| LaRondo |
06-22-2007 11:16 PM |
Ron Paul, the Right Man With the Right Message at the Right Time
by Dana Gabriel
If you've never heard of Ron Paul, you probably have by now. This defender of American sovereignty and the Constitution is injecting his ideas into the Republican Presidential campaign and debates. The mainstream media have tried to ignore him, there have been threats to exclude him from the debates, and some have called him a nut. Nothing seems able to stop the Ron Paul revolution. His momentum is not manufactured and he has the most room to grow out of all the candidates. His appeal crosses all party lines and his message of non-intervention is such a contrast to the warmongering neo-cons. People are responding to his pledge for liberty and are sick of the government's lies and propaganda.
Ron Paul is a veteran, a physician, and is in his 10th term as a Congressman. He currently represents the 14th district of Texas. He is a libertarian constitutionalist and ran for president as a Libertarian candidate in 1988. By using the Republican party as a vehicle in becoming president, he is being included in debates and is getting more exposure than any third party candidate would receive (unless they are a Ross Perot with tons of cash). He is conservative by nature and has never voted to raise taxes or for any congressional pay increases. He has been likened to the founding fathers. This is a man of integrity and principle who is not swayed by lobbyists, and does not accept money from any political action committees. His grass-roots support and appeal is not only coming from disillusioned Republicans, but those tired of the Democrats dog and pony show. Many believe that he is the only Republican candidate who can defeat Hillary Clinton by drawing away the anti-war vote from the Democrats and from the center. He is one of the few politicians who hasn't been compromised and who votes according to the Constitution.
It is hard to disagree that the sheer size of government and its spending is out of control. It is becoming too intrusive, and most of the money being spent is going to the financing of wars, nation building, and security. Ron Paul believes in a smaller government and recognizes that one of the greatest threats to our individual liberties is controls being enacted through the war on terror. He envisions a society that is less dependent on the government. He believes that the purpose of government is to protect the life, liberty, and property of its citizens. He is opposed to U.S. membership in the United Nations and the WTO as they both severely undermine American sovereignty. In the past he has introduced legislation to withdraw from both organizations and is against any type of world government. He is pro second amendment and opposes gun control as he thinks it will make people less safe. He is against the death penalty and believes that the government should not control the Internet. He was one of only a handful of Republicans who voted against the Iraq war as well as against the National ID and Patriot Act. Dr. Paul has vowed to eliminate the IRS, CIA, and the Federal Reserve if elected president. He preaches a non-interventionist foreign policy and wants to return America to a republic. Unlike other candidates who wish to destroy the Constitution, he wants to preserve and restore it.
Ron Paul is one of the few politicians who practices what he preaches and truly understands the role of government. He wants the U.S. out of bad trade deals like NAFTA and CAFTA and is against the North American Union on the principle of national sovereignty. He is a rare gem in politics- someone who means what he says and doesn't flip-flop. Although one may not agree with everything he says, one must acknowledge the fact that he is consistent and passionate about his convictions. This is a man who for the most part has been unappreciated, and has pored out his heart and soul for a country he loves. He takes his oath of office seriously and votes according to the Constitution, not by party affiliation and is not swayed by public opinion. Dr. Paul is taking the Internet by storm winning several on-line polls and has been one of the top searches on the net. He is a threat to the other establishment candidates and there has been a real effort by the mainstream media to censor his message.
It is obvious that Ron Paul is not one of the establishment media-preferred candidates, but after three debates with limited speaking time he has managed to distinguish himself from the others. His message is simple, but refreshing and in the process, he is making the other candidates look like fakes, phonies, and liars while he comes across as genuine, sincere, and honest. He clearly won the first debate and in the second one was further bolstered by Rudy Giuliani's ill-fated attack. Ron Paul was right that American foreign policy was a major contributing factor leading to 9/11, but he never suggested that we invited the attacks. Giuliani's assault signaled that they thought Ron Paul could become a threat and therefore wanted him neutralized, but it backfired. After the debate, the Michigan Republican Party chair Saul Anuzis called for the barring of Ron Paul from future debates, but backed off because of thousands of petitions and phone calls. Dr. Paul did not back down, and questioned if Giuliani had ever read the 9/11 commission report. A few days after the debate, he was on the offensive, holding a press conference where former CIA officials agreed with his statement and assigned a list of books for Giuliani to read on the subject. Nothing seems to be able to derail the Ron Paul campaign as he gains more momentum. Although he is polling in single digit numbers, if he were able to finish in the top three in the New Hampshire primary, it could set the stage for him becoming the Republican presidential candidate in 2008.
It is exciting to see more people embracing the Ron Paul message, but it is unfair to pin all our hopes on just one man. Win or lose, we have him to thank for the issues he has brought to the nations attention. He started off reluctantly, running not because he wanted to, but because he felt he needed to for the sake of his country and has become more confident with each debate. In his own words, “I know the message is powerful. There's no limitations on the philosophy of freedom. People are begging for it.” Ron Paul is the right man with the right message at the right time.
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