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Ron Paul Refuses To Participate In Donald Trump Debate, Calls It ‘Beneath The Office Of The Presidency’

» 59 comments

Ron Paul is joining Jon Huntsman in the growing list of Republican presidential candidates who are sitting out Newsmax’s December 27th debate hosted by Donald Trump. “The selection of a reality television personality to host a presidential debate that voters nationwide will be watching is beneath the office of the Presidency and flies in the face of that office’s history and dignity,” said Paul 2012 campaign chairman Jesse Benton.

RELATED: Republican Candidates Of Substance Should Sit Out Trump Moderated GOP Debate

Politico‘s Alexander Burns has further details from Benton:

Mr. Trump’s participation as moderator will distract from questions and answers concerning important issues such as the national economy, crushing federal government debt, the role of the federal government, foreign policy, and the like. To be sure, Mr. Trump’s participation will contribute to an unwanted circus-like atmosphere.

“Mr. Trump’s selection is also wildly inappropriate because of his record of toying with the serious decision of whether to compete for our nation’s highest office, a decision he appeared to make frivolously. The short-lived elevation of Mr. Trump’s stature as a candidate put him on the radar of many organizations and we recall that last spring he was invited to keynote the Republican Party of Iowa’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner, yet at the last minute he left RPI holding the bag by canceling. In turn, RPI canceled its biggest fundraising gala of the year and suffered embarrassment and in addition RPI was required to engage in refunding measures. Our candidate will not even consider participating in the late-December debate until Mr. Trump publicly apologizes to Iowa party leaders and rectifies in full the situation.

Therefore our candidate Ron Paul, the champion of the Constitution, has advised he will not attend.”

RELATED: Tamron Hall To Trump: Could Your Debate Look ‘Like An Episode Of The Apprentice?’

(h/t Politico)

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  • Anonymous

    The majority of the republican field is beneath the office of the presidency so what’s his beef?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AOZGQUA2RXBBMT3WCUGRXXGVXQ Mike

    This man is slowly becoming my hero.

  • Sanjay Sin

    trump is a bankrupt prostitute.  What has happened to GOP voters?  Is it some hypnotic spell?

    GOP voters are being led to slaughter by vermin line Newt, Trump, Mitt, Santorum…

    Obama = Romney = Perry = Gingrich = GOP = Democrats. Different puppets, same deceitful/ traitorous Federal Reserve/Bankster masters.

    Gingrich, Perry, Romney = medical care dictatorship, $16-Trillion/bailouts, endless wars/empire, free health/education/food/house/amnesty for 3rd world invaders, racist quotas, bankster funded campaign.  But, thats not all.

    Gingrich = endless wives, $1.8-Million Freddie-mac bribe.

    Romney =  abortion, gun control. 

    Perry = Gardasil for little girls, “oops, whats the 3rd one?”, “Bank-of-America helping him out”.

    End the wars/empire, end the federal reserve/IMF/World Bank/BIS/UN/WTO, end racist quotas, end TSA/DHS/ADL/SPLC and other Orwellian crime syndicates.

    Ron Paul will restore sound money, strong national defense, liberty, free enterprise, local government, strong traditional families.

    US forces gave 3-times as much $ to Paul as all other GOP candidates (prostitutes) combined.  Paul supports private aid to Isreal. 

    Only Paul has the guts to balance the Budget and cut Trillion dollars in first year.  Reagan endorsed Paul during his Presidency. Paul is the most conservative leader in GOP history.

    Watch these 3 clips on Perry, Newt and Mitt and come to your senses.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fRhb0awjAg

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWKTOCP45zY

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9njHHyRI7g

  • Anonymous

    I have to agree … Ron Paul is correct in his assessment of this “debate”

  • Anonymous

    who would attend a debate moderated by someone who eats pizza with a fork

  • Sanjay Sin

    What has happened to GOP voters?  They are sheep being taken to slaughter by prostitutes like Trump, Mitt and Newt.

