Ron Paul’s big haul
Long-shot Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul raised $4.3 million over 24 hours. That settles it, said Andrew Sullivan in TheAtlantic.com. "The Ron Paul phenomenon is real." That doesn't mean he stands a chance, said Paul Mirengoff at Power
What happened
Long-shot Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul raised $4.3 million over 24 hours, his campaign announced on Monday. Paul, a libertarian congressman from Texas, consistently scores in the low single digits in polls, but his steady criticism of the Iraq war has helped him stand out in a crowded field vying for the GOP nomination. “The true patriot,” Paul said, “challenges the state when the state embarks on enhancing its power at the expense of the individual.”
What the commentators said
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
That settles it, said Andrew Sullivan in his Daily Dish blog at TheAtlantic.com. “The Ron Paul phenomenon is real.” Be afraid, “Christianists and neocons.” There are an awful lot of true conservatives out there who “despise the big-spending, unchecked executive, busy-body, Christianist wing of the GOP,” and Paul’s focus on “freedom” resonates with them.
This is “an impressive haul,” said Paul Mirengoff in PowerLine, but that doesn’t mean that Paul “should be taken seriously as a candidate.” His poll numbers are still as low as 2 percent. But the only things that make Paul stand out are his anti-war stance and his general nuttiness—his opposition to “big government” is shared by others.
Boy, Americans must really be mad at “the establishment,” said Mark Silva in Tribune Co.’s The Swamp blog. “That so many people have invested so much in someone who stands such little apparent chance of winning his party’s presidential nomination, let alone the White House, speaks volumes about alienation in modern American politics.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Week contest: Swift stimulus
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'It's hard to resist a sweet deal on a good car'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
10 concert tours to see this winter
The Week Recommends Keep warm traveling the United States — and the world — to see these concerts
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
US election: who the billionaires are backing
The Explainer More have endorsed Kamala Harris than Donald Trump, but among the 'ultra-rich' the split is more even
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
By The Week UK Published
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
1 of 6 'Trump Train' drivers liable in Biden bus blockade
Speed Read Only one of the accused was found liable in the case concerning the deliberate slowing of a 2020 Biden campaign bus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published