Ron Paul Rallies Supporters at UMD, Endorses GOP Candidates for Congress

Ron Paul speaks to supporters before the rally. In the background is Zeshawn Ahmad, 26, a part-time student in the university's MBA program. (Photo by Newsline's Laurie White)

Background Story: Ron Paul Supporters Just Happy to Have a Stage Related Links: Newsline's Elections '08 Report links to the candidates' Web pages Campaign for Liberty

By Karen Shih
Maryland Newsline
Friday, Oct. 10, 2008

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Rep. Ron Paul, a Texas Republican and unsuccessful presidential candidate, rallied a crowd at the University of Maryland’s Comcast Center Thursday night, railing against the excesses of government—particularly the $700 billion federal bailout of financial institutions — and throwing his support behind five Republican congressional candidates running against incumbents in Maryland.

“I didn’t want to rule the world, I didn’t want to run your life, and I didn’t want to run the economy,” Paul said to raucous applause, summing up his Libertarian point of view.

He talked about cutting government spending, bringing troops back from all over the world and deregulating drug use.

“Our views have caught on,” Paul said to a crowd of several hundred people, predominated by men.

The event, presented by Maryland Students for Liberty, featured Republican congressional candidates  Richard Matthews of District 2, Peter James of District 4, Collins Bailey of District 5, Mike Hargadon of  District 7 and Steve Hudson of District 8.

Each spoke briefly before Paul took the stage. Most took the opportunity to reiterate their common messages.  

“In Iraq, it’s time to come home,” Matthews said, as the crowd burst into applause. “We can’t afford it anymore.”

Bailey, running against House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer, a Democrat, asked the crowd, “How many of you are satisfied with the job the other guy is doing? Stand up.”

They booed loudly.

 “We need to clean up on both sides of the aisle,” Bailey said, citing Congress’ 9 percent approval rating, as reported by the polling firm Rasmussen Reports at the end of August.

Students mixed with local residents at the event, which had only been finalized in the last week or so, leaving little time to publicize it, said campus organizer and emcee Mike Davis, a senior psychology major. Several students said they just heard about it earlier in the day.

“My friend told me like an hour before it started,” said Ben Petersen, a senior philosophy and history major. He said he voted for Paul in the primaries and considers himself a moderate Republican who will vote for GOP Sen. John McCain in November.

“He’s the lesser of two evils,” Petersen said.

Supporters applaud Ron Paul. (Photo by Newsline's Karen Shih)

Towson student Matt Green, at the event with his sister Alicia Green and friend David Gagliano, both from north of Baltimore, said they drove an hour to see Paul after hearing about the event through e-mail the day before.

“We’re multiple-time donators,” Gagliano said, noting that they even had Ron Paul T-shirts and a Christmas tree ornament.

He said he likes Paul because “he’s the only candidate who received mainstream attention that’s brave enough to talk about personal liberty." He added, “Everyone else is a sham or a charade [while Paul is] sensible and honest.”

The three said they hadn’t made up their minds about who they were going to vote for in November, but Green said she was “more likely to vote for [a fringe candidate] than the Democrats or Republicans.”

Daniel Kellogg, a recent Florida State University graduate who now works in Washington, D.C., said he agreed with Paul’s economic stance.

Paul has said he wants to reduce taxes, abolish the Federal Reserve and eliminate government interference in the free market. He believes in significantly reducing government spending, particularly abroad.

“You can’t balance the budget by raising taxes,” Paul said Thursday night. “We need to cut foreign spending to help people at home.”

Kellogg echoed Paul’s statements, saying: “We need to return to a free market. We haven’t had one in the U.S. for a long time.”

Kellogg said he voted for Paul in the primary and intends to vote for Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin, who Paul has endorsed, in the general election.

A fervent Paul supporter, Kellogg went to a rally in New Hampshire earlier this year and donated $2,300, the maximum amount he could give, to the campaign, he said.

Thursday’s main event in College Park cost $25 for non-students and $5 for students.

For those who had more money to spend-- $150, to be exact—there was a pre-rally VIP event that permitted avid supporters to chat with Paul and take pictures with him.

Sophomore computer engineering major Anthony Salvato shelled out the big bucks to see his dream candidate.

“I thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Salvato said. He said he wouldn’t miss the money in a couple years when he starts working, but he might think back and regret not seeing Paul up close when he had the chance.

A first-time voter, Salvato said he plans to vote for a third-party presidential candidate in November, though he hasn’t picked which one yet.

Davis said he was pleased with the turnout, and hopes to spread the message leading up the election.

“I like the simplicity” of the Libertarian message, he said.  “You can make your own choices in life.”

Copyright © 2008 University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism

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