what it would take would be EQUAL TREATMENT FROM THE CORPORATE MEDIA…THEY SHOUYLD LISTEN TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND SHOW MORE FOOTAGE OF RON PAUL!
HE CONTINUALLY GETS SIDELINED BY THE MEDIA AND ITS NOT FAIR! ITS WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT AND THAT IS RON PAUL AND HIS VIEWS!!!
RON PAUL IS THE CHAMPION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT AMERICA NEEDS IN THE WHITE HOUSE!
RON PAUL 4 PRESIDENT…RON APUL SUPPORTERS ARE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE…THE ONES RUNNING TO WATCH HIM ON YOUTUBE ARE THE AMERICAN VOTERS! STOP TRYING TO COVER IT UP…PLEASE!

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

It will take big media debates giving him the same amount of time as the rest of the candidates. He deserves it. Interview him after the debates, get him on prime time shows. It needs to be done.

Ron Paul is the only candidate in this race who is not willing to sacrifice one person's liberty for another. He won't sacrifice the liberty of the rich to help the poor, however, he also will not sacrifice the liberty of the homosexual to satisfy the heterosexual.

He understands what liberty means and it is his defining principle.

It is going to take the American public understanding that what we need is not a talking head. What we need is a man that will not overstep his constitutional mandates and run this country as the Framers intended. A free, capitialist society that does not allow wealth to be transfered simply to cure a percieved social ill, a military that is strong but not offensive, and regards the freedom of the individual to either attain great standing or stagnate as the most basic freedom.

I think it is a bit unfair how little coverage Paul is getting from the major news outlets. Despite his popularity, analyst almost never mention this guy in their coverage. I feel that despite whoever is leading the polls, all candidates should get a fair cut in the media.

Ron Paul is more than just a conservative seeking office, he is a leader teaching us a nearly forgotten way of life–the ideas of liberty and responsibility, of truth and humility. His thoughts resonate with millions of Americans who yearn for the solid, honest, small-government, pro-peace party that the Republicans can become once again.

I firmly believe the press, especially in these debates, needs to provide Ron Paul with a fair amount of 'camera time'. People around the country (myself included) are becoming more and more interested in Dr. Paul, and I'm also beginning to notice that he's being shunned by much of the media, which appears to be intentional.

I will vote for Ron Paul, and will do everything in my power to help people hear him and what he stands for. He's a REAL politician.

"In virtually every scientific national poll — Paul registers, at most, between 1 and 2 percent."

These polls are mostly over a month old, and don't reflect the wave of support Dr. Paul has gained since the 2nd debate. Even the article linked here about the national polls is a month old! This obviously doesn't reflect the *current* state of support for Dr. Paul.

In my opinion, the media is lagging behind the reality of support for candidates. Of course, this will all come to light soon enough.

Ron Paul is just another republican empty suit kowtowing to hard right conservative fanatics whose anti-science bent will doom us all.

Ron Paul is the only true conservative. He's the only candidate who answers all of the debate questions from conservative Republican principles.

In order for Dr. Paul to break out and challenge the front-runners, voters are going to have to start paying attention. According to a recent informal CNN poll, only about 25% of the participants in the poll have seen even a single debate this election cycle. I'm not just saying that he needs to be covered more in the mainstream media (he needs that, too). People are busy with their own families, careers, and lives. They are simply not tuned into the primary elections this early.

The online polls are registering the passion of the support for Ron Paul. Where are the passionate supporters of Rudy McRomson?

Paul says religions or states should define marriage, not the federal government. Same with "opposing abortion rights", he says that should be left to thte states. He personally is pro-life, but still thinks the law should be left to the states.

So called "scientific" polls only measure people who have land phone lines, and are home, just like the internet only measures people who have internet access and are using it. Most people I know (at least 80%) do not have a land phone line, they all use a cell phone exclusively.

"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?"

Try a miracle…

Actually Congressman Paul Gave "Front runner" Rudillary McRomney a reading Assignment. Specifically several books on foreign policy, written by the former head of the CIA, and the 9/11 comission report, wich the fear mongering panzey of a war profiteer giuliani never read.

This was all put out to the National Press club. But Apparently CNN was out to lunch that day. Just like you have been out to lunch for the last 7 years. And thanks so much for giving ron paul 6.54 minutes to discuss his veiwpoints on the debate. We wouldn't want Rudy McRomney to be at a disadvantage, since Ron Paul can say more in 5 seconds than the rest of the shills can say in a month.

You're "scientific polls" you refer to arn't exactly scientific anymore. More people these days use cell phones that you can't poll. or they use Internet phones, which, again, you can't poll. I don't know what it will take for you dunderheads in the main stream media to catch on to the fact that people generally like this guy, but I have a feeling that after the new hampshire primary, you'll find out why american patriotism is ledgendary.

As always, It will take money and backing from the Party powers that be.

As a loyal Democratic but open-minded voter, I watched the Republican Debate with interest. My leanings had been towards Romney prior to the debate and that position has been strengthened. However, I was sufficiently impressed with Ron Paul to resolve to make a future effort to learn more about him.

What it will take is fair and unbiased news reporting. The majority of articles on CNN, Fox, ABC, and NBC is Rudy Mcromny or Hillary Obama. Moving outside mainstream media one tends to find the majority of articles about Ron Paul. The debate you had is clearly lop-sided toward your so called "top tier" candidates. They had almost double the time exposure as everyone on both party lines. It's unfair and immoral.

Ron Paul is intelligent, straight-forward and trustworthy, i.e., not your typical politician, which is why he cannot win. 'Joe Sixpack' and 'Helen Hairdresser' will vote for the most physically attractive candiate available who tells the lies they want to hear.

The next time CNN hosts a debate, make sure that ALL 10 participants receive equal time! Curious how Giuliani, McCain and Romney were featured at center-stage in the last debate in NH, while ever popular Ron Paul was tucked away at the very end of the stage. Is Rudy afraid to sit next to someone who can challenge him?

