Thank you CNN for giving Ron Paul the time of day. Also, the 2% means nothing to his supporters. That 2% is a joke. America would see a little more than a 2% spot if we had to vote today.

Terry, you sound like a pretty far left (economically at least), so I'm not sure why you're even bothering to consider Ron Paul.

The examples you site have nothing to do with libertarianism or free trade. In fact, they are an example of how the status quo fails us.

Good examples of how free markets can solve problems are Underwriters Laboratories, IEEE, and other standards bodies. The free market can sort these problems out far better than the government. While not perfect, nothing in nature is.

BTW, if Joe Smith, from the Thompson Gazette says a movie is "Fantastic", shouldn't you know better? We don't need the government to prevent us from making bad decisions. It never works anyway.

Now all you Paul supporters looooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeee CNN. This guy doesn't have a chance in hell. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! I like the guy, but please, go with someone u think will actually win. Guiliani or Thompson is one two…

You know guys, I used to think that Pat Buchanan was the closest intellectual to my mind. But I was wrong, all of Pat's shortcomings or excesses do not exist in this Ron Paul person. HE IS who I AM!!

I would like to volunteer for his campagin… I can't contribute because I am not yet a green card holder (been living here for years on H1)…

I would really love to live in the US Ron Paul is talking about… I didn't come to this country to see it rot with corruption in front of my own eyes… empires will always rot and die… republics won't.

Many people … show a total misunderstanding of Libertarianism … their examples of the "evils of capitalism" … are always examples of abuse of government power. (Someone who commits fraud is not a capitalist, he is a criminal.) - Colony 14 author

Example: Baush and Lomb sold the same contact lens in two boxes. The label on one box described the lens as a disposable lens and it was sold cheaply (five bucks a pair, I think). The other box (containing the same lens) described a high quality long term lens and it cost ten times as much. Bausch and Lomb defended the practice saying that the same lens worked fine for long term wear or disposable wear. This is legal and is a good example of skillful marketing. Customers were nevertheless bummed out, as any of us would be.

2. A movie studio, I forget now which one, made up imaginary reviews by imaginary reviewers, putting quotations on the movie ads: "Fantastic!! Five Stars! A must see movie!" Jeffrey Singleton, Movieola News (or something like that. It's been a year or so since I read the story. There is no Jeffrey Singleton and no Movieola News. The studio replied that its customers enjoy reading that a movie was praised by reviewers. Thus, the quotation from the fabricated review was a customer service because it made customers happier.

Asarco Smelter, in my home town of El Paso, illegally incinerated toxic substances without a permit to do so, denied that they did it, and paid a large fine without admitting guilt.

We need not mention the HP spying scandal, the Adelphia Cable TV scandal, the Enron scandal, the Clearstream Banking scandal, the Compass Group UN bribery scandal, the Firestone child labor scandal, the multiple Halliburton scandals, the Arthur Anderson accounting scandal, the Harken Energy accounting scandal, the Lockheed bribery scandal, the ADM price fixing scandal, the Parmalat accounting scandal, the Worldcom scandal, the Pharmor scandal, the hundred or so corporations involved in options backdating, the Refco accounting scandal, the Royal Dutch Shell fraud scandal, the Canary Capital Partners after hours trading scandal, the Xerox KPMG accounting scandal, or the Veritas Software "dirty accounting" scandal.

I figure that for every corporation that is caught with its paw in the honeyjar, fifty get away undetected.

A corporation is legally a person, but it is not a healthy person. It is a sociopathic person, which cares only for itself and is incapable of compassion.

That said, we must admit that the corporation is a superbly designed system that society should control for its own benefit. It is like a wild dog: it will eat your kid and pee on your tires if you let it. Tame it though - with careful governmental regulation and careful education of its management - and it will herd your sheep for you and chase off burglars.

Saying Dr. Paul believes 9/11 was an inside job, is the new attack strategy. Fox news put it out there today, and I imagine it will continue.

The people who say this seem to forget that he went on national television and said "THEY ATTACKED US BECAUSE WE ARE OVER THERE!!""

Remember, you guys saying Dr. Paul blamed us…

Now he is saying it was inside job..

Yeah Right.

Whats next?

RON PAUL 2008

It is truly amazing
that none of you see what is really going on. This blindness of our
populous is really the problem with America. You actually believe
that one of these candidates is different from another and that the
two parties stand for different principles. Don't you see that the
same people have been in power for decades and the changing of
control in congress from one party to another is mere theatrics. If
Hillary is elected, either a Clinton or a Bush will have been in the
presidency for a minimum of 20 years!
Many
senators started back in the 1970's and keep getting re-elected. If
you want our country back YOU
have to stop putting the same people in power, remove the career
politicians, introduce term limits on senators and sponsor true
statesmen. Otherwise, the agenda of the status quo will continue as
it has for the past 75 years. Learn your history people and stop
repeating your mistakes…I beg this of you. Oh, and don't forget to
wear your flag pin!

