There’s something perfectly Paulian about the blimp. It’s a stunt, in the best sense of the term—big, memorable, and utterly silly—a lot like Ron Paul’s candidacy itself, at least in the eyes of outsiders. The project isn’t affiliated with the Paul campaign—FEC regulations forbid collaboration—but it does try to preserve the spirit. “We see what they’re doing, and we try to fit their image,” Hornal says.
I think they've succeeded.
Some acolytes see Ron Paul as the heir to Howard Dean, tactically if not ideologically. Like Deaniacs, Paulites (or, if you prefer, -tards) organize “meetups,” where they can hang out and chat with like-minded politicos. Dean fans also pledged online. But Paul’s clan has advanced the ball. Ideas like the money bomb and the blimp get floated on various Ron Paul forums, where they’re alternately nurtured, rejected, developed, and finally acted upon. That’s why it’s hard for one person to take all the credit. The clown car is bigger than ever, but no one person is steering.
Another aspect of the movement’s Web-based strategy is documentation. Let me rephrase that: overdocumentation. Today, every moment—every conversation, every quip, every striking vista—is being recorded. Everyone has a camera pointed at everyone else. It’s like the last scene from Reservoir Dogs, but with photographers.
My favorite Ron Paul video is this Launch of the Ron Paul Blimp. The soundtrack, appropriately, sounds sort of like "The Ride of the Valkyries" played on a farfisa organ.
What they lack in organizational structure, they certainly make up for in style.
(h/t Eli)
Login Here
Share This
Spotlight

Support this site!
Keep up with news
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send us your tips
Make us your homepage
About Firedoglake
Advanced search

RSS/XML Feed
zed
Congrats again hackworth. What happened to the last thread? I never know what’s going on.LOL. Must go start dinner. Merry Christmas, everyone.
Obviously, a little mix-up at the FDL Control Tower. Good thing nobody got hurt.
Merry Christmas.
One of my sons says the music is from the video game Final Fantasy VII.
Merry Christmas!
Sorry, train wreck, am pulling this post — will be back later.
Go visit Christy in the previous thread.
Folks on the left have expressed concern that Ron Paul is or might be:
- racist
- neonazi
- antiabortion.
So far as I can tell, however, none of those is a product he’s currently pushing. Rather, he is trying to sell:
- antiwar
- support for the constitution.
both of which are welcome in progressive circles. But he is also selling something that he calls:
- “economic freedom”
which sounds a lot like Grover Norquist when the details are discussed. I’d really like to see someone, e.g.,Krugman, discuss Ron Paul’s economic and social-welfare agendas.
Not ZED!
Is this the current thread?
Not a good idea IMO. The less MSM focus on RuPaul the better. He’s a real kook. On MTP he didn’t even know how much fed tax revenue was collected by the income tax, even though he advocates eliminating the IRS.
It was before it wasn’t but now it is until it isn’t.
BTW, I read recently that he (an OB-GYN) does not believe in evolution.
See Jane’s comment at #8 - just a wee little train derailment.
If that is the case, then wouldn’t it be a good idea for the MSM to cover it? (Yeah, I know: the likelihood that the MSM would actually get the coverage right is negative infinity.)
You’re either very wise or as confused as I am.
Meet The Press: Ron Paul on Taxes and Being the World Police
http://www.crooksandliars.com/.....ld-police/
…It was Ron Paul’s turn to face Tim Russert this morning, and he certainly came out less bruised than past guests Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. I don’t think that Dick Cheney’s go to guy is a big believer in the libertarian ideals that Paul espouses, so I have to wonder if he just thought that Paul wasn’t worth the effort. Certainly, Russert …
Is it civil disobedience to keep posting to this thread?
Paul keeps white supremacist donation - USA Today
…Paul keeps white supremacist donationUSA Today - Dec 20, 2007WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul has received a $500 campaign donation from a white supremacist, and the Texas congressman doesn’t plan to return it, an aide said Wednesday.
Well, I’m probably more to the Vinnie Barbarino side of things most of the time. :})
I don’t think so. He’s much more likely to fade without coverage than with coverage. MSM coverage is likely to focus on his antiwar & pro-liberty parts of his agenda (see wigwam @ 7) and not the zanier parts. The ones that will get the publicity are the ones the public will like. So, the less publicity the better.
