Why I'm for Ron Paul instead of Mitt Romney (Latter-day Saint)

Connor's Conundrums ^ | March 14, 2007 | Connor Boyack

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Why I’m For Ron Paul and Against Mitt Romney
A Latter-Day Saint speaks up
by Connor Boyack
March 14, 2007

Hooray! Ron Paul has formally announced his candidacy for the top spot in the nation!

Mentioning she’s ready to start investigating the candidates, my mother asked me yesterday why I wouldn’t vote for Mitt Romney. My response to such a question (along with the response of why I plan to vote for Ron Paul) is as follows:

1. Romney is a political wolf in sheep’s clothing. Paul has a rock-solid conservative voting record.

As cited on my Masquerading Mitt post, we learn that Mitt is a politician in the very sense of the word (often antonymous with being a statesman):

Despite recent statements across the country by Governor Mitt Romney claiming he’s pro-life, pro-family and a committed conservative, a broad investigation of his actual statements, actions, and public positions over the years indicates that he has spent his entire career speaking and governing as a liberal – and that his new found conversion to conservatism very likely coincides with his candidacy for the presidency.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about politicians, is that they often say one thing and do another. In an attempt to win votes and appeal to a large voting bloc, they waver (or “flip flop”) on important issues as the social tide ebbs and flows back and forth. A strict value system is sacrificed in the name of political expediency.

Jesus said “by their fruits ye shall know them”, and that litmus test applies perfectly to our elected leaders. While Mitt truly may have changed, repented, and embraced new values, one cannot be certain and therefore should not trust the man based on what he says without being able to see evidence of those values.

Congressman Paul, on the other hand, has excellent “fruits” that consistently show he is a friend and defender of liberty. As cited on my Why Do Latter-day Saints Ignore Ron Paul? post, we learn:

Ron Paul has served as a conservative congressman from Texas for over 16 years. He currently has a 100% rating from The Conservative Index, which is probably the most relevant and accurate reflection of a congressman’s true conservative record out there.
…
In addition, Ron Paul has been the most outspoken defender of constitutional government in the entire congress-bar none. He has often stood virtually alone against federal abuse of power, corruption, and big government.

Rep. Paul’s voting record is squeaky clean, showing his uncompromising conservative values. He is often referred to as “Dr. No”, as this article explains:

Paul, 70, has earned the nickname Dr. No for his habit of voting against just about anything that he sees as government overreach or that interferes with the free market.
…
There have been periods in history when the maverick congressman was not such a rare breed, but this is not one of those periods. Democrats and Republicans have been quite disciplined in recent years — when party leaders say “jump,” the savvy congressman had better inquire how high.

Mitt Romney 0, Ron Paul 1.

2. Mitt Romney does not promote Constitutional values. Ron Paul does.

Searching on google for “Mitt Romney” and “Constitution” turns up several pages dealing mainly with two issues: same-sex marriage and religion. These issues have been in the limelight of Mitt’s political career, seeing as how he was the governor of a state that legalized same-sex marriage and that he’s Mormon. But after looking through pages and pages of results, I was unable to find any speech, statement, or soundbyte by Romney discussing Constitutional principles, articles, sections, or history. None. He hasn’t talked about it. He doesn’t understand it. If elected, he would no doubt become like many of our recent presidents (especially the current one) who are ignorant as to what the Constitution really says, and hence subvert and ignore it whenever politically convenient.

Anybody who has read a single article written by Rep. Paul knows that he understands, believes in, abides by, and promotes the Constitution. How refreshing are his speeches and articles that teach true principles and seek to implement the words of Thomas Jefferson when he said:

In questions of power then let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution. (via Quoty)

Here are just a few of the many instances of Rep. Paul discussing the Constitution:

Activist federal judges not only craft laws, they also ignore the laws in place – particularly the enumerated powers listed in Article I of the Constitution and underscored by the 9th and 10th amendments. By ignoring the strict constitutional limits placed on the federal government and bulldozing states’ rights, federal judges opened the door to the growth of wildly extra-constitutional government in the 20th century. Activist courts enable activist government. (link)

Orwell certainly was right about the use of meaningless words in politics. If we hope to remain free, we must cut through the fog and attach concrete meanings to the words politicians use to deceive us. We must reassert that America is a republic, not a democracy, and remind ourselves that the Constitution places limits on government that no majority can overrule. We must resist any use of the word “freedom” to describe state action. We must reject the current meaningless designations of “liberals” and “conservatives,” in favor of an accurate term for both: statists.

