"A black sheriff?!": The Official Topic of Obama and New Era American Politics

[Joe Molotov]

Too bad we can't fire these candidates and get some other ones.

[Phoenix Dark]

[Great Rumbler]

Wait...WHO, exactly, is blinded by Barack Obama-induced anger?

[Dickie Dee]

"I started at the bottom like other freshly minted MBA's...you wonder if you're gonna hang on to your job."

hahahahaha

[Phoenix Dark]

Perhaps the funniest thing about this goes back to the Romney camp's distortion of Obama's words in ads


which they defended by claiming all ads are "propaganda" anyway and if Obama said it, it must be accurate. Now the argument is that Romney was quoted out of context here - which is true BUT even watching the full video will give you the perception of a guy who is far out of touch with the average person.

I don't know anyone who frames service choices in terms of liking being able to fire people. Yes, people like options, people like being able to switch to better services if they are available...but when you change plumbers or caterers for instance, do you enjoy firing that person or business? jeez

(also if Romney likes having choices, why is he against Obamacare again..?)

[Mandark]

I actually read some of No Apologies, and Romney's very big on creative destruction.

[Phoenix Dark]

Chris Matthews omg
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/09/chris-matthews-romney-dog-mom-jeans_n_1193959.html?ref=media

[Cheebo]

If you ever wanted to see a picture of Tim Burton and Obama your wish has been granted.


Some new book coming out reveals Tim Burton & Johnny Depp put on a Alice in Wonderland themed Halloween party for Obamas daughters  and Tim Burton personally redesigned the White House ballroom for them but the White House didn't let the press know or let any pictures get released to the public because they worried it'd look too extravegent during the bad economy.

lol wtf? 

[Phoenix Dark]

I saw that on Drudge lol. The bigger question here: why does Obama always dress exactly the same every Halloween? Dress shirt and sweater smh. If he wins maybe he'll get bolder and dress as Lando or something

[Human Snorenado]

If I were Obama I would dress as Lando everyday, and I'd also make sure to get photographed with a Colt 45 as often as possible to troll the racists.  I'M RICH BITCH!

[Great Rumbler]

extravagant

[Phoenix Dark]

extravagant

They're dressed like European royalty!

[Dickie Dee]

Sen. Rand Paul: Civil Rights Act Was Overreach Because "I Can't Have A Cigar Bar Anymore"

These people man, these people.

[Phoenix Dark]

But the Pauls support drug law reform, which is the true litmus test of racial sensitivity in the 21st century

[Human Snorenado]

There was a great post on digby's blog about a week ago about why anyone who is a democrat or liberal and supports Paul is basically a fucktard. 

Found it:

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/no-stoller-and-sullivan-there-is-no.html

[benjipwns]

Dixville Notch results:
Jon Huntsman - 2
Mitt Romney - 2
Ron Paul - 1
Newt Gingrich - 1

[Damian79]

That link is wrong all over the place.  It makes many wrong assumptions.

Ron Paul is against the drug war, yes, but for the same reasons he is against preventing factories from dumping mercury in our rivers: he opposes any sort of intervention at all by the government to assist those in need, or to stop those who would do harm to others, except in the most simplistic cases of the use of force.

Not true.  While it isnt really related to this particualr issue, Ron Paul would allow gay marriage because it doesnt harm other people.  So inline with that he woudlnt allow companies ot harm other people.


...  I just read further.  The amount of bile in that link and no real substance makes it not worthy of any real response.

Ron Paul: Secret Homophobe or Misunderstood Ally?

Posted: 12/28/11 02:43 PM ET

 


In the interest of full disclosure, I avow that I have not directly contributed funds to any candidates or political parties during this election cycle. All my prior campaign contributions should be available online.

With the Iowa caucuses less than a week away, with many legal issues affecting the queer community subject to debate and potential power shifts next year, and with nearly one third of self-identified lesbigay voters recently having voted Republican, a current Republican frontrunner, Rep. Ron Paul, recently has been under fire for vile things -- not so recently -- written under his name, regarding racial minorities, religious minorities, and queer people.

Imagine a candidate who, more than 15 years ago, fundraised and attempted to garner financial and political support from a group of people based on a letter taking a political position offensive to many U.S. voters. That letter was sent from "Friends of" the candidate, contained the candidate's name and signature, and misstated a position that offends many U.S. voters today, 15 years later.

