 am ET

I have been a registered Democrat since I was 18. I have only been able to vote for two presidents so far, but in the next election, I will be registering as a Republican just to vote for Ron Paul. It is about time we got a candidate that truely represents the people, and not corporations.

I don't agree with all of his views, but that doesn't matter to me. It is more important to get a candidate that genuinely supports liberty and the constitution. I'm sick of what my country has become. I truely believe that Ron Paul will be a great leader.

Chris, Seattle WA   June 8th, 2007 2:45 am ET

Do you get it yet CNN? No one "mobilized" me to find this site.. I looked for it myself because….

America Needs Ron Paul!!!

P.S. I am a 30yo professional who makes over 50k a year and has voted in every cycle since 96… And I am not considered a "likely voter" by your "scientific" polls. I use VOIP, Broadband, and Coast to Coast Cell coverage, and therefore, do not "count"… Hmmmmm.

Erik In Holland, Mich   June 8th, 2007 2:31 am ET

The Ron Paul phenomenon? oh please spare me the condescending gymnastics as if this is some kind of supernatural event! McCain and Rudy Julie have chickened out of the Iowa straw poll as they know they will get hammered and be exposed as the non-front runners they truely are because these post debate polls are spot on accurate, they reflect the consensus of the people watching with the overwhelming majority stating Ron Paul is their guy. With the Paul campaign rapidly gaining momentum the mainstream media are finding it more and more difficult to dismiss and discredit the good Doctor, in fact everybody is on to their tricks already. At some point very soon, like the next debate, they are going to have no choice but to start giving him more limelight or it is going to erupt into a huge scandal, one which the GOP absolutely cannot afford.

Andrew, Washington, DC   June 8th, 2007 2:29 am ET

The mainstream media are morally corrupt in sidelining Ron Paul. Take the CNN Debate as an example; Paul was relegated to the edge, and only allowed about a third of the time slavishly given to so-called top-tier candidates. He wasn't even asked his opinion on medical care issues when he was the only medical doctor amongst the candidates!!

CNN can prove it is a fair and unbiased media organisation by giving equal time to candidates, and by not ignoring the massive groundswell of popular support for Ron Paul which makes him a top-tier candidate in my opinion.

Mark C., Winchester, Virginia   June 8th, 2007 2:26 am ET

I, like many of the other readers leaving comments, have been confused by the lack of coverage given to Mr. Paul. It seems that several less-serious sources in the media (The Bill Maher Show, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report) have all picked up on story that the actual "news" networks have missed or willfully ignored: Mr. Paul's popularity IS surging.

This surge is not due to internet spammers, and to blow it off as such seems slightly arrogant. Is it not possible that there are thousands – or maybe even millions – of Americans out there who are tired of recycled political rhetoric, and for the first time in years see a candidate with substance? I sure hope so. Mr. Paul, as a candidate, is such a breath of fresh air that he is gaining ground DESPITE the limited airtime he is given. Should CNN or Fox News actually present him in a fair manner, look out!

By the way, I felt the debate this week left much to be deserved. I was amazed how many questions were directed only to the top three candidates, and how much time they were given to respond. Everyone else was an afterthought.

P Gibbons, Springdale, Arkansas   June 8th, 2007 2:20 am ET

Ron Paul is a truely GREAT AMERICAN. I would like to see a Congressional Investigation into the activities concerning the major media outlets such as FOX, CNN, ABC, MSNBC and their deliberate attempts to abuse the Public Trust in reporting news fair and accurately. Hmm… Whoops I don't think that would be possible because the two biggest issues Congress had to deal with in the last few weeks were ILLEGAL IMMAGRATION and the War in Iraq. Look at How our representatives handled that. Maybe when Paul gets elected and we purge Washington that can be accomplished.

Brian Holowecky, East Lansing, Michigan   June 8th, 2007 2:18 am ET

This election will prove that the significance of the internet in elections. This occurence is just the tip of the iceberg.

As a student I can tell you that Ron Paul is reaching out to us and will give us a reason to vote.

He is sincere. He has not flip flopped. I am inspired by his courage to stand up to the extablishment.

One can only hope that this amazing resource in the internet can help this little known candidate be propelled into the spotlight.

Matt Fassnacht, San Diego CA   June 8th, 2007 2:14 am ET

We need a sea change in our thinking about government and Ron Paul is the beginning of the solution. Let's move in a better direction. Please… I'm talking to you.

Anonymous   June 8th, 2007 2:14 am ET

I hope this online phenomenon truly means something. Ron Paul's ideas a fascinating.

John in Seattle   June 8th, 2007 2:06 am ET

I had to copmment on this :These comments for Ron Paul all seem strangely similar in tone and language as though they are done by the same persons with different “names.”

Posted By Joe, Washington, DC : June 7, 2007 4:55 pm

Maybe we sound the same because WE, THE PEOPLE have seen a distant spark of HOPE and we are being drawn to it?

Russell Ringoes, NJ   June 8th, 2007 2:00 am ET

I do not have a TV or a landline. Of course I'm going to vote for Ron Paul after watching the debates on CNN.com. People who are sick and tired of our current state of government and politics are very excited about him for good reason. His supporters are spamming him with donations as well.

Conrad Poelman, Albuquerque, NM   June 8th, 2007 1:58 am ET

Ron Paul is like the Howard Dean of this election. Like Dean in 2004, he's starting out with single-digit support from the electorate overall but is generating a huge buzz by being well-organized and having well-organized supporters on the Internet.

It remains to be seen whether, like Dean, he can translate that Internet buzz into boots-on-the-ground voter support, and whether, unlike Dean, he can leverage that into the Republican nomination.

Yes he's a long-shot candidate, but he's the only candidate who I can be 100% certain would leave office with a government that's smaller than when he enters. Others talk the talk but then vote based on politics rather than conscience; Ron Paul has voted consistently against every pork barrel project and expansion of government power for the last 20+ years, so he's the only one we can really count on to shrink the federal government.

Scott, CA   June 8th, 2007 1:56 am ET

I don’t think Ron Paul’s campaign is a well organized machine ready to spam various internet sites as you eluded in the article. His supporters are ordinary people like me interested in hearing what he has to say – even from a registered Democrat. By far he’s the most genuine candidate that tells the American people what’s on his mind without mincing words. I like the fact that he takes a historical perspective and a broader view of the issues. I feel like a student in college listening to a wise professor whenever he speaks.

Paul Herrera, College Station TX   June 8th, 2007 1:54 am ET

My vote goes to Ron Paul. I'm just sick and tired of slick and/or insincere politicians. Ron Paul is genuine and sincere. He's also intelligent and doesn't parrot the same neocon lines.

Art   June 8th, 2007 1:48 am ET

The media focuses only on the big names. I found out about Ron Paul after hearing his name mentioned repeatedly the past few weeks. Once I saw him in action on Youtube, I was hooked.

Media, stop selecting candidates for us you bozos.

Jorge V, Miami Florida   June 8th, 2007 1:40 am ET

Ron Paul transcends party lines because he is the only candidate that represents the American people and not the bankers, corporations and other scum that are sucking the life out of our once great nation. Regardless of your views on other issues, this is the issue that will define our country moving forward. Can we get it back from the corporatocracy?!!? Ron Paul is our only hope. We should all be furiously supporting Ron Paul!!!

Mike in Vista, CA   June 8th, 2007 1:39 am ET

Please spend more time in the future covering Ron Paul in a fair light and you will be rewarded with lots of viewers, comments, and suppport.

M, Chicago, IL   June 8th, 2007 1:33 am ET

Ron Paul 2008!

Coltheart   June 8th, 2007 1:30 am ET

For the record, Ron Paul does not oppose abortion rights, he believes it should be repealed from it's Supreme Court ruling, as it was Unconstitutional to go to the Supreme Court to begin with. And he's absolutely right. This is not a tactic to end abortion, it's an effort to right just another wrong that has been allowed to happen in our justice system.

By the way, if all of Ron Paul's supporters are really just spam, why wouldn't other canidates be using spam as well?

So, to all of you fine folks at CNN: DO YOUR JOB. You have a responsibility to report what is happening in this country, and give the people a voice.

Just in case you tend to forget, our men & women in the military are at war right now. How you choose do your job during these times is more important than ever.

Tony Wetmore, North Bend, OR   June 8th, 2007 1:25 am ET

1) I was not told by some Ron Paul group to post this message, as hard as that may be for some to believe.
2) I am not affiliated with any political action group.
3) I am a 38 year old male in Oregon who heard about Ron Paul, researched him, and now support him.
4) Why is it so hard for people to believe that he is gaining supporters, and that we are not all from some Ron Paul "brainwash" camp or something?

ralph, berkeley, ca   June 8th, 2007 1:17 am ET

A medical doctor, Ron Paul knows biology and evolution are true. Don't lump him in with the crazy anti-darwin kooks.

Tim Shea, Absarokee, Montana   June 8th, 2007 1:17 am ET

CNN, welcome to the second American Revolution. Our George Washington is named Ron Paul, & we, the people, want our country back. We want it back peacefully, but we want it back NOW!

Mike Rosswog - Pittsburgh, PA   June 8th, 2007 1:12 am ET

To answer your question, Ron Paul needs more exposure from mainstream media. I firmly believe that if more people heard his views, more people would become supporters. He has a common sense approach to life and politics and it's absolutely refreshing.

Also, it's unacceptable for your journalists to claim things such as "Paul opposes abortion rights" when he has made it clear from day one that number one, what he personally believes "as president" doesn't matter, and that those issues should be decided by state and local governments, NOT the federal government or the president.

Bottom Line: Give Ron Paul more coverage and the level of respect and consideration he deserves.

Jive Dadson - San Jose CA   June 8th, 2007 1:04 am ET

Dr. Paul just reached $5 million in contributions – every penny of it from individuals. Are Ron Paul's supporters spamming money too?

Ed, Dallas, TX   June 8th, 2007 1:02 am ET

Look, CNN, this time around, the voters mean business. No joke. We have no patience anymore and the blinders are off. So are the gloves.

We don't want the same idiots we've had from either party (McCain, Giuliani, Clinton, et al). We will dump any corrupt politico in a heart beat.

We voted in the Democrats to do two very specific things (impeach and end the war) and they failed. They're gone. We will not vote for them again. We will not vote for the same Republican corporate shills either. We're through. ALL elected officials must do what we ask of them and do it quickly, or they will lose their jobs. You can't bide your time for the "right time" to do this. We're out of time. Impeach, end the war, bring back integrity, stop torturing, stop eavesdropping, stop the lies. NOW!

There are only two candidates that can be trusted and they are from opposing parties: RON PAUL and MIKE GRAVEL. Everyone else is a political hack, financed by very special interests, and most of those interests are operating on very illegal grounds.

Don't think "We the People" have any power any more? Just watch.

Jed, Omaha, Nebraska   June 8th, 2007 12:53 am ET

I firmly believe that what it is going to take for Ron Paul to break out, is for the mainstream media to quit ignoring him. Everyone talks about the "front runners". Who are the media, to claim that these are the front runners? It's only who THEY want to be in office, not neccessarily what the PEOPLE want. The media just needs to give Ron Paul a fair shake and quit calling him, and other candidates "2nd tier". It is not up to the media to tell us who is a front runner and who isn't. It is up for US to decide that. Let the people decide, give the candidates a fair shake.

Ralph McCormick Mercer, PA   June 8th, 2007 12:52 am ET

I thought the CNN Republican debate was so one-sided,always focusing on the three front runners who were conveniently grouped together and getting the most questions and time. I can't imagine how frustrating it must have been for Ron Paul who was waiting last in line for a question that all candidates were supposed to get too answer. Wolf got right down to Paul who was formulating an answer only to be skipped over by a question back to a front runner. Fore shame for CNN! The Republicans need a candidate who can whoo votes from the other side! I usually vote for Democrats and the Republicans have no other candidate that I would consider than Ron Paul. From: Ralph McCormick

Jesse, Ithaca NY   June 8th, 2007 12:52 am ET

Really it comes down to this. If you are a young American you will be paying the rest of your life for the mistakes of todays government. Both in the financial sense when it comes to the point we actually have to pay off all this debt, and in the quality of life sense as America becomes more and more hated on the world stage because of our military action.

Ron Paul is the only hope of a balanced budget. Not a single other candidate in either party will stand up and do this. This way at least we can make the baby boomers pay for some of their spending before they leave the stage dropping the bill in our hands.

TK, Seattle, WA   June 8th, 2007 12:48 am ET

Dearest Kyle, you need to learn who Ron Paul is. Check out http://www.youtube.com and search his name to discover his positions on the issues. If you are an American citizen, I predict that you will quickly be amazed and driven to action.

Peace.

Lily, Jersey City, NJ   June 8th, 2007 12:47 am ET

Dear Sir, I am compelled to write to you after what I read in this article. I am an educated, hardworking woman in the financial sector. I live in NJ and I work in mid town Manhattan. I tuned in to CNN to watch the Republican debate and then voted for my favorite candidate, only to discover two days later that an article posted on your website will declare me and the likes of me as "Spammers". Not only is a comment like this surprising to loyal CNN supporter like myself, but also disgusting and sad. Sir, I am very sad at the what CNN has become. Journalism, at its vey core should report events without bias. But the debate went on to show how favoritism makes its way even into the most esteemed News Channels, and whats worse is it turns to name calling its viewers if their opinions don't match the popular vote. Please make me believe this is not what its come down to.

Richard B., Beverly Hills, CA   June 8th, 2007 12:46 am ET

During my 30 year voting career, I have been a Republican, then an independent, and now, because of Dr. Paul, a Republican again.

I don't believe that his apparent online support is the work of spammers. I am not a spammer. Look at the comments on this page, for example. Each is heart-felt and reasoned — the work of real individuals, not "bots" or crazed geeks.

The only "spamming" that I've heard about is the "spamming" of the RonPaul2008 donation page with thousands of small contributions. That is what will ultimately win this contest.

If government is for sale, then it is about time that the people bought it back from the cynical, jaded, and corrupt politicos who have been smugly telling us what to think for the past several decades.

Go, Ron!

Ryan O., Round Rock, TX   June 8th, 2007 12:42 am ET

Dr. Paul is a true Statesman and We The People are spreading like a wild fire.

"When truth is evident, passion cannot be deficient and great tasks become arbitrary."

Jeff Skjelver, Rugby ND   June 8th, 2007 12:39 am ET

What will it take for Ron Paul to "break out"? One thing would be for the media to take some of the orchestrated focus off of the "darling" candidates. There are more running than just Obama, Rudy McRomney, and Hillary Edwards. Ron Paul is only Republican speaking the truth.

Michelle, Bullhead City, AZ   June 8th, 2007 12:37 am ET

When the candidates where announcing their run for president, I had no idea who Ron Paul was. I sure wasn't learning anything about him from the mainstream media. But I liked what I was hearing in the debates. So I went on my own search and as a result of that I am a Ron Paul supporter.

Stop pretending that he is not a legitimate candidant. Acknowlege him and give him a fair change. And let the people decide who the 'top tier' is. They all should be given the right to answer the questions, equal time, etc.
What's really funny to me, is that by ignoring him, you are, in fact, bringing him to the foreground.
You are surprised by the online support that he is getting? You shouldn't be. Look at what he stands for. The Constitution!!! HA what a novel idea! I don't see any other candidates even mentioning it, probably because they aren't familiar with it.
Stop already with the Rudy McRomney thing. Rudy runs on the platform of 9/11 as if he himself were a hero. OMG! The REAL heros were those who gave their lives to save others and those who came from across the country to help who now have HUGE medical problems.
Ron Paul has my vote and I am spreading the word about him as far and wide as I can.
GO RON!!!!

