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Journalists and political pundits have been pulling groundless election predictions out of their butts left and right. I want in on the game. Bear with me while I give some background up to my prediction. If you are impatient, you can skip right to the point, bolded for your convenience, at the end of this article.

Ron Paul’s November 5th money bomb made big headlines, and started a wave of positive reporting as well as some incredibly negative smears stemming from recognition that he is now a serious contender with a lot of enthusiastic support. Judging from the numbers reported on teaparty07.com, it looks like Ron Paul’s December 16th fundraiser will be significantly bigger, possibly breaking all one-day fundraising records.

If the current trend continues, I have no doubt that many media outlets will become even more respectful of Ron Paul’s candidacy, and the conversations will evolve from whether or not Ron Paul will effect the race for the “first tier” candidates to whether or not he can win primaries. It’s already starting to shift in that direction, and it will have to continue if Ron Paul brings in another $5 million or more in one day.

But the important point of my prediction is about how the mainstream media will handle the “money bomb” attempts by supporters of other presidential candidates. In case you missed it, supporters of several other candidates have tried to outdo Ron Paul’s $4.38 million fundraising day, believing that if Ron Paul’s tiny band of lunatics can raise that kind of cash, then certainly their candidates, with such high percentages in the polls, can do even better.

Obama’s supporters had Barack’s Friday. 132 people pledged to contribute $100 on November 16th. When the day came, 72 people contributed a total of $4650. November 20th is Mike Huckabee’s big fundraising day. He has done significantly better with over 200 pledges and has raised over $110,000 as of this posting. Not bad. Perhaps the most embarrassing “money bomb” is Fred’s Giving Day, organized for Fred Thompson. So far, he has the smallest number of pledges, just 76, and the big day is tomorrow.

Dennis Kucinich supporters are also trying to raise some cash for the Democratic candidate, who has been continuously marginalized by the mainstream media. With more than 3 weeks to go, nearly 350 pledges have already come through. That far exceeds the levels of support shown for every other candidate, with the exception of Ron Paul. It would be unfair to dismiss Kucinich’s candidacy on the basis of low fundraiser numbers without also dismissing Obama’s or Thompson’s candidacy for their even lower numbers, right?

My prediction is this: On December 16th, when the mainstream media is in a frenzy over Ron Paul’s second record-breaking fundraiser, they will take the opportunity to ridicule Kucinich for falling far short of Ron Paul’s success, while making absolutely no mention of the other candidates who fared much worse and who truly have little or no serious grassroots support. This not only gives them the opportunity to belittle Kucinich, which they love to do, but it also allows them to keep Ron Paul in the “fringe candidate” category, rather than compare him, favorably, to the “first tier” candidates. Honest candidates, such as Kucinich and Paul, are always labeled “unelectable” by the mainstream media.

I am obviously a supporter of Ron Paul. But I am also a supporter of honest reporting and fair elections, which I think go hand-in-hand. The media’s manipulation of the news and the presidential debates, would be comical in its predictability, if it were not such an important part of our democracy. If I am right on December 16th, then I can pat myself on the back and tell all my friends how smart I am. If I am wrong, I can do what all of these other political wonks do – take comfort in knowing that in this internet age, where political opinions are a dime a dozen, no one will remember or care that I ever made this prediction in the first place.

Growing up, I was proud to be an American. We were the land of the free and the home of the brave. We helped when others were in need. We were always the good guys and we protected the underdog. I don’t know if it was true, but that’s how I felt.

By the time I graduated college, I was sufficiently cynical that I no longer took particular pride in our country and certainly had little faith in our government to do anything right, but I wasn’t exactly ashamed of being an American either. It’s just that the shine had worn off for me.

When 9-11 happened, and the world came together in sorrow and prayer for our country, I was reminded of the country I loved as a child.

The Bush administration, with the continued help of the Congress, squandered all that good will by starting a war under false pretenses with a country that had nothing to do with 9-11. Traveling around the world has become dangerous or at least uncomfortable for Americans because of the arrogance of our government. After Bush’s re-election in 2004, I can honestly say I felt genuine shame about this country. I’ve thought many times about moving over seas and giving up on The United States entirely.

Today, for the first time in well over a decade, I feel genuine American pride after watching the video, The Strasbourg Tea Party – Europe for Ron Paul, embedded below. It shows nations across the Atlantic looking upon Americans as an inspiration and as an example worthy of being followed. I am not a weepy person, but my eyes actually teared up watching it. I feel so proud to be an American today because of what these freedom-loving Europeans have seen in us. I’ve got my Constitution and Declaration of Independence up on my mantle so I won’t again forget what my country stands for.

