Ron Paul Speaks at UCLA, More than 5,000 Attend
Tim Groseclose ·
April 6, 2012 at 5:35pm
On Wednesday night, Ron Paul gave a speech at UCLA. It was only moderately advertised, and if you had asked me earlier in the week how many would attend, I would have predicted only one or two hundred. But as you can see from the video, my prediction was a gross under-estimate. The Daily Bruin reports that more than 5,000 attended. As you can also see from the video, the crowd was extremely enthusiastic.
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Oct '10
Re: Ron Paul Speaks at UCLA, More than 5,000 Attend
Though I think Ron Paul is on the level of a potted plant when it comes to foreign policy, I can't help but see this as a hopeful sign. These 5000 have to have some enthusiasm for small government and that's a start. Libertarianism is the gateway drug to conservatism.
I don't mean that to be as condescending as it might sound to Libertarians. I'm a libertarian/conservative (the proportions shift back and forth daily) myself. But I do feel that age gives you a respect for tradition that in time, eases thoughtful folks in a conservative direction.
Nov '11
Re: Ron Paul Speaks at UCLA, More than 5,000 Attend
Funny, I went the other way. I went from a main line conservative to a libertarian and then kept going.
Dec '10
Re: Ron Paul Speaks at UCLA, More than 5,000 Attend
What is instructive, here, is that people make fun of Ron Paul supporters as being "Paul-bots," or somehow drug-addled or captive to a personality cult.
But listen to how he is speaking to these people. You might disagree with him. But he is speaking to them like adults. Dare I say it, like a leader. Not at them.
Compare this to the stilted, focus-grouped, over-rehearsed, cliche-ridden cadences of all the other presidential candidates.
Now tell me which candidate is treating his supporters like adults. Yep. The one with the youngest supporters. That is what is hopeful about Paul's campaign.
P.S. The very notion of 5000 people showing up to listen to Mitt Romney for the sake of listening to Mitt Romney is absurd. This means something. It means lots of things, actually. Not all of them bad for Mitt. But most of them are bad.
Nov '11
Re: Ron Paul Speaks at UCLA, More than 5,000 Attend
No, no, no, no, no. Don't you get it? Ron Paul is "crazy" and "unelectable" and could never ever win.
So instead we get Mitt Romney.
Btw, party leaders always go on about how the future of the party depends on getting young people involved. Ron Paul gets young people excited, he raises money, he packs them in.
But, no, RP is "crazy."
Apr '11
Re: Ron Paul Speaks at UCLA, More than 5,000 Attend
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
Sep '10
Re: Ron Paul Speaks at UCLA, More than 5,000 Attend
Fred Cole: No, no, no, no, no. Don't you get it? Ron Paul is "crazy" and "unelectable" and could never ever win.
So instead we get Mitt Romney.
Ron Paul is unelectable, as evidenced by the fact that he has not won a single primary election.
Actual, real life citizens vote in these primaries, and they prefer Mitt Romney to Ron Paul.
I voted for Ron Paul in the Wisconsin primary. I want his message on domestic issues to get as much attention as possible, but I understand that I am still in a minority with that opinion.
Aug '11
Re: Ron Paul Speaks at UCLA, More than 5,000 Attend
This is not a surprise. It's always amusing to see when people seem so surprised to learn of this type of news. Ron Paul has been drawing crowds very similar to these all over the USA all year and usually with very little notice to the public. Word spreads through social media. But you wouldn't know it because no one reports about it in the MSM. Have you noticed where he's holding these rally's? At colleges and other small arenas. His message regarding limited government is spreading. Ron Paul may be unelectable but his movement will continue long after he leaves the campaign trail. Why? Because Ron Paul followers are getting engaged and running for office in your counties, your cities, and in your states. They've figured out that to change the system you must be a part of the system. It starts from within.
May '10
Re: Ron Paul Speaks at UCLA, More than 5,000 Attend
Perhaps he drew the crowd with promises of a free introductory subscription to his newsletter (I know - low blow; couldn't resist).
I don't consider myself a libertarian but I have been excited to see renewed interest and energy from the libertarian corners of the conservative movement. I've always thought, though, that Ron Paul is a poor standard bearer for libertarians. I look forward to the day libertarians are a major force without the Ron Paul millstone around their necks.
Nov '11
Re: Ron Paul Speaks at UCLA, More than 5,000 Attend
Matthew Gilley: Perhaps he drew the crowd with promises of a free introductory subscription to his newsletter (I know - low blow; couldn't resist).
· 2 hours ago
Has anyone come forward as the author of those fine pieces of literature yet? Or must I continue to cling to my far-fetched conspiracy theory, in which Lew Rockwell was the progenitor?
Nov '11
Re: Ron Paul Speaks at UCLA, More than 5,000 Attend
Matthew Gilley: Perhaps he drew the crowd with promises of a free introductory subscription to his newsletter (I know - low blow; couldn't resist).
I don't consider myself a libertarian but I have been excited to see renewed interest and energy from the libertarian corners of the conservative movement. I've always thought, though, that Ron Paul is a poor standard bearer for libertarians. I look forward to the day libertarians are a major force without the Ron Paul millstone around their necks. · 11 hours ago
Yeah, well, Gary Johnson tried, but they wouldn't let him in the debates. He was excluded based on polls where his name didn't appear in the poll. That and RP sucked all the libertarian oxygen out of the room.
But he'll probably be the LP nominee, and he might make an impact, since he's a successful two term governor.
Dec '10
Re: Ron Paul Speaks at UCLA, More than 5,000 Attend
Mothership_Greg
Has anyone come forward as the author of those fine pieces of literature yet? Or must I continue to cling to my far-fetched conspiracy theory, in which Lew Rockwell was the progenitor? · 10 hours ago
Of course Rockwell wrote them. Rep. Paul appears to be too much of a stand-up guy to admit it and throw him under the bus.
Or, perhaps, that opens up a whole new interest in the relationship between Paul, Rothbard, Rockwell, and the Birchers that none of them are particularly interested in becoming common knowledge.
I say this, mind you, as a Ron Paul sympathizer.