Ron Paul

{{bronze}}[[File:Ron Paul, official Congressional photo portrait, 2007.jpg|165px|thumb|right|Ron Paul can smell gold at ten kilometers.]]{{uspolitics}}{{cquote|He's a batty old crank who wrote [http://italkyoubored.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/the-ron-paul-newsletter-story-that-i-found-the-most-disturbing-blast-em/ instruction manuals on how to get away with shooting the black kid who's stealing your car] ... And then he signed them and charged money for them. So I don't give a shit if he wants to legalize weed.|||Neal Sampat, ''The Newsroom''<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXeJkz-13s8 And of course, the Paulbots downvoted this clip. Haha!]</ref>}}

'''[[Quackery|Dr.]] Ronald Ernest "It's Happening" Paul''' {{lived|1935}} is a former [[Congress]]man from the 14th Congressional District of [[Texas]] and is an honorary lifetime member of the [[Libertarian Party]].<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120108182225/http://www.lp.org/blogs/staff/lp-monday-message-10-ron-paul-questions</ref>

Paul is closely associated with the [[Austrian school]] of economics. Long-time Paul associate and staffer [[Lew Rockwell]] founded the [[Ludwig von Mises Institute]], which runs columns by Paul. This is the reason for all of his goldbuggery and other crank economic ideas. Paul first proposed legislation to return to the [[gold standard (economics)|gold standard]] in the early 80s,<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=s3vkxGyQ-BQC&pg=PP47&lpg=PP47&dq=ron+paul%2Bhenry+reuss%2Bbanking+committee%2Bgold&source=bl&ots=w-V86hdWhr&sig=DxakwQuBN--VJSs2ymUazn5j1bk&hl=en#v=onepage&q=ron%20paul%2Bhenry%20reuss%2Bbanking%20committee%2Bgold&f=false End the Fed!], Ron Paul. ''What am I supposed to do with this paper? It's not even a shiny rock! I love shiny rocks''.</ref> but after {{wpl|Paul Volcker}} proved that [[inflation]] could be killed,<ref>[http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=86019 CPI - Jan 1977 to Dec 1983]</ref> Paul bolted from the party and ran against [[Ronald Reagan]] as the [[Libertarian Party]] candidate for President.

Paul is perhaps best-known for his [[social media]] presence, particularly on anonymous message boards like [[Reddit]]. Truth be told, Reddit was never that big into Ron Paul, he just had a lot of [[Fun:Argumentum ad Google ranking|spammers]]. (At least 150 of his bots were {{wpl|Digg Patriots|banned from Digg|;}} no doubt those same idiots migrated over to Reddit.)<ref>Maxcer, Chris, [https://web.archive.org/web/20071102140457/http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60120.html "Ron Paul Campaign Swept Up in Botnet Spam Scandal"], TechNewsWorld.</ref> Most Americans have, by now, seen the rabid shrieks of "RON PAUL 
2008
 
2012
 
2016
 
2020
 
2024
'''2028[[Law of exclamation|!!1!!!]]'''" at least ''once'' on the Internet. He also did a bunch of speaking tours, mostly targeting universities. Even back then, Ron was [[Scare story|predicting an economic crash]].  

Having ended a bid for the [[Republican Party]]'s nomination in the [[2008 U.S. presidential election]] on 8 March 2008 after obtaining only 15 delegates out of 2,360 (although he did garner 5.7% of the vote in the Republican [[Primary election|primaries]] that year), Ron Paul loitered around the [[fringe]] before throwing his hat into the [[2012 U.S. Presidential Election#The GOP race|2012 Presidential race]]. It got him absolutely nowhere, unless you count winning the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]] ([[Tax haven|I wonder why]]). In early January 2013, Ron Paul announced his retirement from politics.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130131125011/http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/186988681.html Goodbye, you cranky old turd!]</ref> He has a son, [[Rand Paul]], who is ''not'' named after [[Ayn Rand]].<ref>https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2013/08/23/rand-paul-wasnt-named-after-ayn-rand-dad-confirms</ref> Ron Paul suffered a stroke live on air in November 2020.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/25/us/politics/ron-paul-hospital.html</ref>

==Political positions==
{{cquote|''[[Pat Buchanan|Pat [Buchanan]]] is less committed to [[free trade]] than I am, but we share so much in common that this can be worked through.''|||<ref name="newsletters">[https://web.archive.org/web/20120218202628/http://ronpaulsupporters.com/ron-paul-newsletters/ Ron Paul newsletters 1978-92] (Archived by RonPaulSupporters). A consistent pattern of writing for the better part of the late 80s and early 90s (i.e., when the nuttiest stuff was printed in the newsletter) suggests that he at least ''knew'' what was in it.</ref>}}

Ron Paul is frequently described as a [[small government]] conservative<ref>[[Chuck Baldwin|Baldwin, Chuck]] (2007-11-06). "An Appeal To My Fellow Pastors." NewsWithViews.com. Retrieved 2007-11-07.</ref> with some [[libertarian]] ideas, though it is more accurate to call him a [[paleolibertarian]].<ref>Snow, Nancy (2006). ''The Arrogance of American Power: What U.S. Leaders Are Doing Wrong and Why It's Our Duty to Dissent''. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 32.</ref> He is not so much interested in reducing [[government]]al powers as shifting them from the federal government to the [[state]]s (see his support for allowing state governments to ban flag burning, despite being against the federal government doing so).<ref>https://archive.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul99.html</ref>

He is a strict [[originalism|constitutionalist]], though his interpretation of what the [[United States Constitution|US Constitution]] is is somewhat inaccurate, to politely say the least, to the point of abolishing the [[IRS]] and the [[income tax]], slashing most federal spending, reintroducing the gold standard, and abolishing the [[Federal Reserve]]. We don't have to tell you what [[Boom and bust|the consequences of either of those]] are.

For some reason, he seems to not like the idea of ''[[jus soli]]'', the granting of citizenship to those born in America.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080505151105/http://www.ronpaul.com/on-the-issues/border-security/ Straight from the horse's website!]</ref>

So domestically he's shit, but even in matters of foreign policy, Paul has demonstrated that he is not to be trusted; a month after [[9/11]], he proposed H.R. 3076, which would place a $40 billion bounty on top [[Al-Qaeda]] members who were brought to the government dead or alive. Essentially, it would hire a group of private [[mercenary|mercenaries]] to handle the [[Afghanistan War]] their own way.

