Ron Paul Does Not Have a ‘Cult’ Following

We hear this claim all the time: Ron Paul has a “cult-like” following. I guess because people are so devoted to him, flocking straw polls in droves while supporters of other candidates can’t be bothered to get off the couch to vote for their guy, people assume there must be some kind of cult of personality at work. Instead of asking what’s so wrong with the other candidates that they generate so little enthusiasm, critics instead assail Paul’s supporters.

Yet the Paul movement, as should be obvious, is the very opposite of a cult. For one thing, their leader hardly ever uses the word “I.” For another, they have substantive reasons for supporting him. Speak to a Ron Paul supporter and you’ll find someone who knows much more than the average person about topics like monetary policy, the Constitution, U.S. history, economics, etc. That person can give as many solid, substantive reasons for supporting Ron Paul as you have time to listen to.

Contrast this to what we often see from supporters of other candidates. They like theirs because the candidate “looks presidential,” “seems like a leader” (isn’t that kind of cultish?), was a businessman, gives a nice speech, etc. In other words, the reasons tend to be entirely based on the person as opposed to the ideas the person champions.

I am not trying to turn the accusation around and say supporters of other candidates are the real cultists, though you can see the sense in which the shoe fits. Their support for their candidates is much too fickle, as the poll fluctuations we’ve seen make clear, for the “cult” designation to work.

But for heaven’s sake, what explanation is there for the support for Herman Cain? Is it his stance on the issues? The Tea Party people supporting him are supposed to be against bank bailouts, which Cain supported. They’re supposed to be against Mitt Romney, whom Cain supported. They’re supposed to care about the debt, and Cain is criticizing Ron Paul for being too extreme in wanting to balance the budget in three years! They’re supposed to care about the economy, but Cain gave the economy a clean bill of health on September 1, 2008, on the eve of the collapse.

So Cain directly defies the principles his supporters claim in the abstract to stand for, yet they support him anyway. And people say Ron Paul’s supporters resemble a cult?

Now, now, I am not saying the Cain movement is a cult, but I am saying that it makes no sense, in light of the above, to single out Ron Paul’s supporters — of all people! — in this way.

(For the specifics regarding my points about Cain, see ‘I Support Cain’ Means ‘The Country’s Fine Just as It Is,’ The Trouble with Herman Cain, and ONE WEEK Before Collapse, Cain Says Economy Great.)

the observer

it’s cult like in the sense that there’s group mentality involved. people do blindly follow him without question, and it’s sad. i’m not saying they’re all bad, cuz that’s not true at all. but i’ve found that his people are just a notch above the glenn beckers, unwilling to evaluate the words of their leaders. FOLLOW YOURSELF!!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_V73UAVQ6W4PH7XJA272HHC73QY xdreamartist

the observer: You are misinformed. We don’t follow him blindly, nor without question. That’s the point of the Ron Paul supporter; we think for ourselves.
http://twitter.com/PoliticalWD Political Watchdog

Thanks Tom! I was saying this very thing the other night to some Romney supporters who could never really answer me with anything concrete as to what the difference is between Mitt Romney and Obama. Great article! SHARED!
http://www.facebook.com/DanLakeman Dan Lakeman

What you see (and hear) is what you get with Ron Paul (consistently). There is no substitute for well thought out ideas and speaking truth.
http://www.facebook.com/DanLakeman Dan Lakeman

Ron Paul is above all a statesman with serious conviction to the principles on which this country was built. Politics is the necessary vehicle to get our country back on track.
James W Rollins

Andrew Wilkow said something on the radio a few months ago that I will never forget… Liberty is the maximum absence of government coercion against the masses of the people. I think Wilkow is pretty smart. His comment has inspired me. The following comments and political endorsement are my own. I dont know who Wilkow supports for President and I don’t care.

Most people think we still have Liberty in this country because we still have a little personal freedom to do what we want and go where we want. The truth is that our few remaining personal freedoms only give us the illusion of Liberty. The truth is that we are no longer a republic with a federal government limited by law, ie the Constitution. Today we are a national democracy where by a majority vote (a vote of 50% plus one), your property and personal freedoms can be taken from you and you have no recourse, no protection under the Constitution, because the Constitution is dead. The federal government is no longer bound by the law of the land, ie the Constitution. Today we don’t rule ourselves; we are ruled by a select few in the privileged political class.

And how did the Constitution die? Because we, you and I, and our fathers and mothers before us, and their fathers and mothers before them let it die. We entrusted the politicians and lawyers and courts to protect it and be faithful to it because we were too busy living our own little lives to take a personal interest in guarding and preserving our own Liberty.

And what do we have to show for letting the Constitution die?

We went from being a nation of hardy self-reliant people to a nation of entitlement seekers and freeloaders. We went from a nation with a solid monetary system and productive economy that was the envy of the world to a nation severely in debt with an economy that hardly produces anything at all at home anymore.

We went from being a nation of peace loving people to a nation constantly involved in armed conflicts overseas.

We went from a Republic of free people in sovereign States to a nation of slaves, bound by the invisible but very real chains of national debt and national regulation of almost everything we do.

And worst of all, for the first time in our history of being Americans, we have insured that our children and grandchildren will have a lower standard of living and less personal freedom than we ourselves have today. We have sacrificed their future to fulfill our own desires today. It is a shameful thing to betray the innocent trust of our children.

There is an old saying that you get the government you deserve. How does it feel Americans, to know you once had the greatest blessing of all; the blessing of Liberty, and you gave it up for a few promises from the politicians that you would always be cared for, even if someone else had to pay???

Our economy is failing and our civil society is collapsing into chaos because we expected government to do what history shows no government can do…protect us from our own poor decisions and the unfortunate circumstances of life, old age and sickness.

So how’s that hope and change working out for you? Do you like seeing your country die in front of your eyes? Do you still trust the Democrat and Republican political parties to act in your best interests?

Our best interest is to restore, protect, and defend our Liberty here at home. It is none of the governments business whether I am rich or poor, healthy or sick, successful or unsuccessful. The governments only legitimate functions are to protect private property rights, enforce contracts, protect us from external aggression, protect the rule of law and then to leave us the hell alone so that we each have the opportunity to use our God given talents to the best of our ability to prosper and provide for our families. The true essence of liberty is that we each have the opportunity to do the best we can do and that the government leaves us alone.

Except for one, all of the candidates for president in 2012 are running to preserve and protect the status quo of big government and big government control of our lives and economic activity. They are not interested in restoring our Liberty. They are only interested in being in the small group of people that control and benefit from pulling the levers of power. They want you to believe the lie that they will make our national and personal circumstances better and still preserve, with only slight changes to fix the problems, the entitlement programs that exist today.

Only one candidate is running to restore our Liberty. Only one candidate understands that Liberty is the critical essential key to restoring our prosperity, self-reliance, and peaceful relations with the world. Only one candidate understands that restoring our Liberty is the key to restoring the greatness and promise of America for our children and grandchildren. That candidate is Ron Paul. If you value Liberty and want to make the future better for everyone in this country, vote for Ron Paul in the primaries and vote for Ron Paul for President in November 2012.

James W Rollins, Austin, Texas
Janezeitgeist

We love him because of what he stands for and fights for. We love him because he KNOWS this is much bigger than he is. I’m sure he feels honored to be a part of it all… that’s just who he is… a humble man of integrity.
Shark Man

I’ll tell you what, I may not be part of any cult. BUT… I AM A COMPLETE RON PAUL JUNKIE.

Not only do I need my daily fix of Ron Paul videos, but I also feel the need to share his message constantly. (It’s now or never, right?).

Sometimes I tell myself… Maybe he doesn’t actually exist? He may just be a figment of our imagination. We hallucinate of an honest politician the way a thirsty desert traveler imagines an oasis of water in front of them.
http://www.facebook.com/RalphTension Ralph Drees

The Ron Paul Revolution as we call it, is the Freedom Movement if you ask Ron Paul. He was the spark, we are the explosion and the ideas are the billowing wall of flam that are going to burn the coercive monopoly to the ground.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Tom-Rankin/1332013612 Tom Rankin

James- Very well said. I will share your words in quote. Thanks for all you do in the name of Liberty.

“Unlike all other GOP candidates whose poll numbers
rise and fall with their popularity, Ron Paul’s numbers slowly but continually
rise. This is due to a few basic concepts -

1. Either you believe in the Constitution and want to
see this country restored to it’s Constitutional roots or you don’t.

2. Either you want to see an end to our governments
plan for global domination and occupation or you don’t.

And once you realize that Dr Ron Paul is the ONLY
candidate whose goal it is to do these things, you become a supporter.

And once you realize that he is the only candidate
who is a man of his word, a man who refuses to be bought and sold by any
corporation, special interest group or lobbyist, and that in over 30 years of
public service he has NEVER compromised his principles for any reason.

And as you see all of the other candidates
flip-flop on issues time after time, you realize that there is no reason to
EVER switch your support to any one else!

So, as we continue to awake the sleeping and inform
the uninformed…. His numbers will continue to grow until he is elected
President of the United States!

Until then, “We The People” will continue
to show the world that the status quo is no longer acceptable, that we will not
be silenced, and that the more they try to silence us, the louder we will
shout…. Because regardless of what any politician wants to believe, this is
OUR country, NOT THEIRS, and we’re here to take it back and we will NOT be
denied!” – Steve Zychal
http://www.facebook.com/people/Tom-Rankin/1332013612 Tom Rankin

“The Matrix is a
system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you’re inside, you look around,
what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of
the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a
part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most
of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured,
so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it.” -Morpheus from The Matrix
Anonymous

Blaspheme—Woods should be burned at the stake! Just joking. Ron Paul does not have a cult following. It is his ideas of restoring our Constitutional Republic that limits government and provides for political accountability that people are committed to. If, after over 30 years of being consistently principled, Ron Paul decided to pull a Romney and change his positions, you would see his support dissipate—although most of us would be concerned for his health because such a drastic departure from reason would be a likely sign of some unfortunate deterioration in health.
MBEskew

Well Done Tommy!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Peters/1095192870 Mark Peters

I hope people come to realize how lucky we are that Ron Paul is out there trying to save this nation.I truly belive if he fails this country will flow with blood.
Poyner11

NOt being Rude but I personally do not know a better man to have lived in my lifetime. He cares so much about America and its people that he has continued his message and journey despite being laughed at and called crazy for 30 years. Spread his message strongly as he would want us too.
Doug Ruggerie

Couldn’t disagree more. when people follow someone blindly, and attack anyone who questions their motives that becomes cult like. Especially when they only defend with emotion and cannot provide any empirical evidence to back up their statements. Maybe you should spend some time of Google plus listening to people espouse the Paul doctrine. Whenever it is questioned people are viciously attacked the same way they would be by liberals. He is also factually wrong on a couple of issues and his view of foreign policy is downright dangerous.
http://www.TomWoods.com Tom Woods

You must be joking. Ron’s supporters are by far the most well informed. I’ve had Cain supporters here who support their candidate because he seems like a leader, or was a businessman, and other non-reasons. Ron’s people support him because they understand monetary policy, they know a great deal about the Constitution, etc. And his foreign policy is the best thing about him. It is the foreign policy of Romney/Obama/Clinton/McCain/New York Times/Washington Post that is dangerous, and which makes the rest of the world think we are insane. After the Iraq fiasco you can still think with the foreign policy problem? Amazing.
PCOJr

I find I agree with Ron Paul on some issues too. And if he becomes the GOP candidate I will certainly vote for him over Obama.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Alonzo-Tejeda/1092866576 Alonzo Tejeda

I like the last few post’s… I used to be a hardcore Republican and a moderate American but I am now a hardcore American and I don’t care to label myself as a republican I am affiliated with the gop so that I can vote in the Idaho caucus for my homeboy PAUL and I have never attended a caucuse … I have only voted in the general elections… but this is what this man does to you… whatever little flame I had left(after having no hope for this republic) it started to grow and now rages like a idk…. a huge fire lol and I am hoping to have some friends go with me to the caucus… RPR 2012
http://www.facebook.com/scottie.scanlon Scottie Scanlon

If there is any cult following it is of the Establishment’s choice for us the people.