I’m not too proud to admit it – In the 2000 election, I supported Nader. In 2004, at least for the primary, I voted for Kucinich. Obviously, most others did not. Interestingly, very few people argued with me about their political platforms. The largest obstacle to getting these long shots elected was that people didn’t want to waste their vote on a candidate who couldn’t win. Even in Texas, where I lived during the 2000 election, and where Bush was guaranteed a victory, liberals would not support Nader because they didn’t want to “steal votes” from Gore. The Ron Paul presidential campaign is very different in that literally no one who supports him worries about taking votes from another candidate.

When people hear Ron Paul speak and are inspired to support him, they do so emphatically. They tend to come to the immediate conclusion that all the other candidates are entirely unacceptable because they don’t defend the most sacred of American documents, the Constitution.

It is difficult to accuse Ron Paul of stealing votes because he pulls from all political groups. Liberal hippies, gun enthusiasts, registered libertarians, brand new voters, “old guard” republicans, and the previously apathetic, are all flocking to Ron Paul. So which campaign could possibly argue that he is stealing their votes and guaranteeing the other side a victory?

Some Ron Paul supporters are sure he will win. Some are sure he has no chance. And many others believe it’s possible with a lot of hard work. But the key is that his chances of winning are completely irrelevant to the supporters’ enthusiasm and dedication to getting him elected. No one is concerned about wasting votes because Ron Paul isn’t just the best candidate in their eyes – he is the only candidate.

Whoever the powers are who “anoint” the front-runner candidates, they have made a serious miscalculation in attempting to undermine Ron Paul’s campaign and relegate him to fringe status. It has not discouraged people from supporting his candidacy. On the contrary, it has inspired tens of thousands of people to work harder than they ever have to get the word out about Ron Paul. People who have never given more than a vote to a political campaign are now giving as much time and money as they can spare, toward both official and unofficial activities. You can be that not a single one will be staying home on election day.

This weekend, I had the great pleasure of riding down to South Carolina with Linda, one of the Granny Warriors, in the “Freedom Wagon”. Upon first meeting Linda, or “Granny”, I found her to be a little intimidating. She’s a fierce lady in her 70’s, smokes like a chimney, and always speaks her mind. She also laughed at me when I asked if I needed to book a motel room. But it didn’t take long to realize that Linda is an incredibly kind and generous person, motivated only by a sincere desire to help people and to help spread the word about Ron Paul.

The Granny Warriors have taken their RV all over the country. Linda says she’s spent maybe a total of a month at home this year and only for a few days at a time. She’s also spent thousands of dollars of her own money for the road trips, materials, and even airplane fly-overs at NASCAR races. To help fund these efforts, the Grannies trade Ron Paul t-shirts, yard signs, pocket Constitutions, and other items, for donations, “whatever you think it’s worth to you.” In exchange, the people of South Carolina seemed to donate generously.

When other volunteers needed a supply of buttons or handouts, Linda was happy to share with them without a second thought. She knows everybody and everybody knows, loves, and respects her. Ron Paul even gave a shout up to the Granny Warriors during the Friday evening Rally. She has an endless supply of great ideas and boundless energy to carry them out. Throughout the trip from Asheville to Columbia and back again, she was discussing new ideas and plans for upcoming road trips.

The Granny Warrior’s RV gets a tremendous response, both driving on the highway and parked in town. The Grannies have the ability to spread Ron Paul’s freedom message to people that Ron Paul may not yet have reached. They really push the RV to its limits to support Ron Paul.

If you have already given your maximum $2300 donation to the official Ron Paul campaign, or if you are inspired by their activities, consider donating to the Granny Warriors on their website or on chipin.com.

And if anyone has any detox suggestions for 30 hours of second-hand smoke inhalation, please let me know.

I just returned from South Carolina, where hundreds of Ron Paul supporters gathered to hear Ron Paul speak at his new headquarters in Greenville and again at the Spartanburg County Courthouse.

In many ways, it was just like any Ron Paul rally you’d find on YouTube. It was great to be there in person, but it wasn’t anything especially new. What I found most interesting, and what I never noticed on YouTube, is Ron Paul’s shoes. He wears black sneakers on the campaign trail. He’s been wearing the same pair for months, and they sure are getting to look a little beat up. I don’t mind. That just means he’s spending my donations wisely. And if I had a schedule as demanding as Ron Paul’s, I’d be wearing comfortable shoes too.

