# Is Secret Service protection "Welfare"? Ron Paul says it is. **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 22, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-secret-service-protection-welfare-ron-paul-says-it-is/616499 "2012-03-22T14:10:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-secret-service-protection-welfare-ron-paul-says-it-is/616499/1 "2012-03-22T14:10:51Z")
He says it [here.](http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/video-ron-paul-calls-secret-service-protection-welfare?ref=fpblg) Isn’t protecting the President and his/her family a matter of national security? Considering how expensive it is, do we really only want men and women with vast wealth to consider the office? I think Mr. Paul has his head up his behind on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-secret-service-protection-welfare-ron-paul-says-it-is/616499/2 "2012-03-22T14:16:41Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Isn’t protecting the President and his/her family a matter of national security? Considering how expensive it is, do we really only want men and women with vast wealth to consider the office? Ron Paul didn’t say (or imply) that the President of the United States shouldn’t be protected. He was eschewing protection for himself on the basis that he is an “ordinary citizen”. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-secret-service-protection-welfare-ron-paul-says-it-is/616499/3 "2012-03-22T14:24:53Z")
Listening again, it seems to me that his implication is that Secret Service protection is Welfare, because it’s taxpayer money going to protect an individual. But he doesn’t mention the office of President specifically, so he might just mean for candidates. Hopefully he’ll clarify this at some point. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-secret-service-protection-welfare-ron-paul-says-it-is/616499/4 "2012-03-22T14:40:09Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Hopefully he’ll clarify this at some point. Before taking the oath of office I should hope! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-secret-service-protection-welfare-ron-paul-says-it-is/616499/5 "2012-03-22T14:47:54Z")
_Any_ time he clarifies it will before he takes the oath. I stand a better chance of being elected President than Paul does. ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-secret-service-protection-welfare-ron-paul-says-it-is/616499/6 "2012-03-23T04:33:39Z")
> [@Algorithm](#): > > Ron Paul didn’t say (or imply) that the President of the United States shouldn’t be protected. He was eschewing protection for himself on the basis that he is an “ordinary citizen”. And once again Ron Paul is full of sh!t. The US has an interest in protecting serious candidates for president from being assassinated in order to maintain the integrity of the electoral process. As much as it pains me to admit it, Paul certainly fits the broad definition of serious candidate; he is not strictly an “ordinary citizen”. He certainly has the right to refuse protection. But consider the reaction of his supporters if (God forbid, and I mean that honestly) some nut tries to kill him a la Gabrielle Giffords. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-secret-service-protection-welfare-ron-paul-says-it-is/616499/7 "2012-03-23T05:26:13Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I think Mr. Paul has his head up his behind on this one. Isn’t that where he usually has his head? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-secret-service-protection-welfare-ron-paul-says-it-is/616499/8 "2012-03-23T05:53:57Z")
> [@Algorithm](#): > > Ron Paul didn’t say (or imply) that the President of the United States shouldn’t be protected. He was eschewing protection for himself on the basis that he is an “ordinary citizen”. So was Robert Kennedy. The country has an interest in people being able to run for political office without being murdered. Its not really for their welfare, its for ours. Having leading candidates blown away disrupts the political process, discourages otherwise good candidates from running and conceivably makes candidates who do run less likely to espouse views that would encourage a lone nut to kill them. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-secret-service-protection-welfare-ron-paul-says-it-is/616499/9 "2012-03-23T12:53:10Z")
Yes, it is welfare. General welfare. Which I thought was a constitutional principle. You know you’ve written the constitution in your own script when it hates all the same people you do… ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-secret-service-protection-welfare-ron-paul-says-it-is/616499/10 "2012-03-23T19:22:11Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > So was Robert Kennedy. And George Wallace. However, Paul can say this because he is sure all the gun-toting loons are on his side.