[T.Smith]

I disagree. What is unconservative about wanting to reduce government and return power to the states? I thought that was the core of the conservative movement? It used to be what Republicans stood for. The single biggest problem most Freepers seem to have with Dr. Paul is his foreign policy. I understand where Freepers are coming from on this, although I disagree, but I don’t understand why they have to be so hateful about it.

Principled disagreement is one thing, but the pure hatred is just irrational and not at all constructive.

[zeugma]

but I don’t understand why they have to be so hateful about it.

The main reason is that a lot of people have been brainwashed into thinking that any honest threat to FedGov power is dangerous to the "party". Party always trumps principles or the people, which is one of the reasons Pres. Washington spoke passionately against them. There is also a large contingent of big government statists who find principled libtarian thought, especially on the economic front (though they disguise it mightily with being opposed to sideshows like the "war on drugs"), to be especially dangerous.

The whole concept of the limitations of Article 1, Section 8, and the 9th/10th amendments to the Constitution is a threat to their way of life. It threatens their worldview entirely. They've completely bought into the socialist state, yet refuse to admit that all they want to really do is tinker around the edges of their pet causes, rather than revolutionize the way we think about the state and, more importantly, what is legitimately a concern of government at any level.

I don't hang out in Ron Paul threads here much because they are so loud and obnoxious that their noise makes the signal in the thread irrelevant. I realize that this is their goal, but there is only so much one can concentrate on in one day.

Understand that there are some here who see what is going on. There really are people who understand what the real problems with government are, and are not distracted by the sideshows or bread and circuses.
 

[Kellis91789]

[The single biggest problem most Freepers seem to have with Dr. Paul is his foreign policy. I understand where Freepers are coming from on this, although I disagree, but I don’t understand why they have to be so hateful about it.]

National Security is the PRIMARY Consitutional function of the Federal government. In today’s age of technology where the world has shrunk such that our enemies are all within hours of striking distance, Foreign Policy is essentially identical to National Security. So why would you be surprised that Constitutional Conservatives can find Ron Paul’s position on this to be a deal-breaker no matter how much we agree with him on all the other Conservative points of limited government ?

Foreign Policy/National Security is the litmus test for any candidate. If he is wrong on that, then being right on all other positions is still not enough to balance that one failing.