Ron Paul will upset the status quo
America is at a cross-road in the 2008 Presidential election. This election will determine if we continue down the course of reckless nation-building or return to our founding principles of non-interventionism and peaceful diplomacy. Effectually, this election, particularly the Republican Primary, is a choice between the status quo and Ron Paul.
You may never have heard of Ron Paul, or may only know him from a bumper sticker or political sign. But I guarantee that you already know exactly what he stands for. Recall your high school civics class and learning about the Constitution: you were taught Ron Paul’s views on government in school.
Since 1964, Republicans have pranced around claiming to be the party of the Constitution, but have lately done nothing more than expand the role of federal government both in size and in involvement in our life. The monster that the Republican Party has become is the exact opposite of what conservative icons Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan envisioned. President Bush was elected to the presidency in 2000 on the promises that he would cut government size and wouldn’t partake in nation-building. Seven years later, George Bush has expanded government more than any other President in history and we now have the government wire-tapping American’s telephones without warrant. As a Bush supporter in two elections, I now realize the need for a President to roll back this excessive government authority.
I examine the Democratic field to see if there is anyone worth supporting. Hillary Clinton is an obvious opportunist and will likely desire even more Presidential powers. Additionally, she voted to give the President power to invade Iraq and voted for the Patriot Act. Barak Obama and John Edwards are both borderline socialist and will likely expand the federal government as much or more than President Bush. The majority of other Democrats are at least economically liberal while also being for increased spending on domestic programs.
On the Republican side, every candidate is trying to copy President Bush both in foreign and domestic policy. That is, every candidate except Ron Paul. Congressman Ron Paul is from Texas. He served admirably in Vietnam as a flight surgeon. After receiving his medical degree from Duke University, Dr. Paul became an obstetrician which he still practices part-time and has delivered more than 4,000 babies. During the 1970s he first ran for Congress in response to Richard Nixon’s poor monetary policy.
Ron Paul has since served over two decades in Congress with the pristine record of never having voted to raise taxes, never voted for an unbalanced budget, never voted for a congressional pay raise, and never voted to increase the power of the executive branch. While every single presidential candidate runs on a record of what they’ve voted for and supported, Ron Paul runs on the record that he hasn’t voted for what has become the erosion of our civil liberties and the decline of our Republic. In fact, he is comically referred to as “Dr. No” in reference to the 1960s James Bond character. One time, there was a vote in Congress for a very popular measure but Congressman Paul felt that it was based on poor principle. So, during the vote, he talked the two congressmen next into voting against the bill. The bill passed 432-3, but there’s nothing wrong with taking a stand for what you believe in.
And standing up for what he believes has been Ron Paul’s entire career. Ron Paul has made a successful career without taking a single dime from corporate America. He doesn’t want to feel indebted to corporations like other Republicans and Democrats have become. He doesn’t take part in the Congressional pension plan because he doesn’t think he deserves hard-working tax payers’ dollars in his retirement. Every year he sends money not used by his congressional office back to the U.S. Treasury.
But the most amazing thing about Ron Paul is that he was a virtually unknown congressman from a rural Texas town when he declared his candidacy on March 12, 2007. Currently this septuagenarian is the most watched Presidential candidate on YouTube. In fact, he is in the top 40 of most subscribers on YouTube period. He has more meet-up groups than all other Presidential candidates combined, and, on Eventful, he is the most sought after Presidential candidate. Milledgeville even has a meetup group for him. He has won the majority of online polls after the GOP debates and straw polls and has even raised more funds than John McCain in the last quarter. In fact, on Monday, Nov. 5, Ron Paul raised over $4 million from more than 38,000 donors: the most a Republican has ever made in one day during the Presidential primaries.
While Ron Paul doesn’t have the polling numbers of Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney, Ron Paul has empowered supporters. Some news outlets are even predicting that Ron Paul will out raise all other Republicans in funding this quarter. With his pro-constitution and limited government views Ron Paul is attracting conservatives and liberals alike. The nomination of any other Republican to face any Democrat in the presidential election will further divide the nation with typical partisan politics. But Ron Paul has the ability to unite America with his freedom loving message.
The choice is ours in 2008, we can vote for any other Republican or Democrat, and while they vary slightly, will just be a continuation of the status quo. Or we can take to the polls on Feb. 5, 2008 and vote in the Republican Primary for the one candidate that will actually restore the foundations of our Republic. Let’s elect Ron Paul in 2008 so that, in the future, we can experience the liberties of the past.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Nov 9 2007. Filed under Opinion.
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