Ron Paul says he's unlikely to support McCain unless his views change
Abookamongstthemany
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http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2008/03/10/paul-leaves-open-door-to-third-party-bid-unlikely-to-support-mccain/
Ron Paul speaks about putting principle over party unity, reasons for keeping his campaign going even against the odds, addresses how McCain doesn't represent true conservative values and says the same on the flip side for Obama.
Transcript:
20 minutes to the top of the hour. to politics, republican ron paul is winding down his campaign but on his website he says there is still something to fight for.
:: the victory in the convention conventional political sense is not available in the race, many victories have been achieved due to hard work and enthusiasm. elections are short-term efforts. revolutions are long-term projects.
:: congressman ron paul joins me now from his office in texas. good to see you. let's get to you straighten this out. let's hear it straight from the horse's mouth. is the campaign over or not?
:: no. it's not over. it is certainly winding down. there are a lot less primaries left. super tuesday has passed. mccain has the number.[size=+2] if you're in a campaign for only gaining power, that's one thing. if you're in a campaign to influence ideas and future of the country, the campaign is never over.[/size] this is a tremendous vehicle for us. we have gotten 350,000 people together. i tell you what, they don't want to quit. this is just the beginning. they're very much involved in influencing the party and getting involved and becoming candidates. so the true revolution on the change of the party as well as change of the country is ongoing. we feel very good about it which means i'm still in the race but certainly in manner that is less energetic than it was six months ago.
:: but the bottom line is you are going to continue to contest in the upcoming primaries?
:: sure. i will go. pennsylvania is coming up. north carolina is coming up. we have a lot of supporters there. i feel obligated because there may be 30,000 volunteers in pennsylvania waving signs. i don't feel good about walking away from them. some of them actually believe a lot of good will come from this. a lot more have come of this campaign than i ever dreamed. i didn't think that it would last that long nor we would energize so many nor raise so much money. we're really excited about what's going on.
:: congressman, when people say ron paul is out of the presidential race, that's true, not true, partly true? how would you describe it?
:: i would think in a nominal sense what are the odds of us overcoming delegates of john mccain. so in that way it's over but the campaign to get the maximum number of votes and maximum number of delegates to participate in writing platforms and talking about the future, i think we're very much involved and very much alive.
:: so you're still trying to influence the race and get your issues out there. there are some people that say the best way you can do that is to launch a third party or independent candidacy. what do you say?
:: it's not practical. republicans deserve to have a conservative to vote for. right now the conservative base does not the support john mccain because he's identified more with liberal democrats. why should they be disenfranchised? the odds are slim but they have a right to vote for someone that stands for traditional republican principles. this is something the republicans used to brag about and preach. they deserve a chance to vote for that.
:: mccain is on the campaign trail now saying he's trying to unify the party and reenergize the party. are you suggesting he's not the guy to do that?
:: [size=+2]well, i would suggest that unity might be secondary to principle. what do we believe in? if you can unify a party and reject principles, what is unity worth?[/size] i would say it's a healthy thing to have a discussion and debate. that's what the campaign is all about.
:: will you support john mccain?
:: i'm not likely to support him unless he changes his views. he doesn't represent anything i've talked about for 30 years. nonintervention, foreign policy, free markets. no child left behind. i mean, he doesn't stand for any of those things. how could i reject everything i've talked about for 30 years and say now it's all over. unity is the most important thing. now i endorse john mccain. nobody would understand that. i certainly would have a difficult time adapting to that.
:: the flip side of that coin, you are the only republican calling for a withdraw from iraq. if you're not going to become president and be in a position to affect that, would they be better off voting for the democratic candidate?
:: i don't think so i don't think they're very sincere. if you look at obama's voting record, he's voted not to end the war. he's voted to finance the war. his rhetoric is playing to the people that come my way but he is every bit as much of an -- he wants to send more troops into afghanistan. he wants to broaden the military. i think it's a fraud what he's talking about when he wants to really get out of iraq. i think that's politics.
