What is Digg?763 Comments
- Thanehand, on 12/02/2007, -68/+366I was about to post how un-American the author was, but then I read the awesome article. Thank you. Dugg.
- Digg4This, on 12/02/2007, -24/+202I am hesitant to say this, but grassroots support sometimes has its limits. I am not talking about the internet savvy generation and its abilities to mobilize. Rather that MANY baby boomers, and certainly a large bunch of elder Americans are completely and unchangeably sold on MSM. Something someone close to me said one time that I can never forget when I was urging an adoption of Ron Paul brilliant economic ideas in the face piss poor current management:
Mike, I am 60 years old. I don't want anything to change because I don't want to loose my nest egg.
He is an Old Media person to the hilt. Unless fox, well maybe not fox hes a slighter smarter than that, CNN, begins to give credence(to which RP is due) to the economic idea's of RP he will not budge.
What I am saying is Old Media, while obviously not a complete perquisite IS a valuable asset. Although I suppose the argument could be made since they are ignoring us it tends to create a much stronger movement- but I dont see how any amount of coverage or lack of MSM coverage (at this stage because the ball is rolling) could negatively affect people who know or learn about RP's ideas. In fact I think MSM coverage can only help; the message is pure! - lordterrin, on 12/02/2007, -20/+169"I could not care less because I did not care at all" - amazing line. I felt EXACTLY the same as this author until I discovered Ron Paul. Thank you for this article... amazingly written.
- MrFunions, on 12/02/2007, -13/+156The ultimate irony is that Ron Paul is the beginning of the end of these news organizations. I find out about things on Digg days before the news reports them. Their laziness and tepidness to change will ultimately be their demise.
- mkrfctr, on 12/02/2007, -11/+129Sadly for him you need to tell him that unless things DO change, he won't have a nest egg left.
- Skettalee, on 12/02/2007, -38/+153Man, i just want to say, that I believe in Ron Paul so much that if it turned into a USA vs Ron Paul war I would join and fight against the USA to make a new one on his side!
- xexkxex, on 12/02/2007, -27/+137Wow..that was great!!!!
- TopherT, on 12/02/2007, -2/+101According to HR 1955 you are a terrorist.
- stephbangm, on 12/02/2007, -14/+92Lamestream media and the establishment are getting scared; They have no choice but to ignore and censor Ron Paul. So let's counteract this by flooding the Primaries with Ron Paul voters!
If the majority of Ron Paul supporters actually vote in the Primaries, we would most likely win. Even if only 5-8% of the public support Ron Paul like the official polls say, only about 5-10% of the population vote in the Republican Primary! That's why it's critical that we have to work hard right now. Just a few people could make or break this election!
==================================== - stephbangm, on 12/02/2007, -19/+79We have to become delegates to get Ron Paul the GOP nomination; As delegates, we'll be picking the GOP nominee just like the electors in the electoral college pick the President; Delegates determine and decide who the GOP nominee is---it's that critical!
Become a Delegate or Ron Paul will NOT be President
http://delegate.notlong.com
^
Approved by the Ron Paul 2008 Presidential Campaign Committee: Jeff Greenspan, Regional Coordinator - tybris, on 12/02/2007, -5/+62You really need to stop claiming things are (un-)American, the definition is completely subjective. Try anti-Democratic. At least Democracy is in the dictionary.
- jgambleii, on 12/02/2007, -11/+63The best thing MSM could have ever done was ignore Ron Paul... And now you see spontaneous support sprout up all over the place... The Ron Paul Blimp (http://ronpaulblimp.com), the Tea Party Money Bomb (http://teaparty07.com), and Ron Paulapalooza (http://www.ronpaulapalooza.com/)... Then don't forget things like Ron Paul Graphs (http://ronpaulgraphs.com), the Ron Paul Library (http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/) and Daily Paul (http://dailypaul.com).
All of these web sites are run by supporters... every single one. The campaign has nothing to do with any of them. You just can't find that kind of support among the other presidential candidates. - IntoTheWired, on 12/02/2007, -6/+54That's not how it works, TopherT. This man has the right to say any thing he wants in this thread as much as you do. That is the majesty of Digg. If you don't like his comment or what he has to say, you have every right to ignore him, refute his claim, or "Digg him down." This person does NOT have to vacate a thread because his or her opinions are contrary to the general tone of the thread, and to demand that he do so runs contrary to the very ideals you claim to support. I'll not demand that you feel ashamed, but instead I'll let you search your own soul and determine what you truly value and where your ideals lie.
