Ron Paul Wows Concord Crowd [VIDEO]

Fresh off his strong second place finish in the Iowa Straw Poll over the weekend, presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, spoke to several hundred devotees of his campaign about the blessings of liberty, media bias, and the need to end the American empire.

Paul opened his speech noting that it was 40 years ago this week that he first became involved in politics. He said, generally, if you stick to your guns, things work out.

In speaking about major media outlets ignoring his campaign, he alluded to Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart's recent commentary which has gone viral online. He called Stewart “an honest person” who “wonderfully defends us.” Paul said he was encouraged by the commentary of Stewart and the sprit of the hundreds of people who attended the event.

“I get my energies from the people like you,” he said.

Paul railed against the Federal Reserve, saying the country needed sound money, needed to balance the books, and right the country. His said many candidates in the Republican field were starting to echo policy positions he has held for decades.

“Who would have ever thought that the former Speaker of the House would have come out to audit the Fed,” he said.

Paul took a jab at Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the latest candidate to enter the race, to boos from the crowd, saying, “he makes me look like a moderate.”

“I have never once said (Federal Reserve Chairman Ben) Bernanke has committed treason,” Paul said. “But I have suggested very strongly that the Federal Reserve System and all the members have been counterfeiters for a long time. That is a pretty serious crime. The Founders thought you should get the death penalty if you ever counterfeited our money.”

Paul noted that there were only four national crimes put in the Constitution – counterfeiting, treason, piracy, and slavery – and yet there were more than 100,000 bureaucrats carrying guns telling people what to do with their lives and their property.

“That is what we have to reverse,” he said. “It is out of hand, it is out of control, and the people know it and that’s why this movement is growing, out of necessity.”

Paul called on changing the country’s foreign policy and bringing the troops home. He said the nation was at the point where everyone was also worrying about the deficit and the debt and his freedom message was bringing people together.

“It’s all there,” he said. “We don’t have to invent it.” 

On the ground

Concord Republican Chris Wood, Paul’s state coordinator, said the campaign was growing by leaps and bounds, because the message was resonating with voters, both young and old.

“I think it is so exciting how well he did in Iowa,” he said. “The message is breaking through. He has a message that is different than the rest of the Republican field.”

Wood said that the economy was also not improving, so people were really looking for a strong fiscal conservative who was suggesting that the government should live within its means.

The Paul campaign also seems to be attracting a fair number of young people, professionals, and families, Wood noted, mostly due to his anti-war stances, but also the need to fix major governmental problems.

“These folks don’t think they are going to see Social Security,” he said. “They’re more likely to see a UFO or something.”

Wood would not go so far to predict a Paul win in New Hampshire, but he came pretty close. He noted, that in 1996, Kansas Sen. Bob Dole was the frontrunner for months until about six weeks out, when it became a three-way race between Dole, Tenn. Gov. Lamar Alexander, and Pat Buchanan, the eventually winner that year, in a photo finish.

“I think it is really wide open,” he said.

A new voter

Paul attracted at least one new American voter who noted that he helped her find “the truth” and meaning in life, that is freedom.

Merav Yaakov, a new American citizen who emigrated from Israel a number of years ago, will be voting in her first presidential election in 2012. She said she became politically involved after listening to Paul and would vote for him because he “changed my life and helped me find the truth that I couldn’t find on my own.”

“What is freedom?,” she asked. “What are human rights? What is social justice, a proper voting system, and peace? He opened the door and then I opened up other doors to other truths.”

If Paul is elected, there is a good chance he will defund American-taxpayer-funded military operations to both Israelis and Arab militaries. But that doesn’t bother Yaakov who said, “It will save lives.” She said even though she served in the Israeli military and knew general and cabinet members, the country was stuck in a perpetual war  that would never bring about peace to the conflict because of America's involvement. She said the United States needed to leave the region and allow the inhabitants to solve the problems themselves.

“The politicians there are like the politicians here,” she said. “They say one thing and then do another thing.”

Paul has a number of campaign stops in Concord on Aug. 18. He’ll speak at a morning business roundtable at 8 a.m. at the Kimball Jenkins Estate. He visits with real estate brokers at a lunchtime meeting. And then will hold an interview and a meet-and-greet at The Barley House at 4 p.m.