One thing that scientific polls need to take into account is the internet. Many people don't have landline phones, or only use the internet as their means of communicating. It's a lot easier and quicker just to send off a quick e-mail that to make a call. If those polls took this into account in some way, I'm positive that you would see his numbers jump into the double digits. When the 2Q numbers come in on donations for the candidates, it'll be even more evident that there is real support for Ron Paul, and not just 'spammers'. Also, the end where you sum up some of his stances are out of context. He opposes abortion, but thinks that the answer should be left to the individual states, and not the federal government. That goes for all of his beliefs; he may not like it, but he believes that it isn't the federal governments decision to make. It's a CONSTITUTIONAL thing…

Im glad to see a Ron Paul article on CNN. He needs more media attention.

Wow to think finally CNN is now starting to recognize Ron Paul! RonPaul2008!

Ron Paul at the very least could use equal time in debates instead of the few media favorites getting double or triple time. Also, since supporters of the other candidates have just as easy access to online polls and have been urged to participate in them, that these polls overwhelmingly favor Ron Paul says more about him strongly striking a resonant chord in people, compared to the other candidates who are simply "the same old politicians."

what it takes is the mainstream media, cnn included, to treat all the candidate in an unbiased way. It is completely obvious to me that Ron Paul is being censored by network news, barely getting a mention most of the time, and when he does get mentioned we are all reminded that he has no chance to win, he barely shows up in 'scientific' polls, and that his only support is from online 'spammers'. Something this article forgets to add toward the bottom is that Ron Paul also supports the Constitution, the only candidate to do so, which is one of the main reasons he has such real-life support.

I'm not registered either way, but given the brand of Republicanism we see today, I could not bring myself to vote for a Republican over the last 20 years. If they nominated a sensible, true conservative, like Ron Paul, I might just give them a chance.

What's the famous line from Goldwater when asked how he would most likely be remembered? "Most likely as a liberal," he replied.

It's time for sensible leadership.

I mean really, 1-2%? Try selling that to the fox crowd. Intelligent Paul supporting patriot Americans wont buy that.

I first learned or Ron Paul on Bill Maher's show on HBO. He is eloquent and intelligent. I do not agree with some of his conservative views, but I am telling every person I know about him. And, he is a Republican this "tree hugging" Democrat would not view in the White House with a total pall of gloom.

CNN,

All we're asking is that you give Ron Paul equal coverage. There's some pollsters who believe that Ron Paul would be polling an additional 3-5% higher because his appeal is to voters who can't be polled because of their lack of land line [and use of mobile phones instead].

Most of us Ron Paul supporters believe he has a very appealing platform that mainstream America would love to hear, but that he isn't getting enough coverage by the likes of the big news organizations.

If you have ANY respect for the democratic process, you'd take the internet phenomenon seriously and start giving coverage to Ron Paul. His facts, explanations, and understanding of history are things that need to be imparted to Americans.

All we want is for him to be given the same number of articles and coverage as someone like Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney.

The press has been alienating -true- conservatives, and -true- conservatives want Ron Paul.

Although I do not agree with some of Ron Paul's stances on some issue, I find his honesty refreshing. It does seem that Main Stream Media tries to steer people's support when it should just report the news. The fact that these polls, although unscientific show support for Paul growing, to discount these as spam is not completely logical given the money and resources of the other candidates.

The final comments about Ron Paul's stances on abortion and marriage are presented completely out of context and unfairly used to cast the candidate in a bad light.

As a libertarian (small 'L'), Ron Paul understands that his opinions on what are right or wrong societally don't ultimately matter, and the the government, particularly the federal government, should play absolutely no role in infringing upon the freedoms of individuals. You won't get the sort of stance from any other candidate, neither Republican nor Democrat.

THAT is why there are so many supporters of Ron Paul. It's not just some random fluke that he is beloved.

I am a liberal, but I watched the debate and answered several comments including CNN of who won the republican debate.

Ron Paul.

By the way, Wolf Blitzer was baaaaaaad!

Ron Paul is dangerous to the political and corporate establishment. That is all that matters and therefore he has no chance to get the nomination. The establishment needs a corporate shill to do there bidding and any of the other candidates will fit that requirement quite. The American people need someone to reestablish separation of church and state, undo the last eight years of constitutional erosions and get us out of Iraq.

A somewhat looney, completely ineffectual and obscure congressman with 1% to 2% support nationally does not qualify for "equal treatment."

I would love to see Ron Paul do well in the election. He's on point regarding many of the issues (censorship, spying, privacy, Iraq) and he's not McCain-stale or Guliani-phony.

What is up with these Ron Paul bloggers… they've inundated other websites I visit…. and they're rather rude also.

"supports withdrawing troops from Iraq"

Right there he lost my vote. Iraq is the #1 issue, and anyone that supports withdrawal supports a humiliating defeat. That's why no democrat will get my vote, and neither will Ron Paul.

In general I think politicians are the scum of the earth. The oppress people for power. There are very few who actually are trying to represent the people and I think Ron Paul is one of them. He is by far the best Republican candidate.

On the Democrat side, Obama and Kucinich are guys that actually have a sense of self and morals. I just wish I could vote in both primaries…..

I'd have to say that the media should be covering him more. On CNN's after debate scorecard, only the top three were prominenty shown, despite all of the comments supporting Paul. Cover him more and more people will get to see him for the President we should have in office

Ron Paul is right on most issues and I hope he drags the Republican party toward his direction.

However, his stance against Gays and Lesbians is NOT constitutional and his saying that he would not use a first-strike nuclear attack on Iran makes him a poor choice for Commander In Chief - you should NEVER limit your options publicly as it weakens your future bargaining position.

Our choices today as voters is HORRIBLE. The Democrats want to tax us to death and open our border and turn us into a socialist society but will support the majority of our freedoms.

The Republicans party wants to undermine the Constitution, take away our personal freedoms, force religion upon us, get involved in foreign wars to support the oil industry, and it is split between opening our borders and spending so much as to bankrupt the country.

