*Menu
Search
Submit
McCook Gazette
Letter to the Editor

Check out Ron Paul

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Dear Editor,

Back in August, I wrote in to introduce Gazette readers to a very different Presidential candidate, Congressman Ron Paul of Texas. (I say "introduce" because, if you use the search function on the Gazette's Web site, you'll find that my letters are the only mention of him in the Gazette to date.)

Since that time, I have become actively involved in campaigning for Congressman Paul. Along the way, I've come across one curious bit of criticism on several occasions. Perhaps the best example of this occurred as the McCook Ron Paul Meetup Group (http://ronpaul.meetup.com/1235) gathered at Norris Avenue and C Street last Saturday to display signs and hand out literature. One lady angrily commented, "Why don't you support someone who has a chance of winning?"

Who determines what candidate will win a nomination or an election? Isn't it the voters, albeit indirectly? After all, until the votes are actually counted, none of us can say with any degree of certainty which candidate does, or does not, have a chance of winning. In order for the votes to be counted, they must first be cast.

Herein lies the rub. If a sufficient number of voters can be convinced that only certain candidates stand any chance whatsoever of winning an election, those voters whose overriding concern is "victory" for their party will be inclined to focus their attention upon those candidates.

Who does the convincing? We convince ourselves, based upon the information available to us. Clearly, if such information is NOT available to us, we will not make a fully informed decision. The good news is that the information IS available. The bad news is that you must get off your duff and seek it out, as the news delivery service that is the mainstream media appears to be "on strike" with regards to Ron Paul.

For instance, did you know that on Sunday, Dec. 16, the Ron Paul campaign raised over $6 MILLION in campaign contributions, setting a record for money raised in a single day? Or that they previously raised over $4 MILLION in a single day on Nov. 5? Or that Ron Paul has raised more money from active-duty military personnel than any other Republican candidate? Or that the number and membership levels of internet social networking sites devoted to Ron Paul's candidacy significantly exceed those of ANY other Presidential candidate?

If you get all of your news from the McCook Daily Gazette, you didn't. If you get all of your news from TV network news, you MIGHT have -- if you paid close attention.

I ask you, does this sound like a candidate with no chance of winning?

The perception of a political candidate's "chance of winning," left unchallenged, ultimately becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The REAL question is, when the election comes around, will you cast your vote based upon what is expedient, or based upon what you believe to be RIGHT? Will you even cast a vote in the primary election? Over two thirds of registered voters DON'T, making the primaries fertile ground for motivated "underdogs."

The voting booth awaits you. The information you need awaits you. Google is your friend.

Get off your duff.

Owen J. McPhillips

McCook

Comments
View 12 comments
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.

  • Regarding the letter from Owen J. McPhillips- I have a bit of a different answer when people ask me why I don't back someone who can win. Ron Paul can win.

    If we simply look at the numbers from this month and this quarter and see the possibilities it is clearly possible.It is even probable. He set a record for one day donations at $6.6 million. His previous record was $4.3 million on November 5th of this year.On Dec 16th he had more than 20,000 new donors.

    I often hear about how low he is polling. I found out that they were only polling Republicans who caucused or participated in the primary in 2004.In looking at the nassive crowds in the big cities and for his appearance on Letterman I see quite a few who were not old enough in the last election.Also the turnout was low because of the sitting president running nearly unopposed.So the polls that people cite don't really seem to be telling the whole picture. If he was not popular, or his message of freedom was not popular he would not have been able to get so much monetary support.Other people must believe as I do that he will win.Every time they have a poll on the internet he wins.If it were one or two I might be as inclined to dismiss those polls as I do the old way of polling.

    Clearly his message is very popular and he is energizing the youth like I have never seen before. I think it is because he is so genuine, so likeable.

    So, I like the response you gave but I just see it differently. All of the Democrat candidates have promised to increase taxes, increase the debt, and increase the size and thus cost of government. I don't think anyone would tell you it is a good thing to take us deeper into debt.

    Ron Paul has a message that appeals to many.He could be our next president.

    -- Posted by cashman on Thu, Dec 20, 2007, at 3:00 PM

  • I as well am a big fan of Ron Paul. I have supported him since the beginning of his campaign. While I do not always agree with everything he says or what he has voted on in Congress. I share the same views of personal freedom that is the foundation of campaign platform. I do believe that if elected, Ron Paul, would help set the path to a safer United States. We would become a more financially secure country where the gold standard would be upheld and money was not printed out of thin air. We would not be policing the world and rub our noses where they should be. Our national sovereignty would be secured and we would become more prosperous. If you visit his website http://www.ronpaul2008.com/ and watch the videos on the site. You will find a man that is for the people, not in the pocket of Big Oil, Pharmaceuticals, etc.

    Ron Paul could be our next President, the United States would change a lot, and for the better.