Despite being vehemently opposed to American wars abroad (taxes!) unless fought by American mercenaries (profit!), Paul was supportive of the [[Russian]] war of aggression against [[Ukraine]] in 2014.<ref name=unfreedom>''The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America'' by Timothy Snyder (2018) Tim Duggan Books. ISBN 0525574468.</ref>{{rp|209}} In defending Russian aggression, Paul approvingly cited Russian [[fascist]] Sergei Glazyev.<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|209}}

Ron also voted against the [[Darfur]] Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007,<ref>[http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2007-764 Record of Congressional votes on the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act]</ref> which would have banned federal contracts with firms doing business with the {{wpl|Janjaweed}} ("Devils on Horseback") militia of [[Sudan]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061002214743/http://www.house.gov/rothman/news_releases/2006/sept26_factsheet.htm Fact Sheet on the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act]</ref> He was the only Congressman to do so.

====Stopped clock====
{{main|Stopped clock}}
Hey, if you're categorically against everything the government does, you'll be right sometimes. He wants to end the [[War on Drugs]], supports [[medical marijuana]], and opposed the U.S. war in [[Iraq War|Iraq]].  Which is more than can be said of [[Rand Paul|his spawn]].

Regarding the TSA act, Paul was the one standing up and saying the unsayable: that [[security theater|taking nude photos of passengers and feeling up their grandmothers]] is not making anyone safer.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwsdq69AHnw&feature=related Ron Paul Responds to TSA: Introduces 'American Traveler Dignity Act], Youtube.</ref> He proposed a simple law which would essentially say that government officials have to go through the same screenings the rest of us do, in an effort to wake them up. He has even spoken in defense of [[WikiLeaks]], a whistleblowing website (since turned Russian propaganda outlet) that has among other disclosures exposed government corruption.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpc_HXx5bjE Ron Paul Defends WikiLeaks], [[The Young Turks]]</ref>

Paul, along with his son's future enemy [[Bernie Sanders]], were the driving forces behind the [[Federal Reserve#Maiden Lane, AIG, and aide to central banks|audit of the Fed]] that revealed its so-called "backdoor bailouts" during the [[banking crisis|financial crisis of 2008]].<ref>Nichols, John, [https://web.archive.org/web/20150711203404/http://www.thenation.com/article/feds-backdoor-bailout-provided-33-trillion-loans-banks-corporations "Fed’s ‘Backdoor Bailout’ Provided $3.3 Trillion in Loans to Banks, Corporations"], ''[[The Nation]]'' 12.2.10.</ref>

==Extremism==

{{cquote|''A [[AIDS|politically-protected disease]] thanks to payola and the influence of [[Homosexual recruitment|the homosexual lobby]]... The largest blood bank in San Francisco succumbed to political pressure and holds blood drives in the gay Castro district; where the people give at three times the usual level. Either they are public spirited, or they are trying to poison the blood supply.|||For a physician, he sure sounds like a dick.<ref>Chait, Jonathan, [http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2011/12/news-bulletin-ron-paul-is-a-huge-racist.html "News Bulletin: Ron Paul Is a Huge Racist"], ''New York Magazine''. 12.15.11.</ref><ref name="newsletters" />}}

===Homosexuality and the Religious Right===

It's whispered that Paul is in league with the [[Dominionist]] and [[Christian]] Reconstructionist movements.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071222084942/http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2007/10/is_ron_paul_a_dominionist.php Is Ron Paul a Dominionist?], ScienceBlogs</ref>  Paul introduced the [[We the People Act]] into the [[House of Representatives]] twice.  This bill would strip federal courts of jurisdiction in cases involving [[abortion]], [[same-sex marriage]], [[privacy]] related to sexual behavior, and [[Establishment Clause]] issues, leaving them to the states... which is ''exactly'' what the [[Religious Right]] wants to do. He has engaged in outright dishonesty in support of this agenda, for instance claiming that [[prayer]] has been prohibited in schools.

How does Ron Paul reconcile dominionism with libertarianism?<ref>Charles, Deborah, [http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/12/us-usa-campaign-paul-idUSTRE80B25J20120112 "Libertarian Ron Paul is dilemma for Republicans"] Reuters (1/12/12 6:45pm EST).</ref> It seems he wants the church to be strong and the state to be weak:

{{quotebox|[[The United States as a Christian nation|The Founding Fathers envisioned a robustly Christian... America]], with churches serving as vital institutions that would eclipse the state in importance.}}

Astute readers might recognize the first part of that statement as an ''outright [[lie]]''.

Ron Paul's radical views on "[[states' rights]]" also extends into [[homosexuality]].  Ron Paul believes that these rights include the ability to regulate sex, specifically arresting homosexual individuals for [[Sodomy|having sex]].  This is another case where he abandons the right to privacy for a group he doesn't like:

{{quotebox|Ridiculous as sodomy laws may be, there clearly is [[Ninth Amendment|no right to privacy nor sodomy found anywhere]] in the Constitution. There are, however, states' rights — rights plainly affirmed in the Ninth and Tenth amendments. Under those amendments, the State of Texas has the right to decide for itself how to regulate social matters like sex, using its own local standards.<ref>[http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul120.html "Federal Courts and the Imaginary Constitution"], Lew Rockwell</ref>}}

While he wants to abolish the [[death penalty]] at the federal level, apparently it doesn't matter when supporting pastor Phillip Kayser advocates the death penalty for gays.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111230065906/http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/12/29/395688/paul-campaign-touts-endorsement-of-preacher-who-advocates-death-penalty-for-gays/ Paul Campaign Touts Endorsement of Preacher who Advocates Gay Death Penalty], ThinkProgress</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111231100044/http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/ron-paul-hired-anti-gay-activist-to-run-iowa-campaign.php#Scene_1 Ron Paul Hired Anti-Gay Activist to Run Iowa Campaign], Talking Points Memo</ref>

Paul said that, as President, he would veto legislation banning discrimination by employers on the basis of sexual orientation.<ref>https://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Ron_Paul_Jobs.htm</ref> He also voted in favor of legislation that would ban same-sex couples from adopting children in the District of Columbia.<ref>https://www.ontheissues.org/HouseVote/Party_1999-346.htm</ref> During his 2012 Presidential Campaign, he said he supported the Defense of Marriage Act in response to the Obama Administration saying they no longer planned to uphold the bill.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120201195219/http://theiowarepublican.com/2011/ron-paul-condemns-obama%e2%80%99s-decision-to-abandon-doma/</ref>

In short, cross-examining both Paul's explicit positions and proposed legislations, his program would result in the strengthening of a [[theocratic]] agenda, not by passing laws in Congress (downright impossible due to [[secular]] opposition), but by preventing the federal government from stopping establishment of religion or anti-gay legislation at the local level.

