I keep hearing about how Ron Paul is going to run for President.
I don’t think that’s the case, and here’s why:
1) Age. Ron Paul will be 77 years old in 2012. It would be tough for anyone that age to run for President. I can only imagine the grueling schedule and various annoyances that a Presidential candidate must deal with. Add advanced age into the mix and it complicates things.
2) Alternative candidates. New Mexico’s Gary Johnson is an appealing candidate who many Paul supporters could lend their energy to. Additionally, Dr. Paul has spoken well of the former Governor.
3) Rand Paul. Now that Rand Paul is in the Senate, the Congressman is likely to not only feel a sense of tremendous pride, but also understands that his tireless efforts in the U.S. House have paid off.
4) The U.S. House. The House Republican Leadership allowed Dr. Paul to Chair the House Subcommittee that oversees the Federal Reserve. With this position comes a tremendous amount of responsibility and a significant time commitment.
5) Legacy. Ron Paul’s legacy was his 2008 campaign. He changed the debate in our country and helped inspire the most dynamic political movement in American history — the Tea Party. There is less opportunity to surpass what the 2008 campaign achieved in 2012.
These are just a few of the reasons that Congressman Paul is less likely to run for President in 2012. But never say never.
On January 10th, 2011 at 1:31 pm
The pool of libertarian-leaning candidates is getting larger and larger.
Donald Trump is the latest. Hearing that he’s almost certain to run. If he does, Katy bar the door. It’s gonna be a wild ride til 2012.
On January 10th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
The Donald is a libertarian?
On January 10th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
He’s about to announce:
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?275255-Ron-Paul-family-signals-2012-run
On January 11th, 2011 at 11:05 am
I heard the Donald on Michael Savage last night. He’s got very strong opinions. He’s not a Free Trader. He’s particularly pissed off at the Chinese, and currency fluctuation. So, he’s a mixed bag.
But he can beat Obama. And that’s my main concern for 2012.
Plus I know for 110% sure, that Donald Trump was actualy born in the good ole’ USofA and is a diehard Patriot.
On January 13th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
Those are some good points, but those are only the cons. There are pros and cons to just about every action, and Ron Paul does know the Pros as well.
1)Ron did make a huge difference in 2008 but he has increased his name recognition and sta…ture since then and is potentially in a position to make an even bigger difference. I think he knows his work isn’t done.
2)He knows we are in a battle for the hearts and minds of many in the Tea Party movement. The Tea Party is being pulled in many directions he is possibly the best candidate to help sway them to a more complete and solid philosophy of liberty.
3)Gary Johnson is not Ron Paul. I do like Gary Johnson, but Ron Paul has seen that his stardom and following does not always easily pass to others. There is no way that Gary Johnson can keep together the whole coalition of current Ron Paul supporters(I know he may not actually want the whole coalition, but he couldn’t if he did want to). And he may appeal to some groups that aren’t drawn to Ron, and may even end up getting large mass appeal, possibly even more than Ron Paul, but Ron knows it is no way near a sure thing. On one side, if Ron runs, he is sure to start off with a huge money bomb and be an automatic player, and sure to at least get modest coverage during the whole race, and he’ll guarantee that we have a strong voice for liberty in all the debates. Plus, he does have the potential to break out and win. If he doesn’t run, and leaves it to Gary Johnson, we still have the potential of him breaking out and winning but I think it is at least as much of a long shot as Ron Paul winning. In addition, we don’t have any of the guarantees that we do with Ron Paul. Gary Johnson is not guaranteed to have outstanding moneybombs and have such a strong grassroots following. His campaign has the potential to be a complete flop. With Ron, we get the same upside potential, but non of the absolute downside potential.
Ron Paul said it himself:
“I know all the pros and cons, but I do listen to many supporters that seem to be so sincere and interested in what I’ve been doing…and because the young people are responding and giving the encouragement I am really thinking very seriously about it, but at this time I cannot give an answer, it is still 50-50.”
http://youtu.be/XKFnhU6RxEM (around 11:50 into the video)
I think Ron Paul will run because of the grassroots supporters that want him to run.
Just look at the 95,000 people on facebook that “Liked” the Ron Paul 2012 page. And the almost 8000 that pledged their support here:
http://www.ronpaul.com/ronpaul2012/