Who Are These Kooks?
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
By Pastor Chuck Baldwin
According to the Associated
Press, "Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul's supporters raised
over $6 million Sunday to boost the 10-term congressman's campaign for
the White House."
The AP report also said, "The [Paul] campaign's previous fundraiser brought
in $4.2 million."
According to the Paul campaign website, "In a 24-hour period on December 16, the
campaign raised $6.026 million dollars, surpassing the one-day record
of $5.7 million held by John Kerry.
"During the day, over 58,000 people contributed to Dr. Paul's campaign, including
24,940 first-time donors. Over 118,000 Americans have donated to the campaign
in the fourth quarter.
"The $6 million one-day total means the campaign has raised over $18 million
this quarter, far exceeding its goal of $12 million."
Now, if one listens to most of the political pundits in the major media, Ron
Paul is some kind of "kook," and his supporters are also a bunch of "kooks."
So, the question must be asked, Just who are these kooks that are supporting
him, and where did they get all this money?
First, let's take a look at this "kook" who is receiving all this money. Ron
Paul was born the third son of Howard and Margaret Paul, and was brought
up with a work ethic in which one worked six days a week and went to church
on Sunday. His first job was at age 5 helping his uncle wash bottles.
He worked all the way through his youth mowing lawns, delivering newspapers,
working in a drug store, delivering furniture and laundry, etc.
In high school, Ron was a track star, winning state as a junior in the 220-yard
dash and running 2nd in the 440. His time in the 100-yard dash was 9.8.
That's pretty good. I was never able to break 10-flat in the 100. Although,
I bet I could have beaten him in the 50-yard dash. He also wrestled in
high school. Coincidentally, so did I. But here Ron leaves me: he was
president of the student council and an honor student. I never accomplished
that. I was just glad to get promoted to the next grade. Even as a senior
statesman, Ron Paul keeps himself in terrific shape. Have you seen him
lately? He still maintains a rigorous exercise regimen.
Ron's two brothers are both ministers, and he became a medical doctor. He graduated
from Duke University School of Medicine. When the Cuban Missile Crisis
arose, Ron became a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force. He also served
in the Air National Guard.
As an OB/GYN physician, Dr. Paul has delivered more than 4,000 babies, and he
and his wife, Carol, have been married for more than 50 years. They have
5 children, 18 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. Ron Paul is currently
in his 10th term as a Congressman from Texas.
As a congressman, Ron Paul has never taken a government-paid junket. He is
not accepting a government pension. He returns a portion of his office
budget every year to the taxpayers. As a member of Congress, he has never
voted a raise for himself. Do you know any other member of Congress that
can make such a claim? Of course you don't, because Ron Paul is truly
one-of-a-kind.
Former President Ronald Reagan said this about Ron Paul, "Ron Paul is one of
the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a
former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces,
and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country."
Perhaps this helps explain why many of the "kooks" supporting Ron Paul are active-duty
military personnel. In fact, Ron Paul has received more campaign contributions
from active-duty military personnel than any other Presidential candidate
from either party.
But who are the other "kooks" supporting Ron Paul? What kind of people give
more than $18 million in a quarter-year to a Presidential candidate that
is almost universally ignored by the mainstream press? What kind of people
give record contributions to a Presidential candidate that is lampooned
by his fellow Republican presidential contenders?
For example, Mike Huckabee recently said he could support any of the other
Republican Presidential contenders (including Rudy Giuliani), except Ron
Paul. That means, Mike Huckabee would rather support a pro-abortion, pro-gay
marriage, pro-gun control liberal such as Giuliani than support the pro-life,
pro-traditional marriage, pro-Second Amendment candidacy of Ron Paul.
Why is that?
Furthermore, why are the entire major media and establishment Republican machine either
ignoring or lampooning a distinguished Air Force veteran, medical doctor,
and ten-term Congressman? What is it about Ron Paul that the elite are
so afraid of?
