Reddit Ron Paul AMA (question not answered)

Sorry, I don’t have any softball questions for you here, but I’m sure many have been wondering the answers to these.

I didn’t want to start off with this one, but the populace really wants some answers. To be frank, the only answers you’ve given are that you said you’ve already answered the question. You seemed to know about them in 1995, and former staff have said you signed off on them. So here’s the question: Exactly what part did you and your close family members have in writing reading and/or proof-reading the newsletters that bare your name (The Ron Paul Newsletter)?

Your ended your campaign with somewhere around $2 to 2.5 million in the bank. Most candidates running for office don’t drop out until they are in the red. Why did you choose to end your campaign with a surplus? If you had so much there to spend, why didn’t you when your campaign would have really needed to spend, especially since you have stated you wouldn’t run again? Most notably, what are you doing with that money now?

Your last Money Bomb during the campaign was one to gather funds to pay for your delegates’ trips to the Tampa convention. Though I’m not sure, but I heard it pulled in somewhere around $60k (?). However, there seems to be no mention of the donations being appropriated across the delegates. Many delegates who spoke of their Tampa experience talked of taking crowded buses they paid for themselves. Exactly where did the money from that last Money Bomb go? Also, if your campaign had $2 million in the bank, why ask for money in the first place?

As in many conversations with your fans, they have always mentioned your strong support from the Troops. Why is it that there are no records of you traveling to give your gratitude back to the troops on the frontlines as so many politicians and celebrities have done? Follow-up: There are slim records of you ever traveling outside the U.S. borders aside from a small mention on your own site regarding a deployment when you were in service. Have you ever traveled outside the U.S. for any diplomatic or political reasons? If not, how would that change if you would have become President?

During just two years (2011-2012), your district received a whopping $400 million in federal taxpayer funds through earmarks you injected into bills. It is stated that you injected these non-related earmarks into bills known to pass, but you voted against on principle. Does this form of legislating bring up ethical issues of your character and your consistency?

The current scandal in the news regarding your 2012 campaign is the potential bribing of Iowa State Senator Kent Sorenson for his support. Exactly how much involvement did you have in these kinds of deals? Your supporters may say you had no knowledge of them just like the argument against the newsletters. If you had no knowledge of these dealings and scandals going on in your own camp, how is that seen as competency between you and your campaign? If you did know most, if not all of what was going on, would your own ethical standings be in question?

Some pundits have claimed you are the most nepotistic Congressperson in office after looking at your financial disclosures stating nearly a dozen family members on your payroll with even your campaign manager, Jesse Benton (grand-son-in-law), taking home over half a $ million even sparking outrage amongst your loyal supporters. Do you feel it is disingenuous to put family members on your payroll over others possibly more qualified for the positions? Do you consider this a form of favoritism that may be unethical? Going back to that $2 million you still have from your campaign, are you going to hand those funds over to Rand in his 2016 bid?

Though I wouldn’t go as far as to call you a racist or conspiracy theorist, but it is no secret that for some reason you attract the likes of highly racist, bigoted and conspiratorial individuals and groups. What do you believe contributed to this kind of interesting group of supporters? Would you say it is your own ideology or policies, the people you keep as company, your voting record, etc.? Also, how do you feel about these types of individuals and groups being drawn to you?

Another question about your fanbase: Many online journalists, op-ed authors and political bloggers have described your fanbase as a cult (i.e. Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here just to name a few). How do you perceive both the view of outside media’s (not just MSM) view of your followers versus that of those inside the camp?