Taking Paul Seriously?

Ron Paul has raised himself a nice little bundle of cash today, making a point to 'remember the 5th of November.' I wonder why?

David Freddoso of National Review says this should make us take Paul more seriously, a statement which makes me inclined to take Freddoso less seriously.

If Freddoso actually wants us to judge the seriousness of presidential candidates based on their ability to raise money, let's take a look at the numbers. According to Open Secrets, Ron Paul has managed to raise about $8 million. That is considerable, and today's fundraising is impressive. Until, that is, you compare it to what other candidates have managed to raise.

Hillary Clinton - $90 million
Barack Obama - $80 million
John Edwards - $30 million
Mitt Romney - $62 million
Rudy Giuliani - $47 million
John McCain - $32 million
Fred Thompson - $12 million

With the exception of Thompson, who entered the race late, the other candidates have raised considerably more money, and poll more than the margin of error. If anything, these fundraising numbers should make the Thompson campaign nervous. They certainly should not be a cause for celebration among the Paulbots.

There are two major reasons the Ron Paul candidacy should not be taken seriously. One is Ron Paul, the other is his supporters. The evidence against Ron Paul is very, very, very, very, very disturbing. Paul finds common cause with conspiracy theorists, white supremacists and lounge singers and he is using the Republican presidential primary to advance his message, not his candidacy.

In my opinion, that makes Ron Paul a disgraceful politician. Paul was elected as a Republican, campaigns as a Republican, takes money from the Republican party and is given a platform for his message during Republican debates. And yet he’s repeatedly stated that once the primary is over, he will not campaign on behalf of the Republican nominee, endorse the Republican nominee or vote for the Republican nominee.

What kind of man takes money and attention from a party when it helps him, then spits in their face after getting what he wants? This entitlement attitude, when looked at within the context of who supports Paul and what Paul believes, does not reflect well on the character of the man who claims to be the "hope for America."

posted by Slublog at 01:37 AM

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