Every politician on earth claims to support freedom. The problem is so few of them understand the simple meaning of the word. (link)

It’s easy for elected officials in Washington to tell Americans that government will do whatever it takes to defeat terrorism, but it’s your freedom and your tax dollars at stake – not theirs. The history of the 20th century demonstrates that the Constitution is violated most egregiously during times of crisis. Many of our worst unconstitutional agencies and programs began during the two world wars and the Depression, when the public was anxious and willing to view government as a savior and protector. Ironically, the Constitution itself was conceived in a time of great crisis. The founders intended to place inviolable restrictions on what the federal government could do even in times of great distress. America must guard against current calls for government to violate the Constitution – meaning break the law – in the name of law enforcement. (link)

Do not these quotes resonate with you? Do they not convey a thorough understanding of and willingness to defend the divinely inspired Constitution?

The President of our nation takes an oath of office to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, and out of the two of these men only Ron Paul has shown that he knows what the document even says, much less how to properly act in its defense and support.

3. Romney might be able to put a fiscal band-aid on the government, but Paul (a doctor by trade) realizes that there are gangrenous limbs that need to be amputated.

How good does a little Neosporin do on a festering, gangrenous wound? Hint: none.

Mitt Romney is widely known as a savvy businessman who saved the day in the 2002 Olympics, using his managerial experience to solve an impending crisis. Many speculate that such experience would be a refreshing presence in our government, known far and wide as being fiscally irresponsible (if not conspiratorial).

But all he would know how to use is a band-aid.

Ron Paul has been actively speaking for thirty years on economical principles. He is opposed to the “Federal Reserve” and knows exactly how to fix our economy and cut government spending. He knows and often speaks about the true nature of inflation, reckless government programs such as social security and medicare, and how our dollar hegemony is destroying our currency and economy.

This speech eloquently expresses Paul’s understanding of true economical principles as set forth in our nation’s founding documents (this one comes in a close second). Can Romney claim a knowledge of how the Federal Reserve was formed, why it’s destroying our nation, how to fix inflation, the history of the dollar, foreign markets diversifying into other currencies, and exorbitant deficit spending? It is wishful thinking to assume that he must know. We need fruits. Ron Paul provides them.

John Adams, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson, once said:

All the perplexities, confusion and distresses in America arise not from defects in the constitution or confederation, nor from want of honor or virtue, as much from downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit, and circulation. (via Quoty)

That ignorance is widespread in our nation, and Mitt Romney, from what we know, is in the same camp.

If you haven’t yet, be sure to watch the half-hour announcement on CSPAN. The bulk of the time is spent answering callers’ questions. One caller asks about the Federal Reserve and economy, and you’ll hear straight from Rep. Paul how he proposes to diagnose the gangreen festering in our economy and diluting our dollar.

4. Romney is getting plenty of media attention, while Paul is almost completely ignored.

I think we can all agree that the mainstream media is conspiratorial in nature, presenting whatever they deem important and ignoring important issues and events either by commission or omission. If you disagree, you need to do your homework. One need only look at the media’s silence of the Military Commission Act and the Security and Prosperity Partnership as evidence.

Throughout the past year of my political and historical studies I have come to a upsetting realization that truth can no longer be found through the mainstream media. Thomas Jefferson explains how even in his day the establishment media was thwarting truth:

The man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them; inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. It is a melancholy truth that a suppression of the press could not more completely deprive the nation of its benefits than is done by its abandoned prostitution to falsehood. (via Quoty)

Our media outlets are controlled by very few men, men who (like anybody else) have a vested interest in seeing their political aspirations succeed. As Bill Moyers said in 2001:

The Founders didn’t count on the rise of the mega-media. They didn’t count on huge private corporations that would own not only the means of journalism but also vast swaths of the territory that journalism should be covering. (via Quoty)

Ron Paul is a threat to such an establishment, and so by omission he is largely left untouched, making it harder for him to get his message to the masses who are glued to the TV. Such media blackouts are not uncommon; in fact, one might more easily learn the truth by initially disbelieving what is being paraded on the media for widespread acceptance. As the interviewer points out in his CSPAN announcement video, the internet (our true free press) has been crucial in communicating Rep. Paul’s intention of running for office.

5. Mitt Romney wants to be President. Ron Paul doesn’t.

In his book Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, author Joseph J. Ellis describes the presidential campaigns of our early leaders:

…the very notion that a candidate should openly solicit votes violated the principled presumption that such behavior itself represented a confession of unworthiness for national office. (via Quoty)

Mitt Romney, like all other politicians in our day, seeks office. He volunteers himself as the right man for the job, and goes around the country stating why you should vote for him.