Over a decade later, that formerly obscure candidate starts to matter in politics. And in an attempt to deflect attention from that letter, the candidate's communications director suggests that the document from the 1990s was a fake, "filled out by someone else," not the candidate.

Ron Paul?

Hardly.

The candidate from 15 years ago is now President Barack Obama.

Specifically, the letter, dated Feb. 15, 1996, addressed by "Friends of Barack Obama," signed by "Barack Obama, Candidate for State Senate, 13th District," supported equal marriage rights for lesbian and gay couples.

But as recently as June 17, 2011, President Obama's communications director, Dan Pfeiffer, stated, "If you actually go back and look, that questionnaire was actually filled out by someone else, not the president."

Regarding Rep. Paul, a number of people are implying that Ron Paul may be racist for what was written years ago under Paul's name.

Yet history shows that in 1979, Rep. Paul was the only Texas House Republican to vote in favor of making Rev. Martin Luther King Day a national holiday -- hardly a racist use of political power.

Compared Rep. Paul's vote with that of the most recent GOP presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain. Despite no racist newsletters appearing under his name, John McCain voted against recognizing a national holiday for Rev. King.

Which matters more: newsletters or votes that carry the force of law for millions of people?

And what's written under Ron Paul's name relative to queer people should disgust any reasonable person. But as President Obama demonstrated, what's written under a candidate's name simply doesn't equate to that candidate's ultimate use of power: how the candidate votes.

Examining Votes Ron Paul Has Cast on Political Issues Important to Many Queer Advocates

Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA)

Ron Paul voted against the George-W.-Bush-pushed FMA in both 2004 and 2006. If unfamiliar, think of the FMA as a nationwide Prop 8, nullifying all marriages between persons of the same sex in the U.S, regardless of where a couple lived or married.

Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)

While Ron Paul stated that he supports DOMA, DOMA is a complex law. Evidencing DOMA's complexity is the pro-queer legal community's general strategy of attacking DOMA Section 3, not DOMA's entirety.

Because I could find nothing in which Paul specifically addressed DOMA Section 3 rather than DOMA in its entirety (including legislative history, as Paul wasn't a member of Congress during the DOMA vote), I requested comment from the Paul campaign on short notice. I did not receive a response prior to submitting this piece. (I'll include an update should I receive a response.)

My guess is that if specifically asked regarding support for DOMA Section 3, Paul would answer no. My further suspicion is that since he supports most of DOMA, Paul can justify saying that he supports DOMA, enabling him to pander to the party primary base.

Even if Paul supports DOMA entirely, President Clinton signed all of DOMA into law, despite being hailed as possibly having "courted the gay vote" more than any other prior candidate. President Clinton's campaign messages didn't equate with his "voting" as president.

Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT)

Of 167 Republican House members voting on the repeal DADT in May 2010, Ron Paul was one of only five GOP members to break with his party and vote for DADT's repeal. Thus, independent of 97 percent of his party's House delegation, Ron Paul supported DADT's repeal, even before the Pentagon survey that many GOP members demanded prior to permitting a vote on DADT. Following release of the report, which allowed DADT to receive a vote in the full Congress, of 179 Republican House members at that time, Ron Paul was one of only 15 who voted to repeal DADT last December.

Unlike 91 percent of his party's House delegation, unlike Sen. John McCain, the GOP's "moderate" presidential candidate in 2008 (and unlike President Clinton, who signed DADT into law), Ron Paul's vote helped queer advocates achieve a landmark victory for many (albeit not enough) people wishing to serve this country openly and honestly.

Conclusion

What gets written under a candidate's name or signature doesn't necessarily reflect that candidate's views or how that candidate will govern.

Comparing President Obama's old letters with his governance regarding equal civil marriage rights for same-sex couples demonstrates a disturbing cognitive dissonance.

President Clinton's pro-queer speeches compared with his use of power in office by signing DADT and DOMA into law demonstrated his beliefs about how queer people should be treated under the law, regardless of his folksy demeanor in courting our vote and funding.

