Ron Paul 2012: Former Campaign Manager Died Uninsured

One of the most talked about moments of Monday's Republican debate was Ron Paul's response to a question about health insurance.

During the debate, moderator Wolf Blitzer questioned Paul what should happen if a healthy, uninsured young man falls into a coma, to which Paul responded the man needed to take responsibility for himself and that freedom was about taking your own risks.

Blitzer questioned whether Paul was saying society should just let him die and immediately members of the audience emphatically said Yeah.

The comments spawned stories and comments that Paul and the rest of the Tea Party were willing to allow uninsured people to die. According to Gawker, the scenario Blitzer posed during the debate is actually something that happened to Paul in the past.

In 2008, Paul's presidential campaign chairman Kent Snyder died of complications from pneumonia. The 49-year old was relatively healthy but also uninsured and left his mother with hospital bills totaling $400,000.

Without Snyder, according to The Wall Street Journal, Paul might not have ever run for the White House.

It was Kent more than anyone else who encouraged and pushed Ron to run for president, Jesse Benton, a spokesman for Mr. Paul, told The Wall Street Journal in 2008. Ron would not have run for the presidency if it had not been for Kent. Ron was really hesitant, but Kent drove him forward.

It's unclear how much Paul actually helped out during Snyder's illness or with his massive hospital bills. He did post a message on his Web site after Snyder's death, commending the former campaign manager for his work.

Like so many in our movement, Kent sacrificed much for the cause of liberty, Paul wrote on his Web site. Kent poured every ounce of his being into our fight for freedom. He will always hold a place in my heart and in the hearts of my family.

The experience indicates that Paul was serious when he said that the proposed man needed to take responsibility for himself, considering that's exactly how things played out for his former campaign manager.

It might not play well in the media, but it does stay consistent with Paul's strong convictions on particular issues.