IMC Hawks Blog

Tag: Ron Paul

  • Ron Paul, Who?

    Over the past eight years, the media coverage regarding Ron Paul has been very lackluster to say the least. Although most of the coverage he has received has been positive, the overall amount is significantly lower than the other candidates running. The messages he supports are often considered the most accurate and truthful by any candidate and many believe him to be the most qualified for the political office. However, the media seems to have its own agenda, and seem to have a different idea on who should be the frontrunner.

    Although there are four candidates, CNN seems to believe that only three are relevant. Missing from this photo is Ron Paul, sitting just left of candidate Santorum.

    Both CNN and Fox News are partially to blame for this so-called “media blackout”, and have not been giving fair coverage to Congressman Paul. When it comes to debates or discussion, Ron Paul seems to mysteriously disappear from the subject and is often overlooked. In a recent interview with Fox News, he states that he has observed that the amount of coverage on himself post-debate has a ratio of about 90:1 in favor of his opponents. This shows a tendency that the media does not believe that Ron Paul has the ability to win the candidacy and therefore neglects to give him adequate coverage.

    Although the media coverage on Ron Paul is largely absent from television and news broadcasting channels, he receives overwhelming support on major social media networks. Seeing as the majority of his supporters are those of a younger generation, Twitter plays a large part of his support and communication between his fans. During a recent poll, the Washington Post found that from July of 2011 to January of 2012 that the amount of mentions on Twitter significantly increased from about 30,000 to almost 260,000. Compared to Newt Gingrich who had 294,000 mentions, Ron Paul still comes in second. Luckily, thanks to his many loyal supporters there is still a good chance for him to succeed despite the media’s lack of belief.

    Leslie Tyler, Leanna Marshall, Bryce Koonts, Julius Roberts

  • Today’s Politics in the Internet Age.

    With the Republican Primaries and Caucuses well underway, the candidates are narrowed down to the four main contestants. Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Ron Paul are campaigning across the nation and participating in debates to convince voters that they are what the nation needs in a candidate. How do the general public learn information about the candidates though, if they aren’t campaigning in their state? The answer is found on the candidates’ websites.

    Mitt Romney uses his website to thank the voters in the states in which he was victorious.

    Each candidate has their own website, run by their political team and volunteers that keep their information (like interviews, media, photographs and messages) up to date. On these sites are direct links to the candidate’s social media outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter, and their Youtube channels to watch ads that have been produced.

    Rick Santorum's website has his beliefs and campaign strategy on the main page.

    Something you will notice on each candidate’s page are donation links, most notable on candidate Ron Paul’s page who needs the money to continue his campaign. For those who want to support their favorite candidates, there is no better way than to go online and donate to their campaign using links found on each site.

    Newt Gingrich uses his homepage to let supporters know where he will be next and how to contact him.

    These websites are also excellent outlets to connect to mass groups of people at once, without having to pay to run advertisements or receive television or print media coverage.  For candidates who don’t receive as much media coverage as they feel they deserve, this can be a vital part of their campaign. Since so much information is traded on the internet now, much of the general population is turning to the internet to learn more about the potential leaders of the United States.

    Ron Paul's main page takes you directly to his donation totals to try to get more support for his campaign.

    –Joshua Vester, Molly Jacques, Ashley Oliver, and Hunter Wilson.