- whataboutdave, on 12/02/2007, -7/+52No big deal. Next time please just RTFA.
- Airforcefalco, on 12/02/2007, -11/+54I don't think it was because of who it is but rather what they were requesting, ignoring a candidate.
- pax85, on 12/02/2007, -7/+46Greetings from Vienna, Austria. I don't know why, but Ron Paul kinda makes me enthusiastic. I sure hope he wins the elections next year. Even though his views are very conservative, I still think it is a good move for the US. If I could vote for Ron Paul, I sure as hell would! I'm checkin' on a daily basis, his website to see, if he reached the $12 Mil. milestone. I bet he'll reach it even before the teaparty event!
I have to admit, I didn't really check all the other candidates. Hillary is kinda of bogus; just a media/corporate controlled puppet with no opinion at all. I don't quite share the same opinion with Obama. Mike Gravel is nice too, like that guy. Romney ... yeah, well, cheating? anyone? I won't even talk about Rudy (liar, even worse than Bush, I guess).
But this is just an, maybe unimportant, opinion of an Austria citizen.
I wish you, the US, and Ron Paul good luck and hopefully I'll see RP in the White House next year!
Keep going! - CanIGetAWitness, on 12/02/2007, -3/+40Just tell us you will start reading articles before reacting and all can be forgiven.
- inactive, on 12/02/2007, -10/+46Its not that Ron Paul has a cult of personality, it's just that people who pay attention KNOW what theyre getting with the guy, if anything he represents the interests of people who dont willfully submit to what the media machine ***** out for them to consume.
- phantom_mullet, on 12/02/2007, -6/+39Guys, do you realize what is happening? We are entering a new age. An age where the media no longer has the effect that it used to. Thanks to the internet, we no longer have to eat what is being spoon fed to us by the media. I am so excited to see what will become of this new, "wired" generation. I have the feeling this upcoming presidential election will make history, and if we all step out, we as Americans can truly take back the reins of our nation.
- vat0r, on 12/02/2007, -2/+31You're right. Most people still trust the MSM unconditionally but, that's starting to change. It will literally take generations but the wheels are in motion. I'm not saying all MSM is bad just that they are ALL biased. Things like the internet allow us to seek out multiple viewpoints and form our opinions based on a broader scope of information. We no longer have to take the MSM's message as "written in stone" and it is empowering.
- vade79, on 12/02/2007, -1/+29You made me curious and tested; You infact can undigg a story in your profile but not unbury one as far as I can tell, wtf?
- ThisIsTheEnd, on 12/02/2007, -7/+35I was ready to leave the country before I found the perfect presidential candidate for me, Ron Paul. And its not so much cult mentality. Its the mentality that at last we we're excited to find a candidate that wasn't a douche bag or a turd sandwich.
- tonto69, on 12/02/2007, -11/+38The Old Media won't be able to ignore this Headline: "Ron Paul Wins Iowa!"
- ThinkFr33ly, on 12/02/2007, -29/+54Enough is enough. There is NO CONSPIRACY TO KEEP RON PAUL DOWN. He is being treated like a long shot. A VERY long shot.
I'm not sure what polls you people have been following (probably online polls that are completely meaningless), but the fact of the matter is that Paul finishes dead last among the "serious" contenders, and a distant last at that, with two exceptions.
The ONLY two polls where Ron Paul doesn't finish dead last (again, not counting Tancredo or Hunter, who barely break 1%) are the primary polls in Nevada and New Hampshire, two states with a large number of independents. Even in these states, he is polling at 6% and 7%, respectively. His closest rivals poll at almost DOUBLE his numbers.
Listen, I like Ron Paul. I think he is honest and has more integrity than everybody on the stage put together. But stop insisting that he is losing because the media is conspiring against him. Would you say the same thing about Hunter, Tancredo, Gravel, Kucinich, Biden, Dodd, and Richardson?
The fact of the matter is that he has very little chance of winning. The media is spending time covering the candidates that the polls say people are interested in. And regardless of how many diehard Ron Paul fans show up at his rallies, or if those same diehard fans help him raise a crap load of money in one day, the national polls say that people don't care about Ron Paul.
In addition, there has been PLENTY OF COVERAGE of Ron Paul. There was a story about him on the FRONT PAGE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES. (See: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/us/politics/11pa ... Indeed, the NYT has written several high profile pieces about the man. The same goes for many other major papers.
But keep fighting the good fight. Don't give up. Just don't keep insisting that there is some conspiracy to keep your candidate down.
