Ron Paul presidential campaign, 2012
Encyclopedia
U.S. Representative
Ron Paul
of Texas
is running for the 2012 Republican Party nomination
for President of the United States
. Although he was frequently mentioned as a possible candidate, Paul stopped short of a full-fledged candidacy before May 2011. Prior to that, he had only indicated that he was considering running for the presidency. On April 14, 2011, Paul announced the formation of a "testing-the-waters" account, and had stated that he would decide whether he would officially enter the race by at least early May. Paul announced the formation of an exploratory committee
on April 26, 2011, in Des Moines, Iowa
. He proceeded to officially declare his candidacy for President of the United States on May 13, 2011 in Exeter
, New Hampshire
.
On July 12, 2011, Ron Paul announced that he will not seek another term as the Representative of Texas's 14th District to focus on his presidential campaign.
As of late October 2011, the campaign has raised approximately $16 million.
Heavily speculated as a possible Republican candidate in the 2012 presidential election
, Paul appeared in the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference
(CPAC) straw poll. Paul won the poll, defeating Mitt Romney, who had won it the previous three years. Paul also won the 2011 CPAC straw poll with 30 percent of the vote. Following that, he also won the paid, online Arizona Tea Party Patriots straw poll on February 28, 2011 with 49% of the vote.
In February 2011, Paul asked supporters to donate to his Liberty PAC
to fund trips to Iowa and elsewhere to explore a possible 2012 presidential candidacy. On February 21, a Presidents' Day money bomb raised around $400,000 in 24 hours. Liberty PAC raised more than $700,000 during its February relaunch. By the end of March, Liberty PAC had raised more than $1 million.
On April 14, 2011, it was announced that Paul had formed a "testing-the-waters" organization, similar to Newt Gingrich
's efforts in exploring his potential candidacy. Paul's spokesman, Jesse Benton was quoted as saying, "He remains undecided on what his plans will be, but as a final decision draws closer, his team has put the pieces in place for him to flip a switch and hit the ground running if he decides to run for president." Paul announced the formation of an exploratory committee
in Des Moines
, Iowa
on April 26 in preparation for a potential bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
On May 5, Paul participated in a debate in Greenville, South Carolina
among only five candidates. A moneybomb
was scheduled for the same day, which raised over $1 million for Paul's campaign. On May 13 in Exeter, New Hampshire
, Paul formally announced his decision to seek the Republican nomination in the 2012 election.
in Manchester, New Hampshire
.
On June 18, 2011, Paul won the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll with 41%, winning by a large margin on Jon Huntsman
, who trailed second with 25% and Michele Bachmann with 13% (Mitt Romney came in fifth with 5%). On June 19 he again won the Clay County Iowa StrawPoll with 25%, while Michele Bachmann trailed second with 12%.
Paul also participated in another debate on August 11, 2011, in Ames, Iowa
, and overwhelmingly won the post-debate polls. He then came in second in the Ames Straw Poll
with 4,671 votes, narrowly losing to Michele Bachmann
by 152 votes or 9 tenths of 1 percent, a statistical first-place tie finish according to some in the news media. He received the fourth most votes for a candidate in the history of the Ames Straw Poll.
On August 20, in the New Hampshire Young Republicans Straw Poll Paul came again first, again overwhelmingly, with 45%, Mitt Romney trailing second with 10%. On August 27, in the Georgia State GOP Straw Poll Paul came in a close second place behind Georgia resident Herman Cain
, who had 26% of the vote, with Paul receiving 25.7%.
On September 5, Paul attended the Palmetto Freedom Forum in South Carolina along with fellow candidates Herman Cain, Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann and Newt Gingrich. The forum was paneled by congressmen Steve King of Iowa, senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Dr. Robert P. George, the founder of the American Principles Project which hosted the event.
On September 12, Paul attended the Tea Party Republican Presidential debate broadcasted by CNN. During the event, Paul received both unexpected "cheers" and "boos" for his responses to the questions posed by the debate moderators and fellow debate participants. When Rick Santorum
questioned Paul about his position regarding the motivation behind the September 11 attacks, some of the audience jeered his response that U.S. foreign occupation was the "real motivation behind the September 11 attacks and the vast majority of other instances of suicide terrorism.” When one of the moderators posed a hypothetical scenario of a healthy 30 year old man requiring intensive care but neglected to be insured pressing Paul with "Are you saying that society should just let him die?", several audience members cheered "yeah!" Paul disagreed with the audience reaction stating that while he practiced as a doctor in a Catholic hospital before the Medicaid era, "We never turned anybody away from the hospital." Paul elaborated further a few days later that he believed the audience was cheering self-reliance and that "the media took it and twisted it." Jack Burkman, a Republican strategist, was asked of Paul's performance in the debate. While Burkman stated that his national radio program's polling suggested Rick Perry won the debate (156 Perry votes to 151 Paul votes), he believed Paul's support is extremely deep like Democrat support for Bobby Kennedy
decades before and predicted "he could come from behind as the horses turn for home and win the nomination."
