Ron Paul's Challenger

Still-running presidential candidate Ron Paul, as readers here know, is facing a not-insignificant GOP primary challenge in the Lone Star State's 14th congressional district, from a fella named Chris Peden. Showing unusual skill with a tape-recording device, Wonkette tracked down the Pedster for an interview about the man he seeks to unseat. Some highlights:

His voting record is … it's horrid -- 351 pieces of legislation he sponsored, six came out of committee, and none have ever passed. And if you go back and look, he just regurgitates the same pieces of legislation. "Restore the Second Amendment." What does that mean, exactly? […]

He's up there to make a point, not a difference. He wants to be called out of order because then it's unique and it's unusual, and he gets press, or at least Roll Call will say "Here he goes again." But you know, if you do that once a year or once a term, it works. If you do it three or four times a day, it gets old. […]

[Paul's supporters] hate me. And they've been very vociferous with their hate. We did have some threats at our house, and our younger two boys, we relocated those to my parents' house for safety reasons because you just never know. This is a crazy world.

We did contact Ron and tell Ron to put out there that they should stop it. And they did, we didn't get any more calls after that. He had nothing to do with it, he didn't orchestrate it, he's not that kind of a guy.

reason on Ron Paul here.

Comments

[Chris Potter]

So, if Ron Paul isn't that kind of guy, and you know he had nothing to do with the threats, why do you mention them in the middle of your critique of Ron Paul?

[Chris Potter]

Wow, the Wonkette site isn't even attempting to preserve an appearance of neutrality. As heavily supportive of Dr Paul as Reason was during the last half of 2007, they never came near the level of adulation that Wonkette displays for Peden.

That degree of shilling can't be a good thing for a political news site, especially if he loses.

[Vermont Gun Owner]

His voting record is ... it's horrid -- 351 pieces of legislation he sponsored, six came out of committee, and none have ever passed.

So, the fact that the rest of Congress ignores the Constitution means that we should put another one in so at least they can pass their bills?

[Pablo Escobar]

This Peden chap wants to be the type of Congressman that brings home the tax loot from Washington for his constituents. He wants to be an "effective" legislator by lining up mindlessly to vote along with the other Republicans. Who needs principles these days anyway?

According to the Wonkette people, Ron Paul is an anachronism -- apparently a Congressman who tries to persuade his colleagues to follow the Constitution is not needed, because then he's not getting more and more laws passed.

It seems like these Wonkette people want to create more jobs for lawyers or something.

[David]

More War! More Fascism! More of the same!

Vote Peden '08

[matt]

So, if Ron Paul isn't that kind of guy, and you know he had nothing to do with the threats, why do you mention them in the middle of your critique of Ron Paul?

What are you suggesting? Do you honestly believe that someone of Chris Peden's stature and integrity would play politics in such a manner?

Clearly it just slipped out.

[matt]

Wonkette hasn't been funny since the Larry Craig scandal broke, and they love to rip on Ron Paul and his supporters, probably because they're just too hip for enthusiasm of any kind.

[unbeliever]

Hmm, voting record and legislation one has written would seem to be different but related topics. Just a thought there.

Also, Paul is one of the few who do make a difference. Seeing the same old tired and out of touch legislation come and go (and oppress) is hardly something different. Yet watching a man spend decades submerged by thieves and crooks, and yet still maintain the exact same quantity of character, ethics, and fight for principle that he had at the start is fucking different. Obama made a good point last night, sometimes what you don't do is what's really important.

[Pablo Escobar]

By the way, Ron Paul is listed on the Cato Institute as not being a very good free-trader because he opposes government-managed trade such as NAFTA.

These Cato people - especially David Boaz - don't seem to be able to accomodate a Congressman who believes in unilateral free trade (without complex trade agreements spanning thousands of pages) and votes according to that belief. Not compromising on principle to set an example to future generations seems to hard for them to comprehend.

[unbeliever]

Funny you mention that Ron was knocked like that. I was just fleshing out some stuff on the political compass ratings on a message board the other day and happened to notice that they had Ron Paul unnaturally high on the authoritarian axis. They had Kucinich far below him. I assumed that was because of his personal abortion beliefs, but who knows the real reason. The political compass questions are kind of bullshit to begin with. They have me to the left of Hillary on the economics scale.