Poll Data: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/presi ... - toro913, on 12/02/2007, -22/+4710 bucks says if Ron Paul loses there will be conspiracy theories popping up left, right and centre. My money's on the secret group that wants to start the NAU being behind Paul losing the primaries.
- Devotia, on 12/02/2007, -1/+24It actually doesn't matter if Paul wins, depending on his supporters. If they manage to stick together for the senate elections, they could change the face of congress, which is arguably more powerful than a presidential win. Let President Whoever continue the war in Iraq, try to start a war in Iran, etc, without a dime going towards financing these things. Old Media is more than capable of supporting 1 or 2 candidates, but can they really do that for all the seats up for grabs in 08 and 10?
- Scorpy2643, on 12/02/2007, -29/+51The reason no one takes Ron Paul seriously is a few hundred very dedicated people can make internet explode with buzz. It's not hard for 1 person to post hundreds of times a day in various forums and threads. The problem for the Ron Paul people is he is not making ANY impact anywhere else.
As a Libertarian myself, that is unfortunate, as I agree with many tings he says. I also disagree strongly with some of the things he wants to do.
You rabid Ron Paul people are going to have to get out of your chairs, get off the computer, and go hit the pavement in supprt of this guy if you want him to have a chance of even mattering. Time and time again, the internet has shown there is enough good intentions for the world, but not enough follow through. - Chongo, on 12/02/2007, -4/+25I'm not even a paul guy but I thought the article was well written and can be applied towards ANYTHING.
- stuarttt, on 12/02/2007, -4/+23I'm going to have to completely disagree with you. Ron Paul supporters are definitely doing a lot to popularize many common sense libertarian ideas that have never gotten much press, as well as bringing way more people who were apathetic or on the fence to the liberty movement. Also, I don't see how you can claim that the campaign is only a few hundred people online. I don't know where you live, but I see Ron Paul signs, buttons, and tshirts everywhere. Almost every weekend I see people on busy corners campaigning for him, I've never seen anyone doing that for any other candidate so far. He doesn't get a lot of main stream press attention, and I'm not really sure why, but he was on the Tonight Show a few weeks ago, and personally I feel like ANYONE on the Tonight Show discussing Austrian Economics with Jay Leno in front of who knows how many millions of Americans is a huge libertarian victory.
I guess my point is that Ron Paul is only one man and he can be wrong about things and he might not win, but like he said in that video at the end of this article, this is only the beginning. More people are learning about the message of liberty than ever before and it's because of his campaign, these ideas won't go away if he does. Finally, you say you're a libertarian, but you don't agree with some of Ron Paul's positions, so which candidates positions do you strongly agree with? - arcooke, on 12/02/2007, -1/+20That's the problem. Huckabee and Kucinich deserve the same amount of air time as everyone else.. REGARDLESS of how much or how little appeal they have.. or how unfavorable they may be. Most people get their news from the major networks. If the major networks are not telling their viewers about the "lesser" candidates, they are the reason those candidates are lesser in the first place. They don't give everyone a fair chance. I understand they can't cram all candidates into every time slot every day, but they should at least make it a note to start mentioning them so people can at least recognize their names as candidates.
When was the last time you heard about Gravel on the news? There's a lot of people out there that would prefer his views over everyone elses.. but the problem is, they don't know about him because the news never talks about him. I'm not saying I want him as president (because I don't), but he deserves just as much attention as Hillary and Obama do. - ScottMitchell, on 12/02/2007, -3/+21And Ron Paul likes you, gatorade8881.
- yodaj007, on 12/02/2007, -2/+20He's a candidate, so, yes.
- TantrooM, on 12/02/2007, -1/+18You based a book on its cover, that is why you fail.
- Codename46, on 12/02/2007, -9/+26FAIL
- cherwilco, on 12/02/2007, -5/+22im not a paulbot but I still buried your dumb ass
- kingkilr, on 12/02/2007, -4/+21Be careful, he might find Jesus or a chicken sandwich or something.
- jellygraph, on 12/02/2007, -7/+23Very well written, I dugg.
But, you know, I honestly think that, while certainly there are some in the MSM who try to set the agenda (and often very successfully, I also think the majority of them are just as cynical as the rest of us.
And so when they say that Ron Paul could never win, many of them are saying that because they've seen presidential candidates come and go, people like Ralph Nader and Howard Dean, and they simply assume that Ron Paul fits into that category of candidates who have no hope of winning because there is too much political (not by the people, but by the political and corporate interests) opposition to them.
Well, its an entirely different ball game now. They will eventually have to start paying notice.