No newsletters may exist evidencing an anti-queer bias from moderate Republican John McCain, but McCain's votes on a recognizing national holiday for Rev. King or repealing DADT may argue otherwise.

As a result, a meaningful disconnect exists between political candidates' disavowed solicitations and those candidates' demonstrated use of power once elected.

I will not be voting Republican in my state's upcoming primary, which means I will not be voting for Ron Paul. But if you plan to vote Republican in your state's primary or caucus, and if queer rights are important factors in determining which GOP candidate earns your approval, then how Ron Paul has wielded the power that his constituents gave him (i.e., his voting record, and not the noise about outdated newsletters and campaign solicitations) deserves your scrutiny, consideration, and perhaps your support.

Because your decisions today become our likely collective choices in November, please be thoughtful in using your vote to help decide which candidates stay and which ones sashay away.

[Mandark]

That link is wrong all over the place.  It makes many wrong assumptions.

Ron Paul is against the drug war, yes, but for the same reasons he is against preventing factories from dumping mercury in our rivers: he opposes any sort of intervention at all by the government to assist those in need, or to stop those who would do harm to others, except in the most simplistic cases of the use of force.

Not true.

Not only is it true, but it's the whole point of his campaign.

If you think Ron Paul is interested in "intervention by the government to assist those in need" then I'm not sure we're talking about the same guy.

[Human Snorenado]

Damian79 is one of those libertopians who like to pop up like so many groundhogs, see an imaginary shadow and vanish again for months on end.

[Joe Molotov]

Not true.  While it isnt really related to this particualr issue, Ron Paul would allow gay marriage because it doesnt harm other people.  So inline with that he woudlnt allow companies ot harm other people.

Ron Paul thinks gay marriage should be a states issue, which is virtually the same thing as being for a ban.

[TakingBackSunday]

Ugh good lord, this was posted in my facebook feed:

http://www.mrconservative.com/2012/01/letters-from-21-female/

the girl who posted it is 20 years old and her parents pay for EVERYTHING -- school, car payments, CC debt, groceries.  she has no income whatsoever.

fuck young republicans; so rare and yet so humiliating

[Mupepe]

or Texas

[TakingBackSunday]

I don't pay attention to the bible belt

[TakingBackSunday]

I pay for my car payments, textbooks, and take out loans for school.  I'm trying to ween myself off!

[MrAngryFace]

I just hate young republicans, buncha fuckin asssholessssssssssssssssssssss

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Your parents pay for all your shit too, loser.

 

[Oblivion]

Huh, so the primary's over already? Thought it wouldn't be til much later like the Iowa stuff.

[Van Cruncheon]

man, that's one thinly veiled POOR (BLACK) PEOPLE ON WELFARE SHOULD LOOK AND ACT MORE LIKE GRATEFUL POOR (BLACK) PEOPLE AND QUIT MAKING ME ANGRY THAT THEY MIGHT BE ENJOYING LIFE ON MY DOLLA episode of pissin' downward, because trickling on someone else's head apparently helps you ignore the river pouring onto your own. i'm starting to suspect that the defining american cultural characteristics are a) a complete lack of perspective; and b) navel-gazing pettiness derived from (a). my reaction to idiot screed like that is universally a "why the fuck do i care? i got 99 problems, myself, but giving a shit about an artifact of the ongoing culture war -- a "bitch", in the parlance of the hated underclass -- ain't one."

i need to get SUPER ELITE WEALTHY PLUS ALPHA so i can write missives one level up from that, complaining about entitled middle-class people who think that they deserve an education and roads and safe/healthy working environments and protection from their own criminal element. WHAT ARE US WEALTHY OLIGARCHS, i would publically opine, THEIR PARENTS? FIGURE IT OUT! THIS IS AMERICA!

[Oblivion]

man, that's one thinly veiled

Ah, if only.

