Paul Brings Populist Message To Supporters In Fort Wayne
Posted
Tim Robertson-trobertson@timesuniononline.com
FORT WAYNE - U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R) may not be leading in the polls, but that didn't seem to matter much to almost 1,500 people who showed up to see him speak in Fort Wayne Monday.
Paul spoke at a "Freedom Rally" in Auer Auditorium at IPFW. The congressman from Texas told his supporters that, though his opponent Sen. John McCain is the presumptive Republican nominee for president, he doesn't intend to stop campaigning."We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, next week or in November, but we do know if our message doesn't get out, it will be bad for this country," Paul said. "So, that is the job we must pursue."
Paul has focused his campaign on economic and personal liberty. He said the Constitution has been largely ignored in recent years as the U.S. government has pursued restrictive policies domestically and a wasteful, irresponsible foreign policy. Paul said, if elected, he would support an end to the war in Iraq, repealing the Patriot Act and elimination of the Internal Revenue Service. He also opposes government restrictions placed on food and drugs.
"The Constitution was written to restrain the government," Paul said, "never to restrain the people."
Paul spoke to a diverse crowd Monday. Senior citizens and college students wearing "Ron Paul Revolution" t-shirts, parents with young children hoisting "Save Our Country" and "Ron Paul: Hope for America" signs, responded to with multiple standing ovations during Paul's speech.
"The one thing that's characteristic of our crowd is that we look like everybody," Paul said. "We're not threatening, therefore people come together that might not have any other reasons to get together."
Max Beer, Milford, was in the crowd. Beer said he has been a supporter of Paul's since Paul ran for president on the Libertarian ticket in 1988. Beer said he calls Paul's hotline for legislative updates every week.
"He gives me the unadulterated truth about what's going on in Washington," Beer said, "and it's generally not good."
Beer said he appreciates Paul's emphasis on Constitutionalism and his approach to foreign policy.
"Ron Paul is standing up for our Constitution and not for us being the world's policeman," Beer said.
Beer said he feels Paul is one of the rare candidates who actually represents his values.
"Our politicians in Washington have all sold out to the military industrial corporate complex," he said.
Jonathan Boze, 21, of Winona Lake, said Paul's views on the Constitution are what really drew his support.
"I'm not as much a Paul-ite as much as I'm a constitutionalist," Boze said. "He's the only politician I've found in any position at all that actually follows the constitution and really cares about freedom and liberty."
Paul thanked the crowd for their support.
"There's no way we could have organized the campaign we've had," he said. "It came from the grassroots up, spontaneously."
Alluding to the title of his 2008 book, "The Revolution: A Manifesto," Paul said, "The revolution we're all involved in is really just love of our traditions, love of freedom. So many problems can be solved with freedom, freedom of choice. It can be summarized very simply - freedom works."