    Obama = Romney = Perry = Gingrich = GOP = Democrats. Different puppets, same deceitful/ traitorous Federal Reserve/Bankster masters.

    Gingrich, Perry, Romney = medical care dictatorship, $16-Trillion/bailouts, endless wars/empire, free health/education/food/house/amnesty for 3rd world invaders, racist quotas, bankster funded campaign.  But, thats not all.

    Gingrich = endless wives, $1.8-Million Freddie-mac bribe.

    Romney =  abortion, gun control.  

    Perry = Gardasil for little girls, “oops, whats the 3rd one?”, “Bank-of-America helping him out”.

    End the wars/empire, end the federal reserve/IMF/World Bank/BIS/UN/WTO, end racist quotas, end TSA/DHS/ADL/SPLC and other Orwellian crime syndicates.

    Ron Paul will restore sound money, strong national defense, liberty, free enterprise, local government, strong traditional families.

    US forces gave 3-times as much $ to Paul as all other GOP candidates (prostitutes) combined.  Paul supports private aid to Isreal.  

    Only Paul has the guts to balance the Budget and cut Trillion dollars in first year.  Reagan endorsed Paul during his Presidency. Paul is the most conservative leader in GOP history.

  • Anonymous

    Bravo to Dr. Paul, a man of integrity.

  • Anonymous

    Newt loves illegals more than Americans. Mitt thinks corporations are people (killing his general election chances). Ron Paul is the only candidate with a plan to end the TSA and end the endless wars for Israel, it all started a decade ago after a false flag attack.
    9/11, US and Israel:
    http://www.amazon.com/America-Deceived-II-Possession-interrogation/dp/1450257437

  • Jay

    “If Trump wants to be taken seriously by Republicans, he needs to quit Celebrity Apprentice and apologize to the Iowa GOP.

    “If he gets his act together, President Paul might consider getting his advice on fixing our country’s financial situation. We understand Donald has a lot of experience with bankruptcy.”

    - Jesse Benton, Campaign Manager for Ron Paul

  • Anonymous

    you go boy…
    Ron Paul again—the one guy who really gets that America is not a joke and  the presidency cannot and should not be filled by just any carnival barker, floozy or fly by night opportunist..

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_H36WFOK26NT5DTCBQPOVZBMXR4 lee

    Trump the 100 year old clown… I guess you can’t be smarter or wiser when you get older, and the Asian wonder why we don’t respect our elders. ……. That’s all!

  • Anonymous

    Dr. Paul .

    Do what you do best , Stand your ground and never back down .

    Dr. Ron Paul has more integrity in his little finger than Trump could buy with borrowed money .

  • http://twitter.com/Zamir Zamir

    well now that Ron Paul is out, it makes this debate irrelevant if theirs no one going to be their to call out the other candidates on their bullshit

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Amber-Mayo/753228427 Amber Mayo

    Awesome. Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman both are awesome for choosing to not attend. I’m glad that Ron Paul remembers what whatshisname did to the RPI.

    Kudos to James Crugnale for giving us a substantial amount of the letter.

  • http://twitter.com/Bennybombom Ben

    Not surprised….I mean Who the F…’s brilliant idea was that anyway?
    Trump,really?Someone is really dumb enough to organize that?

    Seriously man,wtf?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bart-Morgay/100001554351938 Bart Morgay

    The right-wing in America seems to have an endless supply of media-whoring clowns.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_45S32GWGDRUJIL6E2U4HOZW4BM Bob

    Paul and Huntsman are the only ones that nonwingnuts can remotely respect.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_45S32GWGDRUJIL6E2U4HOZW4BM Bob

    zing!

  • Anonymous

    That was one funny bit on TDS

  • Anonymous

    Actually he wasn’t the first one to decline the Trump circus act debate, but I’m glad he did. Now the others will be forced to follow suit or look foolish, and Trump will finally be treated like the political joke he really is. Of course Fox and Friends will still have him on regularly for commentary because they are part of the joke.