[Jonathan Hohensee]

GOOGLE RON PAUL.

[Jonathan Hohensee]

THE FEDERAL RESERVE IS CONTROLLED BY THE SAME PEOPLE WHO CONTROL THE MEDIA THAT MADE SURE THAT NO ONE KNOW THAT KISSINGER CAUSED 9/11.

GOOGLE RON PAUL

[Jonathan Hohensee]

THE MEDIA IGNORES RON PAUL BECAUSE THEY FEAR THE ULTIMATE POWER THAT HE'LL WEILD IF HIS MESSAGE FINALLY GETS OUT TO THE PEOPLE.

[unbeliever]

Can I say that you're doing a great job of annoying the shit out of me?

[Brandybuck]

Yeah, the political compasses tend to be full of loaded questions presuming particular answers. They work on moderates, but wholly fail on anyone more "extreme" than the author. It's hard creating value free questions for tests like this, which is why most don't have them.

The political world does not consist of cleanly bifurcated yes/no issues. Not even among the most purist Randian enclave. Political compasses should seek to determine the direction of ones leanings, not their answers to loaded questions presupposing absolute truth.

[Elemenope]

The political world does not consist of cleanly bifurcated yes/no issues. Not even among the most purist Randian enclave.

Well, that's only because the Randians would refuse to acknowledge that "no" exists.

[Seitz]

Wow, the Wonkette site isn't even attempting to preserve an appearance of neutrality. As heavily supportive of Dr Paul as Reason was during the last half of 2007, they never came near the level of adulation that Wonkette displays for Peden.

If you're not a regular reader of Wonkette, it will be lost on you, but they couldn't give two shits about Peden. They're just anti-Paul. And they're not really anti-Paul so much as they're anti Paul Supporters (whom they call Paultards). So basically this is a way to show their disdain for Paultards, as in, if it's bad for the Paultards, it's good for Wonkette.

You'll notice many of the comments center on their contempt for Paul supporters.

[Seitz]

And for the record, I'm neither pro nor anti Paul. I couldn't really give two shits about Paul OR Peden.

[paultard paulistinian]

i think wonkette LOVES all Paultards. the more they bash them, the higher the traffic to their site.

The do this to get more traffic and the paultards (me included) respond in kind.

it is all satire.

[The Wine Commonsewer]

We did contact Ron and tell Ron to put out there that they should stop it. And they did, we didn't get any more calls after that. He had nothing to do with it, he didn't orchestrate it, he's not that kind of a guy.

Then WTF didja bring it up?

[The Wine Commonsewer]

Wonkette?

She's a slut.

[Humble Policy]

Who are you going to rely on when the Empire falls? Look in the mirror.

[voxpo]

Wonkhuh? Don't you mean 'Tardette? Yeah, 'Tardette... They just can't let it go. They cannot stand the fact that some old Texas libertarian appeared out of nowhere and, with barely any effort, started a pretty decent little movement not for properly planned progregimentocracy, but for critically comparing this gigantic, creaking, polluting, bullet-proof, worker-powered multi-tool we've been kluging together for a couple hundred years with the original design spec. Have a drink, 'Tardettes. There's no going back, even if Ron Paul loses everything.

[Steve]

Peden betrays himself when he says Ron didn't pass anything. The question is why didn't he pass any bills or laws? The problem is that other members are not doing their job and voting for Paul's bills. It is the other members of Congress that have to go. We don't need another Peden, he is like the rest of them, BIG government.

[h-dawg]

I wonder if people stopped for a moment and thought about it, how many laws would they think we need? 100,000? 500,000? 25,000,000? I mean what kind of production are they looking for from Congress? Sheesh.

[Bingo]

I know Wonkette isn't Ana Marie Cox anymore, but that is one haggard woman.

[voxpo]

Bingo, advanced aging/lobotomizing algorithms were used to "age" and "calm" the image.

[Deane]

""Restore the Second Amendment." What does that mean, exactly? ".. bugger.

