Posted on 06/15/2011 9:27:12 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
This might not be the first endorsement 2012 Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul wants, but its an interesting one coming from a mouthpiece of the left.
On CNNs Anderson Cooper 360 on Tuesday, HBO Real Time host Bill Maher appeared and gave his analysis of the 2012 Republican presidential field the night after a debate in New Hampshire showcased on CNN. According to Maher, there was not a whole lot to applaud that appeared on the stage.
No, of course it got even worse, Maher said. Its tough sledding there, as a progressive, as a sane person just to watch that, to see that Republicanism has its really become a religion. And when I say religion, I mean they just have a series of baseless assertions that they cleave to, you know, and its like, if there was just one sane person in that room to give perspective, but there wasnt. So you have seven people up there who are all claiming things like, you know, things we know dont work, like reducing taxes will somehow magically increase revenue and, somehow, by keeping the profit motive in the health care system, thats going to solve that problem. So, you know, its very hard for someone to watch that debate who is not in that bubble. And I am not in the bubble.
However, Maher admitted there was one Republican candidate he liked libertarian darling Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul.
I would vote for Ron Paul if I had to pick, Maher said. I mean, Ron Paul is at least not a panderer. Hes sincere. Hes got the right ideas about getting our troops home. And I like Ron Paul. I think hes cut from a different cloth than the rest of those people, who are, of course, selling their souls to the corporate interests who back them, and who have just horrible, society-killing ideas about America and either dont know whats real or dont care.
By society-killing, he referred to former Republican Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlentys tendency to champion various conservative stances.
You know, the well, like Tim Pawlenty and every one of them competing for this idea of continually reducing taxes, when we are in the on the one hand, theyre screaming about how were in debt, and, on the other hand, the answer is to somehow decrease revenues, he said. You know, they all act like God created the world in January of 2009, and then Barack Obama completely screwed it up.
And when it comes to Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, Maher is still not a fan in spite of her performance Monday night but still rates her ahead of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
She did well by what standard? Because shes able to speak in complete sentences? Maher said. Yes, I heard that analysis, Oh, she was very effective. She spoke in short sentences and was good. You know, I mean, the standards are so low. Lets be honest. Were judging her against Sarah Palin. Thats what it is. And, yes, compared to Sarah Palin, she does look better, because Sarah Palin comes off as a complete airhead, like a ditzy housewife, a stewardess, I think I called her in the past, whereas Michele Bachmann actually works. Sarah Palin is not a worker. Obviously, Michele Bachmann, she is a lawyer. Shes in Congress. She studies. She gets her facts wrong, but at least she sounds like someone who is a professional in her field. So, compared to Sarah Palin, yes, big winner.
By the time the real picking comes, Ron Paul will be gone, as usual. And by 2016, Paul will be about 118 years old, and may not even run!
This election is his swan song.
Republican Rep. Ron Paul of Texas called on voters to back a third-party candidate for president Wednesday, rejecting his party's nominee and offering equally harsh words for the Democratic candidate.
Paul, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination this year, told supporters at the National Press Club in Washington that he is not endorsing GOP nominee Sen. John McCain or Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama.
Instead, Paul will give his seal of approval to four candidates: Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney, Libertarian Party nominee Bob Barr, independent candidate Ralph Nader and Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin
Amen Brother.
A crazed liberal saying he would vote for a crazed Paul.
I did serve in the Marines.
At any rate the governments of Japan and Germany declared war on us. We all understand that situation well. Korea was during the Cold War and I can understand the domino theory debate.
Today as you just said its about fossil fuels and rare earth minerals. I don’t think that’s a good idea to start a war over. As you should already know the last people that ever want a war are those who serve.
I served in uniform, the USMC variety, and it's very unclear to me as to why we have troops in Germany and Japan - care to explain?
Yes, I know I left out Korea, because I know why our troops are there - to die in large numbers during the opening phase of an attack by the norks, to justify US involvement in any war there.
BTW, speaking of people who served in uniform, are you aware that the only person in the debates the other day that served in the armed forces was USAF Capt. Ron Paul? I hope everyone will join me in thanking him for his service to this nation.