On September 18, Paul won the California state GOP straw poll with 44.9% of the vote, held at the JW Marriot in downtown Los Angeles. Out of 833 ballots cast, Paul garnered the greatest number of votes with 374, beating his nearest competitor Texas Gov. Rick Perry
by a wide margin.
On September 24, Paul finished 5th in the GOP's Florida Presidency 5 straw poll with 10.4% of the vote.
Paul won with 37% of the vote at the Values Voter Summit
on October 8; the highest ever recorded at the event.
On October 22, Paul won the Ohio Republican straw poll with the support of 53% of the participants, more than double the support of the second-place candidate, Herman Cain (26%).
Paul won the National Federation of Republican Assemblies Presidential Straw Poll of Iowa voters on October 29 with 82% of the vote.
On November 19, Paul won the North Carolina Republican Straw Poll with 52% of the vote, finishing well ahead of the second-place candidate, Newt Gingrich, who received 22% of the vote.
poll of likely voters across the political spectrum asking if they would vote for Paul or Barack Obama
, the response narrowly favored Obama (39%) over Paul (38%), but by a smaller margin than the same question asked a month ago (41% - 37%). Paul finished 3rd in a late-August poll of likely Republican primary voters, trailing Rick Perry
and Mitt Romney
and ahead of Michele Bachmann
, climbing from 4th position which, according to another poll, he occupied only a few days earlier.
In a September Harris Poll
, respondents chose Paul (51%) over Obama (49%).
In a Nov. 10-12 Bloomberg News poll of Iowans likely to participate in the January 3, 2012 Republican caucuses, Paul was in a 4-way tie at 19 percent with Cain, Romney and Gingrich at 20, 18 and 17 percent respectively.
A Bloomberg News poll released on November 16, 2011 showed Paul at 17% in New Hampshire, in second place to Romney's 40%.
(the first being before his official announcement) was scheduled for June 5, 2011, the anniversary of the 1933 joint resolution which abolished the gold standard
. The June 5 moneybomb, which was themed as "The Revolution vs. RomneyCare: Round One", raised approximately $1.1 million. A third moneybomb themed "Ready, Ames, Fire!" was executed on July 19, 2011 to provide support leading up to the Ames Straw Poll on August 13, 2011, raising over $550,000.
In the second quarter of 2011, Ron Paul's campaign ranked second, behind only Mitt Romney, in total dollars raised with $4.5 million. This was $1.5 million more than his original goal of $3 million. During that quarter, the Ron Paul campaign had raised more money from military personnel than all other GOP candidates combined, and even more money than Barack Obama
, a trend that has continued from Ron Paul's 2008 presidential campaign.
A fourth moneybomb took place on Paul's 76th birthday on August 20, 2011. It raised more than $1.8 million despite a cyber-attack against the site that took it down for several hours, after which the donation drive was extended for another twelve hours.
A fifth moneybomb began on September 17, the date of the 224th anniversary of the creation of the United States Constitution
. Continuing throughout the following day, it raised more than one million dollars. Shortly after the Constitution Day moneybomb, a sixth moneybomb, entitled "End Of Quarter Push", began on September 22 in an attempt to generate $1.5 million before the 3rd Quarter fundraising deadline.
In the third quarter of 2011 Ron Paul raised over $8 million. A three day moneybomb entitled "Black This Out" brought in more than $2.75 million in mid-October, his largest total in the campaign for such an event.
, or who generally vote Democrat
, but who plan to register as Republicans and vote in the U.S. 2012 Republican presidential primaries for Ron Paul. The phrase "Blue Republican" quickly spread after Koerner's article “If You Love Peace, Become a 'Blue Republican' (Just for a Year)” was published in The Huffington Post
on June 7 and Social Media Entrepreneur, Israel Anderson promoted the term on Facebook, later teaming with Koerner to expand the movement. Five days after his original article coining the term, Koerner published a follow-up article on the term's popularity: "'Blue Republicans': an Idea Whose Time Has Come". The article was shared on the social networking site Facebook
more than 11,000 times by the time the second article was published.
, it was alleged by many supporters that there was a media blackout
and suppression of coverage of Ron Paul. Similar allegations have arisen in the 2012 campaign and received some media coverage. Politico.com
columnist Roger Simon
noted on CNN
program Reliable Sources
that Ron Paul has received considerably less coverage than Michele Bachmann
, despite earning a close second to her at the Ames Straw Poll
. Simon later noted again on Politico.com that the media was treating Ron Paul unfairly. Comedian Jon Stewart
similarly complained about the lack of coverage, despite Paul polling much better than candidates who received coverage. Stewart presented a montage of mainstream media
clips that showed commentators ignoring and two CNN
correspondents admitting to suppressing coverage of Ron Paul. Will Wilkinson
complained in The Economist
that if Ron Paul had won the Ames straw poll, it would have been written off as irrelevant, but since Bachmann had won, it was claimed to boost her campaign. Other commentators noted that Paul has had success at past straw polls but has not turned that into broader success as a reason for the relative lack of media attention.