Another GOP candidate rejects modern biology
from Crooks and Liars by Steve Benen
Way back in May, in one of the more memorable debate moments of the year, John McCain was asked a straightforward question: “Do you believe in evolution?”
It’s the 21st century and McCain is an educated man, so it should have been an easy one, but he’s a Republican, and he needs to appeal to a far-right base that has little use for modern science — so he hesitated. After a pregnant pause, McCain said, “Yes.”
The Politico’s Jim VandeHei opened it up to the stage: “I’m curious, is there anybody on the stage that does not agree, believe in evolution?” The camera didn’t show the 10 candidates for very long, but three would-be presidents raised their hand: Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee, and Tom Tancredo.
As it turns out, though, there was one more evolution-denier on the stage who, for whatever reason, didn’t raise his hand: Ron Paul.
Digby makes the case that we probably shouldn’t be surprised.
A Republican who can’t add. Who could have foreseen it?
Evolution is vastly overrated as those who don’t believe in it demonstrate.
here’s a good one:
Kristol calls Paul ‘un- American,’ ‘crackpot’
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r.....ckpot.html
Conservative commentator pans Paul’s argument that Civil War was a mistake.
Good point, and cleverly made. Just another R ideologue who thinks that the principles are all that’s important and the details are petty.
Actually, it appears that a good part of the current crop of R presidential candidates are extremely flexible in their principles.
This observation based on watching Giuliani, Romney, McCain, and Huckabee all flop around more than fish on the dock.
Wow. The youtube is just scary. The music is so Third Reich and the video should be in black and white.
Right you are. I was thinking of W & the neocons in my statement, so I should have specified that instead of saying ‘current crop.’
So the Rs go from having principles & no details, to having no principles & no details. Progress in our time.
I just heard a Christmas poem on the radio, and he was smoking a pipe, I swear it.;
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth
I seem to remember images of this, but only vaguely, and he never had a pipe whenever I saw him in person
ever
(though I did see him making out with some of my friends moms…what’s up with that?…he didn’t have a pipe, that’s for sure)
and nobody’s house that I know he’s visited ever smelled like pipe smoke after christmas
has anyone ever seen him in person with a pipe?
I’m not buying it, I need more proof
and if he DOES smoke a pipe, what’s in it?
Hmmm. Music kind of reminded me of Philip Glass’ Organ Works. But I did have to look up what a farfisa organ is.
but isn’t he an improvement over candidates who are kooks about everything? at least paul makes some sense wrt foreign policy, constitutional constraints on the president and civil rights.
Couldn’t agree more. His simple absolutes could be very seductive to the confused and underinformed. He also has appeal to the selfish and greedy.
Now that I’ve said that, he really scares me. Glad the Rs are doing the heavy lifting on him.
Summary: Screw the peasants.
How to pick the least bad. Paul would make serious effort to get rid of all of the federal welfare state.
and in less cheery news …
Russia successfully tests new ICBM (AP)
from Yahoo! News
AP - Russia’s military on Tuesday successfully test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads a weapon intended to replace aging Soviet-era missiles.
Oh!
Looky1
One of the clowns in the car is wearing a Nazi uniform!
Oh my…..
For those of us who find the use of the word “retard” as a putdown repulsive, any chance we could retire “Paultard”?
And I understand that Paul would include ANY public education in that “federal welfare state” description.
Blowback, anyone?
Of course, W will use that as an even stronger reason for star wars in eastern Europe.
And with a little luck, he’ll get us right back into the Cold War. (It’s a Cold War. It’s a War on Terror. It’s two, two wars in one. Really great for the disaster economy.)
I trust you notice that particular usage is within the original article being quoted and is in fact a link to a third website?
I think that he would leave that up to the state & local governments, but I’m not sure. He would certainly favor eliminating all federal aid to education.