I thank everyone who served in uniform of the United States, save for those who later turned on their country like John Kerry, Timothy McVeigh, Scott Ritter, etc. Wasn’t Rep. Paul a physician in the USAF? As to why we are in Japan and Germany? Communist China, Russia and closer access to the Middle east. As to dying in large numbers to justify US involvement in the Korean peninsula, I think you discount the military power of the Republic of Korea versus the DPRK. The ROK military is one of the largest and strongest in the world, amazingly so for such a small nation. It is said by many that they were more feared by the Viet Cong, Viet Minh and North Vietnamese army than the US Marines were. I served with dozens of those same ROK officers and senior NCOs and I believe it.
I’m not a huge fan of Libertarians or Ron Paul specifically, but we could do a whole lot worse. Just look at the clowns that are running.
One more thing concerning your comment
“If youve served in uniform, it becomes clearer to you.”
Guess where the bulk of Ron Paul’s money comes from? The military. Yeah Obama got it too, because the military thought Obama would get them out of Iraq. Remember at the time McCain making a statement about being in Iraq for the next 100 years. That is what did him in IMHO.
Fox News report
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nwZGRrqhfs
Also ABC news had
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3601542&page=1
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/02/military-donors.html
Whatever makes you sleep easier at night.
I don’t think our Founding Fathers envisioned us with multiple endless wars and over 900 bases world wide. That is what you get from Empire’s and not from Free Republics.
Flight Surgeon - actually did some time in Pakistan.
As to why we are in Japan and Germany? Communist China, Russia and closer access to the Middle east...
Way past time for Japan to take the lead in its defense, Russia poses little threat to it's neighbors and pretty much none to Germany, and neither Germany or Japan are anywhere near the ME, where we have US troops numbering in the hundreds of thousands anyway.
I know a lot of people can't get over the end of the cold war, but face it - in international conflicts since the end of the cold war, the Russians have usually been the voice of reason, restraint, peace and sanity, and the US has usually been the violent, unpredictable aggressor.
Besides, in any conflict with Russia and/or China, we lose, no matter what the outcome in the field. Both countries probably have the power to collapse our economy overnight right now, if they want to.
I think you discount the military power of the Republic of Korea versus the DPRK...
Absolutely not - I am completely aware of the South's overwhelming military/economic superiority over the North. A NK attack will be very destructive to the South by virtue of the close proximity of major industrial and military assets to the DMZ, but the South will win a war between them in short order.
As I stated, US forces there are a "tripwire" - not there in the numbers necessary to provide a credible deterrent to an attack by the North, but plenty enough to provide the numbers of causalities that would be necessary to gain overwhelming public support for US entry into the war.
Dr. Paul is a libertarian-leaning Republican. He joined the GOP when he became old enough to vote back in the late '50s. I'd suggest that you look up the GOP party platform from that era - the policies and positions he espouses pretty much mirror that platform. The GOP has changed since then, he's stayed the same.
He's got a 30 year-plus public track record of saying the same things. Name a problem this nation is facing today & there's a 5, 10 or even 30 yr-old video out there somewhere showing him predicting that problem would result from whatever gov't program/policy he was bitching about at that time.
BTW, thanks for not resulting to petty, childish insults towards the good Doctor - few of his detractors here are mature enough to do the same.
Only a few countries could do have that capability and we are not at war with any of them.
I find it comical that you are concerned with earmarks than starting endless wars overseas. Thanks for the laugh. The money was already appropriated in the budget, so earmarks have no effect on how much is being spent. Had Dr. Paul NOT requested “earmarks”, the money would have been forfeited to the Executive Branch to do with it as they may.
Ron was just bringing some of his taxpayers’ money back to his district.
As for Israel he is just being consistent with his foreign policy. Israel is not the only country he says we should stop sending money to.
Wow. Just wow!
1) You are just speculating. You could say that with any country that is not friendly with the USA
2) Libya ring a bell to you and what about Yemen? What are we doing Afghanistan now the OBL is dead? We did not attack Iraq until after September 11. Even though most of the Hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. Oh yeah it was about WMDs that Bush has officially said was a mistake.
3) You may have a point about still taking them, but in terms of dollars as a percentage of the GDP that is nothing compared to the wars overseas. It’s a cheap shot in other words.
4) Do we not act like the world’s policeman? So it goes back to the question. When is it okay to start a war? Paul believes, just like the Founding Fathers, only when we are attacked.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.