Ron Paul: The New Leftist Media Sacrificial Lamb

The Right Wing version
of Dennis Kucinich

They're at it once again, this allegedly objective media, in doing their very best to select the Republican nominee to face Barack Hussein Obama for us, the conservative Republicans sworn to see a one term deal for the aforementioned. Just as they foisted John McCain upon the electorate in 2008, the media is already positioning Ron Paul to be our next contestant.

With all due apologies to his son, Rand Paul (R-KY), father Ron is already being groomed for failure by a media dedicated to a continued Obama administration. In other words, we run the risk of being "McCain'ed" again.

I nearly joined the parade a few weeks ago, privately wondering if the time might be right for someone of Paul the senior's pedigree, for while it is undeniable that I tend to agree with most of his fiscal doctrine, once he veers off onto the anti-military exit, my trip is done. That much became ever clearer to me as I watched the debate last week. Ron Paul -- at least in my mind -- understands the dangers to this nation via the Federal Reserve and it's treacherous tentacles, but with two sons currently serving in the military, I find his rhetoric reprehensible where our fighting kids are concerned.

The point is, I was able to regain my senses rather quickly based on nothing more than Ron Paul's carriage in the debate. I then must wonder how many never even saw that debate, much less any other public video pronouncements by the congressman from Texas. Sarah Palin's biggest problem has been her speech pattern, and that has provided much fodder for her critics, both serious and comedic. However, her prose has been thus far unassailable, while that of the congressman only removes the sound of his voice while leaving the tone unscathed.



The Next Strawman?

 For the 2008 election, the media handed us John McCain, perhaps due in large part to his reticence to rumble. While Ron Paul was actually the media's runner-up for the job in late 2007, he was still much too unpalatable to a majority of the Republican electorate, and so McCain became the mule the liberals would ride to the polls -- or have us ride, as the case turned out.  Yet the whole time the media was herding McCain to the convention, they were preparing a case to knock him down once the nominee.

Now, however, with the emergence of the TEA Party and its deep roots in conservatism, the media is once again dusting off Ron Paul in the hopes of handing him the Republican nomination for 2012. In an AP article on Sunday, August 14th titled Once a fringe candidate, Paul shaping 2012 race, Philip Elliott makes the case for Paul by attempting to make him an easier sell to an electorate desperate to make Obama a one-termer. They believe that we're ready for a Ron Paul. Or at least they're counting on it.

It's quite telling, meanwhile, that more acceptable candidates to the right are excoriated by the same media suddenly so enamored of Ron Paul. Rick Perry was set upon by both pundits and politicians the moment his head appeared in view, and Michele Bachmann is a favorite target of a decidedly misogynistic press corps, much in the same fashion as was Sarah Palin.

At times, the left exhibits the traits of tactical genius, but their downfall is always the continued reliance on a successful strategy long after its effectiveness has expired, and an oft-times underestimation of the opposition. Combine that with the relatively new existence of the TEA Party -- really little more than an affirmation of conservative unity -- and it's clear that Republican voters will not readily fall for another presidential piñata party come 2012.

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