Several days later, the Project for Excellence in Journalism
found that Ron Paul did in fact receive substantially less coverage than other candidates in the 2012 race. Ron Paul was asked in a FOX News interview "What are they [the media] afraid of?" He answered "They don't want to discuss my views, because I think they're frightened by me challenging the status quo and the establishment." Later, he continued on Piers Morgan Tonight
: "They don’t want my views out there — they’re too dangerous...We want freedom, and we’re challenging the status quo. We want to end the war, we want a gold standard, and their view is that people just can’t handle all this freedom."
The Project for Excellence in Journalism
released another study in October 2011 confirming further that Ron Paul has been receiving disproportionately low coverage in the media. Ron Paul polled 6.0-9.8% during the study period, but only received 2% of media coverage, the lowest of all candidates. It also noted that Paul's coverage among blog
s was the most favorable of all candidates.
During the November 12 CBS
/National Journal
Debate, Paul was allocated 90 seconds speaking time. Paul's campaign responded, saying, "Congressman Paul was only allocated 90 seconds of speaking in one televised hour. If we are to have an authentic national conversation on issues such as security and defense, we can and must do better to ensure that all voices are heard. CBS News, in their arrogance, may think they can choose the next president. Fortunately, the people of Iowa, New Hampshire, and across America get to vote and not the media elites."
Iowa
New York
Democratic Party Officials
Republican Party Officials
New Hampshire State Legislators
According to Forsythe, Paul has received support from twenty New Hampshire state representatives as of early July 2011.
North Carolina State Legislators
Idaho State Legislators
Iowa State Legislators
Rhode Island State Legislators
New Jersey State Legislators
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
is running for the 2012 Republican Party nomination
Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2012
The 2012 Republican presidential primaries are the selection processes in which voters of the Republican Party will choose their nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 presidential election. The primary contest began with a fairly wide field, and is the first presidential primary...
for President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. Although he was frequently mentioned as a possible candidate, Paul stopped short of a full-fledged candidacy before May 2011. Prior to that, he had only indicated that he was considering running for the presidency. On April 14, 2011, Paul announced the formation of a "testing-the-waters" account, and had stated that he would decide whether he would officially enter the race by at least early May. Paul announced the formation of an exploratory committee
Exploratory Committee
In the election politics of the United States, an exploratory committee is an organization established to help determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office. They are most often cited in reference to United States Presidential hopefuls, prior to the primaries.Exploratory...
on April 26, 2011, in Des Moines, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. He proceeded to officially declare his candidacy for President of the United States on May 13, 2011 in Exeter
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
.
On July 12, 2011, Ron Paul announced that he will not seek another term as the Representative of Texas's 14th District to focus on his presidential campaign.
As of late October 2011, the campaign has raised approximately $16 million.
Background and pre-campaign events
United States presidential election, 2012
The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United...
, Paul appeared in the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference
Conservative Political Action Conference
The Conservative Political Action Conference is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States....
(CPAC) straw poll. Paul won the poll, defeating Mitt Romney, who had won it the previous three years. Paul also won the 2011 CPAC straw poll with 30 percent of the vote. Following that, he also won the paid, online Arizona Tea Party Patriots straw poll on February 28, 2011 with 49% of the vote.
In February 2011, Paul asked supporters to donate to his Liberty PAC
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
to fund trips to Iowa and elsewhere to explore a possible 2012 presidential candidacy. On February 21, a Presidents' Day money bomb raised around $400,000 in 24 hours. Liberty PAC raised more than $700,000 during its February relaunch. By the end of March, Liberty PAC had raised more than $1 million.
On April 14, 2011, it was announced that Paul had formed a "testing-the-waters" organization, similar to Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
's efforts in exploring his potential candidacy. Paul's spokesman, Jesse Benton was quoted as saying, "He remains undecided on what his plans will be, but as a final decision draws closer, his team has put the pieces in place for him to flip a switch and hit the ground running if he decides to run for president." Paul announced the formation of an exploratory committee
Exploratory Committee
In the election politics of the United States, an exploratory committee is an organization established to help determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office. They are most often cited in reference to United States Presidential hopefuls, prior to the primaries.Exploratory...
in Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
on April 26 in preparation for a potential bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
On May 5, Paul participated in a debate in Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
among only five candidates. A moneybomb
Moneybomb
Moneybomb is a neologism coined in 2007 to describe a grassroots fundraising effort over a brief fixed time period, usually to support a candidate for election by dramatically increasing, concentrating, and publicizing fundraising activity during a specific hour or day...
was scheduled for the same day, which raised over $1 million for Paul's campaign. On May 13 in Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
, Paul formally announced his decision to seek the Republican nomination in the 2012 election.
GOP debates and straw polls
He participated in a debate on June 13, 2011 at Saint Anselm CollegeSaint Anselm College
Saint Anselm College is a nationally ranked, private, Benedictine, Catholic liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Founded in 1889 by Abbot Hilary Pfrängle, O.S.B. of Saint Mary's Abbey in Newark, New Jersey, at the request of Bishop Denis M. Bradley of Manchester, New Hampshire, the...
in Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
.
