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Gents, I have been watching this discussion with interest, as I was naive enough to think that Perot could make a bit of a difference in ‘92.

As you may recall, Bush ‘41 essentially went to sleep for 10 months — letting his COS essentially try to run th nation.

From my perspective, I let my emotions get way ahead of political reality.

Regardless of Paul’s Libertarian appeal to our more pristine conservative principles, functioning democracy requires effective leadership to wallow in the nastiness of the vast wretched swamp called Political Reality — the huge grey middle ground that embodies any real semblance of functioning democratic government!

We are in a global war for the survival of Western Democracy — and a way of life that our fore-bearers gave blood and treasure for (including my father) !

I submit that we serious Republicans would do well to remember this lesson.

Paul is irrelevant in the scheme of credible political discourse. He represents a very intellectually flawed fringe of the party that would rather go down with the Good Ship Principle — than swim for a lifeboat — to fight another day -- for the overall welfare (and ultimate survival) of our Republic.

Rant over, but this is serious stuff, folks.

The WOT at this point has been so badly managed that it now has become an American albatross, a tarbaby that does not yet admit to the political realities and impossibility of waging a war while at the same time trying to nation build third world cesspools. A war that our CIC refuses to prosecute against the financiers of the 911 terrorist who hijacked and flew our planes into the WTC and the Pentagon.(that would be Saudi Arabia and Pakistan for those of you in Rio Lindo)

The polls showing little public support for our current nation building exercise is a reality that you should not ignore.

As far as this war and political reality go, William F. Buckley once remarked that the defining element of conservatism is realism--realism about the limits of state power, the nature of human beings and societies, the complexity of international life. Yet many conservatives who believe that the state can do nothing right at home think that it can do nothing wrong abroad. (If things go badly, why, more money, bigger bombs and ground troops will straighten it out.) Many who are scornful of social engineering at home seem sure it will work beyond our borders. They seem convinced that good intentions and a burst of state power can transform the world. How conservative is that?

...the huge grey middle ground that embodies any real semblance of functioning democratic government!

Ron Paul appeals to republicans, democrats and libertarians. For different reasons, but he still appeals to every group. He'd wipe the floor with Hillary Clinton. Paul wouldn't look like a gigantic hypocrite on Iraq like she would.

I have been watching this discussion with interest, as I was naive enough to think that Perot could make a bit of a difference in ‘92.

Let's try this again:

Perot: general election
Paul: republican primary

Paul ain't a spoiler candidate.

Well done.

"We are in a global war for the survival of Western Democracy.."

DEMOCRACY???

Excuse me?

What exact "democracy" is that again?

"— and a way of life that our fore-bearers gave blood and treasure for (including my father) !"

"A way of life"?

Gee, and all this time I thought it was FREEDOM that our forefathers fought and died for.