The Media and Ron Paul: A Love-Hate Relationship

A Story by Eric Shomo

my thoughts on the media and Ron Paul in the 2012 presidential race

Among the heat of the 2012 election coverage, Ron Paul has risen as a fearless leader in politics who has chosen to defend liberty and constitutional rights. Although many people are engaged by his words of wisdom and desire to change American policies, there are a few of these policies that make them wince. My viewpoint is that people are afraid of these ideologies because they have never before been strongly implemented in American government. Thus, Ron Paul has received much criticism for revolutionizing politics and for introducing new viewpoints regarding foreign policy, marijuana legalization, and gay rights (just to name a few). As a result, he has become a “no name” in the political race and has been ignored frequently by the media. My goal is to recognize Congressman Paul as an intelligent government leader who has had success in the past and present. He deserves much more credit and recognition than he has been given.

Congressman Paul correctly predicted the financial crisis that our great country is currently facing. With a Youtube video as proof (found at ), Ron Paul stepped up in the House a few years ago and addressed Congress about the issue. He stated the problems, warned everyone about the inevitable, and even provided solutions. Obviously, no one cared to listen. Given the current economic situation, I would have listened to his advice, and that is mainly why I would vote for him for the Republican nomination. However, his chances of becoming the GOP candidate are slim to none, mostly because the media chooses to ignore him. Thus, voters are only made aware of three other potential candidates. Ron Paul is known for his vision of cutting spending, reducing deficit, and improving the economy. If the economy is such an important issue to our nation, why is this man being ignored?

In late 2011, Ron Paul faced the worst of the media. Today, most candidates fear that the media might attack them. But Ron Paul fears that the media does not even mention him at all. Which is worse? I am sure that Ron Paul would rather be attacked by the media and win an argument rather than be ignored by the media and never get to initiate an argument in the first place. Here is a video clip of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart defending Ron Paul: It clearly shows that Ron Paul was being ignored at that point in the year, almost to an inexcusable point.

During a debate that took place on January 19^th of this year, Ron Paul was skipped over by the moderator �" or almost skipped over. The topic of discussion was about to change. However, the crowd booed and shouted until the moderator asked Ron Paul if he wanted in on the issue. To make matters more interesting, the question that was asked dealt with abortion. Ron Paul was an Obstetrician for almost his entire career. This video evidence can be found at This is a small example of Ron Paul being ignored, but it was also early on in the year.

As the months have gone by and Election Day draws ever so near, Congressman Paul has almost completely vanished from the political race spectrum. Has he given up? No. This is because he knows he is the only candidate who has the potential to not only beat Barack Obama (if given the chance), but more importantly to establish in our country a renewed sense of freedom and security.

Ron Paul’s ideals might be totally different from his opponents, but they will work if the people of the United States just trust and believe in his rhetoric. My hope is that young voters see his potential and never stray from the core beliefs he emphasizes. It has been a long time since our country has had a President who possessed the same qualities that Congressman Paul does.

Ron Paul will continue to grow old, but he will always have a lasting impact on how young people think about politics, and on a bigger level, how they view the world. His vision will not fade. It will be passed from generation to generation so that one day America will be returned to the glory days where security, freedom, and justice prevail. Ron Paul is not “losing” the battle. He has won over the hearts of many Americans; that is something worth claiming for a victory.