On June 18, 2011, Paul won the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll with 41%, winning by a large margin on Jon Huntsman
Jon Huntsman, Jr.
Jon Meade Huntsman, Jr. is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah. He also served in the administrations of four United States presidents and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.Huntsman worked as a White House staff assistant for...
, who trailed second with 25% and Michele Bachmann with 13% (Mitt Romney came in fifth with 5%). On June 19 he again won the Clay County Iowa StrawPoll with 25%, while Michele Bachmann trailed second with 12%.
Paul also participated in another debate on August 11, 2011, in Ames, Iowa
Ames, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
, and overwhelmingly won the post-debate polls. He then came in second in the Ames Straw Poll
Ames Straw Poll
The Ames Straw Poll is a presidential straw poll taken by Iowa Republicans. It occurs in Ames, Iowa on the campus of Iowa State University, on a Saturday in August of years in an election cycle in which the Republican presidential nomination seems to be undecided...
with 4,671 votes, narrowly losing to Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
by 152 votes or 9 tenths of 1 percent, a statistical first-place tie finish according to some in the news media. He received the fourth most votes for a candidate in the history of the Ames Straw Poll.
On August 20, in the New Hampshire Young Republicans Straw Poll Paul came again first, again overwhelmingly, with 45%, Mitt Romney trailing second with 10%. On August 27, in the Georgia State GOP Straw Poll Paul came in a close second place behind Georgia resident Herman Cain
Herman Cain
Herman Cain is a candidate for the 2012 U.S. Republican Party presidential nomination.Cain has a background as a business executive, syndicated columnist, and radio host from Georgia. He served as chairman and CEO of Godfather's Pizza from 1986 to 1996...
, who had 26% of the vote, with Paul receiving 25.7%.
On September 5, Paul attended the Palmetto Freedom Forum in South Carolina along with fellow candidates Herman Cain, Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann and Newt Gingrich. The forum was paneled by congressmen Steve King of Iowa, senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Dr. Robert P. George, the founder of the American Principles Project which hosted the event.
On September 12, Paul attended the Tea Party Republican Presidential debate broadcasted by CNN. During the event, Paul received both unexpected "cheers" and "boos" for his responses to the questions posed by the debate moderators and fellow debate participants. When Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum
Richard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...
questioned Paul about his position regarding the motivation behind the September 11 attacks, some of the audience jeered his response that U.S. foreign occupation was the "real motivation behind the September 11 attacks and the vast majority of other instances of suicide terrorism.” When one of the moderators posed a hypothetical scenario of a healthy 30 year old man requiring intensive care but neglected to be insured pressing Paul with "Are you saying that society should just let him die?", several audience members cheered "yeah!" Paul disagreed with the audience reaction stating that while he practiced as a doctor in a Catholic hospital before the Medicaid era, "We never turned anybody away from the hospital." Paul elaborated further a few days later that he believed the audience was cheering self-reliance and that "the media took it and twisted it." Jack Burkman, a Republican strategist, was asked of Paul's performance in the debate. While Burkman stated that his national radio program's polling suggested Rick Perry won the debate (156 Perry votes to 151 Paul votes), he believed Paul's support is extremely deep like Democrat support for Bobby Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
decades before and predicted "he could come from behind as the horses turn for home and win the nomination."
On September 18, Paul won the California state GOP straw poll with 44.9% of the vote, held at the JW Marriot in downtown Los Angeles. Out of 833 ballots cast, Paul garnered the greatest number of votes with 374, beating his nearest competitor Texas Gov. Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
by a wide margin.
On September 24, Paul finished 5th in the GOP's Florida Presidency 5 straw poll with 10.4% of the vote.
Paul won with 37% of the vote at the Values Voter Summit
Values Voter Summit
The Values Voter Summit is an annual political conference for American social conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States....
on October 8; the highest ever recorded at the event.
On October 22, Paul won the Ohio Republican straw poll with the support of 53% of the participants, more than double the support of the second-place candidate, Herman Cain (26%).
Paul won the National Federation of Republican Assemblies Presidential Straw Poll of Iowa voters on October 29 with 82% of the vote.
On November 19, Paul won the North Carolina Republican Straw Poll with 52% of the vote, finishing well ahead of the second-place candidate, Newt Gingrich, who received 22% of the vote.
Polls
In an August Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
poll of likely voters across the political spectrum asking if they would vote for Paul or Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, the response narrowly favored Obama (39%) over Paul (38%), but by a smaller margin than the same question asked a month ago (41% - 37%). Paul finished 3rd in a late-August poll of likely Republican primary voters, trailing Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
and Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
and ahead of Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
, climbing from 4th position which, according to another poll, he occupied only a few days earlier.
In a September Harris Poll
Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive , headquartered in New York, New York, is a custom market research firm, known for the Harris Poll. Harris works in a wide range of industries...
, respondents chose Paul (51%) over Obama (49%).
