Those of you who are observant may (or may not) have noticed a small change to my sidebar as of late.
Ok, before anybody starts making wild assumptions, let me preface this by stating that I am not a nut, I have not lost my marbles, and I am still the same old Ryan.
With that said, I have replaced my Romney endorsement with a Ron Paul endorsement.
Ok, ok, settle down. Let me explain why.
I can’t remember ever being as disillusioned with the GOP as I am now. After the Florida debacle, I really took a step back to think about things, and I decided that I needed to put aside my hard line hawk attitude and align myself with the candidate who best represents my ideals as a Conservative. Enter Ron Paul.
To be fair, I think I can still be a hawk and support Paul. Why? Because historically speaking, Conservatism and aggressive foreign policy aren’t congruent. That is much more of a Republican ideal than a Conservative ideal. As a Veteran, I tend to be a hawkish Conservative, but I need to remind myself sometimes that it is much more of a personal feeling or opinion than it is the best policy for this country.
To be honest, I still really like Mitt Romney, and if by some miracle he can best McCain and take the nomination, I will support him; but until either Romney wins or Paul drops out, I am going to have to stand in the Ron Paul camp.
But why? Well, the answer is simple. I am tired of the “flexible” ideals that is permeating the party. Even though there are good conservatives out there, there are too many who are more concerned with winning a vote than staying true to ideals. Even Romney has made some questionable moves as far as I am concerned, and while he is better than most, I still see a bit of the Republican chameleon blood in him. So as opposed to throwing up my hands in disgust, I decided to take a much harder look at Ron Paul.
I listened to him on the Glenn Beck show the other night, which is what really sparked my interest. To be honest, I hadn’t considered him prior to that because his rabid supporters pissed me off and I didn’t want to be associated with them. However, after hearing him on Glenn Beck, I came to the realization that I may have written him off too soon. When Fred left, I should have looked right instead of left.
Ron Paul is smart. Really smart. While the other candidates are slick politicians, Paul seems to have the brains of the operation. His stance may be fiercely right, but is that really a bad thing? Logic should tell us that no matter how right he may lean, it will be tempered by congress so wouldn’t that equalize to something of a happy medium? Conversely, our current congress mixed with any president who leans left is going to send the nation into a liberal tailspin as there is no possibility of acheiving balance.
Here is a challenge to you, my readers… Have you actually looked at Paul’s campaign issues, or did you gloss over him like I did? If you haven’t, I would highly recommend you take five minutes to look it over.
However, I have to be honest here, there is a second motive to me showing my support for Ron Paul, and that is my hope that if McCain wins the nomination, Paul will withdraw from the GOP ticket and run as an independent. I was thinking last night, and I don’t know if anything would decimate this election cycle more than the entrance of Ralph Nader and Ron Paul dropping back to independent status and continuing his campaign. It would turn the election into chaos, and personally I’m not sure that it would be a bad thing.
I am tired of people thinking that this is a two-party nation. Our country is run by a bunch of country club elites, and I am getting nauseated by the fact that people aren’t given a real chance at a third party. I think that Nader and Paul could change all that if they both jump into the fray. If Ron Paul could run as a Conservative and campaign against the GOP as being center left turncoats, and Nader could run as a moderate liberal against the extremists running for the dems, I think they would shred the parties and really give us an election worth watching instead of this two candidate race that we get every four years.
So there you have it, folks. Yes, I have set up my foxhole in the Ron Paul camp and am getting ready to start fighting again. The GOP may have me completely disillusioned, but I am still a Conservative and will fight for that.
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It’s always been his supporters as well that turned me off of Paul… I like many of the things he says… many many many
Lemme take another look…
keep your head down in the foxhole, I got your 6
I cannot argue with Paul’s message but can he win???
Well, at this point I don’t know. Even if it’s simply symbolic, though, I would rather give a symbolic vote to somebody who is principled and aligned along the same lines that I am than to cast a vote so I can be in the “winning” crowd.
Besides, as far as I am concerned, if he can run as an independent and really throw a monkey wrench into the works, all the better. If the GOP sees its Conservative votes go to Ron Paul while the moderate center left folks stick with the party, it will send a message that the GOP either has to change its ways or concede that they are no longer the conservative party.
Ryan, come back, Mitt needs you!