I have never seen the country so ripe for a third party - one that is fiscally conservative and socially liberal - and represents the vast majority of America.

It is only "some kind of joke" if you watch the national media and get your information there. The only real truth is online. Get a clue.

Do we really need another village idiot from Texas in the White House?

I watched the debate and felt Ron Paul easily won the debate because he was not trying to pander to a Christian Conservative Base, but bluntly expressing his views.
Marcos
Wichita, Kansas

I wouldn't say that Ron Paul is what the "American People" want. I am an American and I want nothing to do with him.

Where is General Wesley Clark when we need him?

I commend CNN for at least responding to this. here are a few of my thoughts. The supporters of Ron Paul are very effective online. That does not mean we all are spammers. All of the candidates have just as much ability to post, and vote online.Ron Paul supporters are very passionate, we are organized, and we are planning to win.

The Scientific polls don't even include Ron Paul. They just arbitrarily give him a 1%.

I did not see the Rebublican Debate the other night. However, I did see Ron Paul on an HBO political program. He came across as a man who is a straight talker. He also came across as not afraid to challenge what is condered the upper eschelante of the Republican Party. His views on why we were attacked on 9/11 were very honest. Something no other candidate brings to the table. I will be honest in saying that I am a democrat. But if Ron Paul were the Republican nominee for the White House, I might have to give him serious consideration.

He is the only sensible one if the GOP field. Hell, I'd include the Democrats in that, too. I'd vote for a Bloomberg/Paul ticket in a NY minute. And I am a registered Democrat.

Ron Paul is the closest candidate we have to a Libertarian in either party. I think Americans are drawn to that.

It will take people actively engaging America's foreign policy (and its ramifications) rather than basing their voting on one liners and good looks.

We need to remember one thing about Ron Paul, and that is he represents the Libertarian wing of conservative republicans. On the political spectrum, you would find that many liberals agree with what Ron Paul and other Libertarian leaning politicians say about certain issues, particularly Iraq or various social issues. This is probably why on many of the latest polls, Ron Paul has been scoring well, because he is most likely the favorite of the Libertal voters submiting their poll vote. The odd thing about it all is that Rudy Giuliani doesnt score well, despite the assumed appeal to Liberals for being pro-gay rights and pro-choice. Perhaps Ron Paul just is a "phenom"

Ron Paul is a threat to the mainstream media, and as such, he is given less airtime and attention. This is the only reason that ma and pa sitting on their couch at home have yet to hear of him. On the internet, where free speech reigns, his message of liberty and truth can disseminate properly to the public. Thank the heavens for the internet!

Thank You for the forum and the explanation of the missing comments from the other night.

The internet is playing a larger and larger role in each election. "Scientific" polls are generally done over the phone. Who answers the phone? I know who calls me and if I don't I dont answer.

Many younger adults use only their cell phone and do not maintain land line phones.

So the people responding to the "scientific" polls are those using landline phones and not using caller id. Those are also the people most likely to be watching traditional media or even Fox News.

The other issue possibly playing a hand, is the blatant media favoritism going on in the debates and political discussions. The talking heads declare the "favorites" and then we get to decide who looks presidential.

People see that the only way to be heard is online. Because Ron Paul's message is so powerful, people are compelled to support him the only way possible. Online.

who is he???? the only person who could lead the usa the way the constitution intended.. inform yourself by other means than msm…

When the media (who, along with the other powers-that-be, are obviously &l afraid not only of Paul but of the strict interpretation of the Constitution he represents) cease downplaying his candidacy and deign to give him equal exposure in the debates and other venues (the only doctor in the race not being asked about health care?…c'mon Wolf, you're way too obvious) Ron Paul's "other" numbers will soar. You guys really shouldn't be so disrespectful of the next president of the US. You might want his attention at a press conference.

CNN, you don't matter anymore!

You're wrong about likening comments in favor of Paul to Spam..given the strong employees other leading candidates have and money they can spam too..

You have to recogonize that you ought to be careful as a news company not to show biased reporting. You have stopped reporting with a free mind.

Do this, why odnt you call for Ron paul interview and see your ratings get an uptick provided you annouce that interview at least 3 days in advance.

That will teach you a lesson CNN

Mainstream media needs to stop using terms like "2nd tier" candidates. Everyone should be on equal footing when it comes to running for office. And they need to give everyone on the debates equal time instead of focusing the majority of questions to 2 or 3 from each party.

Media should report ALL the new without bias. Ron Paul is the only candidate that is truly running for the people and not just for his/her own self interest or corporate interests.

Is this some kind of sideways apology or what? Big media is absolutely squirming right now about Ron Paul's popularity. I have to take issue with the statement, "though that didn’t stop Paul supporters from commenting; they started adding comments to the “Who won the Democratic debate?” post" because CNN didn't just remove/censor the GOP debate thread, they redirected the GOP debate link over to the democratic debate topic - what did they expect would happen? And I hardly believe that it was due to a technical "strain on resources" - c'mon this is CNN! Can't handle the traffic? I seriously doubt it. Higher traffic means more add sales for CNN. Hehe - It's going to be fun to see more of this back-peddling as the major media outlets try to cover their blackout of Ron Paul as his popularity explodes. God Save the USA - elect Ron Paul! He's the one true conservative.

Comparing Bush to all Texans is an insult…

Easy. More mainstream media coverage. The internet support is there. During the last election cycle, the major media outlets weren't afraid of mentioning the Dean online phenomenon. Will they do the same with Paul? Only time will tell…

I have voted democrat everytime I have voted in the past. I have voted more against the extreme right (which I grew up among as a child) than FOR the democrats.. (except I did like Gore)…

Even though Ron Paul votes the same way many on the far right does… he does so for completely different reasons… If the far right does not get its way because we vote democrat then fine. If the far right does not get its way because we take the power away from the federal government that would allow the far right to have its way withOUT voting for the democrats that I dont really like… then even better.