Ron Paul is probably the candidate who best understands the U.S. Constitution and would best defend it if elected President. Many people regrettably show a total misunderstanding of Libertarianism, however, as illustrated by their examples of the "evils of capitalism" when, in fact, they are always examples of abuse of government power. (Someone who commits fraud is not a capitalist, he is a criminal.)

Of course, the biggest problem people have with freedom and liberty is that those concepts require people to act responsibly. Libertarians would eliminate the hand-outs, which is why they stand no chance of being elected. Instead, we'll continue down the collectivist path until the parasites greatly outnumber the producers and we have killed the golden goose.

It is pathetic to see the kinds of attacks people attempt on Ron Paul. They can't go after his voting record, service record, military support, family life, etc. So they make up wild allegations about 9/11, what a joke. He is right about freedom, non-interventionism and the govt. deficit.

Terry, you have a horrible understanding of libertarianism. The fact that you would call the Reconstruction era our most libertarian time shows your bias. Lincoln and the Civil War is often regarded as the end of the libertarian/small government age of the US.

It's unfortunate you have no faith in the free market, but your views, which are valid, are based upon the skewed circumstances resulting from government intervention. The free market doesn't limit your choice, unending regulations and taxes do. Farmer Joe may not be able to set up a mom-and-pop energy business, but he can make a new piece of software/hardware, a new phone, a new medicine, a new food product, a new way to watch TV, etc. And he can be successful if he doesn't have to worry about paying thousands of dollars upfront.

And Cable King Pittsburgh: If you have the time some day, you may want to sit down and watch the Google Interview of Ron Paul. It's a little over an hour long, and should ease your fears about Paul's supposed old-man-craziness.

**

Thank you, CNN, for wasting time with this fringe candidate (he thinks 9/11 was orchestrated by the government) who has absolutely no chance whatsoever of winning anything.

Go back and party with your weak-minded, college-age supporters.
Posted By James, Phoenix AZ : October 5, 2007 9:12 am**

Dr.Paul says no such thing. He merely states the EXACT same thing that the 9/11 commission concluded, being that some of the main reasons we were attacked on 9/11 is because of our occupation of the Arabian Peninsula. The 9/11 commission agrees with Dr.Paul's stance that these are some of the key factors that led to us being attacked. I mean, in all rights, Bin Laden had been screaming to the top of his lungs for 10 years or more.

Get your facts straight please and stop spreading lies about Ron Paul.

Doesn't he do relatively poorly in the phone polls because so many of his supporters are techies with no land lines? Anyway, I'm glad he's getting some attention from CNN. The media could really do more to show people the lesser known candidates. Concentrating on the more famous ones is just boring and artificially increases the gap.

Somehow my brilliant critique of Paul's opinions was removed from this blog. I am reposting a condensed version of it. Perhaps it was too long? Or perhaps CNN is pro-Paul and is secretly undermining those who oppose him?

Paul's beliefs are standard, non-pasteurized, Grade-A Libertarianism. Details can be found on his web site at http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/ .

The only problem in Ron Paul's world is government. The only solution in his world is the free market. Libertarian candidates have been running on this platform for as long as I have been alive.

I see four big problems with Libertarianism.

1. There is no example of Libertarianism in the history of the modern world. The belief that a modern society could reconstruct itself along Libertarian lines has never been tested. History's best example of Libertarianism in action, I guess, would be the US during the "Gilded Age" between the Civil War and WWI, when large corporations essentially ruled the country. Wages were low, benefits were non-existent, the 12 hour workday was the norm, child labor was commonplace, education was not available to many, and snake oil salesmen peddled poison in the guise of medicine.

2. As a Libertarian administration reduced governmental powers, corporate power would grow in response. Corporations have no interest in a free market. At every opportunity, they seek to control the market by bribing governmental officials, influencing elections, fixing prices, controlling supply, manipulating and manufacturing demand via omnipresent advertising, and defrauding customers whenever possible. State and local governments are much easier to buy and control - as we all know - and corporations, in the absence of federal power, will seek to buy and control them even more energetically than they do now. Corporations, unrestrained by federal government oversight, will use their unrestrained power to do one thing: give us less and charge us more. Paul would say that the free market would allow consumers to purchase from corporations they like, thus punishing corporations they don't like. For example, if you don't like Exxon, you can buy from Chevron; if you don't like T-Mobile, you can go to AT&T; and if you don't like Blackwater, you can choose Halliburton, and if you don't like Time-Warner, you can choose Disney. Talk about free choice!