Coordinators estimated that over 400 people were in attendance at the Greenville rally. The parking lot, as well as the overflow parking lot, were entirely filled up. Most of the attendees were from South Carolina, but a few came in from Georgia, and about 20 of us came in from Asheville to hear Ron Paul speak.

Later that evening, at the Spartanburg County Courthouse, Ron Paul spoke to a full house. Many people had to settle for listening to Ron Paul through the speakers in the hallway.

Tomorrow morning, I head out again to help out the Granny Warriors at the Ron Paul events in Columbia, SC.

Whether you are looking for dress shoes or something more in summer fashion like sandals solestruck.com is sure to have a great shoe option for you! They’re even a great option if you need wedding shoes! So don’t delay, get some new shoes today.

Recently, on Liberty Pundit, this statement was posted about Ron Paul: “…this man could eat a live baby on national television and it wouldn’t matter a bit to his lunatic, kook supporters.” (Original post: Ron Paul Scandal)

Eating a live baby is a gross exaggeration, but yes, Ron Paul could theoretically do something terrible and this kook would still support him.

To continue with the horrific metaphor of eating live babies, Ron Paul would still get my vote because all of his opponents have eaten dozens of live babies already. And then to make matters worse, they either pretended they never ate the babies even though we all saw them eat babies on national television, or they tried to convince me that those were cantaloupes, when any idiot could see they were babies.

The “dirt” that gets dug up on Ron Paul, compared to the smoldering mess that our government has gotten us into, is just not very compelling to Ron Paul supporters. So, a few anti-Semites and KKK members support Ron Paul. Big deal. So do vegans, nice old ladies, Green Party members, and good Christian folk. Ron Paul is an honest man. He has integrity. That puts him head and shoulders above the competition. That’s why we are so enthusiastic about his candidacy.

Now, if Ron Paul actually eats a live baby…I’ll think about registering as a Democrat and voting for Kucinich instead. Vegans don’t eat babies.

You may remember Vijay, the guy on the Ron Paul Candidates@Google interview who flew in from Seattle to hand deliver a donation check to Ron Paul.

Well, Vijay is organizing a very exciting campaign to get over 1000 Ron Paul supporters to New Hampshire in the days before the primary. You can read more about it here: http://www.seattleliberty.com/FAQ.html

New Hampshire is the “Live Free Or Die” state, and holds the first presidential primary in the country (date TBD). It’s the perfect place and time to make a strong stand for Ron Paul.

So get a few friends together and carpool up there. Vijay even has some ideas for cheap lodging.

I know I’ve got a million great excuses for blowing it off. But excuses won’t save our country and our liberty. Ron Paul will!

See you in New Hampshire! Looks like there’s some good vegan food to be had throughout NH too!

Here in Asheville, NC, there’s an eclectic mix of people and political views. Yes, it is a liberal, new-ager oasis, but it is also up in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. In other words, there are all kinds of people here. Equally varied is the type of folks who come to the Asheville Ron Paul meetups, and who give me a wave and big thumbs up when I wear my Ron Paul 2008 t-shirt around town. Peace activists and gun enthusiasts alike, seem to be excited about Ron Paul.

Where I consistently run into opposition is from the animal activist community. “You know, libertarians aren’t supportive of animal cruelty legislation.” Yes, yes, I do know that. But maybe there is a bigger picture here that we’re missing. Namely, that a minority demographic like ours, shouldn’t be so gung ho about the federal government legislating morality.

Consider the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), which states, among other things, that anyone crossing state lines or using the federal mail system for “the purpose of causing physical disruption to the functioning of an animal enterprise, or any real or personal property of a person or entity having a connection to, relationship with, or transactions with an animal enterprise” is now considered a terrorist. Several activists are sitting in prison and labeled as terrorists for doing nothing more than making a speech or operating a website that talked about illegal actions against animal enterprises.

If you think this doesn’t affect regular mainstream animal rights organizations, think again. Until recently, I was on the board of directors for a 501(c)3 animal rights group, and the AETA came up at many board meetings. We were constantly questioning whether we could openly make donations to certain organizations, what kinds of demonstrations we could organize, and how to phrase messages on our website. It was easy to say “we can’t let these laws scare us out of being effective activists.” But when faced with the very real possibility of going to prison, board members became much more reserved in their approach.

Only a voice vote was taken on the AETA, so there is no record of who voted against it. But Ron Paul is on record for having opposed the Patriot Act, an equally chilling destruction of our constitutional rights, and he continues to speak out against it throughout his campaign. By contrast, every democratic candidate except for Dennis Kucinich, voted in favor of the Patriot Act, despite the fact that it flies in the face of our Constitution, which every member of Congress is sworn to uphold.