    -- Posted by TannerLytle on Thu, Dec 20, 2007, at 4:31 PM

  • I have been a Ron Paul supporter for some time. I am happy to see some mention of him in our local paper. Thank you Owen for taking the time to express your views. I am looking forward to reading more about Dr. Paul in our news.

    -- Posted by John H. Smith on Fri, Dec 21, 2007, at 4:54 PM

  • The final sticking point for many people isn't the message nor the person, it's if he can be elected. The more people we attract then the more people we attract!

    Meet The Press on Sunday did an interview that was disjointed - didn't flow well. It appeared they dug really deep and couldn't find much dirt.

    Ready for campaign launch. This is awesome!

    -- Posted by johnnyboys on Mon, Dec 24, 2007, at 7:48 AM

  • Join the New Years Revolution. Please donate $101.08 to Ron Paul's campaign on 1-01-08 at ronpaul2008 dot com to make your new years revolution and vote for (freedom) Ron Paul. Thank you PS: please pass this on!

    -- Posted by New Years Revolution on Mon, Dec 24, 2007, at 8:17 AM

  • I am a backer of Ron Paul. But even though he carries a large majority when considering only the internet, we must remember that internet folks do not vote! They spend all their time on the computer and will not shut down long enough to simply go down and cast their vote. Only about 10% of the internet crowd will vote. But if the other 90% would join in and take the time to go vote, Ron Paul would become a front runner.

    -- Posted by bobsguns on Tue, Dec 25, 2007, at 10:26 AM

  • I keep hearing people say that Ron Paul's "internet backers" can't be relied on to cast a vote because they are on the computer all the time. What a ridiculous idea! Many of us have full time jobs and full social lives and the internet just happens to be a very efficient way to get our news, drop a few comments and get on with our lives! The internet isn't some novelty anymore. It's a way for busy people to use their time effectively. Believe me, many of us are using the internet to network, plan rallys, door-to-door canvassing, etc. There are going to be a lot of people really surprised when the votes for Ron Paul start rolling in. A lot of people are in need of a serious paradigm shift!

    -- Posted by brendalittle on Tue, Dec 25, 2007, at 12:20 PM

  • I support the Presidential campaign of and for the Hon TX Rep Dr Ron Paul. I dont have tons of money, but I send in 100 bucks everytime there is a drive for his campaign I go to ronpaul2008.com and give. Ron Paul is EXACTLY what America and Americans need. Thank you. Clif H. Irvine CA

    -- Posted by clifalan on Tue, Dec 25, 2007, at 12:55 PM

  • Isn't it possible for those of us that meetup for Ron Paul to produce great big signs that read "Ron Paul- leader in the polls"? This wouldn't be fabricated since he is winning the internet polls. This way the passerby's will think twice before thinking that he doesn't have a chance on winning. This strategy may help him gain support by simply "selling his victory" to the general public, and really creating the question of whether the polls should even be considered when placing a vote. The Ron Paul supporters are running out of time and the media is definitely hindering a lot of our efforts. We may need to "play the game" a little and sell the idea that our candidate is the frontrunner.

    -- Posted by aaabalboa on Tue, Dec 25, 2007, at 12:59 PM

  • I worked once with a 3rd party candidate for governor of Alaska. Wally Hickle. He took over the Alaska Independence Partys slot after their candidate Joe Vogler was assinated. He fended off lawsuits from the major two partys to keep him off the ballot and he won. He was placed on the ballot 8 weeks before the general election and the polls gave him no chance at all. He won!! So don't tell me Ron Paul can't win. I have witnessed it before. Also last year in Alaska a 42 year old mother of 4 took on the incumbent Republican governor Frnk Murkoskie. At the time she was the mayor of Wasill, Alaska.A smaal community of under 50,000. She not only beat him but also won the general election against formor Demo Gov. Tony Knowles. Again, no chance in the polls. So think again ya'll. By the way did any of this reach you in the drive by media?

    -- Posted by greenconnection on Tue, Dec 25, 2007, at 8:36 PM

  • Did anyone think/know that Ross Perot was a serious candidate? Yet, Dr. Paul is making history. How? The Internet. Grassroots contributions. Non "professional" organizers. Devoted ordinary people who are know the word SACRIFICE! Oh yeah, the media HAS to now pay him attention. Blows your mind, huh?

    -- Posted by no.more.graft on Fri, Dec 28, 2007, at 2:55 AM

  • You all need to get a life and do a little research. Can you really support a guy that believes that 9-11 is an inside job?? And that's just the icing on top of the cake of all the really stupid things he believes and supports. Just because you can get a lot of people to post silly things like this in local papers and internet poll sites does not make paul a popular candidate. WAKE UP RON PAUL SUPPORTERS!

    -- Posted by remington81 on Wed, Jan 2, 2008, at 3:37 PM
Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: