Ron Paul -- Missing in the Media

Poor Ron Paul, the perennial presidential candidate who gets good returns in some Republican caucuses, but never gets the "serious contender treatment."  He is emblematic of frustration of libertarians in this country. They can't make their voices heard, stagnating at 10% or so of the population.

Sure he deserves some mentions in the news. Maybe he doesn't get it because it's the same story every election. He polls OK in a large field, but he never cracks into a 2-way race. This happened in 1988, 2004, 2008, and now 2012. I don't totally blame the media for dozing off on this rerun candidacy, but it is their job to report. I honestly don't know why they don't report on him. So this post will be entirely speculation--nary a fact in sight.

If Jon Stewart is right, the mainstream media is lazy and sensational. Maybe that explains why they don't cover Ron Paul. When it comes to sensational, he has some out-there ideas (good for sensationalism), but they're the same ones every campaign, so the positions would be old news by now. Besides, a reporter would have to look up positions and think about how they would work or not work. That's too difficult for your average lazy reporter. Also, the vibe from Ron Paul is trouble. If you were to start questioning him on some of his policies, how they would be implemented, and their likely effects, you'd have to worry about being hacked by his tech-savvy cult.

What the US needs

It would be hard as a reporter to say a lot of good things about him because he's far out from the mainstream--against social security, medicare, the income tax. But what he stands for is even stranger--the faith that, with a tiny federal government, everything in this country will be better--no problem getting medical care, no problem reining in renegade businesses, cheats, and polluters, no inflation, no deficits. He believes that the US needs a total makeover.

Most of us would think long and hard before undertaking such an extensive makeover of, say, our house. Ron Paul and his supporters don't show any trepidation about redesigning the entire country, as though it's no big deal... we'll  survive the changes and be better for it, like a 12-mile mountain hike. Sorry, but I'm not one of your young, male, in-shape guys, so I'm not sure that I can survive your makeover of America. Maybe that's why your support stays stubbornly at around 10%--those are the people who feel they'll do better in your brave new world. For the rest of us, it's way too scary, and you're not doing a good job talking us into it.

For those Paul supporters who point to a poll showing strong support or a great caucus showing: yeah, I noticed. I noticed Paul wins when well organized enthusiasts can tip the balance, such as at CPAC, caucuses and online polls. I also noticed how poorly he does in a broader election, like a large-state primary. That makes Paul and his supporters look like marginal true-believers, not contestants in the real race. If he wants a place in the real race, he'll have to win more of the qualifiers, and he hasn't, yet again. I'm not holding my breath, and maybe the lazy media doesn't want to either.

Update 9/25/11 
To all the Ron Paul supporters who are reading this post, these are the most important words in this post: "... think about how [his policies] would work or not work." When I question how his policies would work in the real America,  and don't just accept his utopian vision, I conclude that most would lead to worse situations, not better.

Ron Paul fanatics need to start questioning, and not just accept the utopia. I'm sorry, because I know how beautiful and satisfying utopian dreams are. I really do. But this will not work. Start the hard work of questioning now. If you still conclude that he has the best policy solutions, you'll be better able to explain and defend those policies to others.