In a Nov. 10-12 Bloomberg News poll of Iowans likely to participate in the January 3, 2012 Republican caucuses, Paul was in a 4-way tie at 19 percent with Cain, Romney and Gingrich at 20, 18 and 17 percent respectively.
A Bloomberg News poll released on November 16, 2011 showed Paul at 17% in New Hampshire, in second place to Romney's 40%.
Moneybombs and fundraising
Paul's second moneybombMoneybomb
Moneybomb is a neologism coined in 2007 to describe a grassroots fundraising effort over a brief fixed time period, usually to support a candidate for election by dramatically increasing, concentrating, and publicizing fundraising activity during a specific hour or day...
(the first being before his official announcement) was scheduled for June 5, 2011, the anniversary of the 1933 joint resolution which abolished the gold standard
Gold standard
The gold standard is a monetary system in which the standard economic unit of account is a fixed mass of gold. There are distinct kinds of gold standard...
. The June 5 moneybomb, which was themed as "The Revolution vs. RomneyCare: Round One", raised approximately $1.1 million. A third moneybomb themed "Ready, Ames, Fire!" was executed on July 19, 2011 to provide support leading up to the Ames Straw Poll on August 13, 2011, raising over $550,000.
In the second quarter of 2011, Ron Paul's campaign ranked second, behind only Mitt Romney, in total dollars raised with $4.5 million. This was $1.5 million more than his original goal of $3 million. During that quarter, the Ron Paul campaign had raised more money from military personnel than all other GOP candidates combined, and even more money than Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, a trend that has continued from Ron Paul's 2008 presidential campaign.
A fourth moneybomb took place on Paul's 76th birthday on August 20, 2011. It raised more than $1.8 million despite a cyber-attack against the site that took it down for several hours, after which the donation drive was extended for another twelve hours.
A fifth moneybomb began on September 17, the date of the 224th anniversary of the creation of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. Continuing throughout the following day, it raised more than one million dollars. Shortly after the Constitution Day moneybomb, a sixth moneybomb, entitled "End Of Quarter Push", began on September 22 in an attempt to generate $1.5 million before the 3rd Quarter fundraising deadline.
In the third quarter of 2011 Ron Paul raised over $8 million. A three day moneybomb entitled "Black This Out" brought in more than $2.75 million in mid-October, his largest total in the campaign for such an event.
"Blue Republican" movement
In June 2011, online publisher Robin Koerner coined the term "Blue Republican" to refer to U.S. voters who consider themselves to be liberal or progressiveProgressivism in the United States
Progressivism in the United States is a broadly based reform movement that reached its height early in the 20th century and is generally considered to be middle class and reformist in nature. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large...
, or who generally vote Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, but who plan to register as Republicans and vote in the U.S. 2012 Republican presidential primaries for Ron Paul. The phrase "Blue Republican" quickly spread after Koerner's article “If You Love Peace, Become a 'Blue Republican' (Just for a Year)” was published in The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
on June 7 and Social Media Entrepreneur, Israel Anderson promoted the term on Facebook, later teaming with Koerner to expand the movement. Five days after his original article coining the term, Koerner published a follow-up article on the term's popularity: "'Blue Republicans': an Idea Whose Time Has Come". The article was shared on the social networking site Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
more than 11,000 times by the time the second article was published.
Federal Budget
On June 21, 2011, Paul was the first 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate to sign the Cut, Cap, and Balance Pledge. This pledge seeks commitments from politicians for changes of the debt limit, spending decreases, and taxation. The pledge also implores signers to endorse passage of a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution.Media coverage
During his previous presidential campaignRon Paul presidential campaign, 2008
Ron Paul was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election.Initial opinion polls during the first three quarters of 2007 showed Ron Paul consistently receiving support from 3% or less of those polled...
, it was alleged by many supporters that there was a media blackout
Media blackout
Media blackout refers to the censorship of news related to a certain topic, particularly in mass media, for any reason. A media blackout may be voluntary, or may in some countries be enforced by the government or state. The latter case is controversial in peacetime, as some regard it as a human...
and suppression of coverage of Ron Paul. Similar allegations have arisen in the 2012 campaign and received some media coverage. Politico.com
Politico (newspaper)
The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
columnist Roger Simon
Roger Simon (journalist)
This article is about the columnist and journalist; not to be confused with the conservative writer Roger L. Simon.Roger Simon is the chief political columnist of Politico, who has won more than three dozen first-place awards for journalism, and is the only person to win twice the American Society...
noted on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
program Reliable Sources
Reliable Sources
Reliable Sources is a weekly show on CNN, focusing on analysis of the American news media. It was initially created to cover the media's coverage of the Persian Gulf War, but has since also covered the media's coverage of the Valerie Plame affair, the War in Iraq, the outing of Mark Felt as Deep...
that Ron Paul has received considerably less coverage than Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
, despite earning a close second to her at the Ames Straw Poll
Ames Straw Poll
The Ames Straw Poll is a presidential straw poll taken by Iowa Republicans. It occurs in Ames, Iowa on the campus of Iowa State University, on a Saturday in August of years in an election cycle in which the Republican presidential nomination seems to be undecided...