Thank you, CNN, for explaining what happened with the disappearance of the blog post and all those pro-Paul comments.

he is pretty good, BUT he is a GOP candidate and can not win in 2008.

Not happening !

Ron Paul is the only viable republican candidate with the United State's best interest at heart. The other candidates who are funded by big businesses and foreign special interest have their supporter's best interest at heart. Corporations and foreign interest are not supporting these candidates for nothing, they are expecting those candidates to pull strings for them when they get into office. Not once do we hear the other candidates mention the constitution or the founding fathers. The USA have lost its identity. We need to return to the constitution that founded this free nation. A fiat monetary policy is not going to last forever. Politicians that sell out to corporations and special interest will run this country to the ground while they get away with their golden parachute.

Where Ron Paul stands out from the other candidates is his consistent voting record. He votes against everything he sees as unconstitutional.

I don't see that kind of integrity and intelligence in any of the other candidates.

It is interesting that you attribute his success in other news outlets polls to a 'mobilization'.

Might you consider that the message he delivers is simply resonating with individuals that have no affiliation to his campaign?

I know that is the case for me.

Of course CNN is going to report Paul as the winner… he's a liberal masquerading as a Republican (a la John McCain prior to 2006). He's weak on defense and blasts the Iraq War without offering one solution (a la John Kerry). He has virtually zero support from the Republican base and to tout him as a legitimate contender is poor journalism - but, hey, it's CNN, right?

Ron Paul is someone heavily censored because the big willy candidates have nothing to stand on especially in a 1 on 1 debate with Dr. Paul. He is freedom. Ha is America, and he will win.

he is the only candidate that when asked a question its answered with a straight answer not mumbo jumbo. the talk about the war and all is good but what about us here? what about out- sourcing of work this is getting serious, they say nothing about what us middle class people are going thru. all we have is Mr. Paul and Lou 'Dobbs and he isn't running!!!!!!!!!!!! we are all screwed.

Ron Paul is someone heavily censored because the big willy candidates have nothing to stand on especially in a 1 on 1 debate with Dr. Paul. He is freedom. Ha is America, and he will win.

Ron Paul is not the type of person who stands up and says, "Ohh can I lead the country, please can I?" He truley is presidential material in every aspect. Just look at his records, and what he truley belives in. It's what all people, not just Americans believe in. For those who doubt, research…

It is obvious that the media is not given him the respect and time that he deserves. Uninformed people, which is most people at this stage, only know Romney, McCain and Guliani. And that is because that is all they are really shown. From the outcry of support for Rep. Paul, the media should be heavily covering him in an objective light.

I will likely be voting for Ron Paul, as long as I don't think I have to cast an "anti-Hillary vote" LOL!

But seriously, Ron Paul is cool. and sincere. and would be great for our country. he crosses both democratic and republican boundaries, reaching out to voters in a way that actually makes sense.

Taking advantage of a unverifiable system. I see it as just spam. Congressman Paul's message should stand on it's own (may take time) if it's worthy.

The difference of the online polls vs. the landline polls is coming from the fact that people on the internet have a possibility to judge the real presidential potential.

There is only a few people in the race who can bring a positive change this year, and the best of them is Ron Paul.

He is the only one who is HONEST and still seem to be0 a good politician at the same time.

The first two comments completely illustrate the problem with american early polling. The reason that randomly selected people don't overwhelmingly support Ron Paul is because they've never heard of him. As soon as they hear him, most people support him. His support will grow, if the big businesses allow it.

There several factors that contribute to Paul’s soaring internet ratings but low national polls. 1 is nationwide it is far to early for most people to care about the 08 race, when called by a pollster and asked they will probably just give the name of someone they have heard of, given that media gives by the most attention to the “3 frontrunners” they are the names people are most likely to remember. I would ask how do you reconcile the fact the most people in the country are anti Iraq war, yet don’t even know Ron Paul’s position on it or even who he is? People that are knowledgeable about politics at this stage either LOVE or HATE Paul as he is fundamentally different than the other candidates, they will do whatever they can, some of them including flooding online polls to try to get more coverage for the candidate that to them represents a radical break from the current groupthink in Washington

Ron Paul is a joke! He has a small group of wacky supporters who SPAM these polls to skew the results. And this is news?!? No wonder Fox News is kicking your ass!

Actually, CNN did censor Paul comments. There were comments made in an article about how Dr. Paul flew first class while some of others flew coach. Yet they didn't bother mentioning that people like Giuliani, Clinton, Edwards, etc fly private corporate jets.

And what is it going to take for Paul to break out and challenge the front runners? How about some media coverage for the guy that has now raised the 4th most amount of money out of the Republican candidates. Dr. Paul had the third least amount of talking time in the debates and was put on the end, while Giuliani, McCain, and Romney were all conveniently in the middle.

ron paul on the daily show said he wanted to get rid of medicare, a service that 39 million us citizens over 65 or with disabilities rely on. Simply because he can afford private health care doesnt mean the rest of the nation can. Also, with 78 million baby boomers headed to retirement, medicare needs increased funding, not less.

If it were up to ron paul, our senior citizens would be dying in the streets.

NO THANKS!

Im 26 years old and some day I plan on retiring as well. Hopefully I will have enough money saved up, but with the cost of prescription drugs and hospital stays, I to will need to rely on a system such as medicare to stay healthy.

Think about it, only 1.45% of your pay goes into this system. Thats nothing really, considering how valuable it is. Anyone who thinks getting rid of it is the answer is either too rich, or too ignorant to understand the consequences.

Ha… ya beat me to it. Equal media coverage is exactly right. All you ever hear about are Romney, Guiliani, and McCain from the right and Obama, Clinton, and Edwards from the left. The rest of the crowd gets almost zero air time and zero discussion among the media panelists.

Ron Paul Rocks!