Oh, and I think Paul favors returning to the gold standard. I didn’t see that specificially on his website, but think I’ve read it somewhere. Anyhow, that would mean massive deflation.
and that is different from the other Rs, how?
the only differences i can see are: 1) he’s honest about it and 2) it would presumably apply to corporate welfare for the MIC.
i hope everyone here knows i like a welfare state. in my book, universal health care is a human right… every bit as important (and in some cases more important) as those listed in our bill of rights.
it’s just that i see paul as less dangerous to our remaining vestiges of the welfare state than a candidate who is less honest and more sneaky about it (like bush’s attempts to get rid of social security by creating “retirement accounts”). and i think a dem like bill clinton is even more of a danger - because president clinton was able to co-opt dems into supporting “welfare reform”, nafta, etc…. as spineless as the dems are, it’s possible they might defend against the destruction of social security (as they did with bush) - but only, imo, if the president making the attempt is an R.
Here’s what he says about education on his website
I don’t think Rudy, Mitt, McCain are pushing, or would push, getting rid of the welfare state. They would try to chip away & privatize it, but Paul, I think, would just eliminate it. He’s much more radical on that score than the ones I named.
Of course, doing anything overt about social security, medicare is politically impossible, so you might ask why bother discussing it. My answer is that attitude matters, and look how much W was able to dismantle just thru appointing people to federal bureaucracies who did just that.
yes.
Yes, I see that now… thanks…
I’m ambivalent about whether I want the Rs to have the least worst candidate in the general or the one easiest to knock out.
Sure hate having to say that.
As always, Selise, I listen to you carefully. You often affect or change my views.
My favorite Christmas song.
Still moving, trying to get the small stuff out by the end of the week.
Thanks for finding that.
but isn’t he an improvement over candidates who are kooks about everything? at least paul makes some sense wrt foreign policy, constitutional constraints on the president and civil rights.
On MTP, he said that he would “absolutely” cut off all aid to Israel.
that’s gonna go over big - I hope he has good bodyguards.
AIPAC must not like Ol’ Ron very much.
it works both ways. watch - you’ll convince me and i’ll convince you and then we’ll still be discussing the subject from opposing points of view. :)
seriously though, i’m not so sure of myself on this one. that’s why i’m asking.
AIPAC must not like Ol’ Ron very much.
I’d think that that could get one completely ostracized in D.C. That’s a gravy train for *both* sides of the aisle.
I’m afraid the guy could wind up in a dumpster somewhere…
But you gotta like him for saying that which may not be spoken. We could hope that might be a tipping point.
But you gotta like him for saying that which may not be spoken. We could hope that might be a tipping point.
I even agree to some extent, in that our aid to Israel is too extensive. I just think that that particular statement:
a) will never be heard in four, three, or even two-part harmony, and
b) was pretty much was his political death warrant, unless it is still possible, in this day and age, to be elected without the support of either party.
With the AZ primary Feb 5th, the only Presidential signs, bumper stickers or buttons I have seen are Ron Paul signs all over the place, lots Edward’s buttons AND one Hunter08 bumper sticker in the Costco parking lot last Sunday.
Ron Paul signs are on bridges, along roadways and stuck in the landscaping strips at the strip malls, hundred’s of them. The maddening thing is that McCain gets “free” media all the time just for anything he might do, say or a poll comes out.
Ron Paul appeals to the R youth vote and those who are disgusted with their Repug party and are not ready to turn away from the darkside.
Sis and kids are here - time for presents. Merry Christmas all.
Oh, I’m not disagreeing with you about it’s being one of the many positions he takes which make him unelectable.
I’m of two minds as to whether people would be able to hear what he said. OTOH, his statement is so radical, people might just shut it out. OTOH, it’s the first time most Americans have ever heard a statement about Israel other than slavish support, and it might alert them that there is another way to think about the subject. A nuanced statement could not have that influence.
OT BBC reports on benefits of drinking tea over just water, substantial health boost
Yep.
You should hear the Scott Horton (not the Harper’s one) who does interviews on antiwar.com on the subject of Ron Paul. Horton got a mancrush because Paul thinks of govt exactly the way it was taught in 7th grade civics.
Whew! I finally have a moment, my ham’s in the oven, potatoes and butternut squash is peeled and bubbling merrily in their pots… Merry Xmas…! *g*
true.
but better, i think, than having a mancrush on flyboy bush and his stuffed sock killing lots of people. i wish more right wingers were like scott horton (the antiwar radio one).
