Looking for a new candidate...
There is some interesting news concerning Ron Paul and Alex Jones. It seems that Ron Paul made a $1,300 payment to Alex Jones. For those of you who do not know who Alex Jones is...please see here. Jones also contributed $2,300 to the campaign.
I called the campaign and asked them. Andrew, from the campaign, took my information, did some research and called me back. He said he wasn't sure what the expense was for and wasn't sure it was for the same Alex Jones, but he also said he had no reason to believe it wasn't. He did say that if he contributed over the allowed amount ($2,300), that the campaign would have had to return the overage, as per FEC regulations.
I am pretty much through with Ron Paul. He should do the respectable thing and return the contribution from Alex Jones and repudiate the "9/11 Truth" movement.
By the way...the crazies are coming out in the comments over at The Liberty Papers. I'm surprised no one has said that we are a Zionist plot yet.
Comments
This really shouldn't come as a surprise to any Ron Paul supporter, in light of Paul's past dealings with Alex Jones. In all honesty, every candidate usually has a 'black sheep' contributer, in Paul's case, it's Alex Jones and his theories. (I often wonder just how much truth is in those theories of his. Even if 2% of them are factual, how would you ever know?)
Why should he give the money back? It's obvious he has ties and has never distanced himself from them.
I'd recommend a candidate, but since Newt isn't running, I'm still trying to decide. Rudy is the only one I feel could come close to beating Hillary.
Posted by: joe.politico | October 28, 2007 07:32 PM
I am pretty much through with Ron Paul.
Well, I and a lot of others are through with BIG Government; Big government spending, big government taxing, big government borrowing, big government growing and big government infringing on individual liberty and freedom.
As for conspiracy nuts (and even though some of it is understandable, when you have a growing secretive government), their money spends the same as everyone else’s and in no way reflects the personal views of the person or business they spend their money on. Does a Wendy's single cheese taste any different on a Wednesday evening when the wife is out of town on a business trip and you have to fend for yourself, just because some nutcase also buys them.
If Ron Paul's campaign paid Alex Jones to advertise on his sites to reach disenfranchised voters, as a business person, I say good move. I plan on eventually buying advertisement space on many blogs for my new business, including here and RedState. But, in no way is that an endorsement of the views expressed here and especially not there. It just means potential customers might be reached at both places.
If all you have is contributions to a campaign and campaign advertising expenditures, then you've got nil. If you find that Ron Paul is pushing legislation or doling out un-competed government contracts that benefit Jones directly, then you might have something there. Even though that seems to be current policy for some of our current elected officials and administration.
Posted by: Daniel N. Adams | October 28, 2007 11:54 PM
Thank you, Daniel. My sentiments exactly.
Posted by: Chris | October 29, 2007 03:13 AM
I concur--well said Daniel.
All of the Ron Paul supporters I know are not down w/ the "truth" movement but I do know a few "truthers" who are very much sane and not the wild-eyed crazies everyone makes them out to be (the ones I know tend to be non-political...they just think it was an inside job).
Like Daniel basically said, the frequency and intensity of conspiracy theories are usually correlated to how clandestine a government entity is. Look at JFK--how many thousands of books, articles, theories, and essays are still coming out today. I know a well respected man in his 70's who still has no doubt that that was an inside job. And even if you ignore that, the many instances of our government being those dark "eyes in the shadows" that have been proven numerous times does make you start to wonder. Like I said, I'm not a truther but to write off the millions of people that have some unanswered questions seems obtuse. Like Daniel said--their money spends just fine. The way to decrease this huge mistrust of government we have been seeing lately is to elect someone to the office of president like Ron Paul.
On a final note--Jason, with all due respect, your political convictions seem to be a little flimsy sometimes. We still don't have all the facts and you're just ready give up on Dr. Paul. Is it a thing of hedging your bets because you think this blog, and perhaps more importantly your image in the ""blogsphere"", is more important to you than this election? No...I know that's not it...I'm just ...I don't know...No disrespect intended.
Posted by: Marshall | October 29, 2007 09:51 AM
I don't care if he gave $1300 dollars to advertise on the bathroom walls of Honolulu Hooker House.
He's still the only candidate in the race that respects the constitutional limitations of the federal government, and the only candidate that respects and promotes the free market and personal responsibility.
And he's the only Republican in the race, besides Giuliani