. Simon later noted again on Politico.com that the media was treating Ron Paul unfairly. Comedian Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
similarly complained about the lack of coverage, despite Paul polling much better than candidates who received coverage. Stewart presented a montage of mainstream media
Mainstream media
Mainstream media are those media disseminated via the largest distribution channels, which therefore represent what the majority of media consumers are likely to encounter...
clips that showed commentators ignoring and two CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
correspondents admitting to suppressing coverage of Ron Paul. Will Wilkinson
Will Wilkinson
Will Wilkinson is a Canadian American libertarian writer. Until August 2010, he was a research fellow at the Cato Institute where he worked on a variety of issues including Social Security reform and, most notably, the policy implications of happiness research. He is currently working on a paper...
complained in The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
that if Ron Paul had won the Ames straw poll, it would have been written off as irrelevant, but since Bachmann had won, it was claimed to boost her campaign. Other commentators noted that Paul has had success at past straw polls but has not turned that into broader success as a reason for the relative lack of media attention.
Several days later, the Project for Excellence in Journalism
Project for Excellence in Journalism
The Project for Excellence in Journalism is a non-profit research organization in the US that uses empirical methods to evaluate and study the performance of the press. It asserts that it is "non partisan, non ideological and non political"...
found that Ron Paul did in fact receive substantially less coverage than other candidates in the 2012 race. Ron Paul was asked in a FOX News interview "What are they [the media] afraid of?" He answered "They don't want to discuss my views, because I think they're frightened by me challenging the status quo and the establishment." Later, he continued on Piers Morgan Tonight
Piers Morgan Tonight
Piers Morgan Tonight is a talk show on CNN, hosted by Piers Morgan. The show premiered on January 17, 2011 and filled the former Larry King Live timeslot. The theme music is written by Anthony James, composer and CEO of British company Music Candy, and his writing partner Yiorgos Bellapaisiotis,...
: "They don’t want my views out there — they’re too dangerous...We want freedom, and we’re challenging the status quo. We want to end the war, we want a gold standard, and their view is that people just can’t handle all this freedom."
The Project for Excellence in Journalism
Project for Excellence in Journalism
The Project for Excellence in Journalism is a non-profit research organization in the US that uses empirical methods to evaluate and study the performance of the press. It asserts that it is "non partisan, non ideological and non political"...
released another study in October 2011 confirming further that Ron Paul has been receiving disproportionately low coverage in the media. Ron Paul polled 6.0-9.8% during the study period, but only received 2% of media coverage, the lowest of all candidates. It also noted that Paul's coverage among blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s was the most favorable of all candidates.
During the November 12 CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
/National Journal
National Journal
National Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
Debate, Paul was allocated 90 seconds speaking time. Paul's campaign responded, saying, "Congressman Paul was only allocated 90 seconds of speaking in one televised hour. If we are to have an authentic national conversation on issues such as security and defense, we can and must do better to ensure that all voices are heard. CBS News, in their arrogance, may think they can choose the next president. Fortunately, the people of Iowa, New Hampshire, and across America get to vote and not the media elites."
Endorsements
Paul has received endorsements from:- The Jefferson Republican PartyJefferson Republican PartyThe Jefferson Republican Party is a minor political party in the United States.The JRP was organized in 2006 by former members of the Constitution Party in Alabama, Arkansas and North Carolina and claims ideological descent from the original Democratic-Republican Party founded by Thomas Jefferson...
Iowa
- Dubuque Tea Party of IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
New York
- Tea Party Coalition of Western New YorkWestern New YorkWestern New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
- Allegany County Tea Party of New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
- Buffalo Liberty Tea Party of New York
- Monroe County Tea Party of New York
- Ontario County Tea Party of New York
- Steuben County Tea Party of New York
Democratic Party Officials
- Lynn Rudmin Chong, former Democratic chair of Belknap County in New Hampshire
Republican Party Officials
- Cory Adams, Republican chairman of Story County in Iowa
- Josh Davenport, Republican co-chair of Clay County in Iowa
- David Fischer, member of the Iowa Republican State Central Committee
- Heath Hill, former Republican chairman of Story County in Iowa
- Drew Ivers, member of the Iowa Republican State Central Committee
- Jeremiah Johnson, member of the Iowa Republican State Central Committee
- James Mills, member of the Iowa Republican State Central Committee
- A.J. Spiker, member of the Iowa Republican State Central Committee and former Republican chairman of Story County
- Kris Thiessen, Republican chair of Clay CountyClay County, Iowa-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 16,667 in the county, with a population density of . There were 8,062 housing units, of which 7,282 were occupied.-2000 census:...
in Iowa
- Justin AmashJustin AmashJustin Amash, , is an American attorney, politician, and member of Congress. He has been the U.S. Representative for which encompasses the Grand Rapids area, since 2011....
