Ron Paul: We Say "Yes" to Dr. No

Ronald Reagan called him “one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a strong national defense,” adding “he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and always puts them first…We need him to keep fighting for our country.” Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman told him “We very badly need to have more representatives in the House who understand in a principled way the importance of property rights and religious freedom for the preservation and extension of human freedom in general…I wish you every success.” The president of the National Taxpayers Union proclaimed that he “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.” He receives an A rating from the NRA, is staunchly pro-life, and strongly opposes illegal immigration. He has been unanimously endorsed by the UROC (United Republicans of California), and received nearly as many (49.5%) contributions from the military as all of the other Republican candidates combined. Know who I’m talking about yet? (Hint: It’s not Giuliani, Thompson, Romney, or McCain.)

The man I’m referring to, of course, is Ron Paul, a ten-term Congressman from Texas’ 14th District. Though much of the mainstream media coverage remains focused on the “top-tier” candidacies of the aforementioned four, Paul has taken the internet by storm. He has been atop internet search term lists according to Technorati, which monitors the blogosphere; his YouTube channel has over 29,000 subscribers, putting it in the top 40 channels all-time. His MySpace page lists him as having over 66,000 friends, and he has over 28,000 supporters on Facebook. And it’s not just the American blogosphere that’s paying attention; there’s the Belgians for Ron Paul, Brits for Ron Paul, Poland for Ron Paul, and a whole slew of others. He consistently scores big in post-debate online and text-message polls, generally to the disbelief (and in Sean Hannity’s case, outright dismay) of political pundits. Generally they are quick to claim that his support stems from a very small but very dedicated group of “spammers”. To a very small extent, they may have a point; just ask anyone from the Dean campaign how difficult it can be to translate online support into the real world.

But there are clear indications that Paul’s message resonates with more than just a few disaffected online bloggers. For starters, he has done extremely well in a number of straw polls. His two most notable successes were at the Strafford County, NH straw poll where he garnered 73% of the vote, and the West Alabama Republican Assembly straw poll, where he took in 81%. At an unofficial straw poll in northern New Jersey recently, he got 72%. Much of that can be attributed to what even non-supporters admit is the most passionate and politically diverse grassroots effort on behalf of any candidate of either party. There are 961 Ron Paul meetup groups in over 700 cities, and totaling over 51,000 members. With little direct support from the central campaign headquarters, they have taken it upon themselves to create everything from home-made banners and t-shirts, organize fundraisers and other events, and spread Ron Paul’s name and message to anyone who will listen. Some estimates have put their efforts as being equivalent to a dollar total of $10 million or more.

Not that the campaign’s own fundraising efforts have been shabby; far from it. The Paul campaign raised $5.1 million dollars for the third quarter, thanks in large part to a last-week online push that, though originally meant to raise an additional $500,000, quickly ballooned into a one week total of $1.2 million in online contributions alone.

His supporters are incredibly diverse. Some are drawn to him by his unwavering opposition to the Iraq war (he voted against the original 2002 resolution authorizing military force), which stems not from political opportunism but from a principled and unwavering dedication to a policy of military non-intervention. For a better understanding of his foreign policy, I would suggest his most recent book A Foreign Policy of Freedom. Also popular is his vehement disdain for the Patriot Act; he excoriated fellow Congressmen for passing the bill without even reading it, and he has been a tireless promoter for its appeal. Fiscal conservatives are enamored by his call to abolish the IRS and the federal income tax, and by his efforts to promote sound money; he regularly takes the Federal Reserve to task for monetary policies that purposely devalue the dollar and cause inflation. I would recommend that everyone go watch the YouTube video of him questioning Fed chairman Ben Bernanke for a better understanding of that particular issue. He is also, more so even than Fred Thompson, a federalist; though he personally opposes abortion he believes it to be a matter best handled by the individual states, even going so far as to introduce a bill that would have removed the issue from the jurisdiction of the federal court system. Many libertarians are drawn to him for his laissez-faire trade policies, his unwavering support of private property rights, his call for an end to the War on Drugs, his unfailing rejection of calls to regulate the internet (including online gambling), and a number of other issues. In 1988 in fact he ran as the Libertarian presidential candidate, coming in third, and the 2004 LP candidate, Michael Badnarik, has already endorsed him.

Most important for many, though, is his absolute respect for the Constitution. He refuses to vote for any piece of legislation unless the Constitution expressly authorizes it. He carries a pocket copy of the Constitution wherever he goes. He is known as Dr. No thanks to the frequency with which he votes against bills; oftentimes he is the lone dissenting voice. As far as lobbyists go, well, they don’t even bother knocking on his door anymore. He’s never taken a political junket, he’s never voted to increase his own pay, he doesn’t participate in the lucrative Congressional pension program, and he gives back a portion of his Congressional budget to the Treasury every year.

So I urge all of you: go to ronpaul2008.com. Google Ron Paul. Look where he stands on the issues, and know that that’s where he’s stood ever since he first took public office. Agree with him or not on every issue, but know that political opportunism is for Ron Paul a foreign concept. Know that he takes the oath to obey and protect the Constitution more seriously than any other candidate out there. And then, most importantly, say yes to Dr. No.

Comments

[James]

"The revolution will not be televised." -- Gil Scott-Heron

...the revolution has begun...

www.ronpaul2008.com

[Mark]

Well done Justin !
The Ron Paul Revolution has earned a proud standing in the history of freedom, regardless of its outcome.

[Stephen]

I'm very pleased with this article! You've written a more thorough piece about Dr. Paul than most MSM outlets--not to mention how clear you present the facts. Keep up the good work!

[John]

Excellent article. Well written. Ron Paul is what this country needs at this point in our history. Hopefully this article will unite the Vanderbilt community to vote for the only candidate who truly believes in liberty and individual freedoms.

[Hale]

Great job. That is a very factual and thorough review of who I believe to be America's greatest hope. You can't go wrong with a man who respects our Constitution to the degree that Dr. Paul does.

If people don't like RP's stances, they shouldn't blame him. He's only upholding his duty as an elected official... that is to follow our most sacred document of laws - the Constitution. If they don't like our laws they are free to live somewhere else and try out their Constitution.