[John C. Randolph]

Wonkette hates Ron Paul, and loves that tart, Jessica Cutler, AKA "Washingtonienne".

Somehow, I can't see Wonkette's opposition as a negative for Ron Paul.

-jcr

[dump reason]

It wouldn't be so bad if Ron Paul were to fail in his primary bid. He would just run as an independent or libertarian and easily beat his opponents. It would also free him up to run as a third party candidate in the presidential election. He would probably win that race as well. Think of the bright side!

[Marta DiAngelo]

reason sucks

[Julian Fondren]

they love to rip on Ron Paul and his supporters, probably because they're just too hip for enthusiasm of any kind.

Yes, Ron Paul supporters are uncouth in their enthusiasm for their candidate, and thus are too be despised. But as my experience has been heavy not with their ALL CAP SUPPORT but with puerile, nasty, RP-fixated, botting/trolling/spamming anti-RP people, I reserve 'paultard' for them.

And what should we think of wonkette? They've soiled everyone paying attention with this sneer-term.

the more they bash them, the higher the traffic to their site.

They get zero traffic from me. Do they also try to entice black people by always referring to them as 'niggers'?

[Abdul]

Ron Paul's new slogan: I'm not the kind of guy who would encourage people to hurt my opponents children!

[Eric Sundwall]

Wonk*ett*ism -the absolute sense that the snarky assuredness of whimsical derision can assail all epistemological misgivings and can guarantee that existential angst survives until the next conclave of effete statist apologists. Commonly prescribed as an anecdote without underlying principle.

[Fluffy]

One other reason for Wonkette's elevated disdain for Paul is that Wonkette is not just a comedy site, and not just a political site.

It is specifically a site for lobbying and political staff professionals. It includes regular features on job hunting in DC, on being a female lobbyist in DC and dealing with basically being a hooker for a living, etc.

It would be hard to think of a group of people more naturally outraged by the Paul phenomenon than the assemblage of parasitical scum who would be the target market for that kind of material.

[yoshi]

And yet I find I still don't care about what happens in the TX-14.

[joe]

Threats to people's homes, enough to make the guy evacuate his children. Nice.

THIS, people, is what a political cult looks like. OK? Since that word is being thrown around so much, it's good to have a reliable market with which to compare such an accusation.

[Warty]

Is wonkette the one who admitted to being a whore, or is that some other blogger?

[RPFLGUY]

Peden has made some threats promising continuous war, pushing Anti-Christian values and moral on this district, stripping away the Constitution, and our younger two boys, we relocated those to my parents' house in another country for safety reasons because you just never know. This is a crazy world.

We did contact Peden and tell Peden to put out there that he no longer supports Neo-Conservatism. And he did not. Unfortunately, he's just that kind of guy.

[The Wine Commonsewer]

Threats to people's homes, enough to make the guy evacuate his children. Nice.

I intended to write something snarky about gullibility but I'll just leave it at you cannot really take any politicians claims at face value without taking a hard look at whether or not there is any truth there. Somebody says that the Paultard's are threatening the opposition's children and you, Joe, automatically accept that as gospel.

OTOH, while we don't know if the Paultard's are actually making threats, we do know that every candidate of every stripe faces a little bit of maniacal hostility from the opposition's core of loonies.

On occasion that may translate into harsh words, threats, or intimidation. Every so often you'll end up with a William McKinley, but I'm having a difficult time remembering any politician whose kids were kidnapped, beat up, or murdered while Pappy was on the campaign trail.

[The Wine Commonsewer]

Is wonkette the one who admitted to being a whore, or is that some other blogger?

No, that was me. I used to be pretty loose. Wait. I just wished I was a whore. The heart was willing. The ladies were not. Big diff there.

[steve r]

H.R. Gross. Anybody remember him? He was Iowa's 3rd district congressman forever it seemed, in the 50's and 60's. They called him The Watchdog of the Treasury. He voted against the eternal flame on Kennedy's grave because he didn't think open-ended federal funding of anything was appropriate.

Unlike Paul, unfortunately Gross had no libertarian sentiments and was passionately committed to the military draft and the foreign wars of the day.

