January 8, 2008
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Amanda and I were watching the news last night (the good ol’ Newshour) and a story ran about how strong McCain is looking in New Hampshire for today’s primary. They made a big deal about how well he was doing in New Hampshire “despite” his fourth place finish in Iowa. I groaned and said to Amanda, “You know he didn’t campaign at all in Iowa.” And she says, “I know.” Look at her, becoming all political junkie on us!
I really have no idea whom I’ll be voting for in November, or whom I want to become the next president. I do think that all the candidates in the (exceptionally wide) field would make perfectly competent presidents. I’m also betting on there being at least one viable independent or third-party ticket emerging after the primaries.
I have leanings toward Ron Paul. I have to say, though, this article on him published online today in the New Republic has me troubled. He has been producing a quarterly newsletter since 1978, and the reporter dug up some of the lost pre-1999 issues. The key paragraph from the article: “What they [the newsletters] reveal are decades worth of obsession with conspiracies,
sympathy for the right-wing militia movement, and deeply held bigotry
against blacks, Jews, and gays. In short, they suggest that Ron Paul is
not the plain-speaking antiwar activist his supporters believe they are
backing–but rather a member in good standing of some of the oldest and
ugliest traditions in American politics.”
Comments (4)
I need to figure out which primary I’m voting in… MA allows you to be registered to vote without registering for a party– you choose a primary to vote in and then can go back to being partyless. I’m a fan of the system. So, should I temporarily go republican or democrat?
I’m a fan of that system as well. (Btw, welcome back to the United States!) Since MA’s primary is on Super Duper Tuesday (as the schmucks have dubbed it), I’d wait to see what happens in the other states–Nevada, South Carolina, Florida, Michigan–and if it causes any of the candidates to effectively drop out, or others (e.g., Rudy, Bill Richardson) to make a big jump. I honestly don’t think I could choose today if I were you.
Klotz,
Here’s the text of the press release from Ron Paul. http://www.ronpaul2008.com/press-releases/
Micah
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” Press Releases › Ron Paul Statement on The New Republic Article Regarding Old Newsletters
January 8, 2008 5:28 am EST
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – In response to an article published by The New Republic, Ron Paul issued the following statement:
“The quotations in The New Republic article are not mine and do not represent what I believe or have ever believed. I have never uttered such words and denounce such small-minded thoughts.
“In fact, I have always agreed with Martin Luther King, Jr. that we should only be concerned with the content of a person’s character, not the color of their skin. As I stated on the floor of the U.S. House on April 20, 1999: ‘I rise in great respect for the courage and high ideals of Rosa Parks who stood steadfastly for the rights of individuals against unjust laws and oppressive governmental policies.’
“This story is old news and has been rehashed for over a decade. It’s once again being resurrected for obvious political reasons on the day of the New Hampshire primary.
“When I was out of Congress and practicing medicine full-time, a newsletter was published under my name that I did not edit. Several writers contributed to the product. For over a decade, I have publicly taken moral responsibility for not paying closer attention to what went out under my name.” “
Yeah, here’s another rebuttal to the TNR stuff, which isn’t really a new story: http://www.freemarketnews.com/WorldNews.asp?nid=41721
Don’t take that to mean that I think it isn’t troubling, because it is, but I do think that this is the sort of thing that happens to most public figures at some point. At the end of the day, I’m going to vote for the only candidate who is unambiguously anti-abortion and anti-torture.