I like Ron Paul. He seems like a no-nonsense kind of guy who doesn't pander to the lowest common denominator. I'm glad to see that CNN recognizes a second-tier candidate like Paul as a true contender for the presidency. Wouldn't it be a miracle if a candidate on either side could reach across party lines and unite our country? Don't count on Romney or Edwards for that. As a moderate, I want options!

Ron Paul is the only canidate that can stand behind everthing he says. He stands by his voting record in congress and has gotten the name Dr. No because he votes according to the word of the constitution which he swore to uphold. He doesn't get the questions like Romny who changes his answer each time a question is asked. He needs the media coverage and the word needs to be spread for those of you who don't know who Ron Paul is you should pick your favorite search engine and you will be sure to find the answer. Ron Paul is what this country needs!

Ron Paul is the only one, in either party, who doesn't come across as bought and paid for. I may not agree with all of his opinions, but at least I know they are his and not those of whichever lobby provided it to him for campaign donations.

It's refreshing to have a candidate treat the American public like they are intelligent and interested in the issues, and not play the 'sound bites' and 'focus group' merry-go-round like the rest.

He'll have my vote.

The biggest thing holding Ron Paul back? The utter focus devoted to the 'Rudy McRomney' front runners. Is this focus on the front runners fair? Probably. But when the Second Tier candidates aren't even given a mention in most debate recaps, why should the public budge on their preceptions that there are only 3 'real' candidates on the republican race (along with Gingrich and F. Thompson as virtual candidates)?

Also, the national poll is composed of people who generally are not very politically motivated, nor are likely to tune into the debates (if 5 percent of the US population watched the debates, I'd be impressed). Once a wider audience is reached with more debates, you should see Ron Paul rise up a few percentage points more. Of course, it's possible you could see a slow and steady groundswell for Ron Paul, particularly if he has more debates like the one on Monday night.

Finally remember, we have another 6 months of this to deal with. And with the front loading of the primarys, Ron Paul will have an extremely difficult time gaining traction even with a good early primary result (NH he could finish a respectable 3rd and turn some heads, but then there is a host of other primaries which means no chance to build momentum from a good showing).

libbys sentence was fair and just

No joke, Ron Paul is the real deal. Ron Paul can afford to speak the truth because he really doesn't see himself winning the Republican nomination. He does not have to carefully script his responses so as not to offend his political base. He knows the issues and gladly offeres his politically unsensored views. I am VERY frustrated with the media not giving Ron Paul air time. After the debates were over, the three front runners were all that were covered. I feel the media tries to steer the voters with their top picks rather than giving all candidates equal coverage. Go Ron!

This was a bit overdue, but thank you nonetheless.

One thing you could add about his stances is that no matter where HE stands on abortion, marriage, etc., matters such as those are best left up to the states.

So, if California citizens feel abortion should be legal, and Texas citizens feel opposite, then both states may make laws which represent their constituents.

Ron Paul is a true Constitutionalist.

I don't know if Ron Paul can "break out" but wouldn't it be refreshing to have a candidate who speaks and acts from principal and with integrity as Paul does — from either major party. I sent a few bucks to his campaign after the debates; maybe that will help.

I've personally been polled 4 times-although I don't know which polls they were. Ron Paul was never an option. I'm a registered Democrat simply because the last primary I voted in was the Iowa Democratic Governor's race. The pollsters have never asked me which caucus I planned to attend. I will make that decision based on the candidate I wish to support. At this point, that's Ron Paul. The polls have a fatal flaw. As a registered Democrat I've been repeated told that Ron Paul isn't an option for me to choose on the poll.

Yes there are a lot of obnoxious conspiracy theorists that tend to ruin the debate (and use all CAPS) but many of us simply believe that the media feeds us candidates with name recognition thereby reinforcing the dilemma of name recognition.

We know how to find interesting counterpoints online but the vast majority of America votes based on who has enough money to advertise sufficiently. The media then looks at opinion polls and focuses on those candidates that lead due to better advertising. It's an ignorant cycle.

Dissenting voices add to the debate if they're serious and Ron Paul is nothing if not well read.

The phenomenon is nothing more than real people recognizing the only candidate from both parties with any real ideas. He speaks with common sense and a knowledge of the Constitution, something NONE of the other candidates do. He is the only presidential hopeful from either party in the last 30 years that is worth a vote. And no matter how much you impune or ignore him will change that. I have never given a political candidate one dime since I could vote 37 years ago, however, I have sent Dr Paul money and urge others to do so.Paul

I support Ron Paul.

In my previous comments I also said that I thought Huckabee handled the evolution question well and mentioned seveal other candidates that I felt did well in the debates.

It has been frustrating to see his online support be blamed on spamming, and then see spamming defined as "voting in more than one poll" or "most of the votes came from links on three websites" (in effect that most people being referred to the poll from few websites made them spammers)

Let me just say that Ron Paul supporters don't care about Ron Paul's odds - they are passionately supporting him on principle. It does not make sense that these thousands of unpaid volunteers would stoop to stuffing the ballot box when what attracted them to Ron Paul in the first place was his principles. If victory comes at the price of principle, then the price of victory is too high, and I think we all feel that way.

I would say he appears to be a "true" conservative, as in, not a neo-con. He favors a minimalist foreign policy and is anti-immigration, and he is also clearly socially conservative with respect to the hot-button issues.

Ron Paul harkens back to an era when conservatives meant what they said and said what they meant. They wanted small government, no excessive intanglements with foreign nations, and a society of just, upright, moral characters who lived their lives according to the judeo-christian values that they would allege our nation was founded upon. Ron Paul harkens back to a time before the Reagan era philosophies of minimal government except for defense, and before the market-economy became a focus of worship greater than God Himself.

Unfortunately for Paul, when Republicans played true to their old-school conservative ideals, they didn't win a lot of Presidential races.

Ron Paul doesn't show up in the national polls mentioned here because the polls are old, and don't capture the explosive support Paul has gained since the second debate. You can't use old numbers to gauge support in a Presidential debate.