Here is something else: while Ron Paul's contributions have exploded, Mike
Huckabee is all but broke! How can that be? How can a political "front-runner"
be out of money, while a man who "doesn't have a chance" is breaking fundraising
records?
So, who are these "kooks" who are sending Ron Paul so much money? And just
why are they sending him so much money? I will tell you who they are,
because I am one of them. They are rank-and-file, tax-paying citizens
who are sick and tired of out-of-control federal spending and deficits.
They have had it with an arrogant federal government that runs roughshod
over both the Constitution and the liberties of the American people. They
are people who have had enough of the IRS, the
BATFE
, and a thousand other
federal agencies that have "erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent
hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance."
(Declaration of Independence)
They are people who see through the phony, disingenuous federal politicians
who only want to fleece the American citizenry for the purpose of building
their own personal fortunes. They have had it with the Military-Industrial
complex that desires to build international empires at the expense of
the blood and sacrifice of the American people. They have had it with
David Rockefeller and his Council on Foreign Relations. They have had
it with the arrogance of George W. Bush and Nancy Pelosi.
They are sick and tired of paying outlandish taxes for a public education system
that produces high school graduates who cannot read and write. They are
sick and tired of working for 30 years to pay off a mortgage, only then
to be forced to pay extortion money (a.k.a. property taxes) for the rest
of their lives to the feudal state. They are sick and tired of the government
telling them what they can and cannot do with their own property. They
are sick and tired of watching people with food stamps buy T-bone steaks
and expensive Nike tennis shoes while they are forced to buy fatty hamburger
and cheap sneakers.
They are sick and tired of watching their manufacturing jobs go to China and
India. They have had it with money-hungry businessmen who hire illegal
Mexicans at slave labor wages. They have had it with labor unions promoting
politicians who support
NAFTA
,
CAFTA
, and the
FTAA
. They are sick and tired of being bled dry at the gas pump.
They have had it with this phony "war on terrorism" that sends trillions of
dollars to nations throughout the Middle East, but refuses to close our
own borders to illegal immigration. They have had it with the "war on
drugs" and the "war on terror" being used as excuses to trample people's
freedoms. They have it with Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderon. They have
had it with Bush's North American Union. They have had it with Joel Osteen
and Rick Warren. In short, they have just had it!
They also know that a vote for any other Presidential candidate is a vote for
more of the same. Democrat or Republican: it is more of the same. Ron
Paul, and Ron Paul alone, will bring a revolution of freedom and independence
to America. Believe me, the Ron Paul revolution is bigger than Ron Paul.
This is the beginning of a movement.
No matter what ultimately happens to Ron Paul's candidacy, the fight to return America
to its roots of freedom and independence has started. The fire is lit.
There is no putting it out. There will be other Ron Pauls, other campaigns,
other spokesmen, other fundraising. The people supporting Ron Paul will
not be silenced; they will not be ignored; they will not be intimidated.
In truth, Ron Paul's campaign may just be the beginning of the end of
the elitist, globalist, stranglehold over America.
As one who is also fed up with the globalist goons that dominate the two major
parties, I join the Ron Paul revolution and vow to fight for the rest
of my life for the freedom and independence of these United States. This
means I will never again support a business-as-usual, millionaires-club,
globalist toady from either party ever again! I will only support candidates
who are fully committed to restoring constitutional government. If that
makes me a kook, so be it.
Chuck Baldwin is Founder-Pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. In 1985 the church was recognized by President Ronald Reagan for its unusual growth and influence.
Dr. Baldwin is the host of a lively, hard-hitting syndicated radio talk show on the Genesis Communications Network called, "Chuck Baldwin Live" This is a daily, one hour long call-in show in which Dr. Baldwin addresses current event topics from a conservative Christian point of view. Pastor Baldwin writes weekly articles on the internet http://www.ChuckBaldwinLive.com and newspapers.
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