3. Modern global corporations are unprecedented. The men who run them would happily process and can the homeless, selling them as Vienna sausage if they could make a nickel from it. They would advertise the product as "Health Weenies - Tastes Good and So Good for You!" Hustlers, hucksters, con-artists, and fraud-merchants populate board rooms as well as county jail cells. The corporation is king of the economy, and it has absolutely no respect for its customers, seeing them much like ranchers see their herds. Without the counterbalancing power of government to restrain them, they can make much more money dishonestly than honestly.

4. Small businesses and family farms would cease to exist. They would be eaten alive by the predatory marketing practices of giant corporations at a more rapid rate than they are now.

The net effect of Libertarianism would be to provide a short period of political confusion before the corporate state (a nation in which corporations are the only citizens) came into existence.

The Ron Paul supporters who see his views as fresh and exciting should read the history of the latter 19th century. Fortunately, they can read due to government mandated public education.

I think you've been eating the spicy salsa Terry. If you weren't around during 1776 I don't think you have a sound idea of corporations and charter company operations.

Just what is he a doctor of? Hmmm… love? Well count me in.

I know he leads us younger generations and if this were 2024 he'd be a shoe in. However, we have to compete with our parents and grandparents being brainwashed by the media. Right now there are WAY too many baby boomers that like socialism for some strange reason. What we have to do is either convince our older generations that they've been lied to the past 30 years OR lock them up and gag them election day. Knowing my mom, option 2 is what it will have to be…

I forgot one item:
4. Small businesses and family farms would cease to exist. They would be eaten alive by the predatory marketing practices of giant corporations.

The net effect of Libertarianism would be to provide a short period of political realignment before the corporate state (a nation in which corporations are the only real citizens) came into existence.

Of course, this is only my opinion, but it is never wrong.

cable king from Pittsburgh:

If you are going to slight someone, how about specifics. Here are some specifics about Dr. Ron Paul.

He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.

He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.

He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.

Congressman Paul introduces numerous pieces of substantive legislation each year, probably more than any single member of Congress.

Congressman Paul’s consistent voting record prompted one of his congressional colleagues to say, “Ron Paul personifies the Founding Fathers’ ideal of the citizen-statesman. He makes it clear that his principles will never be compromised, and they never are.” Another colleague observed, “There are few people in public life who, through thick and thin, rain or shine, stick to their principles. Ron Paul is one of those few.”

I pray that CNN is not giving lip-service to Dr. Paul to appease people who point out that the mainstream media is not giving him a chance in the election.

Investigate Ron Paul, Vote for the constitution, Liberty, and the America we should be!

The more I read about Dr. Paul the more I like. While I may not care for some of his stances on foreign policy I like what he's saying about tax reform and immigration.

He certainly has my attention.

Mr. Paul has severalsound ideas, but when you listen to him long enough its obvious that his cheese has slipped off his cracker.

eh. . . I like him, but, this interview certainly didn't give me enough to go on.

This is a strange election. I know who I would never vote for, but definately do not know who to vote for. I don't even know what side to vote on.

Thank you CNN for conducting a fair interview. It's too rare a thing in this day and age.

Yes Brian. I agree that Ron Paul is the Thomas Jefferson of our time. Heaven knows we need one, as we creep ever closer to imperialism abroad and a socialist police state at home.

Restore the Republic!

He was dead on in his comments about democracy in the grandole US of A, controlled by big business, foreign entities and the two party system is a collosal failure by any measure adn we dictate to the world how great it is. Yet, a third or fourth party candidate cannot debate with the handpicked shells of puppetry sent up for our so called freedom by the very groups we need fear the most.

Dr. Ron Paul is the Jefferson of today adn for it he is considered a fringe candidate, you tell me whats wrong? RP08, it is for our very soul as a nation.

Ron Paul is the only candidate that will have large bipartisan support. Go over to FoxNews [this is the first time in my life I've suggested this -- I feel weird] and check out their preliminary polls. Every hypothetical GOP matchup shows a Dem winning the general election next year. They did not run Mr. Paul's name, but since he can draw large democrat, GOP and independent/3rd party support I believe he is the only one who has a chance.

As a democrat I would strongly consider crossing the aisle and voting for Rep. Paul, and I know others will. It is about time CNN and other groups give him the coverage he deserves. Our country needs to seriously consider Mr. Paul right now. The democratic party really isn't offering a clear alternative to the status quo, and forget the rest of the GOP. Mr. Paul getting the nomination is the only thing that will keep me from "throwing my vote away" to a 3rd party.