I like most of what Ron Paul says, but I can’t get past his foreign policy or the way he calls the USA the empire. Mitt’s the only one who can stop McCain from getting the nomination.
I understand your disillusionment with the party.I have decided that I will not vote for McCain if he is the nominee. I have told my wife that I will write myself in and my wife has also agreed to write me in. It may be a wasted vote but a vote for McCain is not different than a vote for Hillary. Let’s see if I can actually go through with it.
I think the guy has a pretty good perspective on many things. But TRM is right, unfortunately the support in the primaries were very meager so far, so I’m hoping for a miracle to happen, if he stands through to the end.
Well, I am either MR or RP. I too like the way RP loves the constitution and yes he is smart. He has guts too which is more than you can say for some of them, I did not like the smirks of the other Repub candidates toward him at the last debate..That is when I decided to give him another look. He was and has been generally ignored by the media. Another point, what are they afraid of?
I am sick of the smug ‘know better than you attitudes’.Absolutely we need another party. Yes it has been a concern because it is usually a killer for one of the parties re: perot.
You have made a valid point with me with your comment
“I would rather give a symbolic vote to somebody who is principled and aligned along the same lines that I am than to cast a vote so I can be in the “winning” crowd.”
It also resonated with me when you said
“I am tired of people thinking that this is a two-party nation. Our country is run by a bunch of country club elites, and I am getting nauseated by the fact that people aren’t given a real chance at a third party.
Welcome to the dark side my friend.
I’ve been here for much longer and the weather is better than you would expect.
Ther are times, like this, when the messenger is as important as the message. Ron Paul has a few good ideas, but is so out of touch with reality on others, that he has become the GOP’s answer to Dennis “UFO” Kucinich.
RP’s associations, past and present, with truly fringe groups, such as W.A.R., Aryan Nation, and various other neo-nazi groups taints him beyond acceptability. He refuses to repudiate them, and willingly and knowingly accpets their money, and thus influence. If you think he’s above that sort of thing, think again.
You may like the message he’s offered in the campaign, and that’s fine. I understand and support that. But, is this really the guy you want holding up that banner? Is this really the guy you want to be associated with?
This is the first I am hearing of Paul involved in any racist groups…
Really? It’s one of those things that turned me completely off from Paul a long time ago. But don’t take my word for it. Search around for Ron Paul and his “newsletters” and other mailings. He’s had articles published in Holocost denying rags, in conspriacy rags (including a lot of backing from 9/11 “Truthers”), and has been lauded by the likes of David Duke. Not the sort of people I want to associate or be associated with.
Yeah I just went a did a quick look
Hmm
You know its funny you talk about RP being beholded to racist such as David Duke and the like. But you over look the fact that the Dems (I know you aren’t planning to vote for) take money from the 2 most racist groups in this country, La Rasa and NAACP. The fact that some fringe group has sent a person or party money means nothing. If someone of questionable rep. gives money to a politican. Then ALL the politican would have to give back most of their campain money. The one thing that makes this country so great is that EVERYONE gets a voice ( lets hope) in how this country is run. Even if we or they don’t like what we or they stand for.
Thanks Rob for replacing my hmm, with what I really wanted to say
The big question is what’s true and what’s not?
Just because somebody is liked by questionable people, does that mean you disregard them or assume they share their views?
Look at the dems! They are supported by some of the worst scum out there (Al Sharpton et al.) yet nobody questions those affiliations. And isn’t the highest ranking dem Seantor in the Seante a prior KKK head (Robert Byrd).
As for Ron Paul, read up on the controversy here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_paul#Newsletter_controversy
Here’s some points of interest:
And I don’t want to pull the “the media is trying to kill Ron Paul’s candidacy” card, but here’s a perfect example of myth vs fact and the angle the media chooses to force down our throats…
Just some food for thougt.
HIs “moral responsibility” statement is disingenuous at best. This has been going on for 30 some odd years, so it’s very, very hard to believe that he only just now realizes what’s been going on. He was signing off on articles and sending out checks for these things, and he didn’t know? And people expect him to be a responsible leader? It’s all wrong.