  • Anonymous

    Well, it’s not as if the left doesn’t have any.  It is sad though that this presidential election demonstrates so clearly what a sad joke American politics has become. Serious minded reasonable responsible candidates are shuffled to the back while the media promotes the circus act. 

  • Anonymous

    You’ve got to be kidding? Donald Trump as moderator! Who’s next, Don Rickles? Maybe they should have one of the debates on Springer.

    Perry: “That Mitt Romney flip-flops more than a Texas bullfrog!”

    Springer: “Well, let’s bring him out.”

    Mayhem ensues.

    Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!  

  • Anonymous

    ya forgot about Huntsman..

    well at least there is still hope for Republicans…slim–but a chance..
    we can only pray–would be nice to have a more serious gop ..

  • Albert Delitala

    I suppose his financial worth can be debated (i.e. your calling him bankrupt), but exactly how is he a prostitute?!

  • Anonymous

    Good move. I will only vote for whoever DOESN’T go to this joke.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_45S32GWGDRUJIL6E2U4HOZW4BM Bob

    Sounds like ol’ Ron Paul can’t show uz his birf sirtificut!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_45S32GWGDRUJIL6E2U4HOZW4BM Bob

    hey – don’t insult Don Rickles and Jerry Springer by bringing them into this mess! That’s uncalled for.

  • Anonymous

    Ron Paul has it correct. Donald Trump is such a joke. I have no idea why Greta has him on almost every night because all he ever does is talk about how great he is, how popular he is and other blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada bs. Donald is a joke and all the candidates should opt out. There are way too many debates as it is and they have become a joke.

  • Anonymous

    Its’ newsmax, what do you expect? I’m shocked.. well not really, that no one around this site gets the fact that newsmax isn’t a legit news source, never was, it’s an extremist right wing blog.   fits perfectly with the trump side show.

  • Anonymous

    by all means pray for your republican taking over 

  • Anonymous

    ROFLMFAO HA HA HA HA HA !  THAT’S FUNNY!  

  • Anonymous

    How interesting all the halfwits on this site give credit to Ron Paul for walking away from this circus act, when Jon Huntsman did it first .. and barely anyone acknowledges him, the only true gop candidate who is a legitimate candidate, with even the slightest chance in this election..

  • Anonymous

    Ron Paul trying hard to salvage some dignity from the oncoming fiasco of Donald Trump moderating.

    …Really?

    Whose titanically brilliant idea was that…

    …it’s sure to pay dividends if nothing else, but for Trump’s The Apprentice.

    Credibility is on it’s knees with these debates now.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jj-Wisniewski/100002654075475 Jj Wisniewski

    Couldn’t agree with Ron Paul More. It is beneath the office of the presidency. I don’t know if Newt has had one of those secret meetings with Trump, but all the ass kissers who so far had, are done, finished, kaput. The jackass with the god complex is a freakin idiot. What constituency can he possibly deliver to whomever he supports; real estate tycoons, and casino owners. The same ass kissers who go down to Arizona to meet with Sheriff Arpeio, barely any voters outside of Arizona have even heard of this guy. I don’t disagree with his immigration policy, but he can’t even deliver Arizona.

  • Anonymous

    Paul is a hero to many and this move certainly &deservedly solidifies their view of him

    Though I’m not sure how different a debate moderated by Trump would be from one moderated by an equally mediocre, equally corrupt but better coifed CNN’s Wolf Blitzer

  • Anonymous

    Moreover, perhaps Trump wouldn’t be a mouthpiece for Israel’s department of states and try coax candidates to pledge total submission to Israel’s whims and impulses as would say Blitz or David Gregory would

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Lee-Nielsen/1344975867 Lee Nielsen

    Do not downgrade the debate even farrer by bring Springer into it.  By God

    Also to add, Springer has been on CNN as a contributor. 

  • Anonymous

    BS. We’ll all be watching.

  • Anonymous

    Trump isn’t making money off the debate? This isn’t about promoting Donald Trump?

