To the Edge and Maybe Over-Part 14
"My critics like to run around calling me 'isolationist' or 'irresponsible.' Well, I disagree with that assessment. Look what us sticking our nose into every place under the sun has gotten us-how many of our sons and daughters died in Iraq? In Iran? And how does the world feel about us after the atrocities perpetrated in Iran? To me, it's the hawks who are irresponsible and are the true isolationists."
-Senator Ron Paul at a rally in Florida, September 8, 2008
"I stand by what I said at the DNC. I obviously have my disagreements with Senator Paul-I do not believe we fix the economy by shattering the welfare state or abolishing the Federal Reserve. But I don't think Edwards' pro-corporate economic policies are the answer either and he will get us into more wars. And the less I say about McKinney the better. In this election, all I can tell my supporters to do is vote their conscience and keep up the fight for positive change."
-Former Senator Paul Wellstone, in an interview with NBC on September 10, 2008
NEARLY 300 FORMER NAT'L SECURITY PROFESSIONALS SIGN A LETTER SUPPORTING EDWARDS OVER PAUL
POLLS SHOW LIEBERMAN APPROVAL RATING AT 34% KEY FACTOR BEHIND EDWARDS DECLINING CAMPAIGN APPEARANCES, SOURCES SAY
POLLS SHOW CRIST BOLSTERING PAUL IN FLORIDA, STATE STILL FAVORS EDWARDS OVERALL
TRADITIONALLY LEFT-WING ANTIWAR GROUP CODE PINK ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR PAUL IN PRESS RELEASE
MCKINNEY PROMISES TO 'LOOK INTO VACCINES' IF ELECTED PRESIDENT
SENATOR NORM COLEMAN CROSSES PARTY LINES TO ENDORSE EDWARDS IN MINNEAPOLIS CAMPAIGN APPEARANCE
WHILE PROMOTING UNITED FRONT PUBLICLY, RNC OFFICIALS REMAIN WARY OF PAUL CAMPAIGN'S PROSPECTS IN NOVEMBER
-Headlines of The Washington Post, September-October 2008
"I appreciate Senator Paul's convictions, but there comes a time where you have to concede ground to reality. We tried doing nothing to solve economic crises many times before-and it didn't work. We want to solve this new crisis-we take a page from the book of FDR, not Herbert Hoover."
"Senator Paul, your rebuttal?"
"Well, I would dispute Edwards' characterization. Hoover spent quite a bit of time trying to fix the Depression with stimulus and that didn't work. And the New Deal didn't end the Great Depression either-if anything, it prolonged it. These historical narratives are popular, Senator Edwards, but they are not born out by reality."
-Exchange between John Edwards, Poppy Harlow and Ron Paul at the first presidential debate, October 7, 2008
"There is no good reason for the presidential debates to exclude anyone with enough ballot access to win. That's why I intend to boycott the next presidential debate unless the Commission on Presidential Debates extends invitations to Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party and Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party."
-Senator Ron Paul in a press conference also attended by McKinney and Baldwin, October 11, 2008
"This is nothing but a cynical ploy to try and poach votes from my campaign and I refuse to dignify my campaign by appearing alongside known cranks."
-Senator John Edwards in response to Paul's demands, October 12, 2008
"The beginning of problems for Edwards' campaign was his response to Paul demanding the Green and Constitution Parties be included in the presidential debates. While in the end the CPD did as Edwards demanded, Paul followed through on his ultimatum. Furthermore, the claims of Edwards were seen as illegitimate by many as a result of the fact Paul demanded Chuck Baldwin, who was ideologically much closer to Paul than Edwards, be included. Paul's efforts to stand up for third-party candidates helped strengthen his image as a man of the people targetting a corrupt establishment. And of course, it also helped that the aftermath of the second debate (a de facto Edwards townhall that was televised) was the emergence of a scandal."
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Chaos on the Campaign Trail: 2000-2020 by Nate Silver, published 2023
"I want to be clear: the claims of Miss Hunter that I fathered a child with her are nothing more than a false, malicious smear. I will admit to the fact I carried on an affair with Miss Hunter-an act I deeply and sincerely regret. However, at this time, I do not intend to drop out from the presidential race as I believe it is imperative that we elect someone other than Senator Paul who I fear will lead the US into a new Great Depression."
-Senator John Edwards in a press conference, October 21, 2008
"Goddamn it, John, you're going to cost us everything!"
-David Bonior in a phone call to John Edwards, October 21, 2008
POLLING SHOWS MASSIVE DROP IN SUPPORT FOR EDWARDS FOLLOWING REVELATION OF AFFAIRS
THIRD PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TO INCLUDE MCKINNEY AND BALDWIN
THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATES, EDWARDS FLOUNDER IN THIRD DEBATE AS PAUL OUTPERFORMS EXPECTATIONS
RON PAUL RALLY IN SAN FRANCISCO DRAWS 9,000 ATTENDEES
GOING INTO ELECTION NIGHT, PAUL FAVORED TO WIN POPULAR VOTE, ELECTORAL COLLEGE REMAINS TOO CLOSE TO CALL
-Headlines of The Hill, October-November 2008
"Of course, the election was a major disappointment to me. Even though John was relatively cold to me personally (as understandable as it is regrettable), at the end of the day he was someone who appreciated the necessity of what we were doing. That I did not seek to wage wars for no reason, but I fought to protect American lives. That I was pushing for bailouts not because I was a corporate puppet, but because I knew we needed to stabilize the economy-and it's worth noting that for all the condemnation President Paul made towards me after the fact, he never did undo them once my signature was on them. To see someone like Senator Paul win the White House stung quite a bit-it was perhaps the biggest rebuke I could have been given short of electing a Nazi. Still, despite everything, I stand by what I did. My administration and the people in it did the right thing. I still believe that."
-Former President Joe Lieberman in his autobiography
An Amazing Adventure, published in 2014