Electability, The Republican Party, Ron Paul, and the Department of Education

Regarding Ron Paul’s part in the Jan. 10, 2008 Republican presidential debate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a number of things could be said.  As noted previously, it seems like he was given the toughest questions to answer and the least amount of time to respond.

There was one question on the debate which reportedly was removed from all re-airings of the Republican Presidential debate held on Jan 10th 2008 in South Carolina.  It was also removed from YouTube 12 hours after being uploaded and reportedly is removed on a constant basis on many sites.  I did find the question on YouTube, and in case it is removed in the future, I have done my own transcript of that question and answer section.

In the interest of the United States citizenry, and in the event that this video segment and question of the debate gets removed again, I have made a transcript of this section, after listening to it myself, which differs slightly from the “official” Fox News transcript.  As far as any laughter, etc., it is my feeling that it could have easily and purposely been added by the news media as canned laughter during the TV broadcast or changed from booing to laughter after the fact (for the video version).  Also, in one spot Dr. Paul’s words now sound slurred, but no doubt they were understandable in the debate itself because the closed captioning (viewable on the video) clearly lists his words, and for those who can read lips, his words are also still clear.

Here is a link to this segment of the debate, as found on YouTube, along with my version of the transcript.

8 of 9 – Fox News South Carolina Republican Debate 1/10/08 (9:55 mins.)
[Carl Cameron has the audacity to ask if Ron Paul has any electability.  4:17 – 6:24 (2:07 mins.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3T84Ve5SSs 

CARL CAMERON: Congressman Paul, yet another question about electability …. Do you have any, sir? There's always the question as to whether or not ... 

[Canned laughter] 

… you are, in fact, viable. Your differences with the Republicans on the — with the rest of the Republicans on this stage has raised questions about whether or not you can actually win the general, the Republican nomination, sir. 

RON PAUL: Well, we’ve only had two little primaries so far. So it’s pretty premature to decide which one is going to be the candidate. But, you know, when you think about it, if you measured everything I’ve ever said, every vote I’ve ever taken against the Constitution, you know, I’m a strict constitutionalist. Are you suggesting the Republicans should write me off because I’m a strict constitutionalist? I’m the most conservative member here. I have voted, you know, against more spending and waste in government than anybody else.

[Applause]

So you’re suggesting that I’m not electable and the Republicans don’t want me because I’m a strict fiscal conservative, because I believe in civil liberties? Why should we not be defending civil liberties and why should we not be talking about foreign policy that used to be the part of the Republican Party? Mr. Republican Robert Taft didn’t even want us to be in NATO and you’re saying now that we have to continue to borrow money from China to finance this empire that we can’t afford? Let me see if I get this right. We need to borrow $10 billion from China, and then we give it to Musharraf, who is a military dictator, who overthrew an elected government. And then we go to war, we lose all these lives promoting democracy in Iraq. I mean, what’s going on here?

[Cheers and applause]

And you’re saying, and you’re saying that this isn’t appealing to Republicans? Where did this come about? I think this is the Republican message. I defend the platform. It used to say we get rid of the Department of Education. It doesn’t say that now. We, as Republicans, went and doubled the size of the Department of Education, so where have we gone? I think we’ve lost our way. And [bell rings for time] then the insinuation that I am less Republican because of that?

BRIT HUME: Congressman, thank you very much.

Notably, the three words “get rid of” in reference to the Department of Education are not included in the official Fox News transcript.  That part is now slurred on the video re-airing.  Apparently that was part of the Republican Party platform during the 1980s and 1990s (beginning during the time that Ronald Reagan was president).  Most people today, and most Republicans today, probably have no clue that this was an important issue in the past (and still should be).  Education was seen as a state, local, and family responsibility — not a federal obligation.  (From researching this topic, it looks like the Republicans in Texas may still hold to this view.  Bravo!)

And as to electability, Ron Paul raised 6 million dollars in one 24-hours period and more financial support in the last quarter of 2007 than any other candidate.  Donation Total for 4^th Quarter 2007: $19,765,973.77

Ron Paul believes in and upholds the U.S. constitution.  His voting record is impeccable.  He is a champion of the U.S. constitution and a champion of the U.S. citizenry.  He has a strong following in many places, but most notably on the internet.  Just Google Ron Paul, and you will see.