San Luis Obispo, California   June 8th, 2007 12:34 am ET

Ron Paul for president in 2008!…
Whether you corporate owned talking heads and paid shills for the war party like it or not.

I was posting a brief comment last night when you rudely shut down the Political Ticker board taking input from viewers giving their views on who won the debate. You didn't seem to like the idea Ron Paul had over 170 comments in his favor, 181 total. Your bias has been known, and noted again and again.

Jason, San Francisco, CA   June 8th, 2007 12:31 am ET

I don't agree with all of his views, but I admire his consistency. The media should be ashamed for its shallow analysis of the presidential race. My local public radio station is doing a series about voting records, campaign contributions, and substance. They did Ron Paul yesterday. I highly recommend giving it a listen. I learned A LOT more from that hour than I have from anyone else in the national media:
http://a4.g.akamai.net/7/4/27043/v0001/kalw.download.akamai.com/27043/YourCall/060607yc.mp3

http://www.yourcallradio.org/archive/archive.html

Bob Earl, Miami, Florida   June 8th, 2007 12:29 am ET

Hey CNN have your polsters chew on the following

THIS CNN BLOG WAS UNANNOUNCED. OF THE 977 RESPONSES LISTED (AS OF 10:50PM EST)48 STATES, PLUS D.C. AND 7 FOREIGN COUNTRIES RESPONDED TO THIS RON PAUL ARTICLE. ONLY HAWAII AND NORTH DAKOTA ARE MISSING IN ACTION. ABOUT 200 PEOPLE LISTED NO STATE INFORMATION. I'D SAY THIS INFORMATIONN SHOWS A WIDE SPREAD SUPPORT FOR TEXAS CONGRESSMAN RON PAUL. I REALIZE IT IS "UNSCIENTIFIC" BUT IT PROVES THAT CNN BETTER CATCH THE RON PAUL EXPRESS OR BE LEFT BEHIND.

Mary Palmino, Pittsburgh, Pa.   June 8th, 2007 12:28 am ET

I am a registered democrat who had just about decided on Hilary Clinton but I was very impressed with Ron Paul and may now rethink my decision. I had not known much about him before.

Stephanie, Lake Charles, LA   June 8th, 2007 12:25 am ET

In answer to these comments:

(The following are comments by either Ron Paul himself or about Ron, in articles on http://www.lewrockwell.com)

1) Paul opposes abortion rights:

Our founders never intended for social policy to be decided at the federal level, and certainly not by federal courts.

Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided, but not because the Supreme Court presumed to legalize abortion rather than ban it. Roe was wrongly decided because abortion simply is not a constitutional issue. There is not a word in the text of that document, nor in any of its amendments, that conceivably addresses abortion. There is no serious argument based on the text of the Constitution itself that a federal "right to abortion" exists. The federalization of abortion law is based not on constitutional principles, but rather on a social and political construct created out of thin air by the Roe court.

Under the 9th and 10th amendments, all authority over matters not specifically addressed in the Constitution remains with state legislatures. Therefore the federal government has no authority whatsoever to involve itself in the abortion issue. So while Roe v. Wade is invalid, a federal law banning abortion across all 50 states would be equally invalid.

The notion that an all-powerful, centralized state should provide monolithic solutions to the ethical dilemmas of our times is not only misguided, but also contrary to our Constitution. Remember, federalism was established to allow decentralized, local decision-making by states. Today, however, we seek a federal solution for every perceived societal ill, ignoring constitutional limits on federal power. The result is a federal state that increasingly makes all-or-nothing decisions that alienate large segments of the population.

Why are we so afraid to follow the Constitution and let state legislatures decide social policy? Surely people on both sides of the abortion debate realize that it's far easier to influence government at the state and local level. The federalization of social issues, originally championed by the left but now embraced by conservatives, simply has prevented the 50 states from enacting laws that more closely reflect the views of their citizens. Once we accepted the federalization of abortion law under Roe, we lost the ability to apply local community standards to ethical issues.

Those who seek a pro-life culture must accept that we will never persuade all 300 million Americans to agree with us. A pro-life culture can be built only from the ground up, person by person. For too long we have viewed the battle as purely political, but no political victory can change a degraded society. No Supreme Court ruling by itself can instill greater respect for life. And no Supreme Court justice can save our freedoms if we don't fight for them ourselves.

2) voted to authorize a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border

Real national security cannot be achieved unless and until our borders are physically secured. It’s as simple as that. All the talk about fighting terror and making America safer is meaningless without border security. It makes no sense to seek terrorists abroad if our own front door is left unlocked.

First, physically secure our borders and coastlines. We must have control over who enters our country before we even begin to consider complicated immigration reform proposals.

Second, enforce visa rules on those already in the country. Immigration officials must track visa holders and deport individuals who overstay their visas or otherwise violate U.S. law. This is especially important when we recall that some of the 9/11 terrorists had expired visas.

Third, reject amnesty. If we reward lawbreakers who enter this country illegally with citizenship, then any new laws Congress might pass likewise can be ignored. Reform must begin with a new mentality that immigration laws will be enforced.

Fourth, end welfare-state incentives for illegals. Americans are quick to welcome immigrants who simply wish to work hard and make a better life for themselves. But taxpayers cannot continue to pay when illegal immigrants use hospitals, clinics, schools, roads, and social services.

Fifth, end birthright citizenship. As long as illegal immigrants know their children born here will be citizens, the perverse incentive to sneak into this country remains strong. Citizenship involves more than the mere location of one’s birth.

Finally, completely overhaul the legal immigration process. The current system is incoherent and unfair. Legal immigrants from all countries should face the same rules and waiting periods.

3) supports withdrawing troops from Iraq,

Many of my colleagues, faced with the reality that the war in Iraq is not going well, line up to place all the blame on the president. The president “mismanaged” the war, they say. “It’s all the president’s fault,” they claim. In reality, much of the blame should rest with Congress, which shirked its constitutional duty to declare war and instead told the president to decide for himself whether or not to go to war.

More than four years into that war, Congress continues to avoid its constitutional responsibility to exercise policy oversight, particularly considering the fact that the original authorization no longer reflects the reality on the ground in Iraq.

According to the original authorization (Public Law 107-243) passed in late 2002, the president was authorized to use military force against Iraq to achieve the following two specific objectives only:

“(1) defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and

(2) enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq”

I was highly critical of the resolution at the time, because I don’t think the United States should ever go to war to enforce United Nations resolutions. I was also skeptical of the claim that Iraq posed a “continuing threat” to the United States.

As it turned out, Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, no al-Qaeda activity, and no ability to attack the United States. Regardless of this, however, when we look at the original authorization for the use of force it is clearly obvious that our military has met both objectives. Our military very quickly removed the regime of Saddam Hussein, against whom the United Nations resolutions were targeted. A government approved by the United States has been elected in post-Saddam Iraq, fulfilling the first objective of the authorization.

With both objectives of the original authorization completely satisfied, what is the legal ground for our continued involvement in Iraq? Why has Congress not stepped up to the plate and revisited the original authorization?

4) and defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

While I am sympathetic to those who feel only a constitutional amendment will sufficiently address this issue, I respectfully disagree. I also am concerned that the proposed amendment, by telling the individual states how their state constitutions are to be interpreted, is a major usurpation of the states’ power. The division of power between the federal government and the states is one of the virtues of the American political system. Altering that balance endangers self-government and individual liberty.

Because of the dangers to liberty and traditional values posed by the unexpected consequences of amending the Constitution to strip power from the states and the people and further empower Washington, I cannot in good conscience support the marriage amendment to the United States Constitution. Instead, I plan to continue working to enact the Marriage Protection Act and protect each state’s right not to be forced to recognize a same sex marriage.

Finally) Is he a “true conservative”? If indeed his support is growing, what is it going to take for Paul to break out and challenge the front-runners for the GOP presidential nomination?

Paul has been the best thing about the GOP's otherwise ideologically predictable TV debates so far — mainly because Paul is the only one on stage who truly believes in individual liberty and actually believes everything he says.

Paul doesn't pretend to be a modern Republican but an old-fashioned libertarian one who puts the Constitution and freedom before politics and party.

The GOP's "apparatchiks" are scared of Dr. Paul. "We have a real phenomenon here, because someone has to stand up for what conservatism once stood for. Whether you agree with him or not … he has already elevated the debates by injecting into them a legitimate, if now suppressed, strain of conservatism that is actually deeper in this country than the neoconservative aggression that now captures the party elite and has trapped the U.S. in the Iraq nightmare."

Paul's unwavering pronouncements against unconstitutional foreign wars and for less government and more freedom at home sound quaint, alien or hopelessly naive in the Era of Big Government.

E Herndon Canton Texas   June 8th, 2007 12:21 am ET

Just wondering if Rudy or Maniac McCain supporters had been flooding the comments section would they also have been taken down."Ron Paul" supporters flooding the comments was taken down? Or is it the real man with the message of freedom and liberty that disturbed you so!

Dusty, Columbus, Ohio   June 8th, 2007 12:18 am ET

be fair… you (CNN) say you are, but who are you kidding? Oh, thats right, most of the population. Good job. Your a part of the problem.

Michael, Paterson, NJ   June 8th, 2007 12:13 am ET

Ron Paul — our best hope for rolling back the omnipresent fascist government.

Clay Tanner II, currently in Portsmouth, NH   June 8th, 2007 12:13 am ET

I too am a real person – 58 years old, father of 2 kids both of whom are old enough to vote…and will be voting with me for Dr. Paul. As an employee of the federal government I have taken an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. Ron Paul is the only candidate in either party that puts the Consitution first and foremost. For a while I had hoped Obama – due to his having taught Constitional law – might hold the Constitution sacred. I have yet to hear him mention it as the only valid basis for which our government should be run.

I understand CNN's confusion and wanting to blame the poll results on something other than the reality. The reality is that the Ron Paul Revolution is growing. His appearances on The Daily Show, and soon on the Colbert Report, have given him great exposure to a new block of voters, the ones that don't get called on land line phones because they don't have them. They are the wireless generation and with their help, Dr. Paul is going to pull off the greatest political feat in modern history.

Now excuse me, while I send his campaign another hundred dollars.
Also, did you know Dr. Paul is the most popular candidate on the whole damn Net? It's true: http://www.thewholedamnnet.com

Scott Barret, Sarasota Florida   June 8th, 2007 12:11 am ET

For you doubters..please read paul's website I think that you will find a truly remarkable and unsual record.

Thank you CNN for the follow up and please have ron Paul on your news shows!!

Ryan Sullivan, Charlotte NC   June 8th, 2007 12:09 am ET

Hey CNN, how many times can you say 'unscientific' in one article?

Ron Paul gonna bust the IRS. Ron Paul rocks!

:)

Don, Austin, Texas   June 8th, 2007 12:07 am ET

I think it great that CNN is posting these comments. I am encouraging everyone I talk to do their own research on Ron Paul. Read his speeches, commentaries and look at his voting record. Depending on your perspective, you may disagree with his views. But those of us that believe in this man hear his powerful, history-based logic. He has been honest and fearless in telling the American people why the US is in its current state. He stands up for our liberties and the country's sovereignty. Ron Paul is a man who can restore the United States to greatness. No one else in the running has this distinction.

What the corporate media, like CNN, FOX, MSNBC, and others neglect to address is the entire issue that our constitution and our individual rights are under siege by corporate and special interests. It is virtually unheard for a corporation to be critical its own behavior. The people working in corporations frequently are caught in the corporate “group think”. This makes them blind to seeing outside of their paradigm and blind to the change-wave that Ron Paul represents.

Eisenhower warned us of the military industrial complex. The mainstream media has become part of it over the years. This is why people are moving to the internet for news in mass. Corporate media is self-destructing because it is caught in a dilemma of either pleasing the corporations that pay the bills or pleasing the audience that wants the unbiased truth.

chad morehouse, kansas city missouri   June 8th, 2007 12:04 am ET

thank you cnn for explaining why the original blog comments were removed.

i think most people are smart enough to see through the so called front runners ( i have never met anyone that said they support hillary, yet she is a front runner?) "used car salesman" rhetoric, like romney taking 5 minutes to answer a yes or no question, then refusing to actually answer it afraid he might say the wrong thing.

ron paul is honest, and he thinks like the rest of us, its not a phenomenon, its common sense and most americans still have this, thats why we like ron paul.

also, why don;t you find the site organizing this so called spam and expose them, which site is it thats used as an organizational base for the spammers? there isn't one, or else you would do a story on it. and how would they exploit faulty code on EVERY internet poll, on EVERY website?

Alexander Lind, El Dorado, CA   June 8th, 2007 12:04 am ET

To all Ron Paul supporters out there: don't overestimate the internet polls – I know Ron Paul tops them all right now, but that doesn't mean that he will for sure top the real one when time comes.

I've convinced 3 voters in my vicinity to vote for Ron Paul. I'm planning on doubling this number a couple of times before the election.

If you all follow my example – or better yet, do better than me – we can bring back the USA. We gotta do this ourselves, mainstream media will NOT do it for us.

One sweetener that usually sits well with joe sixpack who isn't much politically inclined is that of the income tax and how Ron Paul wants to scrap it.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that having 30-40% more cash on their hand is going to make their life a lot happier.

Debra   June 8th, 2007 12:02 am ET

Amazing and inspiring. I feel so invigorated and have new faith in my fellow countrymen.The post I did @ 7:25 actually was put up. In 2 sittings I've made my way through every single post. It's been so worth it too. To see all you people with your intelligent and heartfelt thoughts on Ron Paul. Expressing so well the qualities (his intelligence/character) that make so many people receptive to his message of hope and CHANGE. As self-serving as this might sound, I feel such a resentment to this administration for the fallout from their actions and inactions in the way that their conduct affects the quality of my daily life (and yours' too). The lies, deceptions, political theatre, the ongoing assault on everyone's intelligence and sensibilities. The failure to address the enormous problems here at home!! The lives of our brave soldiers and their families. The tanking economy. The disregard our representatives continually display to you and me. The selling out of America. Trade deficit through the roof and also the decline in my standard of living in the past years. Now it seems as if Ron Paul has a real chance. And now, back to the latest on Paris Hilton!!

Glen   June 8th, 2007 12:02 am ET

Many Americans have become disillusioned with our political system. Year after year, election after election we hear all the same promises: Lower taxes, balanced budget, smaller federal government, responsible foreign policy, etc. But we are always left with, higher taxes, ever increasing federal deficits, ever-expanding federal bureaucracy, a foreign policy based on deceit, and a domestic policy that continually restricts our freedom.
We, the people, know things are not right; yet we know our nation was founded on principles that allowed the United States of America to rise above all nations.
Are we the United States of America that our Constitution intended?
For many years our government has been drifting away from the unparalleled wisdom of the blueprint that created a near perfect Union.
Our Constitution has been battered, assaulted and ignored to the point of becoming a fading memory.
The answer to restoring our great nation – once respected throughout the world – is to reinstate the Constitution. Our republic can be saved if our politicians return to the doctrine that created it.
There is one man who believes in our government operating solely under the purist intentions of our Founding Fathers: A man who governs according to the Constitution, even when he is the only one.
Ron Paul is the only man who can lead the way.
I am asking Republicans, Democrats, Independents and others to support him in his bid for the Presidency of the United States.

David, Shoreline WA   June 8th, 2007 12:00 am ET

Ron Paul believes in the Constitution.

I believe in Ron Paul.

'Nuff said.