Thank you for your time.

It is refreshing to read so many positive comments about any politician. Dr., is it?, Paul's ideas should definitely receive more exposure and analysis. I wish we had done the same with George W. Bulsh. We wouldn't be in the mess we are today if we had just paid more attention to what he really meant by some of his cute, precise, "he talks like us" phrases. I am absolutely in favor of RP's renunciation of birth as citizenship. I hope he favors a written test, in English, at 16 years of age, in which a score of over 70% is required or the testee (prospective citizen) is deported. Further testing on a regular basis at periodic times would be good to be sure the new citizen retained this critical mass. The country to which they would be deported could be determined at a later date, but anywhere that would accept our losers would be acceptable.

Well, it's definitely a 'no-brainer'…

Ron is simply the only candidate worthy of consideration in '08.

The last time I tried to view a CNN article about Congressman Paul the link took me to an article about Richardsons campaign. Just now I tried to view the Blitzer talk with Ron and watched instead a story about precious gems in Mynnamar. I am in Germany telling my stateside friends not to congradulate CNN on being fair. Two of my Army Buddies here get the same thing. Make it right CNN.

I think it's funny to watch how the mainstream discovers people like Paul. They don't know how to act when they interview "truth tellers" and appear more phoney than the candidates themselves.

It's too bad that Americans, in general, simply wait for things like this to show up on the mainstream media, rather than going out and finding out about candidates on their own. This segment is mostly for those lazy people who have no idea who Paul is. He just took 73% of the vote in the New Hampshire poll; he's for real, but the mainstream keeps denying him.

An isolationist America did nothing to prevent the rise of the great dictatorships of the twentieth century
and then spent countless millions of lives and countless billions of dollars in eliminating those regimes.
In the twenty-first century, the ideologies may have changed, with the exception of China, but the challenges to America's interests in the world remain. Maybe it is time to withdraw and let a dysfunctional Europe, an amoral China, and a rapidly expanding Islamic state fashion events over the next hundred years. But don't expect to come back to the table without repeating the tragic losses in both human and financial terms that America experienced in the last century. Vote Ron Paul? No, I cannot take that risk, for my children's sake.

Blitzer is such a soulless drone, but can still ask some pretty good questions. Who among the frontrunners on either side would give him 20 unrestricted minutes? Or how about Russert one-on-one with _any_ of the top three Dems?

Ron Paul all the way.

Thank GOD! Finally a candidate who understands the Constitution and will not let Israel run our middle eastern policy. Truely a "Republican" of the old "ANTI WAR" party. We do not need to be RULED. We need FREEDOM. Ron Paul has my vote and my MONEY!

Thank you CNN for airing this segment. Dr. Ron Paul has my vote and I believe he is the Thomas Jefferson of our generation.

The man speaks his mind, at least, and the pundit class should give him more air time, not to help him win anything, but just to allow some of these ideas that are "outside the box" get a fair hearing.
Otherwise each candidate tends to mimic the other. On the republican side they barely speak in terms of idea, they only want to find a candidate with the best chance of beating the devil incarnate (as the see it), Hillary Clinton.

They should run on ideas and principles, wrong or right, and Ron Paul is doing that.

Just wanted to say thanks for having a real man on. His contributions are from hope that our country can change. I wish he would get more media coverage and really do hope it will change. He deserves it, and America deserves another voice to be heard. I am a 18 year old and registered republican just so I could vote for this man.

A rather fair interview by CNN, keep up this level of professional journalism. Go Ron Paul!

I must say that presidential race is going crazy and I do not see anybody suitable for the office, except Ron Paul. He is the man america needs todays. I can assure you that any other candidate will sink the USA. If us can be be put on right path , we have to vote for Ron Paul.
I hope, we will be able to lift the country up by electing Mr. Paul

That's what I'm talking about!

It's funny, the other day Blitzer cringed when Bill Maher mentioned Ron Paul, and now Blitzer just conducted an interview with him.

I'm glad to see Dr. Paul being able to clear up his postion as being a non-interventionalist vs. an isolationist.
We shouldn't be the world's police. Look at all the trouble we have gotten into because of it. It's about time that we learned our lesson and mind our own busniess.

It is the direction that Ron Paul wants to take us is why I am voting for him (being 27 years old and a 1st time voter). We may not have to choose a lesser of two evils this election season!

Last but not least, it's good to see Ron Paul finally getting some time in the spotlight!

Dr. Paul, I still have faith that your nomination can put this country back on-track. The rest of America, wake-up and make a difference by giving Dr. Paul your support. Look into record as a Representative and as an American. You'll join the REVOLUTION.