Thank Arnie. I just posted that at my place.
Speaker: Here comes the Ron Paul campaign blimp.
Oh no, something’s wrong. It isn’t catching fire.
Oh dear God, it’s crashing. It’s crashing. Oh the inanity of it all.
Will there be any survivors from this?
—-
A friend of mine in North Carolina received an e-mail about the blimp. Apparently he was on a mailing list for a computer group and they had a Paul supporter using the list. They were looking for someone to hire in some computer-related capacity and it was also tied to the blimp. They sent him a couple of pictures of it. I don’t think he was interested since he is pretty far to the Left. Still, ya gotta admire the Paul supporters and their imagination.
did you catch scott horton (the antiwar radio one) interviewing scott horton (the harper’s one) on friday’s podcast?
horton (the antiwar radio on) actually used his 5th grade experience with watching iran contra hearings and team sports to outline the basics of american government. made a hell of a lot more sense than anything i’ve heard from the MSM.
About the only downside I see is now it’s: DFTDH - dirty fecking tea-drinking hippies
But, Selise, I wouldn’t want to have a beer with Ron Paul… ;-)
hey! I showered!
Bingo. My son also confirms that the music is from Final Fantasy — in every FF game, there is a point at which you finally succeed in getting the airship, which allows you to see further and move faster, along with triumphant music. Began in the last 80s and continued. In later versions, there are whole scenes that now take place in the airship, with good vs evil, fighting the tyrant, Sephiroth.
Yes. It was a great interview, although I was surprised that the lawyer Horton leans so libertarian. I like them both. The radio Horton has done some really good interviews on Iran. Prather & Porter, in particular. I prefer to hear their information over reading it, for some reason.
the accusation is seldom reality based
BTW, there must be a Dr. Seuss book in there somewhere.
Horton hears a who…? ;-)
Do you know which R candidate you would most enjoy having a beer with? (Hint: trick question.)
….to say nothing of intelligent design, for those who DO believe it.
wrt the scott hortons (both of them) - i transcribed a bit of the interview for my christmas greeting to you-all this morning (comment in an earlier thread: A Christmas Miracle, 1776)
Honestly, none rise to that dubious status… 8-)
Mitt Romney, because then you’d get both beers.
707! Nice one…!
i was thinking more on the order of David Byrne, although David Lynch could’ve put a nice twist on the whole production.
Can’t take pride of authorship, or provide a link because I can’t remember where I read it.
Guten Weihnachten, Fahrender!
I have to agree with Jane - while I never want the nut anywhere near the levers of power (preferably, farther away than he is now), he really pulled a coup in attracting the performance artists rioting (and blimping) for him.
If it were just a bit more over the top, I might go to some of the events, just for fun. Something for the Dems to figure out - I don’t expect them to go balls out SantaCon to satisfy people like me, but make politics fun for people who aren’t wonks. A lighthearted dance at a club or an impromptu snowman contest (who can do the best Snowrove?) not organized by the campaign would be great.
i wouldn’t be too sure about horton (harper’s) being so libertarian. if that were the case, he would have advocated decreasing gov. spending and not increasing taxes. it could have just been that he was focusing on areas of agreement (since it involves the things they both appear to care about most strongly).
oh, and for the curious. here’s the link to the horton & horton podcast (45 min). recommended.
i was thinking it was too bad paul’s first name wasn’t leo ……
good luck with getting rid of ‘tard as a suffix. it’s way past viral and will probably never go away.
that has got to be one of the most unintentionally hilarious things I have ever seen.
the guy almost deserves to be president just for the humor value of his campaign.
Hey, I think it’s great that Dr. Paul is giving the Repug Party “GAS” pains. I wonder if he’ll spend all that money he has collected staying in the race. Or will the RNC come a knockin’……hat in hand? Gimme, Gimme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYBpc4_fXmM
Yup, this is actually the music that plays while you’re piloting the airship, quite fitting if I do say so myself.
Sadly, the ‘tard train has left the station…
I’m almost willing to make an exception the Paulites… almost…