  • Anonymous

    You could be right that Trump’s debate will be a good one.

  • http://twitter.com/closetanarchist closet anarchist

    Ron Paul IS the ONLY GOP candidate that can win in 2012.

    He has 71% of the military vote, he gets more donations
    from federal workers than any other GOP candidate, he has more crossover
    support from disaffected Democrats than any other candidate, and he OWNS the
    independent vote – with enough support to win by a greater margin in 2012 than
    Obama did in 2008. No other GOP candidate has that level of support—let alone
    relentless and devoted domestic support or a WORLDWIDE following. Paul’s
    grassroots organization and funding is second to none—thanks to an army of
    supporters—not Wall Street/corporations lavishly funding his campaign.

    Ron has also garnered 20 GOP Presidential Straw Poll
    wins—more than ANY other GOP candidate—and FIVE TIMES AS MANY as Establishment
    favorite, Mitt Romney. Flavor of the Month, Newt Gingrich, has won ONE straw
    poll. Ron Paul’s straw poll victories constitute 50% of the 40 GOP Straw Polls
    thus far.

    2011 GOP Straw Poll Wins for Ron Paul:

    1st – February 12, 2011, Washington, D.C. – CPAC
    Straw Poll
    1st – February 27, 2011 Phoenix, AZ – Tea Party
    Patriots Virtual Summit Straw Poll
    1st – March 20, 2011, Sacramento, California –
    Republican Liberty Caucus of California Presidential Straw Poll
    1st – June 16–18, 2011, New Orleans, Louisiana –
    Republican Leadership Conference Straw Poll
    1st – June 19, 2011, Clay County, Iowa Republican
    Party Straw Poll
    1st – August 20, 2011 New Hampshire Young Republicans
    Straw Poll
    1st – September 12, 2011 Cincinnati Tea Party Straw
    Poll
    1st – September 17, 2011 California GOP Straw Poll
    1st – October 7–9, 2011, Washington, D.C. – Values
    Voter Straw Poll
    1st – October 13, 2011, Los Angeles County,
    California – RPLAC Straw Poll
    1st – October 18, 2011, Charleston, South Carolina
    - Charleston County Republican Party
    1st – October 22, 2011, Columbus, Ohio – Ohio GOP
    Swing State Straw Poll
    1st – October 29, 2011, Des Moines, Iowa – National
    Federation of Republican Assemblies Presidential Straw Poll Tally 1
    1st – October 29, 2011, Des Moines, Iowa – National
    Federation of Republican Assemblies Presidential Straw Poll Tally 2
    1st – November 5, 2011, Illinois – Illinois Straw
    Poll
    1st – November 14, 2011, North Charleston, South
    Carolina – Charleston County Republican Party Straw Poll
    1st – November 14, 2011, San Diego, California -
    San Diego GOP Straw poll
    1st – November 15, 2011, Springfield, Missouri -
    Missouri Tea Party Straw poll
    1st – November 19, 2011, North Carolina- NC
    Registered Republicans Straw Poll
    1st – December 2, 2011, – Dubuque, Iowa – Dubuque Tea Party Straw Poll

    Ron Paul’s 2nd Place GOP Straw Poll results:

    2nd – January 22, 2011, Derry, New Hampshire – New
    Hampshire Straw Poll
    2nd – (Statistical Tie for 1st) – August 13, 2011
    Iowa Straw Poll, Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
    2nd – (Statistical Tie for 1st) – August 27, 2011
    Georgia State GOP Straw Poll
    2nd – October 29, 2011, Tuscaloosa, Alabama; West
    Alabama Straw Poll
    2nd – November 19, 2011, Rockford, Illinois -
    Memorial Hall Straw Poll

    Smackdown of Salon Attack on Ron Paul

    http://www.tomwoods.com/blog/smackdown-of-salon-attack-on-ron-paul/

    Truth Is: Ron Paul Is Winning!