Read this, folks:
http://www.takimag.com/site/article/why_the_beltway_libertarians_are_trying_to_smear_ron_paul/
And read the whole thing.
deacon, while I agree with you to a certain extent, I will disagree with you on the grounds of guilt by association. I have had many white supremacists, racists, anti-Semites and lord knows who else comment on my blog – some of which was truly tasteless or wrong. Would I, then, be guilty of being racist/white supremest simply because they posted their thoughts or opinions on my blog?
The fact of the matter is that own the space, I own the blog, my name is attached to everything that happens here… However, as of right now I have 2,572 comments on my blog and I cannot police them all. I could, but I choose not to and instead choose to abide by more of an implied statement of disassociation. Unless the words were written by me, they do not necessarily represent my views or opinions.
Should we hold Ron Paul to a different standard simply because he is a politician? he has owned the issue but he has also made it clear that they are not his views and he did not write them. Just as I own what is on my space, I do not own all of the views or opinions.
Arc-
I think your analogy is flawed. Comments on a blog are like letters to the editor in a paper. They are the sole property of the individual posting, not the paper, or in this case the blog writer/creator. So no, you would not be held accountable for what others have to say on your blog. You did not put your name to them.
In Paul’s case, he did put his name to them. He signed off on the use of his articles. He signed off on the inclusion of such articles in his newsletters and other mailings. Now, if you had a guest writer come in, and post on your blog, you would have to sign off on it. You wouldn’t just blindly do so would you? That’s the point here.
And yes, he should be held to a reasonably “higher” standard. He’s running for President, not for county dog catcher. Why should I trust him as CinC, if he barley knows what his own staff is doing, if you believe he truly “didn’t know?” In addition, you know politics very well, and know that anyone who gives that kind of money will get access and “preferential treatment” should he get into the Oval Office. Can we really afford that?
One last comment on the issue. Yes, Paul stated he “accepts moral responsibility” for all of it (going back 30 years). But, he has not repudiated them. He has not distanced himself from them as he should. If he did, he would gain far more traction among the GOP and outside of it as well.
Deacon,
In all likelihood, he delegated the duties of tending to the newsletter to a staff member. All members in Congress have them as their personal focus needs to be on the job at hand. So making a big deal out of this is being quite anal retentive and raises the bar up extremely high on judging your own actions and all of the other candidates. None of them should be running with a couple of them having a date with a prison cell by those standards.
Now if you want to make accusations of “preferential treatment”, the burden of proof is on you. Show with Ron Paul’s voting record where he has done that.
I am gone for a week and the world turns upside down! Welcome to our world Ryan, we have been waiting for you.
Only one quick comment on the association of RP with racist groups. He did in fact accept money from them and then donated that money to charity. When asked why he accepted the money in the first place he said: Why would I give it back to them to further their cause?
That seems pretty damn smart to me.
… Bigotry and Extreme Bigots seem to be abundadnt in the support of RP… He has a FEW good Embrionic ideas but no thoughts on how to implement any of his proposals.. However empty minds seem to gravitate to “the Promise” with no thoughts of how to achieve the RP Nirvana…it is almost as Empty of Substance as the B-HO and Shill platforms…
I find that to be an odd post. I know many Ron Paul supporters and not one of them is a bigot. I also have listened to many of his speeches, debates, and interviews and I see a plan on just about every level. I don’t want to make assumptions, but it almost sounds like you are just giving rhetoric without actually doing any looking. I see accusations without any substance. Looking at the Ron Paul platform, he is the only candidate WITH an actual plan and has some of the greatest capitalistic minds in the Country backing him.
I think it might be time to do a little homework.
Hey Camel, welcome back! I figured you’d like my change of heart. I’m glad to be part of the group.
As for this racism/bigotry bullshit, I don’t see it any more among Paul’s supporters than I do in any other camp. You don’t see too many people raising hell about the bigotry found in the Huckabee supporters even though it is much more evident and apparent.
In fact, Paul’s supporters in general are much more down to earth and accepting than the others; but again (and not to sound like a broken record) but look at the way the media has used things like this to absolutely smear Ron Paul and his campaign all over the place. What other candidate has been so brutally scrutinized?
The media and the government elite don’t want Ron Paul because he stands for everything that they have been fighting against all these years (namely a cushy government job, faithful supporters suckling on the teet of the government dole, an oppressive and excessive government body… They stand to lose a lot if Ron Paul were to gain power, and they are going to skewer him before they let that happen.