Neil Alexander, Grantham, NH   June 7th, 2007 11:55 pm ET

Ron Paul is the only person on stage that actually answers the questions, and is the only one of the group against the war in Iraq.

If you're against the war, Paul's record on Iraq is better even than all the democrat candidates!

Jon Seale, Mobile AL   June 7th, 2007 11:54 pm ET

Go Dr. Paul!

Hans Vancouver BC   June 7th, 2007 11:53 pm ET

After having watched Ron Paul several times, if he sticks to what he is saying right now, he should be the next President. Of course, a death thread by Mossad can always change his mind.

Alfonso, Plantation, FL   June 7th, 2007 11:51 pm ET

I only voted once and so did my family. I think the CNN Political Ticker Team is unaware that the INTERNET is overtaking overtaking "scientific" polls. People can now express themselves in real time. I personally have never been called or contacted by a "scientific" polling entity. Anyways, we, the people don't have valuable time to waste so don't look for clever explanations for the obvious. Ron Paul 2008.

Christopher Doucette, Tamarac, FL   June 7th, 2007 11:50 pm ET

Ron Paul is popular because his message of small government and personal liberty is strong. His message is the most conservative. The other candidates are flip flopping on all the issues and support torture. They like big government and don't care about our personal liberties. Ron Paul is for the people.
#1 No poll is scientific.
#2 99% of the online polls you can only vote once per IP. To change your IP to vote again is not so quick, and most people don't know how to do it.
#3 The Fox News poll was not online, it was a cell phone text message. You can not cheat on that.

Those national polls are totally inaccurate. Thats what is not accurate. They call a small amount of people, smaller than the amount of people who vote in the online polls, and it is what the polling companies choose to call, in what states.
Most of the national polling companies have left Ron Paul out of their choices, which is proof its not accurate at all. Thats why hes 1%.
Those phone polls are a joke.

Elias Alias   June 7th, 2007 11:47 pm ET

Another Montanan standing tall for Ron Paul. Ron Paul is the only politician I would trust. His record in Congress is clean and clear – he upholds the Constitution and old-fashioned American values. Many Americans today understand that the powers that be are horrified that the people actually have a candidate in the running this time. We understand the pressure to keep Ron Paul from appearing to be as popular as he is. But if the Republican party wishes to survive at all, it needs to admit Ron Paul. Thanks for the venue,
Elias

Matt Salla, Palm Harbor, FL   June 7th, 2007 11:41 pm ET

I wasn't going to post anything. I mean there is 977 comments right now. But I want to be a part of this thread. It is just too awesome.

I really hope everyone here as donated something. Anything. If the 4-5 million pan out in July, then politics will get very interesting.

Just keep spreading the name. When people hear him speak, they like it. We have until January. Plenty of time for him to settle in people's hearts.

I still can't believe I gave a politician money…

Dave, Philadelphia, PA   June 7th, 2007 11:41 pm ET

Ron Paul is the best candidate & the only real candidate for president hands down. He's %1 among the people, it's time for the lamestream media to catch up.

Joshua, Berkeley, CA   June 7th, 2007 11:39 pm ET

Perhaps he would lead in the scientific polls if here were given equal coverage on TV both during news shows and debates. The fact that in the last debate he was asked half the questions and given 1/3 the amount of time to respond might have something to do with his lack of mainstream recognition…..

Victor Vaughn, Chiangmai Thailand   June 7th, 2007 11:34 pm ET

I voted for Bush twice. I think Bush loves America and wants to protect Americans. Yet, I have always felt that the Iraq invasion was wrong. The thing that drew my interest to Ron Paul was his position on Iraq. He is the one chance the republicans have to win because of that. But the only hope for America as a nation is to get truly humble before God. Even Bush's mistake in going into Iraq was part of God's judgement. Consider Abraham Lincoln's proclaimation signed on March 30th, 1863. He said, "may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness." America's hope is to repent and turn back to God.

In A Bowler Hat, Texas   June 7th, 2007 11:29 pm ET

You cannot deny the "phenomenon". The fact that other politicians are running who don't even know the background behind the war (See Giuliani on terrorism is caused by 7 mythical virgins and US support of women's rights) or the constitution itself (See Edwards on the difference between a right and privilege), is flat out frightening. I would caution CNN and others to take note that regardless of what the numbers say, you cannot argue that no other candidate has a larger movement of people so enthusiastic to support their candidate. Ask for yourself why that is, not why it should not be. Admittedly, part of the enthusiasm is from frustration- frustration that the country is being deafly led astray. Should Paul supporters be surprised? No.

“Now consider what would happen if the course of nature brought them a release from their fetters, and a remedy form their foolishness in the following manner. Let us suppose that one of them has been released, and compelled suddenly to stand up, and turn his neck round and walk with open eyes towards the light; let us suppose that he goes through all these actions with pain, and that the dazzling splendor renders him incapable of discerning those objects of which he formerly used to see the shadows. What answer should you expect him to make, if someone were to tell him that in those days he was watching foolish phantoms, but that now he is somewhat nearer to reality, and is turned toward things more real, and sees more correctly; above all, if he were to point out to him the several objects that are passing by, and question him, and compel him to answer what they are? Should you not expect him to be puzzled, and to regard his old visions as truer than the objects now forced upon his notice?
And if he were further compelled to gaze at the light itself, would not his eyes, think you, be distressed, and would he not shrink and turn away to the things which he could see distinctly, and consider them to be really clearer than the things pointed out to him?
And if someone were to drag him violently up the rough and steep ascent from the chamber, and refuse to let him go till he had drawn him out into the light of the sun, would he not, think you, be vexed and indignant at such treatment, and on reaching the light, would he not find his eyes so dazzled by the glare as to be incapable of making out so much as one of the objects that are now called true?”

matt forrest city AR   June 7th, 2007 11:25 pm ET

22 yo electrical engineer from arkansas here. ron paul gets my support! RON PAUL

Chris, Raleigh, NC   June 7th, 2007 11:23 pm ET

America is finally waking up. People are starting to realize where their country is going. The Ron Paul revolution has begun.

Ron Paul '08

James Sugra Huntington Beach, CA   June 7th, 2007 11:23 pm ET

Thank You CNN for bringing this article back and giving Ron some of the credit he deserves. I am probably one of the so called internet spammers. I visit count less web sites every day just to place one vote for Ron Paul. It is the least I can do since I don't have a lot of money to support him. For the first time, in along time I believe in America and have hope again.

One day I will tell my children about a man who stood with conviction, integrity and morals. He challenged the establishments of America and demanded equality and fair taxation. Ron Paul is a hero whether you hate him or love him. You can not deny the fact he holds the traits of some of the founding fathers of our country. Who once believed liberty and justice for all! Ron Paul you not only have my vote but you have my support from my friends and family.

Sincerest Regards,

American Citizen

Bawls, Boone NC   June 7th, 2007 11:22 pm ET

Far right religious nuts….
im an atheist and Ron Pauls principles are right and dead on.
The man simply wants to restore the govt to its constitutional boundaries. the governments grown way too big, and it needs to be drastically cut.
stop being naive and look up his stances on the issues.

Adam Trojan, Madison, WI   June 7th, 2007 11:21 pm ET

Why the big deal in the support for Ron Paul? He's the only real candidate in a crowded room of fakes puppets. It's a no brainer. Ron Paul is THE MAN!

Garry Knee   June 7th, 2007 11:21 pm ET

Ron Paul is the only true concervative out there.

Democrats are one Socialist party

So called Republicans are another Socialist party.

They are both the same.

John, Cincinnati, Ohio   June 7th, 2007 11:18 pm ET

You forgot to mention his unwavering support of the constitution.
Ron Paul will prevail, even though CNN is against him. GO RON PAUL 2008

Connie, Reading, PA   June 7th, 2007 11:17 pm ET

I am normally a strong Democrat =- but since i have followed a lot on Ron Paul I am actually going to switch to Republican just so I can vote for him!! I feel he is the only candidate running that actually believes in our constitution and that is what makes us Americans and Patriots! Not just following the Elites!! WAKE UP MEDIA and realize that us Ron Paul supporters are not going away! Give him a fair chance! He may be our only chance at saving our Constitution!

Clark, Tulsa Oklahoma   June 7th, 2007 11:16 pm ET

That last paragraph is ill-informed at best. It is like you were almost trying to invite people to attack the article based on "skewed journalism". I won't bite on this one.

Steven, Los Angeles, CA.   June 7th, 2007 11:13 pm ET

I would say that CNN could apologize to Ron Paul and his supporters for shorting him on time in the debate, shunting him off to the side off camera, and pulling down supporter blog comments, by hooking up an interview with Larry King. And he'd better treat Dr. Paul with dignity and respect!

Joshua Hall, Colorado Springs, CO   June 7th, 2007 11:11 pm ET

Paul believes that it isn't the federal government's right to either ban or enable abortion, that those things should be decided on a state/local level. Paul voted on a comprehensive immigration bill which contained many things other than the 700-mile fence which he stated in the 3rd gop debate "wasn't his main reason on voting for it." Paul defined marriage as between a man and a woman personally, but doesn't believe it's the federal government's right to control marriage rights, and so has not supported anything that would ban gay marriage. Where are you getting your facts CNN?

Brian, Watsontown PA   June 7th, 2007 11:05 pm ET

I am registering with the Republican party once again just to vote for Ron Paul. My family is voting for him, and everyone I tell about him so far has shown great interest in his message. He also is reported to have over 4 million dollars donated to his campaign now. Ron Paul's support is genuine, get ready for it.

Malone, Gotham   June 7th, 2007 11:03 pm ET

Ron Paul isn't mainstream until he gets the money to compete with those who are. So if you want Ron Paul so much, go donate. Online polls don't win elections.

Richard Wicks, Sunnyvale California   June 7th, 2007 11:00 pm ET

"These informal polls are unscientific because supporters can often vote more than once"

Either the writer of this article is incompetent or dishonest, if he doesn't realize that since the early 1990s double voting was eliminated by both cookies and IP address records.

What should I expect from a "news" organization that touted the connections between binLaden and Saddam Hussein, and dutifully repeated the dire warnings of the final proof coming in the form of a mushroom cloud?

This news organization blindly repeated the propaganda to get us to go to war with Iraq, just as Fox did, ABC, CBS, NBC, in fact, ever news network. Remember when Donahue was fired?

If any of you are expecting to get a fair shake from this organization, you're delusional. The people that work in the media today aren't journalists, they are psychologists.

Steve, Birmingham AL   June 7th, 2007 10:57 pm ET

What a stupid question. The media needs to give EQUAL time in the debates and EQUAL coverage in the news! Geez wake up CNN!

Dody, Violet Hill, AR   June 7th, 2007 10:55 pm ET

If I may thank you CNN for recognizing Ron Paul has a following. Now that you do why not put him on prime time Tv. Get Oprah to interview him. Or something. He is a good guy. He has the youth and the older Americans…yes the VOTING youth. He has a good shot.

Also, it's not just "effective internet campaigns". It's word of mouth, grass roots, from the ground up stuff here. Do you know what supporters do? They tell EVERYONE. They give EVERYONE a spot to look at him…links and references.

Many Supporters are frustrated from the utter lack of face time in the media. May be we should write the editors of our local newspapers so at least the older folks will hear of him. You see if you don't do the job…we will. I think those born before the red scare would appreciate his TRADITIONAL American values and plain horse sense.

No need to post. This is to the Cnn Staff.

Theo Roth, Birmingham AL   June 7th, 2007 10:55 pm ET

The revolution is working. Lets keep it up. And thank you CNN for posting this, I now have more respect for you.

Ron Paul 2008!

Peter Miles New York, NY.   June 7th, 2007 10:54 pm ET

It's about time the main stream mdia stopped try persuade everybody that there are only three candidates in each party who are "serious". Equal media time should be allowed for each of them and the media should be neutral.

Th attiude of the media so far leads one to suspect that the big Corporations that own them want to limit the choice of the electors by marginalising most candidates. This is unacceptable and the more they do it the more they lose credibility as a real source of "news".

Gwen Frazier Oklahoma City   June 7th, 2007 10:54 pm ET

Thank you CNN for the article on Ron Paul. I am middle aged. I didn't even know what spamming was until I looked it up. I don't use a cell phone, I'm always at home, but I've never been called by the 'scientific' pollsters, so I vote on the internet polls. I can truthfully say that I have never been so excited about a candidate as I am about Ron Paul. I will vote for him. So will my husband. We believe in what he says!

Mike Quick, Decatur, IL   June 7th, 2007 10:50 pm ET

im a 37 yr old republican fron Illinois, and voted for Bush the first time, which I regret greatly now. I wont make the same mistake again by voting for the BIG MONEY guy, or the guy thats all flash and no substance. All the "top tier"(whatever that means) candidates have nothing to stand on besides their ability to stick their fingers in the air and check the political wind. Say one thing today, say something else tomorrow. Republicans like myself are starting to wake up in mass numbers to the lies bestowed upon us by both parties, and their willingness to throw the constitution in the garbage. I for one will not stand for it any longer. Thats why I support Ron Paul 100% and many others do as well. As for CNN and the others in mass media, start being the patriots you were born to be and quit towing the big money line that your masters want you to do. You have a choice here…..you can honestly report on the true support that Ron Paul is getting, or you can continue to sideline him and wait until next year and have the people wonder "wow, Ron Paul is actually doing pretty good. Why didnt the mass media report on this?" digging yourself deeper into the hole of obscurity you seem hellbent on putting yourself in.

John B   June 7th, 2007 10:46 pm ET

Its fairly simple, none of the candidates are capable of standing up to the truth. Of course you are afraid, you cannot debate the truth, it is! Keep trying Candy and Wolf and the gang, the more you arrogantly portray Dr. Ron as some kind of made up internet witch, the more cash i'll send him. The other clowns are empty suits from some other planet.

Bobby- Kennesaw-GA   June 7th, 2007 10:46 pm ET

All it takes for Ron Paul to go to the top is be him self.

Sean C, Belleair FL   June 7th, 2007 10:46 pm ET

Ron Paul has the guts to stand up to the cancerous underbelly of our system of government and finance.

If he were ever to make it alive to the Presidency, and stayed alive long enough to get rolling, America would return to greatness.

He could wipe out 100 years of Constitutional subversion by the international banking interests that have owned our governemnt since the times of Jackson.

No other Republican candidate dares go the direction Mr. Paul has gone in. In politics, you're allowed to cause a little controversy, but you're never supposed to question the system itself.

Lori   June 7th, 2007 10:41 pm ET

I heard Ron Paul received 1 percent on the CNN Poll. How could this be? Ron Paul is the only one I would vote for. He stands up for the people and our Constitution. He can see what most of us do, that our troops need to come home and it doesn't seem to be that much progress is being made in Iraq. I'm not sure what kind of poll CNN has but the people speak here online and it is not spam. We are real people with real opinions and we like Ron Paul.

Truely,
Lori

James Edward Theobald, Morro Bay, CA.   June 7th, 2007 10:41 pm ET

Ron Paul all the way!

I'm a Californian liberal who has always voted Democrat, however, Dr. Paul has my full support, and I have switched parties to vote for him in the primaries.

As far as the village idiot from Texas comment goes, Dr. Paul was born in Pittsburgh, PA., and moved to Texas in his 30's.

As far as 'idiot' is concerned, just read some of his speeches or watch YouTube videos, and you will realize he is the diametric opposite of Resident Bush, intellectually. Not all Texans are bad, you know, that's just prejudice!

As far as Ron Paul spammers are concerned, I wonder who on earth has that much time to waste! His popularity is catching on like wildfire. Most people I introduce him to immediately dig where he is coming from, and are immediately impressed with his transparent integrity, as well as the common good sense of his platform.