[Van Cruncheon]

inasmuch as i do not factor the anecdotal waste of my HARD-EARNED TAX DOLLAZ BY PO'BUCKERS into my greater political sensibility, neither do i consider the complete literal-mindedness, binary weltanschauung, and general illiteracy of the average libertarian douchemensch when i spit my science on y'all

[Van Cruncheon]

plus i consider giving homie d. rompenstomp $322.55 a month to buy phat rims or phat bluntz or phat asses or whatever a FAR better use of my money than, say, the REALITY of having it re-routed into some crazy-ass poor red state's fucktarded deficit infrastructure that spends it persecuting homersekshulz or closing abortion clinics -- and yet i somehow DEAL WITH IT

[Phoenix Dark]

Many states already regulate what foods can and can't be bought with food stamps; Michigan comes to mind. I'd imagine most people support regulations on what can be bought with government assistance. The problem I have is that conservatives treat this as THE top issue of wasteful spending when it's not even close. Same with earmark obsessions

That inventory shit though, smh. OH shit an 360, throw them in the hole. Also the voting restriction ha...as if we needed another example of conservative attempts to dehumanize/un-Americanize opponents

[Van Cruncheon]

so does washington, with the wic program. of course, there's a thriving black market for the exchange of wic certificates and stamps for booze and drugs and shitty electronic goods (and maybe even RIMZ!!!!), but, fuck, that would ALSO happen under little miss gentry's plan as well. y'know what? people are people. there will always be a margin of error. there will always be a pareto distribution for work. focus on what YOU can contribute to keeping the machine  of society moving forward, and not on the occasional freeloader. (if you need SOCIAL JUSTICE!!!! REPUBLICAN EDITION, please remember that being poor, even with all the xboxes and RIMZ!!! they are swimming in, is a miserable and shitty way to exist, period.)

[Damian79]

Not only is it true, but it's the whole point of his campaign.

If you think Ron Paul is interested in "intervention by the government to assist those in need" then I'm not sure we're talking about the same guy.

I dont agree with that either.  I believe Ron Paul is interested in "no government intervention unless it harms someone".

[Phoenix Dark]

Not only is it true, but it's the whole point of his campaign.

If you think Ron Paul is interested in "intervention by the government to assist those in need" then I'm not sure we're talking about the same guy.

I dont agree with that either.  I believe Ron Paul is interested in "no government intervention unless it harms someone".

like the civil rights act oh wait

[Van Cruncheon]

well, civil rights DO diminish the opportunities for the overclass

[Positive Touch]

missouri also, of course.  we took it so far that now we have drug testing for welfare recipents!  because we know all poor people really want is drugs - which is why they are poor - and rich people are all moral hard working people that just want to make sure their money goes towards something good.  never mind that a drug test costs $700+

[recursivelyenumerable]

I bought an xbox for my sister months ago and haven't bothered sending it to her yet

[Positive Touch]

Not only is it true, but it's the whole point of his campaign.

If you think Ron Paul is interested in "intervention by the government to assist those in need" then I'm not sure we're talking about the same guy.

I dont agree with that either.  I believe Ron Paul is interested in "no government intervention unless it harms someone".

i believe like most ron paul supporters you have no idea what the fuck his actual positions are

[Phoenix Dark]

I bought an xbox for my sister months ago and haven't bothered sending it to her yet

interstate welfare commerce?!?

[Oblivion]

(if you need SOCIAL JUSTICE!!!! REPUBLICAN EDITION, please remember that being poor, even with all the xboxes and RIMZ!!! they are swimming in, is a miserable and shitty way to exist, period.)

I've learned speaking with people like my ex-roommates that by definition you can't have an xbox AND be miserable at the same time. These are people that think that ANY goodies provided by the gubment outweigh any all negatives that may also come about. These are people who think that there is not only a permanent poor class who thrives on welfare, but in fact, an additional group of people who ALREADY make good money, who are actually dying of any opportunity to quit their jobs to live on the dole (temporarily embarrassed filthy poor?).

I've joked in the past that if the government offered free wheelchairs, conservatives would bitch that it would provide people an incentive to break their legs. But with each passing day that seems to be less and less of a joke.  :'(

[Van Cruncheon]

Not only is it true, but it's the whole point of his campaign.

If you think Ron Paul is interested in "intervention by the government to assist those in need" then I'm not sure we're talking about the same guy.