If you watched the announcement video, you were witness to a great act of political humility, something not often seen in Washington these days. Ron Paul, a man running for the office of the President, stated that he was reluctant to do so. He has full confidence in his message (as do I), but wasn’t sure how much support there would be, and if he’s even the right man for the job. Ron Paul doesn’t want you to vote for him so he can have the office, he wants you to vote for him so that his message can be heard and implemented and our nation diverted from the slippery slope to tyranny we are currently on.

That act of humility alone (which he has expressed in others video clips I have seen of him) speaks volumes about the man’s character and motive.

A lost vote?

Upon expressing my intent of voting for Rep. Paul, some have expressed to me the notion that I would be “wasting my vote”. I would ask such persons, what is the purpose of voting? Is it not to support and sustain the person I think most qualified for the office? In defense of voting “third party” in order to support he whom I think most worthy of and eligible for office, I offer the following three quotes:

Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost. (John Quincy Adams, via Quoty)

We engage in the election the same as in any other principle: you are to vote for good men, and if you do not do this it is a sin: to vote for wicked men, it would be sin. Choose the good and refuse the evil. Men of false principles have preyed upon us like wolves upon helpless lambs. Damn the rod of tyranny; curse it. Let every man use his liberties according to the Constitution. Don’t fear man or devil; electioneer with all people, male and female, and exhort them to do the thing that is right. (Hyrum Smith, via Quoty)

…we shall have the satisfaction of knowing that we have acted conscientiously, and have used our best judgment. And if we have to throw away our votes, we had better do so upon a worthy rather than an unworthy individual who might make use of the weapon we put in his hand to destroy us. (Joseph Smith, via Quoty)

And that’s why I’m for Ron Paul instead of Mitt Romney.

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

NOTE: As a Calvinist Presbyterian, I am both honored an humbled by the role which God ordained for Presbyterians to execute in the founding of this great nation: The Root of America -- The Tree of Liberty is watered with the blood of Calvinists "When Cornwallis was driven back to ultimate retreat and surrender at Yorktown, all of the colonels of the Colonial Army but one were Presbyterian elders"...

FULL DISCLOSURE: That being said, I do not personally believe that the United States Constitution was Divinely Inspired by the direct establishment of God Himself. HOWEVER, as pointed out by the devoted LDS author of this Article, Devout Mormons DO believe that the United States Constitution was Divinely Established by God Himself, and therefore RON PAUL is the only moral choice for Latter Day Saint believers.

According to the most recent polling data, amongst Declared Republican Candidates RON PAUL has already moved into 4th place behind Giuliani, McCain, and Romney, moving steadily ahead of all the 1 Percenters like Hunter, Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, Huckabee, Brownback, and Gilmore. Perhaps it is time for Latter Day Saints to rally behind Ron Paul and his impeccable defense of "the divinely inspired Constitution"... and help move Ron Paul from 4th Place, into 3rd?

That's what the above-posted devout Latter Day Saint argues.

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

RON PAUL is the RIGHT Candidate for Pro-Life social conservatives.

• Ron Paul introduced the Sanctity of Life Act of 2005, recognizing the Personhood of every unborn baby and removing Abortion from the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
• Ron Paul is rated ZERO percent by the National Abortion Rights Action League.
• Ron Paul is an original co-sponsor of the Marriage Protection Act.
• Ron Paul voted to ban Homosexual adoption in Washington DC.

RON PAUL is the RIGHT Candidate for Tax-Cutting fiscal conservatives.

• Ron Paul is ranked by Human Events as the biggest Tax Cutter in all of Congress. Paul Named #1 Tax Cutter in Congress: “(Paul) is a co-sponsor… of a constitutional amendment to repeal the 16th amendment and end income, gift, and estate taxes. Regularly pushes for tax cuts. Sponsor of bills to allow tax credits for private school tuition, to permit tax deduction of college tuition, and to stop all taxation of Social Security benefits. Opposes all unconstitutional spending programs.”
• Ron Paul has ranked in the 99th percentile of the National Taxpayer Union ratings every year he has been in Congress -- thus standing head and shoulders above his big government Republican rivals like gun-grabber John McCain, transvestite Rudy Giuliani, "Amnesty Sam" Brownback, Mike "Bill Clinton embodies the American Dream" Huckabee, and Pork-Barrel King Duncan Hunter.

RON PAUL is the ONLY 100% Anti-Terrorist candidate.