His associates have included such Dominionist kooks as [[Gary North]] (a former Paul researcher back in the 70's). North was appointed Director of Curriculum Development for Paul's new [[homeschooling]] program.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130411064217/http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2013/04/08/the-theocratic-ron-paul-curriculum The Theocratic Ron Paul Curriculum], Freethought Blogs</ref>

===Libert''aryan''===

{{#ev:youtube|Bz3PZSLjhmA}}

{{cquote|''He holds some positions that free-market people agree with (taxes, quotas, foreign aid, etc) but he is also an adherent of the violent philosophy of the [[KKK]]. So he was a perfect target for liberals.''|||On [[David Duke]]<ref name="newsletters" />}}[[File:Ron_Paul,_Don_Black,_Derek_Black.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Ron Paul, Don Black, and son Derek Black in New River, [[Florida]].]]

Paul is a figurehead for the majority of [[tax protester]] and [[neo-Nazi]] (such as [[Stormfront]]) groups in the US.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071007172402/http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php/ron-paul-revolution-388512.html Ron Paul Revolution on Stormfront] ('''[[NSFL]]''')</ref> Stormfront.org administrator and noted [[white nationalist]] [[Don Black]] donated $500 to Paul's campaign.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081120235134/http://disclosure.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/dcdev/forms/C00432914/307525/sa/17A/10 Source: Federal Election Commission database]</ref> Paul's campaign has expressed dismay over these associations, although critics hold that he has not adequately distanced himself from them.<ref>Edsall, Thomas B., [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/10/15/to-his-dismay-ron-paul-b_n_68575.html "To His Dismay, Ron Paul Becoming Magnet For White Supremacists"], [[HuffPo]] (05/25/2011 12:15 pm ET).</ref> Edward and Elaine Brown, a married couple identified as [[sovereign citizen]]s by the [[FBI]], were arrested in 2007 for refusing to pay taxes. Ron Paul, in an interview with [[Fox News]], applauded the couple's efforts to defy the [[Sixteenth Amendment]] (which Paul holds was [[Bullshit|illegally passed]] and seeks to totally abolish). He went further comparing them to [[Gandhi]] & [[Martin Luther King]].<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2rVCI9-tSI "Ron Paul on Cavuto About The Ed Brown Case"], Youtube.</ref>

In February 2012, during his last attempt to gain the nomination for presidency, Ron Paul appeared as a keynote speaker at a four-day conference in Irvine, [[California]] held by Freedom Law School; it specializes in encouraging the use of [[pseudolaw]] to "lawfully" disengage from obeying government and to resist it. The group has held events attracting libertarians, tax protesters and sovereign citizens. [[Ironic]]ally the announcement he would be a speaker came shortly before the FBI posted their official warning on the sovereign citizen movement of which some members did appear at the event.<ref>[http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/ron-paul-set-speak-sovereign-citizen Ron Paul Set to Speak to 'Sovereign Citizens' — Just As FBI Issues Warning About Them], Crooks and Liars</ref>

Ron Paul uses his notability to endorse candidates for office on the local level. One of the candidates he initially endorsed, Bill Johnson, turned out to be a [[white supremacist]]<ref>[http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2008/05/ron-paul-statem.html ''LA Times'' editorial] (5/7/08 6:48 pm).</ref> who had written a proposed constitutional amendment that would have [[Eugenics|deported people based on racial criteria]].<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-johnson5-2008may05,0,5776432.story "Stealth election"], ''LA Times'' 5.5.08.</ref> He endorsed the [[fundamentalist]] loon [[Chuck Baldwin]] of the [[Constitution Party]] in 2008<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080924081211/http://www.ronpaul.com/2008-09-23/ron-paul-endorses-chuck-baldwin-for-president/ Ron Paul Endorses Chuck Baldwin for President], ronpaul.com</ref> and in turn was endorsed by noted [[crank]] [[Arthur Robinson]].<ref>[http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?65674-Official-endorsements-for-Ron-Paul Official Endorsements for Ron Paul], Ron Paul Forums</ref><ref>[http://www.artforcongress.com/about-art-robinson/endorsements Art Robinson endorsements]</ref> He was also supported by neo-[[fascist]] [[Willis Carto]].<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/26/us/politics/ron-paul-disowns-extremists-views-but-doesnt-disavow-the-support.html?_r=0 Paul Disowns Extremists’ Views but Doesn’t Disavow the Support], ''The New York Times''</ref> In the 2014 North Carolina Senate race Paul endorsed Greg Brannon,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140103055559/http://www.dailypaul.com/309031/ron-paul-endorses-greg-brannon Ron Paul Endorses Dr. Greg Brannon For U.S Senate In North Carolina!]</ref> an associate of [[League of the South]].<ref>[http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/12/rand-paul-endorse-greg-brannon-secessionist-rally Rand Paul-Backed GOP Senate Candidate Held Rally With Secessionist Group]</ref>

===Economics===

{{cquote|''You see, Mr. Powers, I love goooooold!  The look of it!  The taste of it!  The schmell of it!  The texture!  I love gold so much that I even lost my genitalia in an unfortunate schmelting accident.''|||
Goldmember
 Ron Paul<ref>KernelGaddafi (October 5, 2011). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM1OwEK1dec "Ron Paul on the Economy"]. ''YouTube''.</ref>}}