I dont agree with that either.  I believe Ron Paul is interested in "no government intervention unless it harms someone".

i believe like ron paul himself you have no idea what the fuck his actual positions are

fixed

[Van Cruncheon]

missouri also, of course.  we took it so far that now we have drug testing for welfare recipents!  because we know all poor people really want is drugs - which is why they are poor - and rich people are all moral hard working people that just want to make sure their money goes towards something good.  never mind that a drug test costs $700+

i was told by a very wealthy upper manager from ad agency cole & weber that the ONLY reason to get and stay rich is to keep yourself in good drugs

[Damian79]

like the civil rights act oh wait

(skip to after 2 minutes where he gets the chance to speak)


I dont see what is wrong with what he has said.  Equality comes from voluntary acceptance of each other like in sports.  When you force equality it doesnt work that well.  People in America are far more racist than people in Australia or Europe.  He also said he woudl have gotten rid of those laws that say black peopel cannot use government benches or taps.  He just doesnt agree tht people with private property shouldnt be allowed to discriminate.  When people discriminate with private property people who dont like discrimination wiill discriminate againt them and they will lose business.

[Great Rumbler]

like the civil rights act oh wait

Equality comes from voluntary acceptance of each other like in sports.

The Civil Rights Act is the 15 yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct by the White team.

[Van Cruncheon]

like the civil rights act oh wait

(skip to after 2 minutes where he gets the chance to speak)


I dont see what is wrong with what he has said.  Equality comes from voluntary acceptance of each other like in sports.  When you force equality it doesnt work that well.  People in America are far more racist than people in Australia or Europe.  He also said he woudl have gotten rid of those laws that say black peopel cannot use government benches or taps.  He just doesnt agree tht people with private property shouldnt be allowed to discriminate.  When people discriminate with private property people who dont like discrimination wiill discriminate againt them and they will lose business.

gee, 200 thousand years of human anthropology would like a word with ron "doesn't believe in evolution" paul.

[Damian79]

like the civil rights act oh wait

(skip to after 2 minutes where he gets the chance to speak)


I dont see what is wrong with what he has said.  Equality comes from voluntary acceptance of each other like in sports.  When you force equality it doesnt work that well.  People in America are far more racist than people in Australia or Europe.  He also said he woudl have gotten rid of those laws that say black peopel cannot use government benches or taps.  He just doesnt agree tht people with private property shouldnt be allowed to discriminate.  When people discriminate with private property people who dont like discrimination wiill discriminate againt them and they will lose business.

gee, 200 thousand years of human anthropology would like a word with ron "doesn't believe in evolution" paul.

I would argue against that but this is the politics thread not the evolution thread.

[Van Cruncheon]

more accurately, you would attempt to argue an untenable observation, i would dismantle you like so much epistemological tagboard, you would continue with even greater conviction in your silly beliefs because that sort of cognitive behavior is ironically fundamental to human sociocultural and tribal wiring, and we both would have wasted our time. for this, i blame ron paul.

[Damian79]

Yeah you believe that.    I dont feel like getting into an evolution debate anyway.

[Oblivion]

oh god:

    Rick Santorum said Monday that comments he made last week in Iowa about food stamps that some construed as racially charged were the result of his having been tongue-tied and were not a reference to black people.

    Moreover, he said he has done more in black communities “than any Republican in recent memory.”

    He maintains that he did not say “black” people’s lives but rather stumbled verbally when he was trying to say “people’s lives” and uttered a short syllable that came out as “plives.”

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/01/10/401322/santorum-tries-again-to-defend-racist-welfare-rant-i-said-plives-not-black/

[Dickie Dee]

Equality comes from voluntary acceptance of each other like in sports.

[Great Rumbler]

Remember, guys, in sports you don't need referees or league officials, you just need a voluntary acceptance among the individual teams!

[benjipwns]

Exit polls: http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/primaries/states/new-hampshire/exit-polls

Of those satisfied with the choice of candidates 47% went for Romney. Of those not, 53% went for Huntsman and Paul.

41% of those satisfied with Obama went for Huntsman (31% for Paul, 20% for Romney) and those angry about Obama went 46% for Romney (19% Paul, 15% Santorum).

[Mandark]

I just logged on, and see that Prole wrote a bunch of ranty posts full of $20 words.  Aw, yeah.  This is like when I checked my TiVo a few months ago and found a new episode of Archer that I wasn't expecting.


also

Equality comes from voluntary acceptance of each other like in sports.

Pleasepleaseplease newsfeed.

