The Crossed Pond

So Ron Paul, for those that haven’t heard, had a very successful event in San Francisco today. We had a correspondent on the scene, our buddy Clay, or weltschmerz as he’s called here (he of Range Voting fame). I asked him if he could write up a little thing about Dr. Paul’s visit, and he was kind enough to.

Also, check out his exclusive pictures, including one of the best I’ve yet seen of the good Doctor.

Here’s Clay:

Hey Brad,

In a librul Mecca like San Francisco, life can get a little
id="r-69" title="lonely">lonely
for a Paulite.  Just about the last thing I expect on any given day is
a visit by my Freedom Fighter in Chief.  Thus my most pleasant surprise
this past Thursday, upon waking and checking the Ron Paul RSS feed. 
After a few inspiring blips about sold-out fundraising events in L.A., it
was noted that Paul had arrived in S.F. early that morning.  A quick
news search revealed his speaking engagements would be limited to two
$500-per-plate fundraising meals.  As I didn’t have $500 to drop on a
breakfast or lunch, I decided to do the next best thing: join the unruly mob
that no doubt would form on the sidewalk, and cheer him on during his hasty
exit.  And having just wrapped up my last day of work at the Academy of
Art I.T. department on the day prior, I was at the relaxing well-rested
start of a four day weekend.  I wasn’t even going to have to play hooky
– score!

Sporting my
id="m6r_" title="Taxation = Slavery">Taxation
= Slavery t-shirt and Ron Paul 2008 button, I darted for the 24th and
Mission Street
BART station,
where no sooner had I descended to its squalid platform, than I spotted a
woman in a Ron Paul shirt.  I knew I wasn’t going to be alone. 
“Nice shirt,” I called out to her.  As we rode, we spoke of our own
personal reasons for coming aboard the “Ron Paul Revolution”. 
Immediately I identified that sort of giddy enthusiasm that so many Paulites
seem to exhibit.  We don’t talk about “this guy we’d really like to
have as our President”.  To us, he’s “this guy we think could change
everything“.

Soon we were coming up the stairs at Market and New Montgomery streets, in
the heart of the financial district.  The
title="crowd">crowd
had already assembled in anticipation of Paul’s exit from his breakfast talk
at the Palace Hotel, and they were excitedly waving their signs and chanting
their slogans.  “Restore the Constitution – Ron Paul revolution!”, went
one chant.

It wasn’t long before Paul strode out of the hotel, a
title="kid-like smile">kid-like
smile on his face, and accompanied by his campaign manager and some
suited muscle.  And then, flanked by his cheering supporters, he
marched a half mile up Montgomery Street, to his lunch engagement near the
title="TransAmerica Building">TransAmerica
Building.  Along the way he made a few
title="phone calls">phone
calls,
title="chatted with supporters">chatted
with supporters, and even paused momentarily for a
title="brief interview">brief
interview with the local news.  Once he had arrived and
title="posed for some pictures">posed
for some pictures, the crowd
title="saw him off">saw
him off, and then marched back down to Market Street, eventually coming
back up to
title="Union Square">Union
Square.

So how did things turn out?  Well, as the latest post in the Ron Paul
newsletter says

Our successful events in the San Francisco Bay Area, along with your
generous online donations, made yesterday far and away our most successful
fundraising day in campaign history.

Come back any time, doctor.

Clay

Great stuff. It’s impossible to not get the sense of how much damn fun this whole thing is, for all of us, how much spontaneous glee and bursting energy there is fueling this thing. And many of us are people who haven’t had anything to smile about regarding our country in far, far too long.

Thank you, Doctor Paul.

Thanks Clay.