James Theobald

Donna, Kansas City, MO   June 7th, 2007 10:40 pm ET

Ron Paul is the only candidate I will vote for in '08. He is a true American and his voting record proves it. I am a registered Democrat but will be voting Republican in the primary because he is OUR MAN!!!!! Otherwise we are doomed. Everyone needs to listen to this man and think for yourself. Research what he says. ITS THE TRUTH!!!

John Mc, Woodland Hills, CA   June 7th, 2007 10:37 pm ET

What's happening is change is occurring. You are hearing from people on the internet because this is how we can express our voice without waiting to be contacted by some traditional poll. The internet is giving people a voice and it's not right for the media and powers that be to manipulate it because it doesn't match with their agenda. Ron Paul is receiving this massive response because he is the most popular candidate when given equal exposure. Wake up!

Steve Fye,North Liberty,Iowa   June 7th, 2007 10:37 pm ET

Ron Paul is the candidate with a conscience.The rest of these "good ol' boys" don't have one iota of honesty that Ron Paul has.They would sell their childrens future to be rich and powerful. Show you care about your family and your country and vote for Ron Paul.

Mike, San Antonio TX   June 7th, 2007 10:35 pm ET

Ron Paul is the only straight talking candidate not controlled by special interest groups. I don't agree with him on all the issues BUT HE WANTS TO FOLLOW THE CONSTITUTION.That should speak to everyone. If you think he's against something that you don't agree with its probably unconstitutional to begin with.

Kurt from Pittsburgh   June 7th, 2007 10:33 pm ET

I think everyone has been bottled up way too many years with the politics the way they have been and the cork has popped! That’s what the polls are showing! Most all of us are fed up with the BS in our government. The endless wars! Big corporations influencing policies using Payoffs and bribes and the buying of our politicians to do the corporations dirty work.
Lets install a government that's for the people by the people the way it suppose to be.
With Ron Paul leading us! The only candidate that speaks the truth!

Shawn Freedom Lover, Portsmouth, VA   June 7th, 2007 10:33 pm ET

Ron Paul is the world's modern day Paul Revere!

All freedom loving people of the world, not just Americans, should turn off your televisions, take the fiat money in your pocket you were gonna spend on products from corporations that support the media, and send it immediately to the Ron Paul 2008 campaign.

This man is the only man in my lifetime who has had the courage and the strength to stand up, and sound the alarm to the peoples of the world, that the current path our political leaders are guiding us, leads to the destruction of this great Republic.

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.

Dr. Ron Paul has risked his life, his family and his liberty to stand up and sound the alarm! Now is the time to listen!

Don't be fooled again by the talking heads telling you who the 1st tier candidate is, or the 2nd tier candidate is, or how kooky, or tinfoil hat wearing, or whatever they slander Dr. Paul with in the coming days and weeks. Now is the time to open your eyes, wake up, and listen to what Dr. Paul is telling you. Research it for yourself. Look at your politicians voting records, look at their financial statements, look at who lobby's your representatives to pass bills in the congress. The information is out there if you will take the time to LOOK FOR YOURSELF and quit relying on the PAID TALKING HEADS to tell you.

Quit being good republicans and democrats and start being good Americans! Please put aside your
differences for now, there will be plenty of time for arguments after the election. It is up to us, the people of America, to keep this country free and to keep the beacon of hope for liberty and freedom shining throughout the world.

Dr. Paul's message to us is that this is the last great hope for America. I believe it is the last great hope for the world!

PLEASE support RON PAUL for PRESIDENT!

cyber_rigger somewhere TX   June 7th, 2007 10:33 pm ET

>One thing is for sure: Ron Paul supporters are effective at coordinating and mobilizing online quickly.

No, we just happen to be online,… because mainsteam media sucks.

Welcome to our world.

Tom East Providence RI   June 7th, 2007 10:32 pm ET

I feel Ron Paul's voting record dictates the kind of candidate he is. The fact that he will only vote on a bill that is constitutionally legal. Opposes all new taxes, is against the Iraq war and is critical of how we conduct our foreign policy shows he is a true conservative. He has never waivered in his beliefs and his record is a testament to that. His concern for the rape of our civil liberties is commendable. We need a candidate like him. It would be a blessing for America to have Ron Paul as our next President of the United States.

Luke Huntsville AL   June 7th, 2007 10:30 pm ET

How do we know who's won the debates?

Look at who's Campaign Chest is growing. People are voting with their money for Ron Paul.

Car Ft CollinsCO   June 7th, 2007 10:29 pm ET

Ignore reality all you want but be advised – the reason support for Ron Paul was so over whelming in your comment blog was because so many of us real citizens support Ron Paul. Call it what you like but it can't be denied that the message Ron Paul espouses is ringing true with more and more of us.

Rahn Lawson Palm Bay Florida   June 7th, 2007 10:27 pm ET

I just wanted to piont out that during the debate the questions regarding health care went to several candidates but NOT to the only candidate who is a licensed Medical Doctor, Ron Paul. Ron Paul has yeaers of personal experience working as an MD and would have been able to deliver great insights to the state of our health care system. But, as true to form the media failed to ask the most qualified person to comment on this topic. I vote for Dr. Ron Paul

Bonnie, Plymouth, NE.   June 7th, 2007 10:26 pm ET

Wow! Lots of comments. Just need to say Ron Paul has my vote.

Clayton, Allen TX   June 7th, 2007 10:26 pm ET

Boy so much has already been said.

I just want to make a quick point. I am a conservative republican and I support Ron Paul.

Just want to show that we are real people out there and not "spammers". Looks like more people have POSTED here in support of Ron Paul than have even voted for some of the candidates in the CNN poll.

That should be a clue.

CNN, thank you for this story, and I 2nd the notion of another poster regarding restoring the old posts that were originally made if you still can.

Chip Vogel Kansas   June 7th, 2007 10:24 pm ET

I'm one of those people that has voted for Ron Paul on every on-line poll I could find. I'm not part of any organized effort…I just used Google to find the polls.

The support for Ron Paul isn't about the number of supports or how well organized they are, its about how motivated they are.

hope you don't delete this comment

Renee, El Dorado, Kansas   June 7th, 2007 10:24 pm ET

I don't get cable so I watch CNN clips online and every time Ron Paul speaks, he is cut short and/or not addressed at all.

There is very little about him written by the major media and what is written trys to persuade readers/listeners to not take him seriously as a candidate who can win the Primary. Thus, the media is deciding for the clones who will receive serious coverage.

Given CNNs acknowledgment of Ron Paul's support, I'd like to see CNN lead the media pack and promote him fairly and evenly.

The Presidential race should not be about who has the most money to purchase air-time or which potential president would benefit the corporation of CNN Media the best.

Garrett Babb Indianapolis, IN   June 7th, 2007 10:20 pm ET

The media ignores and demonizes him, to the point where it could be considered a crime. At least mention his name in post-debate interviews and admit that there is an anti-war candidate on the Republican ticket. I've seen these news channels flat-out lie about Ron Paul just so they don't have to actually look at his candidacy legitimately. Please, if you've got a 2 hour debate, give the man more than 5 minutes!!! Take some of McCain's time, he got 69 minutes in the last one! 5 to 69! That is a deliberate attempt to marginalize him, and that tells us that his ideas are dangerous to those in the power positions and that's a good sign for the common man.

Hillary Clinton has been chosen by the elite to be the next president. Who's the only person that can beat her? Ron Paul. Mark my words, get behind him now or we will just continue down this dark path of the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer. I was born in 1980 and there hasn't been an election yet without a Bush or Clinton on the ballot. It's time for a real change. It's time for Ron Paul.

Alex, Portland OR   June 7th, 2007 10:18 pm ET

Forget about the lesser of evils this election. Vote Ron Paul!

Craig Rittenhouse, Miami FL   June 7th, 2007 10:18 pm ET

As a 28 year-old American male, I believe that the mass internet support behind Dr. Ron Paul is not as much a phenomenon but rather the result of the reality that many of the more politically-aware people in this country are internet-savvy and therefore accessing alternative media sources to get their information. Ron Paul has been a fixture on alternative media sites for years as a result of his stances versus the Patriot Act and the war in Iraq. Now that his message has had an opportunity to reach the mainstream audience, his support will only grow, as Dr. Paul's anti-war stance and reasonable government ideals echo through the hearts of Americans everywhere, liberal, conservative, moderate and libertarians alike.
If anything, I believe Dr. Ron Paul is a phenomenon only because his integrity and courage distance him substantially from any candidate in this election from either party.
While voting on-line in polls is great,however, getting enough monetary support from his supporters, myself included, will inevitably be what decides whether I will be able to use my new status as a Republican to vote for Dr. Paul in the upcoming primary.

mel   June 7th, 2007 10:17 pm ET

GOD help us all!!! if anyone other than Ron Paul is our next President.

Bartek Kuzmicz, Toronto, Canada   June 7th, 2007 10:17 pm ET

I am Canadian and I never before was I as excited about presidential candidates as since Ron Paul started running. I agree with him on his views 99.9%, and I see him as a chance to restore freedom not just in US but also in Canada and the whole world.
I am seriously petrified at the prospect of Rudy Giuliani getting even near a White House.

Go RON PAUL!!

Rahn Lawson, Palm Bay Florida   June 7th, 2007 10:16 pm ET

The controled major media should report the truth about Ron Paul. their lack of coverage and denial of Ron Paul's support is sickening and reveals their true colors. Ron Paul has my vote.

Ian, Elkhart Lake WI   June 7th, 2007 10:15 pm ET

There will be several phases to the coverage of Ron Paul in the big media:
1) ignore
2) ridicule
3) disbelief
4) shock
5) major news story

We're still mostly in phase 2-3, with a hint of 4 creeping in as shown by today's Ticker. 4 will hit hard when RP surpasses $5 million in donations within the next month. Then we'll get #5. Money talks.

CLINTON BERRY, Atlanta, Ga   June 7th, 2007 10:13 pm ET

I continue to be amazed with Dr Ron Paul. Unfortunately, he and some of the other alleged second tier candidates like Tom Tancredo are not given the equal time of the alleged first tier candidates like cufflinks mitt, Guiliani, McCain….even Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich are given more time and they have not announced formally yet! If someone did a scientific survey to see how much time each candidate is given to answer and rebutt/respond to questions, I believe we would find the those candidates who need the most exposure in order for the American People to be able to make an informed opinion are given the least opportunity to do it. This is very important! Why just tonight I heard Wolf Blitzer state that CNN would be doing a short biography sketch of all the MAJOR candidates! HOW VERY DISAPPOINTING THAT CNN WOULD NOT DO A SHORT BIOGRAPHY SKETCH OF ALL THE CANDIDATES! I KNOW SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS HARD FOR FAUX NEWS TO DO…BUT SURELY CNN CAN DO US A TAD BETTER DONT YOU THINK?

Todd Vouglas, Bethlehem PA   June 7th, 2007 10:13 pm ET

Corporate greed is the problem. The NH debate did nothing for the "top-tier" candidates! Giuliani, Romney & McCain acted like drinking buddies at a corporate golf outing. They did not conduct themselves in a manner deserving my vote as President. Excessive and uneven time was given to these three men to squander. It was the same old party line. Trust me I know, I voted for Bush twice! I feel betrayed when a conservative radio show like Sean Hannity or Michael Savage ignores or humiliates Dr. Paul but CNN is supposed to be a news organization sponsoring a Presidential debate. CNN failed the American people by allowing MCROMANI to ignore the rules of the debate and not having a proper way to support comments on YOUR blog. Don't worry CNN it appears that 3/4 of Americans aren't even bothering to watch the debate. I am certain your sponsors made out handsomely since the sheeple got plenty of the "front" runners. People need to think; I don't care if there are 20 candidates. Give them ALL equal time!!

Anonymous   June 7th, 2007 10:12 pm ET

Come on guys, give the man some greater coverage!

Kevin GA   June 7th, 2007 10:07 pm ET

Why have my comments, among other civily stated comments in support of Ron Paul been deleted?

political-spazz   June 7th, 2007 10:07 pm ET

Clearly You're attempting to dampen the enthusiasm for Ron Paul by stressing that any poll taken online is 'unscientific' while those released by traditional media outlets are 'scientific'. The Rupublicans would rather see a Democrat elected than Ron Paul because he is anti-war. We saw the same thing happening with Nader 4 years ago. The People's candidate vs. the Corporate candidate, and the corporated-owned media will never show a 'scientific' poll demonstrating that Ron Paul is leading. The Republicans have no intention of giving him the nomination – they'd rather have Hillary Clinton in office because at least she puts Israel before America like the rest of the legislative and executive branch.

BBB, St. Louis, MO   June 7th, 2007 10:05 pm ET

Interesting "motivation" to remove the comments – would the same action have followed an innundation of comments from those supporting McCain? Guiliani? Romney? I doubt it – they would have stood, no matter how whiney any Ron Paul supporter may have been.

Are we adults or not? Whiners are now running the show at CNN? Someone complains and you REMOVE an open dialogue? I can understand halting it, but removing it?

Richard, Phoenix AZ   June 7th, 2007 10:05 pm ET

While I disagree with Ron Paul on many things, I can't think of anybody I would rather have as head of our military and federal law enforcement agencies, and conducting foreign policy. Give us Ron Paul for President, with a congress firmly under the control of Democrats, and the US should have a pretty good decade ahead of us.

Wyche Robinson   June 7th, 2007 10:03 pm ET

Pundits, pundits and more pundits. I hate this word now. I'm not stupid and I don't need television pundits telling me who to vote for. Stop telling me who to vote for, please.
For God's sake lighten your bottom line and unload all these pundits and report the news, please. I don't want you opinion anymore. Give equal time to all the candidates. I don't care if you agree with them or not. That is not your job. You are doing us an injustice by not allowing equal air time to the candidates. I support Ron Paul and until a few months ago I was ready to write off our country off as bought and paid for by the globalist scum that have apparently bought all you pundits off. Please stop, you dont' have to do this. Please, Sauron can be beaten. Vote for Ron Paul, he is not our savior, he is just the messenger. Live Free or Die.

Ken, Burke VA   June 7th, 2007 10:02 pm ET

I believe this comment thing is a distraction by CNN. There is no obvious link to this page from the front CNN page.
"Sent the Paul dummies off to a dark corner." says CNN.
The main stream press is just a bunch of corporate hacks They work for the corporate elite. Don't trust anything on ABCNNBCBSMSNBCetc.
They ALL endorsed 911, WMD, anthrax and Rumsfeld's daily show! Without questions.

Rick H, Pensacola FL   June 7th, 2007 10:01 pm ET

Ron Paul, is the best thing to happen to the republican party ever.I never heard of him until last week.He has got my vote and I expect other like minded Christians will do the same.God Bless Us America

Craig   June 7th, 2007 10:01 pm ET

Ron Paul is a phenomenon, in my opinion, because he never wavers on his principles and speaks honestly about the real issues while proposes reasonable solutions. He's unlike any Presidential candidate I've been alive to see, and I am hopeful that I will be able to use my new status as a Republican to vote for Dr. Ron Paul.
As has been the trend for the last few years, reaction on the internet to various products has determined it's marketability. I believe that the power of the internet to promote a movie like 'Snakes on a Plane' to even release in major theaters could be harnessed to support Dr. Ron Paul, but it will ultimately be the responsibility of his supporters, myself included, to 'pony up the dough' if we ever expect to even see his name on the ballot in the primaries.

briang, Santa Maria, CA   June 7th, 2007 9:57 pm ET

Ron Paul was a stranger to me until I saw him on the Bill Maher show on HBO. I saved the episode because I was elated to hear a politician speaking honestly about tough issues. I'm hopeful that he can debate some sense into the lead candidates.

