New Orleans (CNN) – Rep. Ron Paul sure knows how to draw a crowd.
Extra chairs were brought into the already packed hotel ballroom where the Republican Leadership Conference is being held to accommodate a swarm of loud and energetic supporters of the longtime congressman from Texas, who is making his third bid for the White House.
And those supporters loudly applauded Paul throughout his address, as he preached against American involvement in overseas wars and alliances by saying, "Americans are sick and tired of no-win wars around the world."
Paul also argued against the government's monetary policy, against the Federal Reserve, and against too much government regulation, saying "the fact that we have too many laws is what the problems are."
And he used his speech to tout civil liberties and family values, declaring that "rights and liberties come from your God, not your government. Besides, government is not very good at teaching morality."
Paul polls in the low double digits or high single digits in most of the recent national surveys in the battle for the GOP presidential nomination, but some pundits handicap his chances of wining the nomination because they criticize him as being out of the mainstream GOP because of his philosophy.
But Paul started and closed his speech by saying that most Republicans are beginning to see things his way, saying that they are "starting to use our language."
From CNN Politics
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Obama should find a way to make this guy part of his administrative team from 2012-2016.
Paul is a kook on something topics but on others, he sounds like a reasonable person.
Is this dude a communist??????
Mr. Stassen, excuse me, Mr. Paul is now 75 years old. He is showing his age and he doesn't have a snowball's chance of being president of the U.S. Although he remains reasonably articulate–in fact far more articulate than the other GOP candidates–his ideas are more suited to the 18th Century.
paul sounds like a little girl throwing a little girl tantrum. This is wrong, this is not what I want, this is not what anyone should do, the wars were okay as long as it's not a democratic president,
You are even a worse example of any kind of values. SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!!!!! Jack but*. And you are the one they say will save your party? Yeah, right!
Rights and liberties don't come from god you bozo. I don't see your god building roads, schools, or making sure our air/water is not polluted or making sure people don't stomp on a woman's head except for your early 60s son!
Squirrelly or senile? Or both? What difference does it make? As long as he's the craziest coot in the coop – the one with the dumbest ideas, he'll have an enthusiastic following in this crowd. Run, Ron, Run.
Ron Paul 2012.
Nothing more need be said.
"Paul polls in the low double digits or high single digits in most of the recent national surveys"
This is totally false. Look at almost any poll and you will see him at the top or near it! You guys just had to try and trash him a little didnt you? I thought this was acutally going to be a nice article until I came across that nonsense.
No matter who else is on the GOP's ticket in 2012, it would be a big mistake for them to leave Paul off of it. He's the only candidate who understands anything at all about the matter of greatest concern to most Americans, the economy.
methinks those who speak ill of sir Paul no not what he speaks of.
Paul was spot on. We need to restore our nation's confidence in liberty! Freedom can work. America has lost its way. We waste money on needless wars and arresting non-violent individuals for their habits. Paul is the last honest politician we have. Please, everyone, see past the media bias and ignorance and research him for yourself. There is a reason he started a revolution.
He's got some good ideas and some wacky ideas. Just a little bit too far out there for my tastes.
Yes, Ron Paul must be a kook. Who would ever wish for more individual liberty, less governmental overreach, keeping more of your earnings, a more secure nation, and a more prosperous economy?
Such silly notions he has.
i hope paul , says to the right we need to get out of those wars in the middle east...
Incredible speech. Best speech I have heard from any candidate in over 10 years. Even the non-supporters started cheering in the end. Just wow. I am swapping my support indefinitely to Mr. Paul. Sorry Barrack.
This is the only guy in the entire feild in either party who would actually put country first
Did i read Obama should find a place for him in his cabinet...how about the chair in the oval office.
"the fact that we have too many laws is what the problems are."
Is this guy senile?
I think he's a pretty good influence on the Republican party. I can get behind a lot of his libertarian and anti-war views, but any politician that brings up Christianity and God all the time scares me a little.
Despite the debateable need for less government and/or government regulation of monetary policy, I can definitely see how Paul would draw criticism for being too much of a mainstream republican. Much of his speech sounds like paraphrase from some sort of antiquated GOP textbook. We need a rebublican candidate who can effectively and creatively design policies that address economic issues such as inflation. 2012 should be interesting
I actually agree with a lot of what Paul says, and the bit that is nutty doesn't out way the good, which isn't true for most GOPs. And I would vote for Paul over the current pack of drama queen "cry babies" who are popular with GOP base.
But none of them can beat Obama in 2012.
HE IS LEADING ALL OF THE ONLINE POLLS with mostly 60-80 of the votes!! It is so disgusting how you can just flat out lie like that.
you paul haters are mostly democrats who hate republicans as a ex democrat who voted for obama let me let u in on a secret R or D does not matter actions matter Obama is GWB by his ACTIONS plain and simple and if u decide this is racist of me know this ............im a spic from harlem so take ur racism accusation and shove it!
Yep! Liberty and no wars are wacky ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't stand the blind fools in this country!!
Go back and watch the '08 GOP debates on youtube and you'll see Paul predicted everything that's happening and will happen to this country. Why not elect a president who understands how we got in this mess and how to get out of it. Obama is clueless. Romney, Cain, Bachman, Huntsman, Perry, Gingrich, Pawlenty, Santorum all don't understand either. Ron Paul does. Ron Paul 2012!
Call him what you want – but Ron Paul is the only Republican candidate that makes any sense and that the guts to oppose Darth Cheney's Iraq War. All the other GOP goons are a bunch of war hawks that want to expand the fascist military-industrial complex.