• The ruling government of Iraq is dominated by the psychopathic gang of murderers known as the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and the Islamic Al Dawa Party, who are the very same Islamic Terrorist Parties which bombed the US & French Embassies in Kuwait, and murdered 241 United States Marines in Beirut in 1983. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, of the Al Dawa Party, was the Bureau Chief of the Al Dawa Party's terrorist "Jihad Office" in Damascus in the 1980s and was thus heavily responsible for Al Dawa operations in Beirut, while parliament member Jamal Jafaar Mohammed of his ruling coalition is one of the "Kuwait 17", still under a Kuwaiti death sentence (in absentia) for his direct involvement in the vicious attack on the US Embassy in Kuwait! Ron Paul is the ONLY candidate calling for an immediate END to all Military and Financial support for the criminal Islamic Terrorist thug-regime of Iraq.

RON PAUL is the RIGHT Candidate for National Defense and Foreign Affairs.

• Ron Paul voted for the National Missile Defense Act. (source)
• Ron Paul is one of only two co-sponsors of H. Res. 123, for the establishment of a Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs to "conduct a full investigation of all unresolved matters relating to any United States personnel unaccounted for from the Vietnam era, the Korean conflict, World War II, Cold War Missions, or Gulf War, including MIA's and POW's." (POW-MIA InterNetwork)
• Ron Paul supports a strengthened Coast Guard and increased port security, and increased benefits for veterans.
• Ron Paul advocates United States withdrawal from the United Nations and withdrawal from the World Trade Organization. Says Ron Paul: "We don’t need CAFTA or any other international agreement to reap the economic benefits promised by CAFTA supporters, we only need to change our own harmful economic and tax policies. Let the rest of the world hurt their citizens with tariffs; if we simply reduce tariffs and taxes at home, we will attract capital and see our economy flourish." (source).
• "Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country." --U.S. President Ronald Reagan

RON PAUL is the RIGHT Candidate for the Bill of Rights.

• "Congress Unanimously Supports Paul Amendment to Protect Civil Liberties"
• Ron Paul is one of only five Congressman to have an A+ Rating from the Gun Owners of America.
• Ron Paul Denounces National ID Card.

RON PAUL is the RIGHT Candidate on Illegal Immigration.

• Ron Paul voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006. “Amnesty for lawbreakers is not the answer, and it’s time to rethink birthright citizenship,” Paul added. ("Paul Votes for Stronger Border Security")
• Ron Paul is a co-sponsor of HR 487, which "expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should not engage in the construction of a NAFTA superhighway or enter into any plans to create a North American Union between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico."
• "We need to allocate far more resources, both in terms of money and manpower, to securing our borders and coastlines here at home. This is the most critical task before us, both in terms of immigration problems and the threat of foreign terrorists. Unless and until we secure our borders, illegal immigration and the problems associated with it will only increase." – Ron Paul (source)

RON PAUL is the ONLY socially-conservative Candidate defending the independence of the Christian Church against Federal "Faith-Based Socialism".

• "Government funding of religious organizations will transform them into adjuncts of the federal welfare state, more concerned about obeying federal rules and regulations than fulfilling the obligations of their faith." – Ron Paul (source). Every other so-called "social conservative" candidate actually FAVORS this underhanded Orwellian Federal assault on the Freedom of the Christian Church.

"I got to know President Reagan in 1976 when, as a freshman congressman, I was one of only four members of that body to endorse then-Governor Reagan’s primary challenge to President Gerald Ford. I had the privilege of serving as the leader of President Reagan’s Texas delegation at the Republican convention of 1976, where Ronald Reagan almost defeated an incumbent president for his party’s nomination. I was one of the millions attracted to Ronald Reagan by his strong support for limited government and the free-market. I felt affinity for a politician who based his conservative philosophy on '...a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom.' I wish more of today’s conservative leaders based their philosophy on a desire for less government and more freedom." – Ron Paul, Remembering Ronald Reagan

In 2008, I'm voting for the REAGAN REPUBLICAN. I'm voting for former Vietnam Combat Flight Surgeon, and Leader of Ronald Reagan's Electoral Delegation from Texas: In 2008, I'm Voting for RON PAUL!

"The greatest champion of conservative principles we have seen in Congress in the past quarter century."
(David T. Pyne, Esq., Vice President of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies.)

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Your thoughts?

[TheKidster]

Wanna guess how many posts until a Rudy supporter shoots a flame your way?

[Rodney King]

Paul is my man. That being said, when it comes down to it, I might vot for Giuliani now that he has come out for the flat tax. People don't realize the inefficiencies caused by the tax code. The economy would take off if the flat tax was passed.