The point, nonetheless, was that he brought little or nothing home by way of pork to his district but the voters there respected and loved him, returning him year after year, term after term.

It is not an unprecedented thing for a district to place principle above loot.

Most people don't rob the till when they work in retail -- even when they could -- much less brag that they are more effective a thief than the other guy who works the till. Why is it a virtue to be a consummate thief in public life and a disgrace in private?

[Episiarch]

It would be hard to think of a group of people more naturally outraged by the Paul phenomenon than the assemblage of parasitical scum who would be the target market for that kind of material.

Fluffy wins the Wonkette putdown competition. Nice.

The Wonkette-ites remind me of nothing more than the not-cool-but-not-necessarily-uncool kids in high school who picked on the nerds in the hope that it would entertain the cool kids and maybe start getting them into the cool circles.

The problem for them was that we just viewed them as clowns, prancing and capering to entertain. The Wonkette-ites seem exactly the same, except the cool circle is the Beltway and the nerds are Paul supporters (or anyone enthusiastic).

[joe]

Is wonkette the one who admitted to being a whore, or is that some other blogger?

No, that was Washingtonienne. The two of them had the best catfight on the web.

She wrote about some guy nailing her in the tukus, and then giving her a toaster. Classic!

[the fresh prince]

its funny that that whore considers herself not a whore, when in fact she's a whore, baby!

[Pro Libertate]

I'm here to make a difference, not a point. What's my point? That I make a difference.

[mediageek]

If Peden has been receiving death threats and such, I have to wonder, would he mind very much if we took a look at the police reports?

[Pro Libertate]

I'm here to make a point, not a difference. What's the difference? That's my point.

[The Wine Commonsewer]

I'm here to make a point, not a difference. What's the difference? That's my point.

That was quite clever, Pro. I'm impressed, amused, entertained, and offering you a thread winning accolade.

[Pro Libertate]

No, I must credit Chris Peden. His words were the "Under Pressure" to my "Ice, Ice, Baby."

Word to your mother.

[R C Dean]

THIS, people, is what a political cult looks like. OK?

Assuming that threats really were made:

Since we don't know who made these threats, how many of them there were, or what their connection was, if any, to Ron Paul, I really don't know how you can make the leap to a "cult," here.

I would put it at better than even odds that this falls into the pattern of so many "hate crimes" - fictional and/or self-inflicted in order to get attention.

Lets see something to back this up. Emails, phone records, mail, something. Unless these people were walking up to him on the street and making threats, there is a trail. Where is it?

[LibertySilver]

Maybe people don't like you because YOU don't represent the people?

You are FOR the Nafta Superhighway, more war,
are anti property rights.

What exactly does THAT mean.

Texas doesn't need Chris Peden.

It DOES need the 2nd ammedment, and
property rights.

It means "Ron Paul, Keep up the good work!"
http://knowbeforeyouvote.com

[Joe S.]

"Why is it a virtue to be a consummate thief in public life and a disgrace in private?"

Because when you have the law on your side, you don't go to jail.

[steve r]

I asked "Why is it a virtue to be a consummate thief in public life and a disgrace in private [life]?"

Joe S replied: "Because when you have the law on your side, you don't go to jail."

Yes, deftly put and probably that is it. What a sad situation it comes to be when the only driver for virtue, civic or private, is the threat of punishment.

I always believed that living ethically was a different (and trumping) criterion for action than simply responding to carrots and sticks like a beast. [And incidentally, particularly so if one doesn't anticipate an ultimate Cosmic Carrot and Stick after all the hands are played out.] It would be interesting to see how various political and other figures forthcomingly respond to the old dormitory debate on whether one would steal or even kill if it were a stipulated certainty that one never would be caught or held to account in any other fashion.

[ricknhouston]

Wonkett is really a "SheMale" ... a chick with a Dick!

[ricknhouston]

I'm lookin for an opinion, here, yous guys!

anybdy else think Peedon should ask for his money back on that weave? Fuckin Hair Club For Men ,,,, been in business 50 fuckin years and still can't make it look natural!!!

[DDS]

just practicing making links since this thread is dead

[DDS]

link

[DDS]

hmmm

[DDS]

did I get it?