That is also precisely why I would love to see Ron Paul run as an independent and toss that monkey wrench into the GOP.
For the first time ever, I am going down to super tuesday and casting my vote. The polls here say that RP might just take Alaska!
Really? That would be outstanding! i have high hopes for Ron Paul, and would like to see him persevere through this muck!
WOW! Yeah Ryan! Great minds think alike. I, too, am hoping that if Mccain wins Paul runs as an indie. I am sick of the RINOs stealing my party and basically throwing our party platform in the garbage. McCain is TROUBLE! we just posted a new piece on him today–check it out.
Well, I was hoping and hoping you would come around. Good for you!
NC
Gary-
I still find it disingenuous to pass it all off on a staffer. He had to know something, or was he that blindly trusting? I find it goes towards an assessment of his judgement, or lack there of no matter what the actual case may be. Either he knowingly did approve all this, or he just didn’t pay attention to what his staff was doing in his name. It’s not a reccomendation either way.
Some of his ex-staffers have not been very kind to Dr.Paul, particularly when it comes to his opinions on Jews. So his associations, be they intentional or not, are “in character.”
As for “preferential treatment,” I did not say that he has done so, but that he will be beholden to them in some degree should he attain the office. It’s a quid pro quo world in politics. Always has been, always will be. But you may want to examine his relationship with the Texan separitist movement, and his votes on how much law enforcement can do as regards investigating terror groups in the USA.
And no, I don’t think it raises the bar unreasonably high. Certainly not for someone who is seeking the highest position in the nation.
Hey NC, thanks for the encouragement! I’m glad to be a part of the movement. Coincidentally, I didn’t know you were a RP supporter, so now I’m even more happy to be here and trust I am making the right decision.
Deacon, I understand your argument, but how do you explain his affiliation and support from blacks and black rights groups?
If it were true that were indeed a racist/bigot/anti-Semite/whatever, I would think that he would be skewered and hung out to dry – ESPECIALLY in this hyper-sensitive PC day and age. I mean, look at what Don Imus went through over virtually nothing.
If a prominent US presidential candidate were at all involved in questionable behavior like this, I can’t believe that it would be ignored.
If anyone is interested, Ron Paul will be on our local radio station today between 10 and noon Alaska time (That is between 1pm and 3pm for you midwesters)(they havent said the exact time, just the range…sorry). The website is
http://www.kfqd.com
There might even be time for people to call in for questions…I sure hope so.
Arc-
My personal opinion is that Paul’s campagn has not been serious enough, nor had enough traction to garner that kind of attention. If it was any of the other candidates, they would have been skewered mercilessly. He’s more valuable to the media for “humor and entertainment” than he is as a target. It’s like Kucinich and the UFO, that got limited air play too. But they made for great TV at the debates, especially when they go completely off question. Just like the issue of the stolen credit cards used to make donations to Paul’s campaign was a blip on the radar (refunds are supposed to be happening, don’t know if they are or not). If Paul was higher profile, and had a snowball’s chance in hell of winning, you can bet this would be all over the media.
Fess up time I guess. As I dismissed RP a long time ago, I was unaware of any black rights groups that supported Paul. I’ll have to look into that a bit. NO comments on that until I do.
It’s hard to say what is happening and why.
But that much aside, this is from Wikipedia:
“…he has collected more money among African-Americans than any other Republican candidate. Nelson Linder, president of the Austin chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), defended Paul, saying that he has known him for 20 years, saw him as a ‘free thinker,’ ‘very intelligent and very informed,’ talking about “real issues” that ‘invite attacks on him,’ who was “correct in what he’s saying,’ and that knowing his intent, he believes Paul has been misconstrued and taken out of context”
Wikipedia eh? No offense, but I detest it. Too many factual errors, and posts that are agenda driven for me to take it seriously. But I will take it as a starting place, and look for specifics on this. Not that it will change my position on RP, but at least I will have the facts.
Well, Wikipedia has its problems, but it is useful in the fact that it has a good deal of information with which to work from – plus most information is cited back to the original articles.
But remember, I’m not looking to change your mind at all, I’m simply interested in dispelling rumors before they get out of hand.
John McCain