Consider also the recent court cases involving children being taken from parents who raise them on a vegan diet, or parents who choose an alternative healing program rather than chemotherapy for their child with cancer. These cases demonstrate that our entire lifestyle is the subject of negative scrutiny. They are reminders that when morality is dictated by the majority or by a vocal minority, it doesn’t always work in our favor. While it may be appealing to ask the federal government to stop animal abuses nation wide, rather than targeting many states or communities on a more local level, it keeps the door open for federal-level abuses of power, such as the AETA and the Patriot Act. We can’t have it both ways. We can’t insist that the federal government uphold the constitution in some circumstances, and ignore it when it is convenient for our particular cause.

Ron Paul has introduced the Health Freedom Protection Act, HR 2117, which leaves the choice of what to eat and how to take care of our health in the hands of the individual, not the federal government. He also opposed Homeland Security Bill, H.R. 5005, which authorizes forced vaccinations of American citizens against small pox. Maybe you think small pox vaccinations are a good idea. Fair enough. But what happens when the government decides Americans need to be forced to get chemotherapy for cancer, or feed their children animal products, or otherwise dictate what is best for our health?

I should also point out, that unlike all of the other Republican presidential candidates and unlike most of the Democratic candidates, Ron Paul opposes the Iraq war, has opposed it from the beginning, and promises to end the war immediately. I had believed that the Democrats were going to save us from this unending death march in the Middle East, but now most of them talk about staying until 2013, and even discuss the possibility of going to war with Iran.

Ron Paul has been a staunch supporter of the Constitution for his entire 10 terms in Congress. Before every vote, he asks himself whether a piece of legislation is legal under the Constitution. If it violates our liberties, guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, or if it is not authorized by the Constitution, Ron Paul votes against it. He doesn’t just pay lip service to the idea of freedom. His record speaks as loud as his words. I’ve given just a couple of examples among so many, where Ron Paul stands out as a defender of basic rights that specifically affect vegans and animal activists, in hopes that it will inspire you to look further into his candidacy.

Now I know what some of you are thinking. What about Kucinich? He stands on principle. He has opposed the Iraq war from the beginning. He voted against the Patriot Act and spoke out against the AETA. I like Kucinich. I voted for him in the last primary. I like him, not just because he is vegan, but because he is honest and principled. But I’m supporting Ron Paul this time around. For one thing, it seems to me that Ron Paul has a lot more momentum on his side. But for another, Ron Paul believes in small government, while Dennis Kucinich is a big government guy. I firmly believe that Kucinich supports large federal programs only for the most noble of reasons. But at this point, I simply don’t trust our government to make noble decisions. I don’t trust them to use our tax dollars and the power we give them to improve the state of our country or the world, no matter who is in charge.

As president, Ron Paul is committed to decreasing his own power so that we, as individuals, have the power to live our lives as we see fit, and to speak out on behalf of our planet and all of its inhabitants.

If you truly believe that Kucinich can win the Democratic nomination, and you aren’t convinced that we need to restrict the power of the federal government, then stand up for your beliefs and vote for Kucinich. He’s a good guy and I’d be happy to have him as president. But if you’re still banking on the idea that any Democrat is better than anything the Republicans have to offer, take a second look at Ron Paul, and consider switching parties to support him in the Republican primary.

For an in-depth look at Ron Paul’s positions, check out the Candidates@Google Ron Paul interview.

Check out Analysis of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act on greenisthenewred.com for an in-depth look at this legislation.

Many states have closed primaries and some are rumored to be switching to closed primaries at the last minute. If you support Ron Paul for president, make sure to register Republican ASAP. If you’re in New York or New Hampshire, it’s already too late. Delaware residents have until October 31st.

I know it’s gross, but I had to just hold my nose and sign up. If the Republican party is good enough for Ron Paul, then it’s good enough for me. Still not convinced? Maybe Ron Paul Girl can say it better.

Here’s some information on registering to vote in your state.

Yes, that’s right, I’m now a registered Republican. Possibly the only vegan, raw fooder, Republican in the country. I registered as a Republican in order to support Ron Paul in the North Carolina Republican primary.

For a great video summary of Ron Paul‘s platform and philosophy, watch the Candidates@Google video on YouTube. And for those of you who have forgotten what the U.S. Constitution actually says, have a read and remember what you’re missing.