[AdmiralViscen]

like the civil rights act oh wait

(skip to after 2 minutes where he gets the chance to speak)


I dont see what is wrong with what he has said.  Equality comes from voluntary acceptance of each other like in sports.  When you force equality it doesnt work that well.  People in America are far more racist than people in Australia or Europe.  He also said he woudl have gotten rid of those laws that say black peopel cannot use government benches or taps.  He just doesnt agree tht people with private property shouldnt be allowed to discriminate.  When people discriminate with private property people who dont like discrimination wiill discriminate againt them and they will lose business.

What if Mississippi in the 1960s was a place where people who don't like non-racists stop shopping at stores that let black people in, and THOSE stores go out of business?

[Van Cruncheon]

I just logged on, and see that Prole wrote a bunch of ranty posts full of $20 words.  Aw, yeah.  This is like when I checked my TiVo a few months ago and found a new episode of Archer that I wasn't expecting.


also

Equality comes from voluntary acceptance of each other like in sports.

Pleasepleaseplease newsfeed.

yes, news feed this

[benjipwns]

I guess this is part of the Gingrich "carpet bombing" campaign:


http://www.kingofbain.com/

“We’re going to release a short, 27-minute film that is well-documented, and tells the real story of Mitt Romney at Bain Capital—and it’s not a pretty story,” says Rick Tyler, an adviser to the Gingrich-supporting PAC Winning Our Future.

The video, called When Mitt Romney Came to Town, is a slick production focusing on Romney’s tenure as CEO of Bain Capital, a private investment firm.

Apparently they're going to run it on TV in South Carolina before the primary.

Republicans/conservatives aren't happy with Newt:
http://decoded.nationaljournal.com/2012/01/gop-establishment-tries-to-rei.php
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204257504577152861984676368.html

"Newt Gingrich's attacks on Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital are disgusting," Club for Growth President Chris Chocola said in a statement Monday night. "There are a number of issues for Mitt Romney's Republican opponents to attack him for, but attacking him for making investments in companies to create a profit for his investors is just wrong.''

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh said Gingrich "is using the language of the left.''

The National Review weighed in on Gingrich's line of attack this morning, calling it "foolish and destructive.'' Former New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg joined the anti-Gingrich bandwagon in an interview with MSNBC's Chuck Todd. "We are a market economy,'' he said. Added Rep. Frank Gunta, sitting to his left: "I don't think (these attacks) belong in a Republican primary.''

[Stoney Mason]

Well its going to be Romney with the nomination. Not my ideal choice since I actually think people are dumb enough to vote for that dude but what ever.

I do find it amusing that established conservative figures are having such a hard time beating Ron Paul. Think about that for a second and realize how messed up that is.

[Oblivion]

I guess this is part of the Gingrich "carpet bombing" campaign:


Republicans/conservatives aren't happy with Newt:
http://decoded.nationaljournal.com/2012/01/gop-establishment-tries-to-rei.php
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204257504577152861984676368.html

"Newt Gingrich's attacks on Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital are disgusting," Club for Growth President Chris Chocola said in a statement Monday night. "There are a number of issues for Mitt Romney's Republican opponents to attack him for, but attacking him for making investments in companies to create a profit for his investors is just wrong.''

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh said Gingrich "is using the language of the left.''

The National Review weighed in on Gingrich's line of attack this morning, calling it "foolish and destructive.'' Former New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg joined the anti-Gingrich bandwagon in an interview with MSNBC's Chuck Todd. "We are a market economy,'' he said. Added Rep. Frank Gunta, sitting to his left: "I don't think (these attacks) belong in a Republican primary.''

That really IS a very strange video that Newt's peddling. It could have come straight out of moveon.org.

[Human Snorenado]

Well its going to be Romney with the nomination. Not my ideal choice since I actually think people are dumb enough to vote for that dude but what ever.

I do find it amusing that established conservative figures are having such a hard time beating Ron Paul. Think about that for a second and realize how messed up that is.

Hard time my ass.  There are about 20-23% of the electorate that will bother showing up for a primary that will vote for Paul.  He's not gonna gain any more no matter who drops out because he's already at his ceiling, which consists of the following:  libertarians, stupid young people, and Glenn Greenwald.  That's it.  Ron Paul will never win anything.