Ron Paul is the only thing keeping me in the USA still and if he's not voted in then I'm gone to a new country.. the hole 9/11 thing i hope is exposed also by Ron.. everyone is finding out about the inside job of 9/11. also like the idea of going back to the gold slandered also .GO RON PAUL!!

Ron Paul is the man of the hour.As our country The United States stands at a crossroad.Do we allow goverment takeover and martial law or do we go with the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights?As for meI stand for the Constitution an Bill of Rights.What do you stand for?

Ron Paul is truly what America needs right now. He's a real person of and for the people. As for Kyle of Seaside, CA - please learn to read and do your research before posting something as stupid as your remarks!

Ron Paul is a kook.

"Who is Ron Paul?"?!

He's a big to-do in the liberal media.

He's received the most applause on HBO's liberal Real Time w/ Bill Maher out of all previous GOP guests.

Liberals either love him for opposing the Iraq war or hate him because he'll steal votes from a Democrat candidate if he's nominated.

I flipped to C-Span last night and caught him speaking on the House floor. I haven't agreed with a Republican politician on the war since I bought Bush's lies about the "multi-lateral Coalition" of the Willing that still leaves us with 90% of Iraq's military casualties and finances.

We need him in the House, not the WHITE House.

The gig is up…

I've voted Democratic or Independent for president in every election of my life. Paul's appeal is that he seems like a Goldwater Republican. Someone who knows where government's role should end in our lives. He's been very impressive on Bill Maher the two times I've seen him. I wish all candidates would speak as candidly as he does

In answer to your last question:
How about equal time during debates? It's ridiculous that the "top 3″ candidates McCain, Romney, and Giuliani were able to get the most camera time. They have the most money! CNN's job was supposed to moderate an exchange of ideas during the debate. Wolf Blitzer ended up doing no such thing and gave more time to the supposed front runners. In spite of that, Ron Pauls ideas about what our federal government should be is resonating with people who might not have been as enthusiastic about politics before. (People like me)

You guys in the media are missing the big story here. The paradigm shift caused by the internet that brought Howard Dean to the forefront back in 2004 is going to be completed by Ron Paul in 2008. If you look at the amount of money that Rudy McRomney have spent campaigning, you will see that Ron Paul has spent a fraction of that but has at least the same number of hardcore supporters.

I do not support the republicans or the democrats. I support the candidate that can backup his positions with the most reasoned arguments. Ron Paul’s integrity and honesty are such a breath of fresh air that I have donated to a candidate for the first time. I at first though that all this noise online about him was some sort of spam or joke… but then I actually went and listened to what he had to say. I finally have a cause that I really believe in and inspire me to learn more about history and our place in it.

For the GOP base, it must be weird to hear things that they are normally protected from hearing. Issues like our military empire, the suspension of habeas corpus, and the DANGER of preemptive warfare must come as a shock to the GOP base. They are normally treated to catch phrases, slogans and propaganda–now they actually have to think about things!! Wow, good luck GOP base, it has been a long time since someone on your side of the aisle didn't dumb stuff down for you and lie in the process.

If you are wondering why your "scientific" polls don't reflect Ron Paul's true polling numbers is because your latest "scientific" polls only question about 450 people. Anyone who has taken a statistics class or just reads the fine print will understand that your polls are not "scientific". How can a lazy poll taken from 450 people represent all of America, as CNN and the other media so advertize. I guess the media think that Americans are really that gullible–or maybe we are. For the somewhat educated people…GO RON PAUL!!!

Thank you for finally giving this man some much overdue credit.

Sites like Myspace have effectively censored any bulletins posted about this candidate. Just check on YouTube for the video which documents this. Apparently Rupert Murdoch would like him to vanish so he can once again get his initiatives(and his own personal agenda) shoved down the American public's throat.

Ron Paul is an intelligent and thoughtful man who doesn't rely on using 9/11 as badge worn on his sleeve to push his agenda. In fact, he knows more about terrorism and the consequences of our failed foreign policies than Guiliani could ever wish to(Paul has in fact given Guiliani several books written by experts in the field as a reading assignment…to no avail).

Kudos to you for acknowledging that this man is not a "Second tier" candidate, he's just a man that scares the hell out of the so-called "front runners" because he can actually answer questions in a succinct manner.

I was totally turned off by Mr. Paul in the 1st debate with his commments about the reasons terrorists attacked us. However last night he was very impressive and I was very much in agreement with him on almost everything. By far the most thoughtful and intelligent responses of those on the podium. Rep Tancredo would have been my 2nd choice of the evening.

When he breaks the top 3 in the scientific polls, he might get the coverage he would then deserve. In the sound-bite news world we live in, covering all of the candidates every day is counter-productive. That's what the debates are for.

Ron Paul would do the same in national polls IF he were included and was given equal attention by MSM!

Polish up your act, journalists of the USA or become the new Leni Riefenstahls…

One thing is for sure: Ron Paul supporters are effective at coordinating and mobilizing online quickly.

As if! I'm pretty sure the only "coordinaion" comes from reddit and Digg. The only reason it looks coordinated is because diggers and redditers check digg and reddit so obsessively there's nothing in the world they won't dogpile onto within 10 minutes of it happening.

I agree that Ron Paul is being sidelined by the media in favor of Giuliani, McCain, and Romney — in the same way that Dennis Kucinich is being sidelined on the Democrat side in favor of Clinton, Obama, and Edwards. The media routinely focuses on a few glamourous candidates while others (often those who most closely represent the feelings and beliefs of the people) are largely ignored. I would love to see a Presidential race between Paul and Kucinich. But it won't happen. They're both polling near the bottom of their respective groups, overshadowed by the media darlings on each side.

Ron Paul has my vote! No more pro-war, pro-corporation, pro-government, anti-people, anti-constitution Presidents!

Ron Paul whoohoo!