Here are some related articles:

Video clip of question removed from all re-airings of the Republican Presidential debate (Video)
http://www.newscorrupt.com/ 

Republican Party Platform of 1980 
“We understand and sympathize with the plight of America’s public school teachers, who so frequently find their time and attention diverted from their teaching responsibilities to the task of complying with federal reporting requirements. America has a great stake in maintaining standards of high quality in public education. The Republican Party recognizes that the achievement of those standards is possible only to the extent that teachers are allowed the time and freedom to teach. To that end, the Republican Party supports deregulation by the federal government of public education, and encourages the elimination of the federal Department of Education.”
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/showplatforms.php?platindex=R1980 

The Department of Education (Fall 1996)
(The Republican Platform calls for the abolishment of the Department of Education) 
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/backgrounders/department_of_education.html 

Republican Platform: Good on Life, Bad on Education and Immigration 
“Whereas the 1996 GOP platform called for abolishing the Department of Education, …”
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3827/is_200408/ai_n9436916 

Republican Platform, 2000 
“We recognize that under the American constitutional system, education is a state, local, and family responsibility, not a federal obligation. Since over 90 percent of public school funding is state and local, not federal, it is obvious that state and local governments must assume most of the responsibility to improve the schools, and the role of the federal government must be progressively limited as we return control to parents, teachers, and local school boards.”
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/conventions/republican/features/platform.00/ 

Restoring American Sovereignty and Leadership
(2006 Texas State Republican Party Platform) 
“U.S. Department of Education – The Federal Government has no constitutional jurisdiction over education. We call for the abolition of the U. S. Department of Education and the prohibition of the transfer of any of its functions to any other federal agency.” (p. 19)
http://www.texasgop.org/site/DocServer/Platform_Updated.pdf?docID=2001 

Why didn’t Robert Taft want the U.S. to join Nato?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080112132047AAfPLo6 

The Republican Road Not Taken: The Foreign-Policy Vision of Robert A. Taft
http://www.independent.org/publications/tir/article.asp?issueID=13&articleID=37

Robert A. Taft, The Constitution and American Foreign Policy, 1939-53 / Geoffrey Matthews
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-0094(198207)17%3A3%3C507%3ARATTCA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-K 

Complete Fox News transcript of the debate posted on TheState.com (Columbia, SC newspaper)
http://www.thestate.com/presidential-politics/story/281821.html 

* I had a few other notable links to provide regarding the Jan. 10^th debate, but it appears they have now been removed from the internet.(Possibly because of corrupt news media?) 

Ron Paul 2008 — Hope for America
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/Dr. Ron Paul
http://www.ronpaul.org/The Daily Dose: The Prescription for Success
http://people.ronpaul2008.com/campaign-updatesRon Paul Press Releases
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/press-releases/

Ron Paul on Justin.TV
http://www.justin.tv/ronpaul2008

Ron Paul on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/RonPaul2008DotCom

Paul Raises $6 Million in 24-Hour Effort
http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/2007/12/16/D8TJ04TG0_paul_fundraising/index.html

Ron Paul on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (PT.1of2) 1-7-08
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-fwEAf6M1U&eurl=http://www.dailypaul.com/node/22712.com/node/22712

Seriously, is Ron Paul even electable? (video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLjRXoH2nbc

Cut from re-air! What Fox News doesn’t want you to see. (video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLjRXoH2nbc

Fox includes Ron Paul in S. Carolina Debate
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=d8npn83_53d3tgdzdt

Paul lectures Carl Cameron on electability
http://www.smallgovtimes.com/story/08jan11.paul.electability/index.html

Ron Paul to Be Squeezed Out of the Republican Debates
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/546607/ron_paul_to_be_squeezed_out_of_the.html

Rep. Ron Paul
http://keepalwayscool.blogspot.com/2008/01/rep-ron-paul.html

Ron Paul “Are you electable?” – Fox News SC Debate watch!
http://www.my-political-blog.com/index.php?page=videos§ion=view&vid_id=100818

Google Ron Paul

SEE THE MAIN SITE OF GLENN GOHR’S WEBLOG:
http://glenngohr.wordpress.com