Ron Paul for President?
Libertarian congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) has created an exploratory committee to
consider a run in 2008 for the U.S. presidency.
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GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
by James W. Harris
theadvocates.org
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In 1988 Paul was the Libertarian Party candidate for president and received
more than 400,000 votes. This time he will run as a Republican.
Kent Snyder, chairman of Paul's exploratory committee, told the press that if
Paul runs, it will be a serious attempt to win the White House, not just to
raise attention to issues.
"There's no question that it's an uphill battle, and that Dr. Paul is an
underdog," Snyder said. "But there was also a time when Jimmy Carter was not
well known at all, when Bill Clinton was not well known at all.
"This is going to be a grassroots American campaign," Snyder said. "For us,
it's either going to happen at the grassroots level or it's not."
Paul has served nine terms in Congress. He has long been a hero to libertarians
and other fans of limited government. And in recent years, as both liberal and
conservative policies and politicians have failed, Paul's popularity has risen.
Paul's appeal cuts across the political spectrum. Those on the left admire his
ironclad commitment to civil liberties and his advocacy of a foreign policy of
peaceful non-intervention in the internal affairs of other nations.
Free-market conservatives admire his fiscal conservativism. John Berthoud,
president of the National Taxpayers Union, an organization that promotes lower
taxes, has said, "Ron Paul has always proven himself to be a leader in the
fight for taxpayer rights and fiscal responsibility... No one can match his
record on behalf of taxpayers."
Paul has emerged as one of the strongest critics of the Iraq war. He was one of
only a handful of Republicans to vote in 2002 against giving President Bush the
authority to use military force in Iraq, contending that only Congress had the
power to declare war. He has delivered blistering anti-war speeches on the
floor of Congress. As the war has grown increasingly unpopular, Paul's
principled stance has come to be appreciated and admired.
As the popular liberal blog Wonkette puts it, in a post entitled "Save America!
Ron Paul for President!": "Paul is a libertarian Republican who constantly
enrages the GOP because he actually believes in a small federal government and
sound fiscal policies. He's ... anti-drug laws, anti-police state, anti-Patriot
Act and anti-anything that's not authorized by the Constitution."
Paul has staked out bold, consistent libertarian positions. He has introduced
legislation to abolish the federal income tax; is a staunch defender of gun
rights; opposes the War on Drugs; is a champion of sound money; and in general
has been a wonderfully consistent defender of the libertarian ideals of
personal and economic liberty.
Paul says that he votes only for measures specifically authorized by the
Constitution. This means, of course, that he votes against almost all proposals
for government spending, initiatives, or taxes, whether Republican or Democrat.
That has earned the former obstetrician the nickname "Dr. No." A fairer
nickname would be "Dr. Constitution" or "Dr. Liberty." Or perhaps even better,
as his wife suggests, "Dr. Know."
As a non-profit educational organization, the Advocates does not endorse
candidates. However, Congressman Paul has long been a friend of the Advocates,
and we in turn have long been great admirers of Congressman Paul. We can only
welcome the wonderful educational effect of a presidential campaign by the man
we have called many times "the greatest congressman since the days of the
Founding Fathers."
Sources:
Washington Post:
washingtonpost.com
Wonkette:
wonkette.com
Associated Press:
dfw.com
Ron Paul exploratory committee:
ronpaulexplore.com |