When Ron Paul was on the ''[[Stephen Colbert|Colbert Report]]'', he insisted that gold was a superior currency because if you lost $1 million worth of gold at sea, then it would be a lot harder to replace. (Which is weirdly applicable to [[Bitcoin]]: they're arbitrarily assigning value to things that are extremely difficult to produce, then using word-of-mouth to track ownership. In other words, gold is a blockchain made of physical blocks). Ron Paul should consider the Yap and the Island of stone money.<ref>Goldstein, Jacob, [http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2011/02/15/131934618/the-island-of-stone-money "The Island Of Stone Money"], [[NPR]] 12.10.10 (updated 2.15.11). ''"So somebody today owns this piece of stone money, even though nobody's seen it for over 100 years or more."''</ref>

He doesn't just want to audit and end the Fed, but also to audit [[Fort Knox]]'s gold reserves, ''juuuust in case'' [[conspiracy theory|someone replaced them with metal bars that are merely painted gold.]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130306042448/http://www.cnbc.com/id/43391588/Is_Gold_in_Fort_Knox_Real_Ron_Paul_Wants_to_Know Is Gold in Fort Knox Real? Ron Paul Wants to Know], CNBC</ref><!--<ref>Creation of the Federal Reserve Board is a classic example of how compromise works in democratic society. While the capital backing the bank charter is privately owned, the management of the Banks and Board of Governors require Presidential appointment and Senate approval. Thus a government take-over of banking was avoided, as well as unregulated capitalism and control by the rich. While compromise is not always the perfect solution, it certainly has proven more palatable than total dominance by private capitalists or government.</ref>--> In August 2012, the U.S Treasury, at the behest of a [[German]] court, began doing just that.<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/02/business/la-fi-gold-bars-20120803 What's in your vault? Uncle Sam audits its stash of gold at the New York Fed], By Andrew Tangel, ''Los Angeles Times'', August 02, 2012.</ref>  Don't expect anything big.

===Science===

{{cquote|''Government officials shot to death a man who was determined to [[Home schooling|provide education in his home]] and not send his children to public school.''|||<ref name="newsletters" />}}
Dr. Paul neither knows nor cares about [[science]]. He believes that a lack of understanding of basic science shouldn't matter in choosing a 
doctor
 president. Although an MD, he has said [[evolution]] is "[[Scientific theory#"Just" a theory|just a theory]]" and that he does not accept it.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JyvkjSKMLw "Ron Paul: I Don't Believe in Evolution"], Youtube</ref> The thing that is even stranger is, as a doctor, he should be familiar with the antibiotic resistance of bacteria as antibiotic resistance results from natural selection.<ref>https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/antibiotic_resistance.htm</ref>  He's also a [[climate change denier]].<ref>http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/global-warming-is-a-hoax-heres-why</ref><ref>https://twitter.com/ronpaul/status/864479476494807041?lang=en</ref>

Paul has taken umbrage with [[NASA]]: an organization invaluable in helping America get to the [[Moon]], expand humanity's knowledge of space and innovating new technologies. During the 1988 presidential race, Paul criticized the government's direct involvement. Apparently, due to the government having ''any'' control over it, Paul went into anti-federalist mode [[PIDOOMA|claiming]] the agency was "dead" and not producing good results. His bold solution: NASA should be [[privatization|privatized]] completely and left to 
unaccountable businessmen to run
 the [[free market]] to handle.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19970803025256/http://www.islandone.org/Politics/LP.space-dom.html SPACE - DOMESTIC POLICY], Ron Paul Presidential Campaign Position Paper (1988)</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19970803025305/http://www.islandone.org/Politics/LP.space-int.html SPACE - INTERNATIONAL POLICY], Ron Paul Presidential Campaign Position Paper (1988)</ref> He has consistently held this view recently, relating it again during the 2012 GOP nomination period.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PivwvTv28PA "Ron Paul on NASA CNN Florida Republican Debate 1/26/12"], Youtube.</ref>

===Health "freedom"===

{{cquote|Already, Paul introduced a bill (The Health Freedom Protection Act) that would strongly and positively affect Mercola.com and many other natural health organizations and advocates, along with the field of natural health in general.|||Dr. [[Joseph Mercola]]<ref name="orac">[[Orac]], [http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2007/12/28/ron-paul-quackery-enabler/ "Ron Paul: Quackery enabler"], ScienceBlogs 12.28.07.</ref>}} 
{{cquote|Only Ron Paul believes in genuine [[health freedom]]. He's the creator of the Health Freedom Protection Act, a bill that would reestablish Free Speech provisions for makers of superfoods, herbs, nutritional supplements and other natural remedies.|||[[Mike Adams]] of [[NaturalNews]]<ref name="orac" />}} 

In other words, Paul, who is an [[Credentials|actual MD]], supports freeing the [[due diligence|chains that bind]] the sellers of [[quack]] remedies and unproven nostrums from [[Deceit|lying to their potential customers]].  And you ''wonder'' why ''[[laissez-faire]]'' has so many critics.

In a 2012 primary debate, Paul tacitly endorsed the notion that the federal government should "let him die" when it comes to someone without health insurance, refusing to counter jeers from the crowd.

===Teabagger===

{{cquote|''…even in my little town of Lake Jackson, Texas, I’ve urged everyone in my family to know how to use a gun in self defense. For the animals are coming.''|||
Ned Stark
 Paul<ref name="newsletters" />}}

Ron Paul was the first to start using the "[[Tea Party]]" iconography back in 2007 during their "moneybomb" days. In a massively ironic move, the Teabaggers ran multiple candidates against him in the 2010 midterms.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090420072647/http://www.ronpaul.com/images/ron-paul-tea-party-2007.jpg A Ron Paul Tea Party poster] and [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/18/tea-party-movement-betrays-ron-paul-gop-challengers/ Tea Party Betrays Ron Paul], Fox News</ref> In the 2016 race, Rand Paul tried to bridge the gap by commandeering the "Tea Party Express", but within months the party leadership was conclusively sick of his shit and switched their allegiance to [[Ted Cruz]].<ref>Farrell, Keith, [http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/republican-liberty-caucus-leader-switches-support-from-paul-to-cruz/ "Republican Liberty Caucus Leader Switches Support From Paul to Cruz"], The Libertarian Republic 1.4.16.</ref>