, Representative of MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... - Walter B. JonesWalter B. JonesWalter Beaman Jones, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district encompasses the Outer Banks and areas near the Pamlico Sound. Jones' father was Walter B. Jones, Sr., a Democratic Party congressman from the neighboring 1st district...
, Representative from North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... - Rand PaulRand PaulRandal Howard "Rand" Paul is the junior United States Senator for Kentucky. He is a member of the Republican Party. A member of the Tea Party movement, he describes himself as a "constitutional conservative" and a libertarian...
, son and Senator from KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
- Jesse VenturaJesse VenturaJames George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
, Former Governor of MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, TV show host, Navy SEAL and professional wrestler
New Hampshire State Legislators
- Jim ForsytheJim ForsytheJim Forsythe is a current Republican member of the New Hampshire Senate, having represented the 4th District since 2010...
, New Hampshire State SenatorNew Hampshire SenateThe New Hampshire Senate has been meeting since 1784. It is the upper house of the New Hampshire General Court. It consists of 24 members representing Senate districts based on population... - Jenn Coffey, New Hampshire State Representative (Merrimack, District 6)
- Tim Comerford, New Hampshire State Representative
- Cameron DeJongCameron DeJongCameron DeJong is a Republican New Hampshire State Representative from the Hillsborough 9th District. In 2002 he received a BA in political science from Elon University. In 2011 he endorsed Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul....
, New Hampshire State Representative (Hillsborough, District 9) - Kyle Jones, New Hampshire State Representative (Rochester)
- Laura Jones, New Hampshire State Representative (Rochester)
- George Lambert, New Hampshire State Representative (Hillsborough, District 27)
- Donna Mauro, New Hampshire State Representative
- Andrew Manuse, New Hampshire State Representative
- Paul Mirski, New Hampshire State Representative (Grafton, District 10)
- Keith Murphy, New Hampshire State Representative (Bedford)
- Andy Sanborn, New Hampshire State Senator
- Tammy Simmons, New Hampshire State Representative (Hillsborough, District 17)
- Norman TregenzaNorman TregenzaNorman Tregenza is a Republican member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. He has represented the Carroll 2nd district since 2010.-2011-2012:...
, New Hampshire State Representative - Lucien VitaLucien VitaLucien Vita is a Republican New Hampshire State Representative from the Strafford 3rd District. In 2011 he endorsed Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.-External links:* at New Hampshire House of Representatives website...
, New Hampshire State Representative (Middleton) - Carol VitaCarol VitaCarol Vita is a Republican New Hampshire State Representative from the Strafford 3rd District. In 2011 she endorsed Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.-External links:* at New Hampshire House of Representatives website...
, New Hampshire State Representative (Middleton) - Mark Warden, New Hampshire State Representative (Hillsborough, District 7)
According to Forsythe, Paul has received support from twenty New Hampshire state representatives as of early July 2011.
North Carolina State Legislators
- Glen BradleyGlen BradleyGlen Bradley is a Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for the 49th District of North Carolina.Bradley defeated Democrat John May in the General Election held on November 2, 2010 with 51% of the vote. Bradley's election signaled a wide swing in the district, which had...
, North Carolina State RepresentativeNorth Carolina House of RepresentativesThe North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
Idaho State Legislators
- Phil Hart, Idaho State Representative
Iowa State Legislators
- Glen MassieGlen MassieGlen Massie is a Republican Iowa State Representative from the 74th District.-References:...
, Iowa State RepresentativeIowa House of RepresentativesThe Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 100 members of the House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 29,750 for each constituency... - Kim Pearson, Iowa State Representative
- Jason SchultzJason SchultzJason M. Schultz is a Republican Iowa State Representative from the 55th District, first elected in 2008. He lives in Schleswig, Crawford County....
, Iowa State Representative
Rhode Island State Legislators
- Nicholas D. Kettle, Rhode Island State Senator
New Jersey State Legislators
- Mike DohertyMichael J. DohertyMichael J. Doherty is an American Republican Party politician who serves in the New Jersey Senate representing the 23rd legislative district. He won the seat held by Marcia A. Karrow, who had earlier been selected by a party convention to succeed Leonard Lance after his election to the United...
, New Jersey State Senator
- Debra MedinaDebra MedinaDebra Medina was a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2010 Texas gubernatorial election. She participated in the January 14 televised debate with incumbent Governor Rick Perry and challenger U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison...
, political activist and candidate for the RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominationNominationNomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to an office, or the bestowing of an honor or award.In the context of elections for public office, a candidate who has been selected by a political party is normally said to be the nominee of that party...
in the 2010 Texas gubernatorial election - Adam KokeshAdam KokeshAdam Charles Kokesh is an American activist and talk radio host. Kokesh was a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and is a veteran of the Iraq War. He is an outspoken opponent of the U.S. military intervention in Iraq and has received media attention related to anti-war protest...
, political activist, talk show host - Karen KwiatkowskiKaren KwiatkowskiKaren U. Kwiatkowski is an American activist and commentator. She is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel whose assignments included duties as a Pentagon desk officer and a variety of roles for the National Security Agency. Since retiring, she has become a noted critic of the U.S....