Jack Abramoff, Cumberland, MD   June 7th, 2007 9:57 pm ET

The bottom line here is, if it were Guiliani or Romney whose name overwhelmed the comments of the article CNN censored, the article would not have been pulled. CNN wouldn't be writing a follow-up likening overwhelming support for Guiliani to "spam". CNN would have just plain accepted that Guiliani "won" the informal poll, and would have left it at that.

Ron Paul speaks the truth coherently and passionately in the debates, and gains overwhelming support. CNN gets scared of that, and censors the show of support. I can't explain why, but really, if it were any other candidate, this would be a non-issue.

Jameson Penn, Centreville, VA   June 7th, 2007 9:56 pm ET

I'm a Ron Paul supporter who doesn't spam polls AND registers a vote for him when participating in "scientific" surveys.

Do I not count?

Anonymous   June 7th, 2007 9:56 pm ET

"scientific" polls? "fair" elections? yeah right. the corporate media is fooling only the idiots. Ron Paul for President.

Fred Shoemaker, West Sand Lake, New York   June 7th, 2007 9:53 pm ET

The New Hampshire supposed debate was disgusting. I am a Ron Paul supporter and was stunned at the lack of questions directed at him.
This debate was nothing more than propoganda by CNN for Rudy, Romeney, and McCain whom came off like little children. They are liars and not qualifed to be President of the US.

Wolfe whatever is a complete jerk. He got more time than the candidates.

J La Medica   June 7th, 2007 9:52 pm ET

First, thank you for this article on Congressman Paul. I only ask that you rectify your mischaracterization of his views on abortion. He may be personally opposed to abortion, but he has clearly stated that he thinks those kinds of decisions should be left up to the states. THAT is why the people love this man and can't wait to elect him! We see that we would not be electing another "decider," who will simply act on his own personal whims (largely influenced by a religious and/or corporate agenda) all-the-while undermining the Constitution. Paul is all about adhering to the Constitution in EVERY matter.

Dewayne Fort Smith, AR   June 7th, 2007 9:47 pm ET

All the people who take the time to write a comment on this candiate should take the time to donate to his campaign. $50 a piece and you have yourself a Republican nomination.

Mike Bet, Las Vegas Nevada   June 7th, 2007 9:45 pm ET

I am offended by CNN. I posted a comment on the "Who Won the Debate" saying that I never heard of Paul but he won me over; only to see it deleted, all because CNN didn't like how many comments supported Paul. Ridiculous. Simply Ridiculous. If one of the front runners got that attention CNN wouldn't of deleted anything. It's very offending….

Michael, Republic Missouri   June 7th, 2007 9:45 pm ET

Ron Paul is the front runner. You guys just aren't smart enough to see and report the obvious.

Dean, San Antonio, Texas   June 7th, 2007 9:45 pm ET

Why is it that folks who do not support Ron Paul liken his supporters to spam?

Are these people allergic to honesty and integrity like Washington appears to be already?

Jonathan, Portland ME   June 7th, 2007 9:42 pm ET

Thank you for posting this article CNN. I appreciate you giving Ron Paul some coverage on your site. This is a step in the right direction. I do not believe for one minute that Ron Paul's online supporters strained your resources. Let's just put it this way. If there was a candidate so popular as to be able to take down CNN's servers, then I guess he's alrerady a lock for the Republican Nomination and eventually President huh? To answer your questions, CNN: I like Dr. Paul because he tells the truth. He does not flip flop and pander and BS and outright lie, which are common threads among Giuliani, Romney, and McCain. What is needed for him to "contend"? HE IS ALREADY CONTENDING. STOP HIDING AND PRETENDING IT IS NOT TRUE.

It is certainly true that a large amount of "traditional" voters are not online nearly as much. They watch TV and read the paper, get all their political information from those 2 outlets, and therefore they have no flipping idea who Ron Paul is! Do you see the irony, CNN? So this begs the question: Why would someone who reads papers and watch TV have no clue who a strong Presidential contender whose ideas, ideals, experience, track record and reputation completely resonate with large numbers of people in this country? What does that say about the media system? Are they not being cheated out of the service that TV and Print media are supposed to provide them? Also, I agree with the others who posted above that it is ludicrous to think that supporters of the other candidates don't get online, and therefore, the Paul numbers are so greatly skewed to make them irrelevant (this is what you are desperately trying to communicate in your article, sorry, nobody is buying it). Look at nationwide statistics of how widely the internet is used today. Visit the online websites of McCain, Giuliani, Romney, etc. Check out all those people on there. Check out the "Republican blogosphere".

You're desperately trying to convince your readers/viewers of something with this article, and again you fail miserably. Ron Paul is for real, he is here now, and he is on his way to winning the Republican Nomination for President. Thank you to all of the Ron Paul supporters above, and everywhere else. I am truly honored to know that the fire and passion of truth, Thomas Paine style, still overflows in the hearts and minds of so many. And I am truly grateful to be a part of this Ron Paul community. Everyone who may read this, please urge all you know and who will listen to register as a Republican now so that, when the primary comes, you/they can vote in the primary for your candidate of choice. Those who are scared to death of Dr. Paul are banking on laziness: Most people are relatively uneducated and uninterested when it comes to Politics. They may tell you today "sure I'll vote for him" and in they're mind, they are thinking Nov 08. But Dr. Paul needs to be Nominated first. He sure as you-know-what has my vote.

Paul, Boone NC   June 7th, 2007 9:41 pm ET

Honesty. Integrity. Modesty. Paulitics as usual! Let's redefine the political game, let's support Ron Paul 2008!

Katie, Corpus Christi, Tx   June 7th, 2007 9:37 pm ET

I live in Tx and am an avid supporter of congressman Ron Paul. Ron Paul has never let Texans down with his constitutional voting record being untarnished. We used to make light of the fact that if it weren't for having congressman Paul in office, our legislators would vote out the constitution altogether. As I look back…We didn't really know how close to being right we actually were. Please America wakeup…NOW. We are behind you all the way.

Chuze Wisely , Jacksonville FL   June 7th, 2007 9:35 pm ET

Ron Paul is most likely doing so well because he's probably the only "HONEST" person in the race. Maybe one day, the others will figure out the American people are sick and tired of the lies and deceit, and we are READY to have an honest man back in the White House.
As for unscientific polls…well, unscientifically 93 of 98 persons I have asked are voting Ron Paul. Maybe these people haven't learned yet that they are not being scientific about their decision.
Mr. Paul may not have all the answers, nor be able to fix all the problems this country has…but he sure offers something we have not had in a great many years…HOPE !
His support is a lot greater than the media will admit. I know, because I see and hear it from everyone everywhere. I also see it in the eyes of the other candidates for President…that look of fear, because they know he will be the next President unless they can stop him.
And make no mistake…they will try !
It's up to you America. More of the same BS…or try the honest guy. You have nothing to lose but your country if you choose to vote "scientifically".

Van Dempsey, Santa Cruz CA   June 7th, 2007 9:35 pm ET

Ron Paul doesnt stand a chance in this election, because he's a modern-day Thomas Moore. He's honest, intelligent, unafraid of facing painful truths, and unwilling to kowtow to ANY special interest group. He wont compromise our rights away to militant neo-liberals nor fascist neo-conservatives.

He's too good for Washington DC. Maybe too good for America.

Oh look, more Paris Hilton gossip! Who cares about economic theory or foreign policy history, that's boring. Besides, thinking is hard.

Dennis Spain   June 7th, 2007 9:32 pm ET

What is so exciting about Ron Paul is that he is so obviously speaking from a lifetime of thinking things through…in other words, he is a statesman, not a politician. People are responding to his authenticity. Get use to it!

Ken, Canyon TX   June 7th, 2007 9:31 pm ET

I was one of the ones whose comments were never shown. It is frustrating both to feel as if Dr. Paul was censored in the debate, and then when I tried to voice my support for him I was in effect censored.

I would like to say that Ron Paul is a spokesman for me. He addresses the issues that I've had with our government, and I'll do what I can to make sure that he has a fair shot at the presidency.

Will Barrett, Montpelier, OH   June 7th, 2007 9:31 pm ET

I first met Dr. Paul in Vermont in 1988. He's still the same… the founding fathers would feel instantly at ease if he were speaking to them..

We would be so lucky as to have him for President…..

ps. Lou Dobbs for VP!!!!

Edgar Solis, Atlanta, GA   June 7th, 2007 9:30 pm ET

I am a democrat but if the elections were today I vote for Ron Paul for president. He was the only republican candidate that speak the truth and answer the questions straight forward and to the point. He is the only candidate that know the facts and and recognizes reality.

Dustin Dollar Moore, OK   June 7th, 2007 9:29 pm ET

If you, CNN, promoted Ron Paul just 1/3 as much as the other "mainstream candidates" he would easily be ahead in the "scientific polls." You create candidates and then pretend they are the best candidate because you promoted them? What a bunch of self-righteous bologna.

Jayne Douglas Tampa, fl   June 7th, 2007 9:28 pm ET

you keep reminding us that your poll is an unscientific, inaccurate measure…why then, do u have it at all?
you claim that Ron Paul supporters are well organized and you liken us to spam, but what if Hillary or Rudy or Mitt supporters dominated your poll? would you end it prematurely and insult their credibility?
be honest! the reason you don`t "play" Ron Paul is because hes NOT A PLAYER! hes an honest man, a Patriotic heroic American who is not beholden to the corporati (the likes of you!)
Ron Paul is our 1st, last, best and ONLY hope! every other candidate is "bought and paid for status-quo"
…can`t you admit where that has gotten us?

bob   June 7th, 2007 9:26 pm ET

it is most humorous to see the zionist dominated press attempting to suppress what is happening with ron paul…like pravda and izvestia news and truth , there was no truth in news and no news in truth. there is no truth in these american hack news organizations, and the American people actually get it this time. The enemy can for once be clearly seen.

Ron Paul represents the Constitution of the United States of America. If he is elected, there will be big changes. It is possible that, in spite of all the filthy money in the world…he just might be….and if he is, oh what a housecleaning there will be….

Dale O. Raleigh, NC   June 7th, 2007 9:26 pm ET

Paul is the only person I can see that has enough Patriotism and common sense to run for political office in our country. But it's a shame he won't have a chance. The controled media and the neocons in Washington will make sure he is un-fairly treated. What a mess we are in.

Bonnie Johnson Elko, Nevada   June 7th, 2007 9:26 pm ET

I am so happy to finally get a presidential candidate that is worth a vote! I have never before known of one in my entire adult life. I plan on registering to vote in the near future. Prior to now, there has been No need. Thank you for this opportunity to support RonPaul2008.com

yeamodify   June 7th, 2007 9:25 pm ET

Add the other 181 comments you deleted off of the first post.

thank-you

Nate B, Minneapolis, MN   June 7th, 2007 9:22 pm ET

Viral Marketing for Ron Paul…Really, it's not new….you have Ron Paul supporters talking to each other, agreeing with each other, some democrats chiming in….and this is "news?" I'm a libertarian leaning Republican and am not a Ron Paul supporter, not anti-Ron Paul either…

He'll show up in polls, the internet (in a non-spam, viral marketing effort) and in donations when his message is believed by voters.

Not a bad idea on his or his campaign part but hardly "news." Nor is it newsworthy to ask about the "Ron Paul phenomoenon" and if he's getting shafted by mainstream media and then put hundreds of posts from Ron Paul supporters…doesn't CNN use filters? i.e any post refering to Ron Paul as Dr. Paul?

If his support was so strong on the Internet, wouldn't his internet donations match the number of posts? Fred Thompson seems to be equally getting internet support and fundraising.

CNN got played on this one…

Nate B.
Minneapolis, MN

Jive Dadson - California   June 7th, 2007 9:19 pm ET

Some people here have said that what it will take to get Ron Paul's enthusiastic support to break out of the internet is fair coverage by the mainstream media. Well, I for one am not holding my breath until that happens. I am going to a campaign meet-up tomorrow. I've got some ideas. Try as they may, the old media are not going to keep a lid on this revolution. Hide and watch.

Dave, Delaware   June 7th, 2007 9:18 pm ET

Ron Paul registers very high in internet polls because national polls are not measuring the same thing. They can only reach a very certain kind of demographic. Mostly old people, and those who stay home and don't use the internet.

Also, the scientific polls are not even polling people who watch the debates and know who all the candidates are, thus those polls aren't really accurate of the best candidate or informed voters.

Stephen, Long Beach, CA   June 7th, 2007 9:17 pm ET

Hey CNN, how hard is it to limit the vote to one per person (computer). Other online polls do it all the time. That way we can know for sure if it's just spammers or legitmate individuals. I know I have never voted more than once, or written a comment more than once.

Wes. Portland OR   June 7th, 2007 9:17 pm ET

Ron Paul,

Champion of the consituion!

Ron Paul 2008.

Joseph S, Columbus, OH   June 7th, 2007 9:16 pm ET

One thing to note, these web polls on these major news sites know the difference between unique and redundant votes. All the IP addresses are logged, and it's very simple to filter out IPs that have multiple votes.

Also, the 'scientific' polls cited on CNN the night of the debate were of a group of less than 500. They are also based on registered party members and their current affiliation with their respective parties. I don't see how this is any more of an effective representation than thousands of various voters seeking to make their vote count, as it would in an election.

The push for Ron Paul on the internet is simply because it's the best medium available to the public to interact with these corporations, politicians, and even celebrities.

Angry letters have been replaced by angry emails, and CNN is wondering why motivated voters are rushing any chance to promoted their candidate.

If I recall correctly, isn't this the same sort of movement that put Howard Dean into a potential democratic nominee in 2004?

Randal Manthei, Brooklyn, NY   June 7th, 2007 9:11 pm ET

This is a new Dewey moment for the media, in reference to the famous Dewey beat Truman banner headlines. The reason that happened was because they only polled people with telephones, and was deemed scientific at the time. The problem was only the affluent had telephones, which generated the false positive.

Now, many people in America no long have a traditional landline, which is used for "scientific" polling, but instead of being affluent they represent late adapters to technology. A large portion of society now have cell phones or VOIP, and are never polled, generating new false positive results that the MSM points to as evidence for lack of support.

Throw in the energized youth vote over the war using IM, email, text messages, Facebook and MySpace to communicate, you are missing a huge portion of Ron Paul's real support.

As shown recently by Giuliani and McCain, if you do a in person survey, instead over the phone, you will find overwhelming support for Ron Paul. This is why they have skipped the Iowa straw poll, because if they lose to him there, there will be no stopping him.

So, CNN, are you gonna be the Chicago Tribune holding up the banner, "Dewey beats Truman!", or are you going to acknowledge that internet has totally changed the way Americans communicate.

The choice is yours, relevancy, or not.

Andy, Jacksonville Florida   June 7th, 2007 9:09 pm ET

Thanks for talking putting Ron Paul on the ticker. Thats what its going to take for him to break out. More mainstream media giving him the attention he deserves. The reason for so much support for Ron Paul on the internet is because people are so frustrated for lack of information about him on mainstream media that they turn to the internet. In addition, when people see him on the debates that did not really know him before, they turn to the internet to find out more about him because, quite frankly, Ron Paul has done an amazing job in all three debates.

Will - Seattle, WA   June 7th, 2007 9:08 pm ET

RON is the _only_ way to go. All of the other Republican candidates represent a small fraction of people. None of them can win the presidency against the democrats besides Ron.

