Ron Paul Roundup: Defends Immigrants, Not at CPAC, Gets Nearly a Million in SuperPAC Support from Peter Thiel, and Can't be Pinned Down

Ron Paul was campaigning in Nevada today, as the only Republican who actually showed up to a Hispanics in Politics event. The LA Times reports:

The audience—dozens of politically active Latinos who gathered in an eastside community center —  applauded Paul the civil libertarian when he slammed drug laws that unfairly target minorities.  They even cheered his defense of the gold standard.

Immigration, however, was another story.

The 12-term Texas congressman spent the better part of a 25-minute address thinking aloud about the thorny subject. He talked about how Americans are more accepting of outsiders when the economy is good, but when trouble looms there is a search for scapegoats.

"I believe Hispanics have been used as scapegoats, to say, they're the problem instead of being a symptom maybe of a problem with the welfare state," Paul told the group….

"Now there's a lot of antagonism and resentment turned just automatically on immigrants," he continued….

Paul said he's not one of those politicians who believes that "barbed-wire fences and guns on our border will solve any of our problems." That's not, he said, the American way. And he doesn't think that a national identification card is the way to go.

The LA Times also profiles Paul's Nevada support base.

*The University of Minnesota's "Smart Politics" page notices Paul is the only GOP candidate who doesn't wear lapel pins to demonstrate his political beliefs.

*The Independent Voter Network tries to argue that a Paul who wins the GOP nomination is so electable:

As is consistently attested by poll results and even the Republican Party's most recent primary votes in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, the facts are these: Ron Paul performs better among independentsthan any other Republican candidate for the presidential nomination. He also performs better among young voters under 30 than any other Republican. Ron Paul also outperforms any of the remaining Republican candidates among Democrats, liberals, moderates, and low-income voters.

Independents, people under 30, liberals, moderates, and low income voters are all key constituencies that helped Obama win his primary and the general election in 2008. It only stands to reason that the candidate with the broadest appeal to Obama's key voters and the greatest chance of swaying their votes is the most electable candidate. Even former Florida Governor Jeb Bush realizes that the Republicans can only win the general election with a candidate who appeals to independents, which is why he recently admonished the GOP's candidates, saying "You have to maintain your principles but have a broader appeal."

*The Examiner on how Ron Paul, the winner of the last two CPAC straw polls, won't be at CPAC this year.

*Ron Paul SuperPAC Endorse Liberty announces support from futurist and libertarian superfinancier Peter Thiel, to the tune of $900,000.

*CNN challenges Dick Armey: why aren't the Tea Party forces behind Ron Paul by acclamation? Well, they aren't a monolith, he says. As to why they aren't becoming one behind the only guy with a consistent record as an insurrectionist outsider serious about taxing and spending and small government, well, I guess the answer to that is (not that Armey gives this answer) that they aren't that serious.

Reason's Ron Paul archives. My forthcoming book, Ron Paul's Revolution.