==The Ron Paul (''insert descriptor here'') Report==

{{cquote|''At least 39 white woman have been stuck with used hypodermic needles — perhaps infected with AIDS — by [[Lesbian gang epidemic|gangs of black girls]] between the ages of 12 and 14.''|||<ref name="newsletters" />}}

Soon after his election to Congress in 1978, Ron Paul & Associates began sending out fundraising letters, some of them warning of a "coming race war."  Originally entitled the "Ron Paul Freedom Report", then the "Ron Paul Political Report",<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/10/paul.newsletters/index.html CNN story relating to "his" Political Report]</ref> and finally the "Ron Paul [[Survivalism|Survival]] Report", it was full of [[homophobia]], [[racism]], [[sexism]], and [[paranoia]].  The Ron Paul Report was roughly equivalent to the [[John Birch Society]] or ''[[Lyndon LaRouche|Executive Intelligence Review]]'' in its kookishness. Paul has stated that his views are in very close alignment with those of Birchers.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/magazine/22Paul-t.html The Antiwar, Anti-Abortion, Anti-Drug-Enforcement-Administration, Anti-Medicare Candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul] by Christopher Caldwell (July 22, 2007) ''The New York Times''. "I have a lot of friends in the John Birch Society. They’re generally well educated, and they understand the Constitution. I don’t know how many positions they would have that I don’t agree with. Because they’re real strict constitutionalists, they don’t like the war, they’re hard-money people…"</ref> TRPR particularly seemed to hate Barbara Jordan, [[Martin Luther King]], and [[Nelson Mandela]]. There was a level of implausible deniability that Paul did not know was actually in his own rewport, but his Twitter account tweeted a racist and [[antisemitic]] cartoon that featured "[[Le Happy Merchant]]" and [[Cultural Marxism]].<ref>[https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/ron-paul-tweets-anti-semitic-cartoon-claims-it-wasn-t-him-1.6241342 Ron Paul Tweets Extremely Racist and anti-Semitic Cartoon - Later Claims It Wasn't Him: The racist cartoon was created by doctoring an anti-imperialism, pro-communism cartoon by superimposing the racist and anti-Semitic images] (Jul 03, 2018 1:24 PM) ''Haaretz''.</ref><ref>[https://archive.md/YriZO Antisemitic ‘Cultural Marxist’ tropes have infected mainstream conservatism thanks to boomers using the internet.] by Ruairi Wood (April 14, 2019) ''Amity Underground'' (archived from 14 Apr 2019 17:05:14 UTC).</ref>

Most of the articles did not have a byline, but they all bore Ron Paul's signature.  He made some nice money from them (a cool $1 million). And he never once raised the issue or denied them while they were published. Once Paul started gaining traction in presidential elections, the newsletters and fundraising letters resurfaced. He claims that he didn't write them (which is, itself, problematic, as he was happy to put his name on it), only read them "on occasion", and "disavows" them. Needless to say, no one else has claimed ownership. The [[Washington Post]] Fact Checker gave him 3 PINOCCHIOs for "It’s hard to believe that a man who wants to oversee the entire U.S. government — albeit a smaller version — would provide zero oversight of his publications, or even bother to read them from time to time."<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/ron-paul-and-the-racist-newsletters-fact-checker-biography/2011/12/21/gIQAKNiwBP_blog.html]</ref>

Movement libertarians tend to finger [[Murray Rothbard]] and/or [[Lew Rockwell]] as the ghostwriter. Rockwell, predictably, denies authorship but he has defended several of the statements as both being written by himself and being [[Racialism|"statistical" instead of racist]].<ref>Camia, Catalina, [https://web.archive.org/web/20090106191504/http://www.criticalreactor.com/ronpaul/newsletters/1996_Dallas_Morning_News.html "Candidate's comments on blacks questioned"], ''Dallas Morning News'' 5.22.96.</ref><ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/President/2011/1229/Racist-newsletter-timeline-What-Ron-Paul-has-said 'Racist Newsletter' Timeline: What Ron Paul Has Said], ''Christian Science Monitor''</ref> R&R were both angling for positions in the Paul Administration if he somehow got elected, which could explain the ''omerta''.<ref>Julian Sanchez & David Weigel, [https://reason.com/archives/2008/01/16/who-wrote-ron-pauls-newsletter "Who Wrote Ron Paul's Newsletters?"] ''Reason'' 1.16.08.</ref><ref>Dougherty, Michael Brenden, [http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/12/the-story-behind-ron-pauls-racist-newsletters/250338/ "Here's the Real Story Behind the Ron Paul Newsletters"], ''The Atlantic'' 12.20.11.</ref>

Ron Paul has made noises which suggest that he has backpedaled from the racism he embraced previously, but still sounds a bit like [[Ayn Rand]]:
{{quotebox|Racism is simply an ugly form of collectivism, the mindset that views humans strictly as members of groups rather than individuals. The true antidote to racism is liberty. Liberty, a limited, constitutional government devoted to the protection of individual rights rather than group claims.<ref>Paul, [https://www.lewrockwell.com/2007/04/ron-paul/the-answer-to-racism/ "The Answer to Racism"], Lew Rockwell 4.18.07.</ref>}}
 
Reconciling this with his views on homosexuality is left as an exercise for the reader.

All of this, and considering he's an opponent of the [[Civil Rights Act]], leaves us with a couple of explanations as to why Ron Paul seems to be a magnet for nuts:
#He's pandering to the gun-toting, anti-tax racists of the rural South, like his guru von Mises
#
He's [[Willful ignorance|horribly ignorant]] of who he has ties to;
 or
#He's a gigantic [[bigot]] and just doesn't want to admit it.

===Operation Blitzkrieg===

{{cquote|''In January 1990, I predicted major race riots before this decade ends. I may have to move up my timetable!''|||Libertarian minority outreach continues apace.<ref name="newsletters" />}}

Turns out #2 can be crossed off the list: data leaked by a 2012 [[anonymous]] hacking campaign against [[Neo-Nazism]] links Ron Paul at the hip with [[Third positionism|American Third Position]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120205004316/http://www.vice.com/read/yeah-ron-paul-is-racist-after-all-sorry Yeah, Ron Paul is racist after all, sorry.]</ref> So that means Ron Paul, at worst, is a full blown racist, and at best was complicit in an attempt to bring about a race war.