Sean Edwards, Belmont CA   June 7th, 2007 9:08 pm ET

Stop calling Paul a "fringe" candidate, or "kook", or making ad hominem attacks about his appearance every time you report on his campaign for starters.

This man is in his tenth term as an elected official of the US government. Show him, and his supporters the respect they deserve!

Joe Penn   June 7th, 2007 9:08 pm ET

To the good people who don't know Cong/Dr. Ron Paul (the only congressperson out of 535 who does NOT even take pay for his serving), he's the one who isn't owned, lock, stock and barrel, by the corporations who own the other candidates, both parties (minus Sen. Gravel and Cong Kucinich as well).

He believes in this crazy this called The Constitution, and believes in the people, the will of the people, rights for Americans and taking care of America, not muckracking around the globe. Strange stuff, these things, which the first 2 dozen US presidents also believed in.

Then the corporations took over and that's why you all know so much about putzes like giuliani, romney, mccain and the like (same with schillary, O'bama the Irishman, on and on).

If you're a slave to "news" on the TV and the newspaper, it's hardly any wonder that you all can't think for yourselves, but let the "so-called main-stream press" think for you.

Scott, Parsippany, NJ   June 7th, 2007 9:07 pm ET

Ron Paul is delivering a message that resonates very strongly with the American people. That message is that for us to be free and prosperous, we must follow the principles of the Constitution. Particularly, no Central Bank, no Income Tax, no Imperial Military, and above all else focus on the individual instead of demographic groupings. Ron Paul is attempting to redeliver the gift of a Republic to us instead of this mob ruled Democracy. Now, who would be threatened by this message? Of course, the current corrupt powers: banking elite, military industrial complex, mainstream media, etc. Thank God for the internet because is will enable Ron Paul to shock the world and become our first real President in a century.

Gary Lisch, Plano, TX   June 7th, 2007 9:07 pm ET

An article at CNN.com attributes Ron Paul's success in the post-debate polls to superior mobilization/organization. Please!!!
I could not even get the Paul campaign to answer multiple emails offering support to his campaign. I suspect this is what they used to call a good, old-fashioned groundswell. This one is refreshingly not manufactured and managed in the fashion of the big-bucks "neo-corporatist" campaigns, at least so far. Maybe WE THE PEOPLE have a chance to elect our own person after all.

Tim, Melbourne, FL   June 7th, 2007 9:05 pm ET

It seems to me that the overwhelming online support for Ron Paul is an newsworthy subject that CNN should investigate and report. Perhaps this is the beginning of a new period where the disproportionate influence of money and TV-only media begins to diminish and the substance of a message increases.

Just imagine if we could truly say — It's the message stupid!

Art   June 7th, 2007 9:04 pm ET

Well we could start with fair debates and equal time. Ron Paul's Army is growing and the war chest is filling up. Get ready for this to Supper Nova

Jack Morgan Marin County CA   June 7th, 2007 9:03 pm ET

hi

first of all THANKS for letting me post w/o having to register.

anyway, a shout out for Dr Ron Paul. there is no doubt he is the best candidate for president we have had in at least the last 60, maybe even 160 years

the other dufuses are sell outs to the unseemly world of special interests. all two faced down the line – except for maybe obama

but Dr Ron Paul is the only candidate who is connected with the thinking of how our nation got off to its fine start in the first place. he actually believes what he says, he has been incredibly consistent for year, and he is loyal to *one* country only – the USA

he is a man who you can count on to take swift action to change the nature of the debate on ME foreign plicy, he'll get us out of the iraqi quagmire (which is what over 70% of the american people want), and he certainly will not use his position of authority to enrich his own back account as bush and cheny have using custom designed oil price rising ME foreign policy

but the folks with the cash want somebody they can ocntrol, who will do their bidding, and although i like obama, i think his will play along with the ruling elite.

all the other candidates will *definitely* play along – say one thing and do the other.

in terms or hat the republian party in its best days used to stand for, there is no question that Dr Ron Paul is light years better than any other candidate. rudy is a punk, hilary is a beeyatch, and the rest of em will continue to sell out america without evenblinking.

but with Dr Ron Paul you can be *sure* he won't, because he actually believes in *principles*, you know, like the guiding principles that founded the nation in the first place.

this of course is very bd news for the globalists, the central bankers and the ruling elite. they pray to their god every day loking for a plan to make sure NOBODY like Ron Paul *ever* gets to be the president! although it is somewhat ironic that CNN will allow this post (you will, right?) you pretty much represent the same ruling elite who dont want a man like Ron Paul as the president. too much at stake (fear of a loss of a lot of money more than likely), but hey, thanks anyway.

i think the rason Ron Paul *is* so popular is because anybody who knows him knows he is not the same 'i sold my soul to the devil' piece of gabage we have had run this country for the last 20 years. look at all the candidates, i mean, *really*, which one of them can you be *sure* will get us out of the ME and also, as a glorious bonus, redesign foreign policy and align it with the wisdom of our greatest founder of all, George Washington, in that we should at all costs *avoid* entangling alliances?

hillary? haha, as if … rudy? pfft, right. rudy has been a water boy for the ruling elite all his life. just a total brown nosing suck up waiting his turn for *them* to give him his next big assignement – the WH.

americans dont want this anymore. it has just created a nightmare for this country the last 20 years and it is *definitely* time for a change.

yes, Dr paul *is* popular, and it is not about 'spamming the blogs'. between the bushes and clinton, man, those pieces of trash really jacked up our country – not to mention the complicit congress. but Dr paul was always on the side of the constitution, always on the side of the founding principles of our nation. i cannot even thinnk of *one* other like him. which is *amazing*. 534 sell outs to the globalist anti american agenda, sucking up to 'other' countries and being patently diisloyal to our own, mortgaging our future in the process.

Dr Paul is not the second coming or anything. just a man like so many others, but so so much better of a man, with so so much more integrity.

integrity, honesty, and wisdom. wow! haven't seen THAT in a looooong time, have we? c'mon, admit it!

in the old dayys (1787 – 1840 or so) political leaders truly were the cream of america's crop. we all kow the trend has ben, and really is now, that almost *every* political leader is the *scum of the earth*. my o my how things have changed!

america is SICK of that! geez! i know i am.

but Dr Ron Paul as president would be like having one of the foudewr inthe white house. OK, mayvbe a few democrats would not like that, lol, but let's face it, what conservative repulican would not like to see a man with real integrity in the WH? Dr Paul is your guy.

rudy is a jerk, mccain has a few loose bolts in his head, every other republican candidate will perpetuate the same old ME garbage policy, but Ron paul will not.

you better believe Ron Paul is popular. he represents a credible form of *hope* that our nation, and its reputation can come back from the abyss Bush has sent us into.

this is not about spam. this is not uunscientific. this is *real*.

the big shots at CNN and the rick folks dont get it, but i know many people who pay over $1000 per month just to get back and forth from work, or who need their cars for business purposes. the inflated economy has left millions in a deadly predicament of not being able to afford to not work and not being able to afford *to* work.

with all the other establishment candidates you can *count* on them not even *trying* to address the systemic disaster that creates this scenario for millions of americans. but with Dr Ron Paul you can be sure he will at least *try*.

it is all about hope. "Please God do not allow another sleazy NWO sell out get in the WH! i want my country back! Thanks!"

for the good folks at CNN who have no loyalty to any nation, to them a quaint but outdated sentiment, whose only interest is money and power, they cant understand what motivates people to support Dr Ron Paul, and why so *many* of them do!

well, i just told you!

you *definitely* do not see this sort of support for *any other candidate*. why? becasue they are all losers, sleazeballs, and/or NWO sell outs. many americans dont want that anymore. we still have a sense of national pride and covet our national identity, and also cherish the best part of our national legacy, all of which the last leaders have conspired to destroy, and in many cases have done a fine job of dping so.

it is time for a change.

Vote for Dr Ron paul!

Tom Campbell Blacksburg, SC   June 7th, 2007 8:58 pm ET

Apologies…this was originally sent to the wrong blog.

Over two centuries ago, an infant nation founded on principles of individual liberty and a small, unobtrusive federal government that played no role in the lives of most citizens was in danger of ending. The Executive Branch had usurped powers not delegated to it, going so far as to prohibit, upon pain of imprisionment, criticism of the President and other government officials.

A man, so soft-spoken and shy that few in attendance could hear his speeches from more than a few feet away, stepped up to challenge what he, and many other Americans, saw as a mortal threat to liberty and the first nation on Earth specifically dedicated to its preservation. The establishment press of the time villified this man with every epithet they could muster. He was given no chance to supplant the leaders who had taken the dark path away from the beacon of freedom.

Yet, this man and his growing body of supporters took back the reins of power and once again set the nation along the path of its founding principles.

Reach into your pocket and gaze at a lowly nickel coin. Upon its face you will see the visage of that man and the word “Liberty”. That you still carry such a message in your pocket is the gift of the man whose face you see, for liberty was, indeed, almost lost in his day. Thank you, Thomas Jefferson.

Even in this age of televised media, where image counts for more than substance, if there is to be any future for the sons and daughters of the revolution, do not disparage the soft-spoken man without pretense. Look behind the curtain-like masks placed before you, listen to the meaning of words and not their rhetorical flourish. Think of your children and the blinding innocence of the children at this nation’s dawning. If you want your posterity to bask in that light, you have no choice but to support the only person in the current race, from either party, who truly deserves to sleep under the same roof as Jefferson—Ron Paul.

Dar, Albuquerque, New Mexico   June 7th, 2007 8:58 pm ET

Thanks for the info on Ron Paul and the careful analysis.

Josh Purinton, Watertown, MA   June 7th, 2007 8:57 pm ET

CNN wrote:
Paul opposes abortion rights

More precisely, he believes it should be up to the states. It is simply too contentious an issue to have the federal government decree a one-size-fits-all policy.

and defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

Again, he believes this is not a federal issue. It should be left up to the states.

Is he a "true conservative"?

Yes, he is the only true conservative GOP candidate for president.

If indeed his support is growing, what is it going to take for Paul to break out and challenge the front-runners for the GOP presidential nomination?

He needs to gain more name recognition among the general public. More people need to be familiar with what he stands for. Word travels faster on the Internet than in the "real world".

I suspect that a large fraction 98% of the likely GOP voters who don't currently choose Paul in national telephone polls simply either (a) don't know who he is or (b) don't know what he stands for.

Stefan, Ann Arbor, MI   June 7th, 2007 8:57 pm ET

It is unfair how many media outlets ignore Ron Paul. Generally, it is unfair how they focus on a few candidates from each party.

Ron Paul has hard hitting, insightful, and more importantly rational views on the important issues, which is hard to say of many of the candidates…

BJ, Cleveland, OH   June 7th, 2007 8:57 pm ET

Ron Paul is real; the rest of the GOP candidates are plastic and pasty.

Eddie Nieto, Los Angeles, CA   June 7th, 2007 8:55 pm ET

People, people, people,
What's so critical about immigration isn't the border or security: It's the need for a 2nd tier labor force. Paid low wages with no rights for redress against cheapskate employers! Wake up you working stiffs out there! You're next.

Aaron Dames, San Francisco, California   June 7th, 2007 8:54 pm ET

I fully support this Man. He is the only candidate that may salvage our withering republic. Paradoxically, because of this, he will not win the nomination, have the election stolen from him, or probably be assassinated. Brace yourself on this tragic slide towards fascism. The War on Terror is lie. Re-investigate 9/11.

Josh Loiko, Los Angeles Ca   June 7th, 2007 8:54 pm ET

Thank you CNN for acknowledging the groundswell of support for the only true Constitutional candidate! However to add at the end that he anti-abortion rights isn't exactly fair. He is anti-FEDERAL involvement. He is an OBGYN and has delivered over 1000 babies…do you think he would be pro-abortion? He believes that the states should decide on the right to choose. It was almost an unbiased article until you threw in that last paragraph (which is true, but taken ENTIRELY out of context). Please people, check his voting record!

Tim, Cocoa Beach, FL   June 7th, 2007 8:54 pm ET

Truly impressed with Ron Paul, however, I believe it is time for him to take a stand on what really happened on 9/11 and also why is he so strongly associated with the John Birch Society.

Frank, Scottsdale Arizona   June 7th, 2007 8:52 pm ET

Voted Bush Twice, I'm not frustrated with my Repub Party.

I am now completely on board with Ron Paul, he is the ONLY chance of a Repub winning the Election let alone taking back OUR nation !!

Roxane Hancock, MN   June 7th, 2007 8:52 pm ET

I am a registered Democrat. I saw Ron Paul on "Real Time with Bill Maher" on HBO and I liked him! He seems like a real honest guy who makes a lot of sense!

Jhoyoza, Reading MA   June 7th, 2007 8:50 pm ET

How come you only see the same faces over and over on TV, despite what people want on TV? It is obvious it is not what the people want but what CNN wants.

Is it true that those who control the media control the minds of the people?

jeremiah black, new york, new york   June 7th, 2007 8:43 pm ET

Ron Paul appeals to liberal and conservative Americans for the same reason. He wants to drastically limit the power the federal governement has over our lives and the lives citizens of other countries. So pro-abortion or gay marriage supporting liberals like him because he won't force these issues on us nationally, and he will also stop the American military adventurism overseas as well as restore the privacy of individuals and habeas corpus. And conservatives like him because of his tight fiscal policy and because he will limit the power of DC and return much power to local governments. When a candidate simply says, "I am here only to follow the constitution, go no further, and no special favors for anyone", everyone benefits- the right and the left. Finally! What a concept!

Kay, Boulder CO   June 7th, 2007 8:39 pm ET

Ron Paul is our guy. Lets make this man our next President.
He is Honest, forthright, and real.
Hey telling the truth…What a great Idea!

Spring, Texas   June 7th, 2007 8:37 pm ET

RON PAUL is the most respected candidate.

RON PAUL, M.D. for President 2008!
Everyone else seems to be more for 1984.

Zak   June 7th, 2007 8:33 pm ET

Ron Paul is the only hope for the country. Stop ignoring him.

Paul, Grass Valley, CA   June 7th, 2007 8:30 pm ET

"What do these numbers mean?"

It means the majority of Americans no longer trust the mainstream media to tell them the truth and that they are going to other venues (Internet) for the information on politics and candidates.

Face it: CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, LA Times, and NYTimes (CorpMedia) no longer call the shots. The people do.

Greg, Laguna Hills, CA   June 7th, 2007 8:23 pm ET

Ron Paul is just an internet phenomenon with a small cult following of individuals who vote for him dozens of times on these on-line polls. The phone surveys done by rasmussenreport.com are the most accurate in the business, and they portray an accurate picture of his popularity, or lack thereof. Unfortunately for his supporters, there is no way to make the pollers call them again and again to skew the results. Sorry guys.

Ann Dothan Alabama   June 7th, 2007 8:21 pm ET

When the numbers come out in three weeks on the money raised in the 2nd quarter the whole argument will be over. Ron paul will become viable in mainstream media and they will get thier answer to if it was spam. I'm a 54 yr old grandmother,lifelong democrat who sent my 1st contribution ever to a campaign after the 2nd debate. I will be sending $100 a month till the election. Rumor is Dr. pauls campaign is in the $5,000,000 range with three weeks left for this quarter. When these numbers are released argument on valididy over. Ann Dothan Alabama

john corvallis oregon   June 7th, 2007 8:20 pm ET

If it were only "dedicated fanatics" or "internet activists" then all the candidates would have them. It's Paul's message and ideals that are creating the support,

Brian, Wichita KS   June 7th, 2007 8:19 pm ET

Ron Paul is the only candidate in this election that has been a consistent supporter of freedom and individual liberty. I will be voting for him and doing everything I can to support him in this race.