I find it odd that we don't get these sort of "unscientific" disclaimers on internet polls when the guys everyone expects to win do so. I'm not a conspiracy theorist by any means, but these attempts by the mass media to explain away Mr. Paul's support to be hypocritical in light of the undeserved fawning heaped upon the frontrunners. Not that I like the guy, but I'm interested in what Dobbs thinks about Paul.

anyone who thinks ron paul is a joke, like kyle here, is simply not awake and just doesnt get it. and never will

such is the life of the 'ill listen to whatever the news tells me to do' american

Ron Paul is the man! definetly getting my vote.

I don't agree with substantial parts of Mr. Paul's politics, but I agree with most that he is not given enough air time relative to the other Republican candidates, all of whom are laughable. Paul is thoughtful, creative, and has guts to share his views on Iraq and terrorism when his peers vacilate on the subject to the point of being ridiculous. The Republican line-up is awful, to be sure, but Paul is worth watching - stranger things have happened in American politics…

Ron Paul was the Libertarian candidate for President in 1988. He is currently, and has been for many years, a Republican Congressman for the state of Texas. He is noted for letting the Constitution be his voting guide and therefore has been nicknamed "Dr. No" for voting against legislation that is beyond the limits of what the Constitution allows. He can therefore be called a conservative and an advocate for a smaller federal government.

Ron Paul is the only one who is truly being honest with the American People. He will lead this country BACK to where it belongs to the American People and the constitution….
I SUPPORT RON PAUL 2008!!!!!

Ron Paul gets so much support on-line because the persons who are internet savvy are more informed than people who just take their daily spoon feeding from the monopolized media of tv and print. the internet is a free speech and research medium.. How is it that people's opinions have no become to be called "spam". & To the point that most of those polls you can vote multiple times, that is true for cnn's poll of the last debate but not true about msnbc's poll, in which Paul won all three debates, and not true of the fox news text message poll taken after the second debate which Ron Paul lead until the very end.. its totally ridiculous that these media outlets call opinion "spam" and somehow try and spin Ron Paul's support as not real.. his support is very real and i urge everyone to read about his message. Check out Ron Paul 2008..

I think the only reason you're not seeing paul winning by a landslide the "scientific" polls, is because of the way they are conducted. First they call people "likely" to vote in the republican primary. but who does that include? the majority of pauls support is NOT the so called republican "base". Much of us are young, dont have a land line telephone and have just recently registered republican which means nobody would bother calling us "likely republican Primary voters." But not to worry, word is spreading and its just a matter of time before the real conservatives in this country see what I see. Paul is the ONLY true conservative in the race, and he's the only one with a rock solid record to back that up. I hear talk of the Regan democrats, guess whos camp they're in now RON PAUL

With Guiliani and McCain skipping the Iowa straw poll, the Paul camp may have an opporunity to get some serious national coverage. With two of the main frontrunners declining to participate, Paul supporters' organizational skills may help propel him to major contention, perhaps changing the face of the primaries.

The only way we're going to have a true representative of the people is if we elect someone from one of the third parties. Ron Paul may look good now, but he'd be more of the same in the Whitehouse (as would almost any Republican or Democrat).

Ron Paul's followers have discovered a way to harness the power of an online presence. While I see some legitimate support behind Congressman Paul, I think his true field of supporters is probably inflated by repeat posting and voting.

It is good to see honest policy debate in a party.

I thought this was originally about RuPaul. I agree with Kyle. Who is this no-namer?

I am an independent and so far in the Presidential Race Ron Paul has impressed me the most. He is honest, strong in his beliefs, and the only Republican Candidate to truly point out the current Administration's faults. He also reminds us that the principals of the U.S. Constitution has been threatened by our current political climate.
Republicans (and Democrats) take note - not all independants and moderates are going to vote for Clinton or Obama. At times even these candidates are lacking authenticity and are "acting" presidential. Ron Paul speaks like a human, not a politician. Although I don't agree with all of his policies, he is the only Republican candidate to truly distance himself from President Bush.
He probably doesn't have a chance in his party because he is so candid about the issues. But at least his buzz should stay buzzing for awhile because he doesn't have the firery persona of a Howard Dean that would surely end his run of passionate, rational thought. In this age of 3 second media soundbites that ruin campaigns, Ron Paul is safe for now. Good luck to him.

Re: julie from campbell, ca

Obviously if Medicare were phased out we wouldn't be left with a void. What we would be left with is a surplus of money that we would not be paying in taxes to support Medicare, which we could use to obtain insurance from the private sector however we wished.

As a an addition to my previous comment:

CNN, this blog post does not constitute media coverage. Ron Paul supporters are probably the most informed of any — we dominate the Internet. The web provides us with almost an infinite amount of knowledge, which we all have access to. Just because we notice a blog post does not mean CNN has upheld its job as being an objective news source.

Until we begin to see equal treatment among the candidates, as well as trashing the assertment made on television that Ron Paul is crazy, or whatever, then this blog post has proven nothing.

I believe that Ron Paul's view on IRAQ being different that other GOP candidates and being in line with most American voters is what brings the attention to him. American people wants troops be withdrawn. And, no other GOP candidate have had the courage to second that in any of the debates. That separates Ron Paul from others.

he is a true conservative, not a corporatist/religious zealot/apocalypse lover like the people now considered conservative.

Ron Paul 2008!! He is definitely the best candidate out there. Go to youtube and look some of his speeches and interview. He is the only true conservative.

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

Be sure and check out http://www.ronpaul2008.com before we get all smarmy about this. He's been a constant in Congress, a;ways voting in favor of Constituitional rights and equal representation (see: Paul's response to gays in the military from last debate). He's capturing the attention of the national eye because he's not trying to compete with other candidates by spinning his words about the latest issue; he's been telling the same story he's always been telling since he came to Congress. It's not always the most popular view, but at least it's constant. Can't say that for any of the other candidates. How many voted for the war and now claim they don't. Ron Paul never fit into that category since he never voted for the war in the first place. Call him radical, crackpot, whatever, I call him a voice of reason that this country has needed for quite some time.

