Why Ron Paul Is Dominating

by James E. Miller

Recently by James E. Miller: The Beatles Would Support Ron Paul

If they want to really change things, the first person to fire is Bernanke, who is a disastrous chairman of the Federal Reserve. The second person to fire is Geithner. 

Everybody – everybody in the media who wants to go after the business community ought to start by going after the politicians who have been at the heart of the sickness which is weakening this country and ought to start with Bernanke, who has still not been exposed for the hundreds of billions of dollars.

And I'm going to say one last thing. I want to repeat this. Bernanke has in secret spent hundreds of billions of dollars bailing out one group and not bailing out another group. I don't see anybody in the news media demanding the kind of transparency at the Fed that you would demand of every other aspect of the federal government. And I think it is corrupt and it is wrong for one man to have that kind of secret power.

~ Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich

This was arguably the most important string of statements uttered thus far in the otherwise pitiful GOP primary debate contest.  And it is because of this glaring admission of reality that it has become plainly obvious that Dr. Ron Paul has come out on top of this race.  Between applause-pleading lines such as "repeal Obamacare" and "you flip flopped on universal health insurance while governor," substantial discussion on the role government should play in our lives has been largely devoid. Despite this lack of worthy debate, nuggets of brilliance such as Gingrich’s verbal assault on the Fed continue to creep into every debate. This is all thanks to the Texas Congressman who was dismissed as a crackpot yet has unilaterally brought policy discussion toward a more libertarian view. And it is because of this Ron Paul is the real front runner in the race to secure the Republican nomination for president.

Just take a look at the latest candidate poll positions from Reuters:

Romney was backed by 23 percent of Republicans in the October poll, up from 20 percent in the most recent comparable Reuters/Ipsos poll carried out in June.

Cain, a businessman who has emerged as a surprise front-runner after proposing a radical tax reform, nearly tripled his support among Republicans in the same period, leaping to 19 percent from 7 percent four months ago.

Texas congressman Ron Paul was third with 13 percent and Texas Governor Rick Perry fourth, with 10 percent.

To further drive home the point, see the latest candidate face time measurements from the last three presidential debates from Talking Points Memo:

Ron Paul has consistently polled third place in most major polls yet has the least amount of speaking and face time compared to other candidates. Romney, the perceived front runner, has oodles of face time and media coverage to make his case. Though Paul is often treated as untouchable by debate moderators, he has maintained a steady position in virtually every national poll.

When it comes to straw poll victories however, Paul has been dominant. Despite his outside-the-conservative-mainstream views on foreign policy and drug legalization, Paul recently won the Values Voters straw poll. He came, in the words of Jack Cafferty, "within an eye lash" of beating Michele Bachmann in the Ames Straw poll. Just a few weeks ago, he came in first at the California Republican straw poll. Meanwhile, flash in the pan candidates such as Herman Cain who manage to win one straw poll become darlings of the mainstream attention despite their pitiful record of recognizing major economic problems. Paul’s straw poll victories are dismissed largely because his passionate base of supporters show up in droves in order to support their candidate. What the media fails to consider is why Mitt Romney and Rick Perry don’t attract such support. After all, straw polls are about showing how popular candidates are, not reflecting whom the mainstream media has already dubbed as the top tier contenders.

While Paul may be marginalized and considered an impossibility in the sphere of being a major player in the race, he continues to poll in the top 3 while driving the topics of discussion in every debate.  Four years ago, who in the world would have predicted Newt Gingrich, the man who rallied an impeachment offense against Bill Clinton while committing adultery on his own wife, would be issuing such a pointed and critical attack on an institution that was hardly mentioned in the confines of conventional policy discussion?  Political pandering or not, Gingrich’s tirade is the direct result of Paul's decades long endeavor to put the Federal Reserve directly in the limelight of mainstream talk.  Chairman Ben Bernanke can't utter one word now without the talking heads of CNBC dissecting its meaning and consequence for hours on end.

Gingrich has even admitted as such judging by this recent tweet:

"there is no question ron paul was the first serious national leader to take on federal reserve history will recognize him"

Bringing scrutiny to an institution that has operated almost a century in the dark is quite an accomplishment. And it's all due to Paul's unwavering drive to move the discussion from not limiting the growth of government but to stop it in its tracks and shift the clutch in reverse.  The GOP presidential primary contest will ultimately come down to Mitt Romney vs. Ron Paul. Romney will get the financial backing of the banksters and K Street crowd.  If he goes on to face President Obama in the general election, America will be choosing between two shades of the same candidate.  It won't be an election but a continuation of the status quo.

Paul has an uphill battle to win the Republican nomination, but as far as making history and changing how millions of people view their government and equally corrupt financial system, he has already won. As David Franke says, "Ron Paul creates polls rather than responds to them."

Not too shabby for a country doctor.

October 14, 2011

James E. Miller [send him mail] holds a BS in public administration with a minor in business from Shippensburg University, PA. He is a former staff columnist to the Shippensburg Slate and current contributor to his hometown newspaper, the Middletown Press and Journal. See his blog.

Copyright © 2011 by LewRockwell.com. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit is given.