Davy C Rockett, Tacoma, WA.   June 7th, 2007 8:18 pm ET

Hey MSM and NWO Elitist, I will be voting for Ron Paul in 2008.
You guys better be worried cause the people are taking America back, for the people's interest, not your NWO elitist one world hugh government agenda.

John, Kirkland, WA   June 7th, 2007 8:15 pm ET

Ron Paul is a true Constitutional conservative. His message resonates with people who are tired of the staged elections, criminal politicians, and corporate control of government and the media.

RON PAUL 2008

John W, Boston MA   June 7th, 2007 8:15 pm ET

He has my vote. Two things he could do going forward (1) try to avoid being labled a 'single-issue' candidate, i.e. "he's the anti-war canidate". From what I can tell, he has the most clear available opinions on more issues than any canidate – Dem or Rep. (2) I hope this comes across correctly: he really needs to do a better job of showing he really wants the Presidency. There are times I feel his goal may simply be to bring certain issues to the forefront (the war, lack of respect for the constitution, etc. ). I hope he really wants it – his message his working and we need him.

Jeff from West Virginia   June 7th, 2007 8:11 pm ET

Why is Ron paul getting poor coverage?

© 2007 Cable News Network.
A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.
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NUFF SAID!!!!

Anonymous   June 7th, 2007 8:11 pm ET

Remember, It' the primary, friends. Get your absentee ballots now. Register in your Republcan primary and vote for Ron Paul. IT is a rare oppor4unity to vote NO to both major parties, and gain a more than compatible candidate in the bargain.

Tom Johnson, Newark, DE   June 7th, 2007 8:09 pm ET

" The belief that traditional telephone polls are “scientific” depends on your definition of science.

If there was a truly “scientific” method of designing a telephone poll, one would expect all telephone polling organizations to use it. In fact, as others have noted, the design of polls is as much an art as a science.

Our most recent, and only other, use of our online methodology to predict elections was in the British general election of 2005. We made two forecasts: one for Great Britain as a whole and one for Scotland. The average error on the three main parties’ share of the vote in both these predictions was 0.8 percentage points. These results compared very favorably with the final predictions of telephone polls, only one of which was more accurate.

In 58 of the 78 races we have covered there were also telephone polls conducted just before the elections. Our average error on the spread between the two main candidates or parties was 3.3 percentage points compared to 4 percentage points in the telephone polls."
http://www.pollingreport.com/ht_online.htm

Neeraj Gupta, allen texas   June 7th, 2007 8:09 pm ET

Ron Paul is the best choice. He has the best understanding of the issues. I hope the MSM will give hime more coverage.

Richard Gray, Boulder, COlorado   June 7th, 2007 8:07 pm ET

Blame the spammers. Hmmm It looks like the spammers are actually supporting Ron Paul via donations. Its nice to hear truth and integrity for once in a debate. I hear he is approaching 3-5 million dollars since the first debate (from $500k start). Sounds like first tier money. I am not a spammer, but former Dem now registered as independent so I can vote for Ron in the Colorado primary. CNN = Fox lite

Jim, Seattle, WA   June 7th, 2007 8:07 pm ET

Ron Paul is honest (unlike nearly all politicians), intelligent (unlike Bush) and consistent (unlike Kerry).

He makes a point to study and understand the issues before coming to conclusions, even if those conclusions seem unpopular.

He has no interest in sustaining our wasteful and overbearing government and pandering to elitist corporatism.

He is everything that this country needs and everything that those who are in control don't want.

Chuck, Tacoma, Washington   June 7th, 2007 8:03 pm ET

Ron Paul may be the last honest person left in Washington. He may be the last one who gives a damn about our constitution, privacy and individual rights. He may be the last person who sees the wisdom in reducing our government, taking away corporate influence, and put responsibility back where it truly belongs. Some accountability goes to the people of this country, whats is left goes to each state for it's own affairs and lastly to the federal government of what little may be left. The magnitude of our current government and the too numerous special programs and offices are like a giant octopus that needs to be killed and fed back to the people. Ron Paul sees that America is hurting, and cannot continue to spend what it no longer has. Money no longer exists here. We are being spoon fed credit and cards. He sees the wisdom in instituting REAL money backed by gold and silver, eliminating the IRS and putting this nation back to work. We must care for our own. Ron Paul knows this. I have never voted for a president before, but I will register to vote for him now. He is the right man, at the right time. God keep him well and safe. We need a man like Mr. Paul to make amends for this once great country. This nation has fallen from grace. Thank you Mr. Paul for all you're saying. It is truth, and cannot be hid anymore. Keep doing what must be done to save us all from our own corruption.

Travis Ogle   June 7th, 2007 8:03 pm ET

Ron Paul is an honest man's politician. He does not compromise his political views at the expense of his strong sense of morality. How many elected office holders at the Federal level can you name that have NOT been corrupted by the awsome power of re-election to several terms. Ron Paul stands alone in that category.

Jerry Rawlinson, Elizabethtown, IN   June 7th, 2007 8:02 pm ET

Ron Paul is the true winner of the last debate as well as the first and the second. Is is the true American and Patriot, and should be the next president of USA.

BZ SMITH, Columbus, OH   June 7th, 2007 8:02 pm ET

Crappy explaination of why you were censoring Ron Paul supporters, but I'll take it.

Ron Paul has huge grassroots support. His name is out there, and its getting bigger.

Why Don't you do a news story on his Campaign contributions CNN? That will tell you just how well Ron Paul is doing and how popular he is. These so called "scientific polls" don't mean jack right now.

But Campaign contributions mean everything at this stage. Do a story on that CNN. That will tell you how "Big" this Ron Paul "Phenomena" is.

-PROUD RON PAUL SUPPORTER! RON PAUL IN 08′!

dave wissel, cinti., ohio   June 7th, 2007 8:02 pm ET

Ron Paul's the new MAN OF THE HOUR. His message is exciting. He speaks with authority….not like those other Demopublicans who know truth but hide from same and treat the population as ignorant idiots. Ron Paul has beome the new thinking-man's candidate. The more CNN and other news people give him air-time, the better people will like his message. Heck…he'd be the BEST thing for a free press anyway.

KD, Austin, TX   June 7th, 2007 8:01 pm ET

Stop censoring the American people.Nice little explanation above with all of your keywords like "unscientific poll". If the polls would have showed your guy as the winner then I'm sure "unscientific" would have been omitted. I'm not buying your explanation because I stopped trusting MSM several years ago.

Patrick Sayre, Fresno California   June 7th, 2007 8:01 pm ET

Reading these posts is disheartening, all these Pro-Government, Pro-War Socialists/Fascists calling themselves Conservatives! Need I remind you that Republicans up until the current Administration has always avoided Nation Building and foreign involvment! Eisenhower warned JFK not to send regular combat troops to Vietnam, and Reagan himself was wise enough to pull out of Lebannon; are you saying Reagan was wrong?!

I have been a Republican since I registered to vote in 1987. I supported Bush 1, Voted for Dole. I even voted for W. Bush in both elections as the lesser of two evils, even though I was wary the second time around having seen a taste of what was to come with "No Child Left Behind". The GOP of today is NOT the GOP I researched, read about and signed up for; in fact they are starting to more resemble the war mongering, socialist administrations of FDR, JFK and Johnson than they do any Old Right politicians.

Expanding government programs, legislative moralizing, foreign nation building, flirtations with Keynesian economic policies, secret prisons; these are not Conservative policies, but rather, as Hayek pointed out, nothing more than paths to Socialism and eventually Totalitarianism! Who would have believed that in 2007 a Republican President would have more in common with that Stalin sympathizer FDR than with Goldwater! It’s as if Hawkish Socialists had usurped the party!

Only Ron Paul understands what Conservatism truly means. Only Paul understands his personal views are NOT necessarily the will of the people and has instead vowed to curb the power of a few in Washington to enforce their beliefs upon the people, and to follow the Law and the Constitution in all matters.

Paul understands the issues of abortion and marriage are not issues for Federal meddling, and are best left to individuals, communities and States to decide. He understands the power of free trade to influence world events and cultures, and how unneeded war not only hinders our own growth but often can create enemies where none existed before; he also seems to be the only candidate who has even a basic understanding of economic theory.

As a true Conservative in the Old Right tradition, I will vote for Ron Paul even if the scared sheep I used to call my political brethren further embrace the Neo-Con/Socialist devils lately seen in and around D.C.

Jordan Lund, Portland Oregon   June 7th, 2007 8:00 pm ET

The problem is that the "scientific" polls aren't an accurate polling of the American public.

They don't take into account people who use cell phones exclusively which is a large and growing segment of the population.

By limiting themselves to people with land-lines they are polling an audience that by and large is older and not as technologically savvy.

Glen Shipley, 21781 CR 294 Arp, Texas   June 7th, 2007 8:00 pm ET

Thanks CNN, this particular blog is another chip out of the WALL the mainstream media has built around Dr Paul. "May the Wall Come Down". There's a BUZZ going around this Republic and the BUZZ is RON PAUL, and the "unique" desire he has if he were President to bring back the "Rule of Law" which is the CONSTITUTION and Bill of Rights, bring back a Sound Money system backed by Gold or Silver instead of the Federal Reserve Notes flying off the press(as we speak) out of thin air. Limit the role (size) of the Federal Government to what was alloted by the Constitution.
Hey! there are a lot of people out here that have that same "unique" desire. CNN jump on board the Ron Paul train thats pulling out of the station, "I think I can", I think We can", I think We all Can"……..
You ratings would surely go up! You could call it David us. Goliath, lots of interest and spin ready made for ya.

Ty   June 7th, 2007 7:58 pm ET

Did the guy in charge of this blog go on a break at 5:39? I know of several people that have posted since then.

Karen Sutton, Beaverton, Oregon   June 7th, 2007 7:58 pm ET

I wish the media would refrain from "favoriting" certain candidates in the first place. I wish I could see unbiased debates. Here's my recommendations.

1) All the candidates should get equal time to get answer every question.

2) Have every candidate on your news shows for an equal amount of time every week (maybe focus each weeks topic around a central theme and let them speak about the topic)

3) refrain from using words like "front runner" "first tier" "second tier" "fringe" etc. It taints and quantifies/disqualifies candidates unneccessarily. When you label someone a "front runner", what criteria are you using? Money in the bank? Support of the party or media elite? Where he/she shops for clothing (snappiest dresser? and this affects my pocketbook HOW?)

About half of the candidates running (either party) are not well known outside of Washington. In order to make an informed decision, we need to hear from them. As it is now, it seem like "you" (media) have chosen for "us" the candidates you want and we have to choose from those. Uh, no thanks.

Our country is at a crossroads and there's important decisions that will need to be made by our next President. I believe that Americans want and deserve the information to make an informed decision.

R. Park Pittsburgh, PA   June 7th, 2007 7:57 pm ET

just to lend my voice in support of Ron Paul. check my ip, never posted before. check them all, i know you can, i do for my company's website.

Brian Turney, Fort Walton Beach, FL   June 7th, 2007 7:56 pm ET

1. The Ron Paul phenomenon?
Translation: What Ron Paul phenomenon?
2. A large number of the [responses] we’ve posted so far have been from supporters of White House presidential hopeful Ron Paul, R-Texas.
Translation: We had a TON of responses in favor of the others, but we just decided to post the Ron Paul ones. We at CNN manage the discussion of course, so weren't we just SOOOO nice to do that?
3. One thing is for sure: Ron Paul supporters are effective at coordinating and mobilizing online quickly.
Translation: We at CNN see anyone who wrote in support of Ron Paul not as ordinary, concerned citizens from across the nation, but as part of a coordinated online cult. And you should too.
4. For the three GOP debates so far, Paul has won or placed high in most of the unscientific online surveys including ABC’s, MSNBC’s, FOX’s, and unscientific polls conducted on a number of blogs.
Translation: Did we mention that all these polls are unscientific? They are really unscientific. That means we at CNN don't feel that they are credible. And you shouldn't either.
5. Paul virtually swept CNN’s unscientific survey…
Translation: We're really serious. They're unscientific. Did we mention that they're unscientific? They are. Really.
6. He wasn’t considered the snappiest dresser, however
Translation: This was supposed to have been in our CNN Boy Band poll, but got mixed up here by mistake. Sorry. Our bad.
7. These informal polls are unscientific because…
Translation: Are you getting the picture yet?
8. …the strain on resources that night prompted us to take down the “Who won the GOP debate” question. The intention was not to censor Ron Paul supporters.
Translation: The intention was to censor Ron Paul supporters. But we got caught. Oh, and by the way, we are lying about taking it down because we actually decided to REDIRECT the link to the comments for the Democratic debate. Neat trick, eh?
9. In virtually every scientific national poll — generally regarded as the best measurement of public support for a political candidate — Paul registers, at most, between 1 and 2 percent. Do the debate numbers reflect something different than the national polls?
Translation: Anyone? We're really not sure. I mean we're an international news organization and all, but serously, we have no idea – all our own polls are unscientific, after all.
10. If indeed his support is growing, what is it going to take for Paul to break out and challenge the front-runners for the GOP presidential nomination?
Translation: If indeed our butts here at CNN are on fire, what is it going to take for us to turn around and acknowledge it?

mrfixdit, corning, N.Y.   June 7th, 2007 7:56 pm ET

I am not a "Ron Paul supporter" that is "effective at coordinating and mobilizing" or at least I must say was not until now, and I must say that I find that statement to be offensive and irresponsible. I am a forty six year old american born citizen who has never voted before simply because there has never been a candidate with the intelligence and character worthy of my vote until now. Ron Paul has an obvious honesty and the ability to see that many of the problems we face are reactions to failed policies that need correction. Not being a politically active type person myself I do have to say Mr. Paul is the first one to ever interest me enough to search out more information and cast my first vote ever.

CNNwatcher   June 7th, 2007 7:56 pm ET

CNN is misinterpreting Ron Paul's words on abortion..

Ron Paul believes that the Supreme Court does not have the authority to create new legislation. The Supreme Court only has the constitutional authority to interpret laws that congress has passed.

Ron Paul has stated that abortion should be up for the states to decide. That does not mean he's against abortion, rather that he believes it was improper for the Supreme Court to create new laws.

Jason Martin Somewhere-in Utah   June 7th, 2007 7:53 pm ET

There is one problem here everyone… CNN and ABC and NBC, and any other Main Stream Media outlet you find will NOT give Ron Paul any coverage! They don't care about democracy, they don't care about whats right, they care about their paycheck! Who controls them? It's the 'elites' the David Rockefellers, the Henry Kissingers, the people who are most threatened by Ron Paul! How do these big bankers get all their money? I mean aside from MAKING IT? they get our income taxes! every penny of income tax you give goes directly to these 'elitist' bankers, and Ron Paul wants to shut that down! he has vowed that within 1 week of being in office, he will shut down the IRS… he will also work to get rid of the illegal operations of the Federal Reserve. No, the people who benefit from the IRS and federal reserve are the same people who control the media. There will never be any good coverage of Ron Paul, it is up to US to get his word out through any means we can devise!

Randy Quinn, Mesquite, Texas   June 7th, 2007 7:53 pm ET

By judging the comments on this page, it is quite obvious that Ron Paul received the most positive remarks. A 12 year old reader will tell you how popular Dr. Paul is compared to "National scientific polls" of 1 or 2% popular which mostly fabricate lies for the hidden agendas.

David, Austin, TX   June 7th, 2007 7:53 pm ET

If CNN and the other corporate media companies don't consider Internet polls valid, then please stop having them.