[dc-zoo]

Wasted vote for the only 100% back-stabber. He'll be luck to garner 1% when it's all said & done.

[Spiff]

Ron Paul's position on the War on Terror and his votes WITH the Democrats to cut and run disqualify him. I support Paul on almost every other issue and have long respected him. But he doesn't understand the threat posed by Islamofascism against the United States. That's a showstopper.

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Wanna guess how many posts until a Rudy supporter shoots a flame your way?

Hah! No, gambling is for suckers. And also me, every New Year's Eve. But it's not New Year's Eve. (grin)

Best, OP

[kjo]

Ron Paul? He has about as much chance of being elected POTUS as Osama Bin Obama.

[AmericaUnited]

Please ping me when Ron Paul polls over .000001%.

Thanks

[areafiftyone]

GUESS WHAT! The first one to shoot Flames his way was NOT a Rudy person!

[TheDon]

Ron Paul is a danger to the Republic. Whatever you think of his domestic policies, his foreign policies are dangerous.

[TheKidster]

GUESS WHAT! The first one to shoot Flames his way was NOT a Rudy person!

Ha Ha you're right, RP seems to be the most roundly hated of the candidates on FR!

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Paul is my man. That being said, when it comes down to it, I might vot for Giuliani now that he has come out for the flat tax. People don't realize the inefficiencies caused by the tax code. The economy would take off if the flat tax was passed.

Oh, don't be too taken in by Giuliani's sudden conversion to the Flat Tax (which he utterly disparaged in 1996): "Mr. Giuliani said that if elected president, he would like to change over to a flat tax, but acknowledged that may be impractical..." Giuliani may be the first candidate in history to accept an endorsement while castrating his supporter's key issue in the same speech.

Meanwhile, Ron Paul's Political Director should be talking to David Polyansky (Chief Operating Officer of FairTax.org) and Americans for Fair Taxation today regarding Ron Paul's support of the FairTax and the complete abolition of the Income Tax.

Let's just say I did some "networking". ONWARDS and UPWARDS!

[LeGrande]

As a former Mormon and libertarian, I would be happy to vote for Ron Paul and I wouldn't have to hold my nose as I did. I might even send him some money. He is one of the few that actually stands by his convictions.

Having said that, his fiscal and trade policies are idiotic. If he actually got us back on the gold standard and put his trade restrictions in place it would destroy our country.

[rhombus]

Ron Paul's position on the War on Terror and his votes WITH the Democrats to cut and run disqualify him.

Bears repeating. Case closed as far as I'm concerned.

[Oberon]

...he doesn't understand the threat posed by Islamofascism against the United States.

I strongly suspect that a man as smart as Paul fully understands the thread posed by Islamofascism against the United States. He just isn't willing to sacrifice the Constitution to that cause.

It's difficult to imagine that the threat posed by Islamic fundamentalist terrorism would go unaddressed by a Paul administration. That said, it's also highly unlikely that Paul will ever be a serious contender for the Oval Office.

Imagine the political power of the stakeholders in the Federal Reserve; you don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to believe that Paul's opposition to the Federal Reserve system will have made him some powerful political opponents. I suspect that, for that reason, he's not a viable candidate.

[mnehring]

IMHO, Paul is wrong on the WOT- (wanting and voting for pull out of Iraq), Paul has also had the lack of judgment in this case to want the war run from DC instead of by our Generals (same mistake of Vietnam that the dems are trying to create.)

Paul is also wrong on trade and outsourcing/in-sourcing. In this regard, he is an isolationist cut from the same cloth as Buchanan. I understand the Dems need to pander to unions, and thusly spew the normal anti-outsourcing crap, I even understand this from your average Joe who thinks the only thing outsourcing does is bleed jobs (not true, we in-source 4 jobs for every one outsourced.) But Paul should know better. If he was as conservative as many claim, he wouldn't be for regulating our business like this. He also would understand the economics of the job market better.

No, while Paul is right on many issues, these two areas show is is far to much of a 1950's style Buchanan-esque isolationist. Because this reaches in so many areas, it is a major fundamental disagreement I have.

..and I'm not even going to fact that he has all the personality of Bob Dole taking a nap.

[Oberon]

Having said that, his fiscal and trade policies are idiotic. If he actually got us back on the gold standard and put his trade restrictions in place it would destroy our country.

So what is a dollar, exactly?

[areafiftyone]

LOL! He doesn't have to worry Rudy people will not throw flames at anyone. We are just experts at getting the flames thrown at us as you may have seen from our threads! ;-)