    http://ronpaulronpaul.com/winning.php

    New Iowa Poll Places Ron Paul Firmly In First, With
    25%

    http://www.revolutionpac.com/2011/11/new-iowa-poll-places-ron-paul-firmly-in-first-with-25/

    Ron Paul Claims Frontrunner Status, Soaring Past
    Gingrich, Romney

    http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/11/15/poll-ron-paul-claims-frontrunner-status-soaring-past-gingrich-romney/

    Shhhhhh…Ron Paul Could Win California and
    Therefore the Nomination

    http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-washington-dc/shhhhhh-ron-paul-could-win-california-and-therefore-the-nomination

    Ron Paul Can Win On Arithmetic, Not Just Philosophy

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robin-koerner/how-ron-paul-can-win-on-a_b_1098770.html

    Ron Paul Can Win the Presidency

    http://dougwead.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/ron-paul-can-win-the-presidency/

    Ron Paul Reaps Leads in Donations from Federal
    Workers

    http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=13&articleid=20111126_13_A12_CUTLIN80694

  • http://twitter.com/closetanarchist closet anarchist

    Ha. Take your Jon Huntsman and your .0001% of the vote and GTFO.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BHN3RE2ZBMIVWN5HJBGDPTNOYI Tom

    Hot website. Don’t miss it.

    http://www.worldhappyshop.com/

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BHN3RE2ZBMIVWN5HJBGDPTNOYI Tom

    Hot website. Don’t miss it.

    http://www.worldhappyshop.com/

  • Anonymous

    How you could even equate those two is nonsense.  I don’t always love Wolf Blitzer, but I can at least respect him as a professional and as someone who at least takes his job seriously.

    Trump, on the other hand, is a smarmy entertainer who will say and do anything for $$ and ratings, and publicity.

  • Anonymous

    I love it when right-wingers bash Huntsman, but couldn’t tell you more than one sentence about his record.

  • Anonymous

    Considering the journalistic malpractice these people consciously and deliberately engaged in in unison covering the period leading up to the Iraq war, I’d rather have a Trump, a Howard Stern or a Jeannine Garafalo asking questions rather than these jingoistic amateurs called journalists setting the narrative during that period

  • Anonymous

    There is no way I’ll miss it.

    It’s going to be the most entertaining GOP debate of all time, although my guess is Trump will be the next one to drop out of this debate saying he never agreed to do it before the other GOP clowns make him look any more foolish.

  • Anonymous

    My God, finally Paul is right on something.

  • WiddleBabyDanielson

    Sarah say
    He bad.

  • WiddleBabyDanielson

    Springer would do a better job than Trump.

  • News Of The World

    I disagree with most of Dr. Paul’s positions, but I do at least respect him for not being afraid to articulate his positions and usually not being disrespectful of others in the process. And anyone who has any respect for themselves as a candidate in this process will also reject this reality show debate (but that doesn’t fit with this side-show of a Reuplicanteepartee nomination process for most of these worthless candidates).  Good for Dr. Paul (and Huntsman).

  • Anonymous

    The glaze on the faces of the participants will be more than just their cluelessness on a philosophical level.  This debate will be about the participants falling all over each other to fellate Mr. Trump.

  • Anonymous

    Mr. Paul is absolutely correct on this one.  Disgusting.

  • NadePaulKuciGravMcKi

    BEWARE
    controlled media says: Iowa loves Newton Leroy Gingrich and Callista!

    controlled media says: New Hampshire loves Willard ‘Mittens’ Romney
    BEWARE

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kristine-Johnson-Fraser/500660893 Kristine Johnson Fraser

    Newt said he’d be there. Shows how much he respects the office of the Presidency.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kristine-Johnson-Fraser/500660893 Kristine Johnson Fraser

    You have got to be kidding,,,,,,,,

  • http://twitter.com/URRUdesign Republic Underground

    hes right dipshit RP 2012

  • Anonymous

    What did you expect ? Ron Paul is the only candidate that makes any sense.

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