Only the unemployed and the terminally bored respond to non-Internet polls. If you consider that the most accurate gauge, then I suggest you stop trying to cater to middle America and take your "news" reporting to the supermarket checkout stands.

Anonymous   June 7th, 2007 7:52 pm ET

A group of 30 sweaty geeks, sitting in Ron Paul's basement in Texas eating pies made by Mrs. Paul playing World of Warcraft when they aren't on duty, at which time they all spam polls, write comments and change IP numbers using magical hackery.

Come on CNN give us a break.

Mark, Pago Pago AS   June 7th, 2007 7:52 pm ET

Hmmmmm……
Just polling the people does not match your "virtually every scientific poll"?
Could it be that your "scientific polls" are biased? NO… Say it isnt so!.
Ron Paul is the only employee in the federal government willing to mention the real problems of this country.
Big money ruling the media.
Big money ruling the nation.
Illegal taxation.
Ponzi scheme monetary system.
Empire building for the global elite.
Balkanization of the world, especially the US.
Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo. Same ol' corruption. Just changing the names to sheild the guilty.
I'm voting for the person with guts enough to be an American President!
Ron Paul !

Xenifon   June 7th, 2007 7:51 pm ET

Ron Paul wants to do away with the Federal Reserve, what more honorable thing must be said? he wishes to return the country to the Ameican people instead of the pathetic business and foreign interests that have hijacked our culture.

Erik, Sydney, NSW   June 7th, 2007 7:50 pm ET

I'll tell you why online polls show higher for Ron Paul than on the street Polls.

It's because people online are more educated and connected with the issues of our time. The average joe on the street is an ignorant bafoon.

Pretty simple really..

Amanda   June 7th, 2007 7:50 pm ET

Dr. Ron Paul has been consistent in his beliefs and has voted accordingly. I'm proud to be his supporter. I will continue to speak on his behalf and give 100% to his campaign. My husband feels the same way. I'm sure that since cookies are place on each computer and most of Ron Paul's supporters probably only have one in the home, his support is a least double what you are seeing. Please consider him as the front runner for the GOP nomination. He is the peoples choice. Get over it.

Leroy Maxwell, Tampa Florida   June 7th, 2007 7:48 pm ET

The truth is that Ron Paul is the ONLY candidate in either party who stands on a set of consistently applied principles devoted to reducing the size and power of government, protecting individual rights and liberty, ending the Iraq War, and preventing any such foreign policy fiascos in the future. At the risk of appearing hyperbolic about this, Ron Paul is our country's only real hope right now. If we are to end up with President Hillary or President Rudy, I truly fear for our Republic.

Adam Kiernik   June 7th, 2007 7:47 pm ET

If someone told me that during presidential debates a candidate that promoted traditional American Republican values was given 40% of the time as candidates that towed the establishment line I would think that I was living in Russia. If the establishment media then failed to report that despite given so much less time the candidate that promoted traditional American values was viewed as the popular winner of the debates in virtually every poll on record, or failed to even mention him in accounts of the debate, I would think that I am living in perhaps Cuba or China.
Shame on CNN, MSNBC, FOX, and other mass media outlets, for mostly censoring the message of candidate Ron Paul. Many countries have given much blood in support and defense of democratic principles and values. It's truly amazing that the above networks, and much of the American mass media, are simply giving away freedom of the press to support their approved and favored establishment candidates. History will note their failure to respect the most basic principles of journalism and responsibility towards a society built on democratic values.

Celeste, Fredericktown, Missouri   June 7th, 2007 7:47 pm ET

I think the surge is temporary but I do think he peaked people's interests. Paul Simon had a similar surge a few campaigns ago, but we didn't see him on anyones ticker. Foe me candidates like Ron Paul are what keep the campaign interesting. I don't think he has a snowball's chance of getting the nomination, but he serves an important role. He highlights issues in a different way and may bring out issues that the other candidates will be forced to respond to.

Brian, Bennington VT   June 7th, 2007 7:46 pm ET

I'm surprised by the tsunami for Paul online, but I'm also surprised at the relative absence of committed supporters of the other candidates.

Where are the people who really, really like Giuliani? There have to be some. But they're invisible.

You run across the occasional enthusiastic Fred Thompson supporter, but for the other guys – bupkis.

bud roberts, San Diego, CA   June 7th, 2007 7:44 pm ET

***PAUL CAMP NEEDS TO ANSWER THIS ONE***

I see that no one in the Paul camp will answer my 2:40pm comment/question. Therefore, I take it Mr. Ron Paul is FOR a continuance of the Prohibition against Marijuana Research? Yes or no, people.

neel, Wilmington, NC   June 7th, 2007 7:42 pm ET

The lies the mainstream media puts forth regarding Ron Paul's support are a graphic example of why the mainstream media is LOSING viewers in droves. The people are fed up with lies and liars. That is why Ron Paul stands far above all others in the polls. Ron Paul speaks TRUTH and ONLY TRUTH. (p.s. I quit watching TV 3 1/2 years ago and haven't missed it a second. Try it, you won't miss the lying media a second.)

Mike Stamper, Windsor, CT   June 7th, 2007 7:42 pm ET

Of the announced candidates, Ron Paul is the only Republican I could support for president.

A. Sheehan, CA   June 7th, 2007 7:41 pm ET

Ron Paul only get btwn 1 and 2 % in the 'scientific' polls, because you poll the same demographics over and over. How about giving the same amount of Q&A time to Ron and the other 'second tier' candidates in the debates? i would bet money that his ratings go up in those too, if the general public got to see an equal amount of time in his answers. The man is pointed, concise, and free of the stupid rhetoric we see fom the other contenders.

Fred Jones, San Diego, CA   June 7th, 2007 7:41 pm ET

Ron Paul is the only one running that isn't a NWO criminal.

brad, gold bar, washington   June 7th, 2007 7:40 pm ET

Very cool to see cnn even put up an article about Mr. Paul. Could be a sign of Ron Pauls overwhelming support. I think many people get into diversions like sport, sex, drugs, alcohol and religion because the alleged representatives aren't saying anythin that offers hope for a bright future. It's all doom and gloom, guilt and shame. Mr. Paul will awaken many because no one has offered his message of hope for a long time. The modern pioneers and frontiersman will follow Ron Paul. Those who prefer the animated contest of freedom as opposed to the chains of security.
Awaken from your flouride induced relucatance and join the Ron Paul revolution!

Paul W Columbus, OH   June 7th, 2007 7:40 pm ET

We don't want to be told that we are limited to 3 lousy candidates and maybe a few others who have not joined the race yet. The post debate show had the 3 media appointed front runners and thats mainly who they talked about. National polls mean nothing at this point…they are just name recognition. I was not recruited or politically active… but feel Ron Paul can help save this country… so I vote on polls and write in like this.

We constantly see politicians and the government lie to us. Its expected behavior. They become seduced by power. They seem afraid to tell us the truth about our foreign meddling, mistakes that they have made, the huge deficits,
and they make promises for new spending and programs (free health care for all, immigration reform, environmental plans to stop global warming, protection from their latest bogeyman, bad as hitler of course) without any regard to the cost or future obligations. Ron Paul has stood by his principles of following the constitution and tells the truth…whether its Iraq, spending programs, the loss of freedoms in the patriot act without regard to strongarm tactics of the GOP, interest groups, the president.

In this day of congressmen taking bribes, its refreshing to see someone who seems uncorruptable and is willing to bring our troops home, follow the constitution and increase liberty.

Cary, Baton Rouge, LA   June 7th, 2007 7:37 pm ET

Ron Paul for president 2008. If you care about this country, you'll check him out and vote for him. I don't have time to educate those who are clueless about this great man. Going to the first Ron Paul meetup group right now. If there isn't one in your area, then start one.

daniel w, mobile al   June 7th, 2007 7:35 pm ET

For the mainstream media to label Ron Paul a front runner he must raise a certain amount of money. He is doing quite well right now considering he does not receive money from big corporations and special interest groups like the other candidates. Please donate to http://www.RonPaul2008.com even if it's only $5. Every dollar helps.

Chris W., People's Republic of Portland, OR   June 7th, 2007 7:33 pm ET

George Washington would vote for Ron Paul if he were alive today.

RON PAUL 2008!

Jeff Tanzer,Salem Mass.   June 7th, 2007 7:31 pm ET

The propaganda machine is trying to marginalize Dr. Paul. This is obvious, as is the fact America is a full corporate fascist entity being run by the NeoIsraeliZiocons and its ever facilitating congressional lackeys who are doing everything in their power to make sure the New World Order will be up an running.
This is the guy or Mike Gravel, they are the only ones who are giving you any semblance of truth and reality.
maybe with Dr. Paul we can get the Constitution back, stop the corporate industrial banking complex rape of our money, a new 911 investigation.
Lets just hope he does not go down in a small plane or accidentally commit 'suicide'

Luther Blisset, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma   June 7th, 2007 7:26 pm ET

The fact that some people don't even know that Ron Paul is running for president or anything about his platform is a testament to the power of corporate media. The very same media who helped spread the (blatantly false) official government 9/11 conspiracy story and the lies that led us into the disasterous Iraq quagmire.
Don't just believe. Do a little research through independant (non-corporate) news sites and think critically.

Deb, Haddon Hts., New Jersey   June 7th, 2007 7:25 pm ET

I would like to say that in addition to getting my news online because long ago I realized Mainstream Media is "guided" by the powers that be and their agendas, and being awake & aware like many good people in this nation who want true change (take note CNN), it's fantastic to see that educated and articulate and moreover, true patriot-types are Ron Paul supporters. Thanks CNN for waking up and recognizing the increasing numbers of people who are attracted to Dr. Paul.

Robert N. Brasilia, Brazil   June 7th, 2007 7:23 pm ET

Thanks CNN! Your biased coverage and that of the entire mainstream media concerning Dr. Ron Paul has forced me to contribute to Dr. Paul's campaign. I understand that the current tactic of choice is to marginalize those politicians who do not play to the beat of the corporate and special interest drummers. For three debates I have seen Dr. Paul give straight answers and receive highly positive polling feedback, yet the mainstream media questions the relevance of the "unofficial" polls, insinuates that Dr. Paul is a "marginal" candidate, and simply ignores him as much as possible. All of the "First Tier" candidates have far more campaign money than Dr. Paul and all are attempting to influence public opinion as much as possible(with the collaboration of the mainstream media). Personally, I am beginning to question the relevance of the "official" polls that rate Dr. Paul at 1% or >1%.
Any reasonable person should think that approximately 18 months before the election, all major candidates in any debate would be given equal time until they could be rated by content after a relevant time frame. Thanks Again!

John, Port St. Lucie Florida   June 7th, 2007 7:22 pm ET

Ron Paul is blasted by cnn unfairly. Ron Paul is not the most conservative. He may be the must Republican, but he is the most liberal candidate, by defintion. Ron Paul also supports equal rights for homosexuals, something cnn is trying to make it seem that Paul does not. Paul wants equal rights for all.

Remember, it was polled that Dewey beat Truman in the election. Who won? Tell me that.

Alan Cabal, New York, NY   June 7th, 2007 7:21 pm ET

Ron Paul is America's last chance to reclaim our Constitutional Republic through nonviolent means.

Scott McDonnell MI   June 7th, 2007 7:21 pm ET

As other have been trying to point out. When people are called for these polls, especially this early, they usually will vote for the name they have heard or recognized the most, not always who they want because they know their stance.

The only thing Rudy has going for him is how big his name was surrounding 9/11 and the GOP thought that would be enough to get him elected. Now that he is actually speaking on issues, his support is tanking. The GOP is trying to get Fred Thompson in there to correct their mistake.

But, until they back Ron Paul, they are going to continue to make mistakes. But, I will definitely be listening to FT (my vote is committed to Ron Paul this time, however.)

Adam Driscoll, Los Angeles, CA   June 7th, 2007 7:20 pm ET

I am a liberal and support Ron Paul entirely! If you had told me just a couple months ago I'd be voting for a Republican I would have laughed in your face…but he has the absolute correct message.

steve warden, va beach, va   June 7th, 2007 7:18 pm ET

Ron Paul exemplifies the true American Congressman, like Davy Crockett. Ron Paul promises to protect and defend the US Constitution. He demonstrares his long history of responsible economic votes. He consistently follows the founding fathers advise on foreign policy, namely, President George Washington's advise on foreign ploicy.
CNN show do a better job with the debates instead of selling their three favorites. Be fair to all the would be contenders.

Whitney, Fort Worth, TX   June 7th, 2007 7:18 pm ET

The people are showing their true colors. The American people want the true freedom that Ron Paul represents. It joys me to see a man with some conviction stand up for what is right. Maybe people are voting twice because there is, most of the time, more than one adult per household. At one time, we had 5 adults in our household. YOU CANNOT DISCOUNT THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.

NYC, NY   June 7th, 2007 7:18 pm ET

to get the record straight, please see link below

Abortion

An obstetrician by trade, Paul is pro-life. Paul holds that the United States Constitution does not grant the federal government any authority to legalize or ban abortion. He believes that his pro-life stance aligns with his libertarianism, by viewing abortion as aggression against a person. "Under the 9th and 10th amendments, all authority over matters not specifically addressed in the Constitution remains with state legislatures."[51] Nevertheless, in order to offset the effects of Roe v. Wade, he voted in favor of the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. He has also introduced H.R. 4379 that would prohibit the Supreme Court from ruling on issues relating to abortion, birth control, the definition of marriage and homosexuality and states that the court's precedent in these areas would no longer be binding.[52] He once said, “The best solution, of course, is not now available to us. That would be a Supreme Court that recognizes that for all criminal laws, the several states retain jurisdiction.”[53]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Ron_Paul

Champ, Austin TX   June 7th, 2007 7:17 pm ET

I would vote for Rue Paul before I would ever vote for another Republican from Texas — or any Texas politician for that matter…
Wilson – Smithfield, NC

Posted By Wilson / Smithfield, NC : June 7, 2007 5:08 pm

While understandable due to the current administration, it's truly sad that this is the kind of thought process that is going into a presidential election.

Please, research the candidates before coming to such an important decision. CNN, please give unbiased and correct information to help people in this decision!

Matt, Austin, TX   June 7th, 2007 7:15 pm ET

The rabid support for Ron Paul isn't just about a fence. It's about the upholding the Constitution, which was created for the timeless reason of protecting our freedom from government intrusion.

From a story by Doug Thompson in the Capitol Hill Blue, for the purpose of illustration:

*** "Mr. President," one aide in the meeting said. "There is a valid case that the provisions in this law undermine the Constitution."

"Stop throwing the Constitution in my face," Bush screamed back. "It's just a goddamned piece of paper!" ***

I somehow doubt our current president is the only politician with callous disregard for the document that has allowed our country to thrive like no other. Without the Constitution and the Bill Of Rights, we would not be great.

Ron Andreas La Veta, CO   June 7th, 2007 7:14 pm ET

As far as I can tell, Ron Paul is the only American participating in the debates. Why would anyone support a candidate for whom America comes second?

Jeff, Surrey, BC   June 7th, 2007 7:12 pm ET

It's been sad to see the media TELLING us who the frontrunners are and who has "no chance" to win. Give each candidate an equal platform, and let the PEOPLE decide.

The mainstream media shapes public opinion far too much for it to have any other role.

J Havelock NC   June 7th, 2007 7:10 pm ET

about time we have a true American to represent us and what this country was founded on, shame on you blind people for supporting these bogus wars and letting our freedoms go, no wonder the usa is the laughing stock of the world.
Snap out of this trance you are in and realize what we were taught is no more.