===Checkmate, statists===

{{Main|Friend argument}}

{{cquote|''Opinion polls consistently show that only about 5% of blacks have sensible political opinions.''|||<ref name="newsletters" />}}

Nelson Linder, former president of the Austin 
Powers
 division of the [[NAACP]], has known Ron Paul for over twenty years and vehemently denies that he is a racist, and in fact admires his work in defense of blacks in the criminal justice system.<ref>Alba, Dan, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110927185843/http://www.nolanchart.com/article1134-NAACP-President-Ron-Paul-Is-Not-A-Racist.html "‘NAACP President: Ron Paul Is Not A Racist’"], Nolan Chart 1.13.08.</ref> Naturally, the existence of a single [[African-American]] who thinks Ron Paul isn't a racist [[Friend argument|proves]] that he indeed isn't.

==Electoral "success"==

{{cquote|''Indeed, there’s sex at [[Bohemian Grove|the Grove]]: female prostitutes outside the camp (and inside, in the past years, we’re told) and... “frequent invitations from gay Bohemians."''|||<ref name="newsletters" />}}[[File:Wtf-pics-tread-on-chewie.jpg|thumb|300px|Ron Paul enjoyed significant support from rogue elements of the [[Fun:Star Wars|Rebel Alliance]] during his 2008 Presidential campaign.]]

Ron Paul ran for [[President of the United States|President]] on the Libertarian ticket in 1988, and obtained about 0.5% of the popular vote.  His running mate Andre Marrou ran again in [[1992 U.S. Presidential Election|1992]] and obtained 0.28% of the popular vote.  After this poor showing, Ron Paul went back to the GOP with his tail between his legs.

Ron Paul attempted to run for the Presidency a third time in 2012, and gained more media attention than the first two times. Unfortunately for Paulbots, he only won two caucuses ([[Minnesota]] and [[Maine]]), though his supporters insisted he was second in delegate count. While it became [[statistic]]ally impossible for him to grasp the nomination, his supporters hoped to win a plurality of delegates in at least 5 states to allow him to carry his campaign all the way to the Republican convention. Cue the Paulbots singing hosannas: "Ron is spreading the message!" and "He has [[Silent Majority|stealth delegates!]]" and he will <big>"win the nomination [[Delusion|with a floor speech at the RNC!]]"</big><ref>See: the [https://web.archive.org/web/20151226101946/http://archive.dailypaul.com/238259 wishful thinking] of his 2012 campaign supporters. Ah, politics, where you can claim your losses are really victories.</ref>

While his domestic policy views were hard to stomach (which is why Rand Paul ran toward the middle in 2015; in doing so, he became just another turd in the GOP punchbowl), it was amusing to see other Republican candidates getting owned on some matters of foreign policy in the debates. Supporters were able to garner a majority of the delegates in 6 states by the time of the convention, so the RNC changed the minimum requirement to 8 states, finally ending his long-shot campaign. After Ron got turned away at the velvet rope,<ref>Mehta, Seema, [http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/28/news/la-pn-ron-paul-supporters-walk-out-of-gop-convention-20120828 "Ron Paul supporters walk out of GOP convention"], ''LA Times'' 9.28.12.</ref> his supporters were so outraged, only 
80% went out and voted for [[Mitt Romney|Romney]]
<ref>Goodman, Joseph, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160726125019/http://www.prri.org/spotlight/libertariangotw/ "Libertarians By the Numbers: A Demographic, Religious and Political Profile"], Public Relations Research Institute.Note: Basically they proved that [[Vulgar libertarianism|they're just Republicans]], always have been and always will be. Just watch that same 80% vote for [[Donald Trump|Trump]]; maybe more if he promises to kick brown people out.</ref>

When it became evident his bid was hopeless and Mittens' nomination was inevitable, a number of Paulbots amazingly discovered the true Master Plan behind Paul's campaign: to garner enough sympathy and support for Paul's son, Senator Rand Paul, to be chosen as Romney's running mate.  Strangely, that pipe dream also turned out to be nothing but a dream.

Ron's decision to not run for re-election in 2012 may have been politically motivated as well: he probably cannot get re-elected there anymore, not for his raving hypocrisy, [[Gerrymander|but because his district has changed]]:

{{quotebox|... this year, the Texas Legislature redrew the district to include a swath of Democratic-leaning Jefferson County and larger parts of Galveston County. Paul's turf, once predominately rural, now must draw more conservative votes from the metastasizing Houston suburbs around League City... many voters in those places look to the government to provide quality roads, public schools, and law enforcement.<ref name="porkmeister">Harkinson, Josh, [http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/07/ron-paul-texas-federal-spending-pork "Ron Paul: DC Miser, Galveston Porkmeister"], ''Mother Jones'' (7/22/11 6:00 AM EDT).</ref>}}

He never polled above 2% nationally;<ref>Schneider, Bill, [http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/06/25/poll.bloomberg.schneider/index.html?ronpaul "Poll: Bloomberg could have Perot-like effect on 2008 race"], CNN (6/26/07 8:05 a.m. EDT). Just 25 more years and he might get to 5%!</ref> that's the funniest part. The Pauls have never done well outside their safe areas: Kentucky will vote for anybody with an (R) next to their name, and Paul retired as soon as [[Texas]] redrew his territory of suburban/rural Houston/Galveston. (Now ''that's'' what we call a marketplace of ideas!) He knew he'd be forced to actually run a real campaign to impress more urban voters in Houston who hadn't benefited from his years of pork barrel spending.<ref name="porkmeister" />

''Technically'' he got an electoral vote in 2016.

Ron Paul will be remembered as a failed U.S. representative and presidential candidate who sold less than 500 books. To be fair, he did make a decent chunk of change from his campaigning and convincing gullible bastards that gold was the way to go, conveniently leaving out that it was best for his wallet. Plus the legion of Redditors who will cry "[[Persecution complex|media blackout!]]" and defend his honor to this day.