I dont think Ron Paul has the money to be in the race at this point and THAT is why the main stream media isnt taking him seriously.

To be a contender, you have to be around the 30-50 million mark at this point in the race (welcome to modern elections). If Ron Paul doesnt even have a fraction of that, how can he be taken seriously?

Ya, i like the guy. But is he a serious contender? No

As long as the corporate media continues to use terms like, "top-" and "bottom-tier" when describing candidates there will be this FALSE dichotomy between certain groups. It should be clear from the polling so far that some of the so-called "bottom-tier" candidates are more attractive to the American people. However, these candidates, who may or may not be a polished, do not get media attention in accordance with their popularity because they are not in the pockets of corporate interests.

Quit spoon feeding the American populace and let us make an informed decision about ALL of the candidates.

We need a president who understands, and interprets the Constitution and the Bill of Rights the way the Founding Fathers intended. That means no violation of individual rights: No illegal search and seizure (Fourth Amendment), no suppression of free speech (First Amendment), and no bans on law-abiding citizens to Keep and Bear Arms (Second Amendment). The Bill of Rights is a package deal - either reject it all or accept it all, don't pick and choose the parts you like and reject the rest. Regardless of party affiliation, I will only vote for a candidate who recognizes these rights and has the backbone to defend them. It could be that Ron Paul is the man to do that.

Ron is no joke!

One thing for sure. When Wolf Blitzer asked some of the Republican candidate's rather or not they would rule out using nuclear missles on Iran if the U.S. found out that Iran was, in fact, creating nuclear weapons and had a nuclear weapons base, and all the Republicans Blitzer asked said, "We would not rule out the option of using nuclear missles to take out those bases." I think Ron Paul has a lot to work out there.

Any candidate, Republican or Democrat, who would not rule out the option of creating another Hiroshima and Nagasaki does not deserve, under any circumstance, to be the President of the United States.

Sorry, he may be an internet hit, but I have no idea who he is and based upon the above article, really have no idea to hear more about him.

I think the debate numbers are skewed towards Ron Paul because Ron Paul supporters are much more excited and involved in the process than the supporters of the other presidential candidates.

The other 9 Republican candidates represent what we have with Bush. The republicans had the majority in congress for 6 years, with a republican president, and they did very little to decrease the size of government.

Conservative republicans are disenchanted with the politicians in Washington, who sell themselves for votes and power. Ron Paul represents a different type of politician, someone who runs (and votes) on principle and honesty. It beings excitement into the process, which makes Ron Paul supporters want to take the time to find online polls to vote for him. It's exciting to see him on shows like "The Daily Show" and "Tucker Carlson" and "Real Time with Bill Maher". If we miss him on TV, then we can watch them on youtube.

I'm only 23 and I've never taken an interest in politics before. But Ron Paul makes sense to me, so I support him in any way that I can.

If the Media was smart, it would start covering Ron Paul more often. Who doesn't like more viewers? And the debate polls show that no one watching really cares enough about the "big 3″ to go sit at there computer to vote for them. But put Ron Paul on and we'll tune in (and vote) in droves.

I'm sure most Ron Paul supporters are aware that a post made in Caps lock will not be read. With that in mind, I encourage people to consider the platforms of every candidate of every major party. Watch the debates, read up on each candidate, browse YouTube.

Ron Paul has a lot of great ideas about this country. He has performed well against the other "front-runners" and has stood by his voting record and beliefs, both of which are admirable and sensible. As an Independent who is getting tired of our 2 party monopoly, I encourage you to read into the possibilities that exist.

And to Kyle from Seaside, California. That joke was funny about a month ago. The purpose of a public forum (however controversial the current state of it may be) is to be productive and informative. Nice try.

Ron Paul deserves equal exposure in the debates. He is a viable candidate with HUGE grassroots support. He also adds a new and interesting perspective to these boring debates between neo-con clones. If CNN knows what's best for it's ratings it would be to involve Ron Paul in heated debate with the other neo-cons on stage. At least then there might be some excitement back in the tired game of contemporary American politics.

Yeah, same here….who the heck is this guy? Sounds like the workings of the lunatic fringe of the 'publicans.

Quit trying to push the "Big 3″, and give Ron Paul some air time. Listen to what he has to say. He is voicing the views of REAL AMERICANS, not the plastic, ultra rich people that try to dominate the political landscape. Ron Paul is the candidate for REAL AMERICANS.

I truly hope that the internet support for him carries over into real world support. He's the best man for the job.

One reason for low numbers in 'scientific' polls may be the demographics of the persons polled or even people like myself who don't have home phones and are entirely cellular.

In any case, I would like to see more of him in the news, there seems to be to much coverage given to the 'big three'.

What you describe as the "Ron Paul phenom" is merely an expression of the disaffection felt by a growing segment of the population. This segment sees government as increasingly disconnected from the people it supposedly represents and Ron Paul is the only Republican candidate that appears willing to return government to its proper role as servant rather than master.

The fact that the emperor has no clothes is becoming more and more evident. A government sporting the world's mightiest army can't defeat a ragtag group of Iraqi "dead-enders." A task that according to experts such as Israeli military historian/theorist Martin Van Creveld, it will never succeed at.

A hurricane strikes Louisiana, and the world's richest country can't take care of its most vulnerable citizens.

A commander-in-chief claims that "they" attacked us because of our freedom, and then proceeds to reduce the chances of another attack by reducing our freedom. An approach that seems to be popular with most Republican candidates, declared and undeclared.

Ron Paul may not win the nomination, but this will not slow the growing realization on the part of many Americans that their government no longer works. With no voice to affect a change, they will simply begin to ignore a dinosaur whose time has passed.

I'm a democrat, and I'm voting for Ron Paul.

I may not agree with all of his issues, but he is a man that will respect the document that this country was founded on. He will not inundate our courts with partisan judges, and wants to make the changes needed in this country.

It's time t