The thing is, those who try to shout you down and call you crazy (for whatever reason, who knows) are only helping you. - WiseWeasel, on 12/02/2007, -2/+18The point Paul made in one of his most recent post-debate interviews (sorry, no link, forgot which one it was) is that he got into politics because he had hope that he could change things peacefully. He has a great sense of national pride, and he decided to run for congress, and then for president, in order to let his fight against a nanny state have the greatest impact. You're not going to make this country a better, stronger place through the barrel of a gun. Instead, you have to work on your debate skills, learn to convince people of your views, and get elected to public office (or help get people who share your views elected), where you can have a much more effective platform for your views to be expressed. If it turns out that you do have good ideas, and that you are able to articulate them convincingly, then you might just be successful in bringing some positive change to our government. If, on the other hand, you alienate a lot of people, and don't do a good job of bringing others on-board with your views, then you will die a quiet political death. This is how the marketplace of ideas works in this country. The best economic or civic policy plan in the world will not go anywhere if you can't convince people that it's in their interest. Guns are tools used by those who can't get people to follow them through peaceful, rational means, but they turn out to be much less powerful than some well-chosen words.
- MistySteele, on 12/02/2007, -6/+22Very nice, sincere article. Thank you for publishing it.
However, as a member of the Ron Paul Society for More Better English, I would ask that you have someone proof your web posts for basic spelling and grammar, if only to avoid the "Ha Ha, Ron Paul supporters can't spell!" taunts from the Giuliani camp. For example, it's infallible, not infoulable, try it in your word processor and see if that makes the little red squiggly underline go away.
Thanks again, and keep the faith. - manfmnantucket, on 12/02/2007, -5/+20I think this post draws attention to the role that the web and particularly social media are starting to play in US politics. If not this year, then some election soon - we are likely to see a jujitsu effect, where the primary votes materialize as if by magic, completely through distributed self-organization, and old media is completely blindsided, having no idea how this escaped their notice.
I dont believe there is some conspiracy among smokestack media to ignore Ron Paul. Rather, I think they are simply too far behind the technical curve to know where to look to track online developments.
So are the other campaigns. Why? Because publications like the NY Times called the Nov Paul fundraising event a 'stunt' by his campaign. They obviously have no clue what is about to happen, and no way to follow it.
Here is a scenario - how a candidate supported by social media could usurp every political expert's analysis:
1: RP supporters connect with others on Facebook, Myspace, etc.- places that let you target messages by geography, interests, etc.
2: supporter figures out how to create a message the is viral by its nature and focus it on facebook/myspace profiles in Iowa, NH, and other primary states. The message is not just
'vote for RP', or 'give money'. The message is about freedom, and the call to action is to
REGISTER AS A PRIMARY VOTER, OR GET YOUR OLDER FRIENDS OR PARENTS TO DO SO.
This is all doable, all for free, and engages a smaller number of people than radio or TV- but it's the RIGHT people.
3: we see a surge in Independent registrations in the months before the primary in each state.
4: on primary morning, all the old cigar-smoking gents who 'typically vote in primaries' get a huge surprise. They find they have to stand in line behind dozens or hundreds of college and even high-school students who are taking a moment to act at the urging of their friends and vote.
Given the small numbers who vote in primaries....
THIS CAN REALLY HAPPEN. - MWeather, on 12/02/2007, -8/+23It's a sad day when Democratic and American are no longer synonyms.
- toxicityj, on 12/02/2007, -3/+17anyone else think of Yoda every time he said "that is why you fail?" Great article.
- latrosicarius, on 12/02/2007, -1/+15I agree with "free speech on digg", but by that logic, TopherT is also free to tell him to GTFO.
- jwfitt, on 12/02/2007, -3/+17Great article! It really summed up the feelings of so many apathetic Americans I know, who are (for the first time) politically motivated and interested in politics - and Ron Paul supporters.
- britishrob, on 12/02/2007, -0/+13And mainstream news is *heavily* biased to whatever crap they want to shove in your face - which is usually whatever the sponsors want
- juankovo, on 12/02/2007, -1/+14Your nest egg probably isn't going to be worth much in five years, if it's held in USD.
- moocow1452, on 12/02/2007, -2/+15That's what they said in 1776...
- Dongvid, on 12/02/2007, -3/+15Better links:
http://ronpaulblimp.com
http://teaparty07.com
http://www.ronpaulapalooza.com
http://ronpaulgraphs.com
http://www.ronpaullibrary.org
http://dailypaul.com - CondoleezzaRice, on 12/02/2007, -0/+12It's becoming less important by day as congress signs off power to the executive branch
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