Ron Paul speaks about putting principle over party unity, reasons for keeping his campaign going even against the odds, addresses how McCain doesn't represent true conservative values and says the same on the flip side for Obama.
Transcript:
20 minutes to the top of the hour. to politics, republican ron paul is winding down his campaign but on his website he says there is still something to fight for.
:: the victory in the convention conventional political sense is not available in the race, many victories have been achieved due to hard work and enthusiasm. elections are short-term efforts. revolutions are long-term projects.
:: congressman ron paul joins me now from his office in texas. good to see you. let's get to you straighten this out. let's hear it straight from the horse's mouth. is the campaign over or not?
:: no. it's not over. it is certainly winding down. there are a lot less primaries left. super tuesday has passed. mccain has the number.[size=+2] if you're in a campaign for only gaining power, that's one thing. if you're in a campaign to influence ideas and future of the country, the campaign is never over.[/size] this is a tremendous vehicle for us. we have gotten 350,000 people together. i tell you what, they don't want to quit. this is just the beginning. they're very much involved in influencing the party and getting involved and becoming candidates. so the true revolution on the change of the party as well as change of the country is ongoing. we feel very good about it which means i'm still in the race but certainly in manner that is less energetic than it was six months ago.
:: but the bottom line is you are going to continue to contest in the upcoming primaries?
:: sure. i will go. pennsylvania is coming up. north carolina is coming up. we have a lot of supporters there. i feel obligated because there may be 30,000 volunteers in pennsylvania waving signs. i don't feel good about walking away from them. some of them actually believe a lot of good will come from this. a lot more have come of this campaign than i ever dreamed. i didn't think that it would last that long nor we would energize so many nor raise so much money. we're really excited about what's going on.
:: congressman, when people say ron paul is out of the presidential race, that's true, not true, partly true? how would you describe it?
:: i would think in a nominal sense what are the odds of us overcoming delegates of john mccain. so in that way it's over but the campaign to get the maximum number of votes and maximum number of delegates to participate in writing platforms and talking about the future, i think we're very much involved and very much alive.
:: so you're still trying to influence the race and get your issues out there. there are some people that say the best way you can do that is to launch a third party or independent candidacy. what do you say?
:: it's not practical. republicans deserve to have a conservative to vote for. right now the conservative base does not the support john mccain because he's identified more with liberal democrats. why should they be disenfranchised? the odds are slim but they have a right to vote for someone that stands for traditional republican principles. this is something the republicans used to brag about and preach. they deserve a chance to vote for that.
:: mccain is on the campaign trail now saying he's trying to unify the party and reenergize the party. are you suggesting he's not the guy to do that?
:: [size=+2]well, i would suggest that unity might be secondary to principle. what do we believe in? if you can unify a party and reject principles, what is unity worth?[/size] i would say it's a healthy thing to have a discussion and debate. that's what the campaign is all about.
:: will you support john mccain?
:: i'm not likely to support him unless he changes his views. he doesn't represent anything i've talked about for 30 years. nonintervention, foreign policy, free markets. no child left behind. i mean, he doesn't stand for any of those things. how could i reject everything i've talked about for 30 years and say now it's all over. unity is the most important thing. now i endorse john mccain. nobody would understand that. i certainly would have a difficult time adapting to that.
:: the flip side of that coin, you are the only republican calling for a withdraw from iraq. if you're not going to become president and be in a position to affect that, would they be better off voting for the democratic candidate?
:: i don't think so i don't think they're very sincere. if you look at obama's voting record, he's voted not to end the war. he's voted to finance the war. his rhetoric is playing to the people that come my way but he is every bit as much of an -- he wants to send more troops into afghanistan. he wants to broaden the military. i think it's a fraud what he's talking about when he wants to really get out of iraq. i think that's politics.
If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
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Comments
Regardless, you have to show respect to someone in the political arena that has been sticking to the same humanitarian and pro constitutional beliefs for the past 30 years and continually upholding those principles in both word and action.
Rare breed.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/79158/
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you