==Everybody laugh at him==

===Welfare queen FOUND!===

{{cquote|''Tax dollars are the foundation of the [[New World Order]], the international equivalent of the domestic welfare state.|||<ref name="newsletters" />}}

Now, there is general irony about the fact that a person who is anti-government is [[Reaganism|working for the government at all]], but with Paul it gets a little... deeper. From 1999 to 2009, the spending in Paul's district has quadrupled.<ref>Harkinson, Josh, [http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/07/ron-paul-texas-federal-spending-pork "Ron Paul: DC Miser, Galveston Porkmeister"], Mother Jones 7/22/11 5:00 AM EDT).</ref> And it isn't like ''other'' Congressmen are doing this to him against his will, he's doing this. He has this thing about taking wildly popular bills that are going to pass regardless of what happens, and sticking in an [[earmark]], funneling money to beneficiaries in his district. Then, he votes against it knowing it doesn't matter. (Additionally, in 2010 the GOP decided that they voluntarily not use any earmarks. The reasons for that are another matter entirely, but Paul was one of four of the nearly 200 GOP Congressmen who ''did not'' do that.)

The projects he's got out of it?  He claims to be against public transportation, but got the Congress to spend $750,000 on a public transit center in his district. He's against [[FEMA|federal emergency management]], but got the Feds in 2008 to build houses for those in his district displaced by [[Hurricane]] Ike (completed in 2011). And remember the time he bitched that House Speaker Tip O'Neil would drive around Washington in a government Lincoln Towncar? He currently drives a Lincoln Towncar.

Basically, Ron Paul is the same as every [[asshole]] in every other district.

===Campaign finance violations===

{{cquote|''In polo clubs and bank boardrooms, those who want to keep big business in bed with big government have set their goal for 1984 – “get Ron Paul out of Washington."''|||<ref name="newsletters" />}}

Jesse Benton, Ron Paul's former campaign manager, and two others associated with the 2012 Ron Paul campaign were indicted in 2015 on campaign finance charges.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/06/us/politics/rand-paul-associate-jesse-benton-indicted-on-2012-campaign-finance-charges.html Rand Paul Aide Indicted on Charges of Hiding Payments] ''The New York Times''</ref> This poses a challenge to Mr. Paul's claim to play by a different set of rules and not give into politics-as-usual. As with so much else with Ron and Rand, this one runs in the family. The same Jesse Benton is now running a super PAC supporting Rand Paul.

===The sad tale of RonPaul.com===
[[File:Ron_Paul_it's_not_happening.png|thumb]]
{{cquote|''As a special thank you, if you subscribe before the Presidential Convention on September 5, you may have my newsletter for an unprecedented 50% off ($49.50)!''|||<ref name=" newsletters" />}}

Following his failure to get the GOP nomination, and subsequent retirement from Congress in January 2013, Paul wanted to get a website off the ground. In March 2013 he tried to buy RonPaul.com: a site run since 2008 by his supporters. Paul had once owned the site but lost it in August 2012 after failing to pay renewal fees. The site's current owners soon after acquired the rights to own the site.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130211185407/http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/02/ron-paul-feuding-his-fans/61970/ The Atlantic Wire - Ron Paul is Feuding with His Fans]</ref>

In response to his request to buy the site, the owners very nicely offered to give Paul RonPaul.org, another domain name they own, '''absolutely free'''. As for RonPaul.com, they offered to give him that for 250,000 USD. Instead, he refused both offers and went to the World Intellectual Property Organization (a [[United Nations]] agency) to lodge an intellectual property complaint in an attempt to control both without paying a dime.<ref>Fitzpatrick, Alex, [http://mashable.com/2013/05/24/ron-paul/ "Ron Paul Isn't Getting RonPaul.com"], Mashable 5.24.13.</ref> 

That's right, Ron Paul '''[[Hypocrisy|went to the United Nations]]''': a global organization that he has constantly said America should renounce and leave.<ref>[http://archive.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul82.html Is It Time to Renounce the United Nations?], at LewRockwell.com</ref> Paul isn't so hateful of it after all or he wouldn't use it to get involved in a matter that he apparently has no faith in the free market to handle.

The WIPO dismissed the complaint. In a hilarious twist, they also found Paul guilty of "{{wpl|reverse domain name hijacking||"}} for ignoring the very reasonable offers the site owners gave him. Furthermore, Paul's attempts to lie about the site being used to benefit from his name and likeness were shot down. It was apparent the domain owners were obviously using the site to help spread news and information about Paul as opposed to exploiting him for personal gain as he claimed.

Following this damaging [[legal]] haymaker, Paul abandoned the attempt to seize the site and instead launched a website with a different domain name: something he should have considered doing in the first place.<ref>[http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2013/05/28/ron-paul-launching-new-website-after-united-nations-dismisses-his-domain Ron Paul Launching New Website After United Nations Dismisses His Domain], US News</ref> Despite destroying practically all his credibility in  claiming to support a free market, Ron still uses his site as a soapbox to preach about the wonders of a free market based on compromise, volunteerism, and non-aggression.

As to be expected, many of his supporters still attempt to justify his underhanded behavior.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAwgSWzQFwQ Here's an example of such drone like support]</ref> Sadly, no amount of deflection or justification can disprove that this incident shows Paul lacks any principles and consistency where his ideal free market is concerned. This indisputably makes him no less respectable or honorable than many other American politicians in office who he accuses of using the same tactics he did to get what they want.