, political activist, retired U.S. Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
, 2012 candidate for Congress from Virginia's 6th districtVirginia's 6th congressional districtVirginia's sixth congressional district is a United States congressional district in the commonwealth of Virginia. It covers all or part of Shenandoah, Rockingham, Highland, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Rockbridge, Botetourt, Roanoke and Amherst Counties. The current representative is Bob Goodlatte... - Tim Pugh, founder of the Cedar Rapids Tea Party
- Peter SchiffPeter SchiffPeter David Schiff is an American investment broker, author and financial commentator. Schiff is CEO and chief global strategist of Euro Pacific Capital Inc., a broker-dealer based in Westport, Connecticut and CEO of Euro Pacific Precious Metals, LLC, a gold and silver dealer based in New York...
, CEO of Euro Pacific Capital - Patrick M. ByrnePatrick M. ByrnePatrick M. Byrne is the president, CEO, and chairman of the board of directors of Internet retailer Overstock.com. In 1999, Byrne took control of the company, then called D2: Discounts Direct, and changed its name to Overstock...
, CEO of Overstock.comOverstock.comOverstock.com , also known by its shortcut, O.co, is an online retailer headquartered in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, near Salt Lake City. Founded in 1997 by Robert Brazell, under the name D2: Discounts Direct, it was a pioneering online seller of surplus merchandise which, upon its failure in 1999,... - Jim RogersJim RogersJames Beeland Rogers, Jr. is an American investor, author, and occasional financial commentator. He is currently based in Singapore. Rogers is the Chairman of Rogers Holdings and Beeland Interests, Inc...
, investor - Scott BanisterScott BanisterScott Banister is an American entrepreneur and angel investor. He is best known as a co-founder of IronPort and an early advisor and board member at PayPal.- Biography :...
, entrepreneur, angel investor - Joel SalatinJoel SalatinJoel F. Salatin is an American farmer, lecturer, and author whose books include You Can Farm and Salad Bar Beef.Salatin raises livestock using holistic methods of animal husbandry, free of potentially harmful chemicals, on his Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley...
, farmer
- Bruce FeinBruce FeinBruce Fein is a lawyer in the United States who specializes in constitutional and international law. Fein has written numerous articles on constitutional issues for The Washington Times, Slate.com, The New York Times, Legal Times, and is active on the issues of civil liberties...
, lawyer and Constitutional law expert (Senior Campaign Adviser) - Thomas WoodsThomas WoodsThomas E. "Tom" Woods, Jr. is an American historian, economist, political analyst, and New York Times-bestselling author. He has written extensively on the subjects of American history, contemporary politics, and economic theory...
, American historian, economist and author - Kevin GutzmanKevin GutzmanKevin R. Constantine Gutzman is an American historian, Constitutional scholar notable for having written The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution. He is a professor of the Department of History and Non-Western Cultures at Western Connecticut State University. He is an outspoken critic of...
, Professor of History and Non-Western Cultures at Western Connecticut State UniversityWestern Connecticut State UniversityWestern Connecticut State University is a public university in Danbury, Connecticut. Founded in 1903, WestConn has an arts and sciences curriculum, a business school, and several professional programs including elementary and secondary education, nursing, music performance, and social work...
- Dylan RatiganDylan RatiganDylan Jason Ratigan is an American television host primarily covering financial markets, the global economy, and politics. He is host of The Dylan Ratigan Show which airs weekday afternoons on MSNBC. He is also a frequent contributor on The Huffington Post.- Early life :Ratigan was born in the...
, television host - D.L. Hughley, actor
- ProdigyProdigy (rapper)Lance Albert Johnson Banks, better known as Prodigy, is an American rapper and one half of the hip-hop and rap duo Mobb Deep....
, rapper - Alex Jones, radio host
- Doug StanhopeDoug StanhopeDouglas Gene "Doug" Stanhope is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and author known for his abrasive comedy routines.-Life and career:Stanhope quit high school after his freshman year...
, stand-up comedian - Andrew NapolitanoAndrew NapolitanoAndrew Paolo Napolitano is a former New Jersey Superior Court Judge and now a political and legal analyst for Fox News Channel. Napolitano started on the channel in 1998, and currently serves as the network's senior judicial analyst, commenting on legal news and trials...
, political and legal analyst - John StosselJohn StosselJohn F. Stossel is an American consumer reporter, investigative journalist, author and libertarian columnist. In October 2009 Stossel left his long time home on ABC News to join the Fox Business Channel and Fox News Channel, both owned and operated by News Corp...
, media pundit - Vince VaughnVince VaughnVincent Anthony "Vince" Vaughn is an American film actor, screenwriter, producer and comedian. He began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 movie Swingers...
, actor - Jerry Doyle, radio host
- Chuck NorrisChuck NorrisCarlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
, martial artist and actor - KRS One, rapper
- Barry ManilowBarry ManilowBarry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
, American singer-songwriter