In a textbook case of [[denial]], the owners of RonPaul.com still refuse to accept Paul could treat them like crap.<ref>[https://archive.ph/aga40 RonPaul.com - WIPO Decides: RonPaul.com to Remain with Grassroots Supporters]. Archived from ronpaul.com, 23 May 2013.</ref>

==Keeper of the Lame==
{{cquote|''... every piece of anti-discrimination legislation passed over the past few decades ignores one of the basic, inalienable rights of man — the right to discriminate.''|||Rand Paul<ref>Millhiser, Ian, [https://web.archive.org/web/20150407145036/http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/04/07/3643434/rand-paul-worst-president-civil-rights-since-reconstruction/ "Rand Paul Would Be The Worst President On Civil Rights Since Reconstruction"], Think Progress (4/7/15 10:25 am).</ref>}}

His son, [[Rand Paul|Rand]], is a Junior [[US Senate|Senator]] and failed Presidential candidate from [[Kentucky]]. He, too, is a firm advocate for state's rights, shrinking the federal government's power, ending the War on Drugs—and is such a [[Prostitute|cheap trick]] that he betrayed each of those issues with one signature<ref>Eric W. Dolan, [http://www.rawstory.com/2014/03/rand-paul-backs-bill-that-could-lead-to-crack-down-on-states-where-voters-legalized-weed/ "Rand Paul backs bill that could lead to crack down on states where voters legalized weed"], Raw Story.</ref> (because opioids, or something).<ref>Ingraham, Christopher, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/05/senators-one-sided-marijuana-hearing-is-heavy-on-anecdote-light-on-data/ "Senators held a hearing to remind you that ‘good people don’t smoke marijuana’ (yes, really)"], WaPo 4.5.16.</ref> He does a little dance to prove he is worthy of getting past the gatekeepers, he's an insider. He's whatever you want him to be.

Not a patch on his old man:<ref>[http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?489495-Rand-got-less-than-half-the-votes-than-Ron-got Twisted Undies At RonPaulForums]</ref>  Ron was ''the'' anti-establishment Republican candidate in 2008 and 2012. In 2016 we had [[Ted Cruz|Cruz]], [[Donald Trump|Trump]], and [[Ben Carson|Carson]]. Plus you had Sanders sucking up a lot of the youth vote that Ron relied upon. 

In 2014, Ron Paul endorsed a variety of conspiracy theories: [[9-11 conspiracy theories|9/11 Truther]], [[John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theory|JFK Assassination conspiracy]] and [[Martin Luther King]] conspiracy theories. He made these endorsements despite it being "politically very risky to talk about it" <i>vis-a-vis</i> Rand Paul's chances of being elected President.<ref>Nuzzi, Olivia, [http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/31/ron-paul-dons-9-11-truther-tin-foil.html "Ron Paul Dons 9/11 Truther Tin Foil"], Daily Beast (08.31.14 2:45 AM ET).</ref> Was Ron Paul trying to sabotage Rand Paul's chances or is he just trying to consolidate the [[wingnut]] base? It's anyone's guess.

==Athletics==

Ron Paul is also the only person to ever hit a home run out of the park in the Congressional [[Fun:Baseball|Baseball]] game.<ref>[http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/ron-paul-congressional-baseball-legend Ron Paul, Congressional Baseball Legend]</ref>

==Paulbots==

"'''Paulbot'''," a [[portmanteau]] of "Ron Paul" and "robot", is an affectionate for drone-like supporters of the former Congressman (also known as "Paulbots," "Paulites," "Paultards," "Ronulans," or "Ronpauloompas"). They usually scan online platforms for mentions of Ron Paul and then descend on those discussions with hostile invective and over-the-top praise for him, accompanied by various rude behaviors, including shouting down disagreement and accusing anyone who disagrees with them of being a statist or [[Godwin's Law|fascist]]. Despite being real people (with real cognitive issues) they have been called 'bots' because their comments often have the [[non sequitur]]-like quality of [[computer]]-generated spam. Many Paulbots are often conspiracy theorist cranks as well, and believe that Paul was the only "hope" America had of not going down the path of the New World Order, but since the American [[sheeple]] were too distracted by Obama and his [[bread and circuses]] to consider reading up on and hence voting for the almighty Paul, the NWO will now be inevitable.

==See also==
*[[Essay:A Brief Note on Ron Paul supporters]]
*[[Paul Ryan]]: Why do so many Republicans have to have similar names? (They all have a pretty similar skin color, too, now that we broach the topic.)
*[[Lyndon LaRouche]]: Another political ideologue who drew rabid support from people who believe his way is the only way.
*[[Barry Goldwater]]: (''Ooh, shiny''.) A [[Movement Conservative]] and [[JBS]] hero. Goldwater Junior failed to work the same magic; he lost a Senate bid in '82, and was viewed as little more than a brand name. Sound familiar?  His son Barry, Jr. endorsed Ron Paul in '08.
*[[We Are Change]]: Paul's cheersquad activist group led by [[Luke Rudkowski]] who took to the streets to tell the [[sheeple]] to vote for Paul or to expect the worst.
*{{wpl|Janusz Korwin-Mikke}} - Ladies and Gentlemen, the [[Poland|Polish]] version of Ron Paul!
*[[Rand Paul]] — Crank father, crank son
*[[Peter Thiel]] — Big donor for both his 2008 and 2012 campaigns<ref>Ryan Mac and Lisa Lerer (February 14, 2022). [https://web.archive.org/web/20231225042226/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/14/technology/republican-trump-peter-thiel.html "The Right’s Would-Be Kingmaker"]. ''The New York Times''.</ref><ref>John Hudson (February 20, 2012). [https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/02/peter-thiel-ron-pauls-billionaire-sugar-daddy/331514/ "Peter Thiel Is Ron Paul's Billionaire Sugar Daddy"]. ''The Atlantic''.</ref>

==Videos==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLcKqLc7bZ8 What drug debates looked like in the 80's.] - The irony is that Downey was sucking down a pack of cigarettes per day, and Paul predicted his imminent death. Just Say No!
*[https://youtube.com/watch?v=cHVnDQOsOic "I should've punched Bruno."]

==External links==
*[http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/angry-white-man?id=e2f15397-a3c7-4720-ac15-4532a7da84ca Angry White Man: The bigoted past of Ron Paul]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160301180747/http://archive.dailypaul.com/ ''Daily Paul'' archives] - PEACE! GOLD! LOVE! <sup>(Which of these is not like the others?)</sup>
*[https://ronpaulforums.com/threads/and-you-thought-liberalpedia-was-bad.187521/ Ron Paul Forums don't like Rational Wiki] – but notably they don't make any specific accusations or complaints or refutations, so, go figure.
*[http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/google-ron-paul2.php The Ron Paul Presidency – Google Future]
*[https://lynnrockets.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/ron-paul.jpg The Libertarian Moment has finally arrived!]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

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