Rod Dreher: Ron Paul, if only we listened

The Dallas Morning News ^ | 2008-11-25 | Rod Dreher

[rabscuttle385]

I didn't vote for Ron Paul in the Republican primary (I was a Mike Huckabee man), nor did I write him in on Election Day (I penciled in farmer-poet Wendell Berry). But no Texan this year did more good for conservatism and his country than the congressman from the coast.

Lord knows there was no Republican in the 2008 campaign who talked straighter.

Dr. Paul – he's a physician – never had a chance, of course. He is too peculiar in his opinions and doesn't know how to spin like a TV slick. What he had was ideas, integrity and authenticity. On the most critical challenges facing America, Dr. Paul was more right than the well-funded GOP regulars who bigfooted the campaign trail.

[CyberAnt]

Well .. if you’re so ignorant or just plain stupid that you can’t understand what I said .........

[mcshot]

I’m in the same boat.

[Species8472]

The GOP blew it. We threw Ron Paul and the libertarian wing of the party under the bus last year.

The only real youth and vigor that Republicans had captured, had been through Ron Paul's leadership and his popularity with college age voters (I've got two in my family).

So what did the Republican Party do with Ron Paul and his followers? They kicked him (and them) out of the tent, and branded him with a "nutjob" label).

Did anyone think about the fact that we were throwing out the most Internet savvy, the best grassroots organizing, the best fund-raising, the youngest and most dynamic people in this whole election cycle?

I'm sure that a lot of them voted for the 0.

[Drango]

Believe what you want....

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/10/paul.newsletters/index.html#cnnSTCOther1

[ovrtaxt]

http://www.metimes.com/Security/2008/11/21/commentary_nostradamus_redux/ce3c/

Check this out. Gerald Celente predicting a third party by 2012.

[RegulatorCountry]

At least Ron Paul had a few principles that were nonnegotiable.

A quality in desperately short supply. He takes the Constitution of the United States of America seriously, in a day when most "constitutional scholars" seek loopholes and further means to circumvent it.

[DTogo]

The problem with Ron Paul was his foreign policy.

And that his message was being delivered by... Ron Paul.

[Candor7]

Imagine Ron Paul as president of the United States.

What would Paul do with that power?

We would become a banana Republic....ooops!

I almost forgot!....Obama is also bringing a banana Republic.

Well coulda....shoulda......Banana Republics ...are all the same.

Thanks for crashing the Republican convention Ron. Great way to get public support.

[Liz]

McCain was a ready and willing supporter of the KLA, a terrorist group
affiliated with Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.....and articulated public
support for La Raza and the illegal alien invasion.....

McC was also the stooge candidate of The Pukeneos after Giuliani
bombed.....both candidacies were tightly controlled by The Puke puppeteers.

"Wooty and Chonny join me to tank Kvistol and da pukeneos
for all dey haf done for de Republican Potty."

"Da pukes financed and flacked meeny losing Republican Potty campaigns.
Den dey transferred trillions of US dollars into da Muddleast."

" Dem pukes gave Ameereeka amnesty and saddled us with meellions of
drug runners and criminals undermining US nashional seecurity........and conniving
Turd World lowlifes wit multiple identities who haf destroyed our economee."

"The pukes screw up everyteeng dey touches."

" RINO losers Wooty and Chonny choin me to say 'tanks, pukes.' "

[Gary Johnson in 2012]

Believe what you want....

Yep, some people will believe BS about Paul being a racist no matter how stupid such a belief is or any contradictory evidence.

[Allegra]

I'll say what I've said many times.

Ron Paul has some great ideas. I particularly agree with him on the need for a much smaller goverment. I also applauded what he said prior to the House's first vote on that bailout disaster. And I do admire and agree with his desire for adherence to the Constitution.

However, some of his other stances, such as foreign policy just wouldn't work in today's world. In fact, I believe that could be downright disastrous.

I believe Ron Paul has a place in our hopes for a return to conservatism in the GOP. But not as the top dog.

[rabscuttle385]

McC was also the stooge candidate of The Pukeneos after Giuliani bombed.....both candidacies were tightly controlled by The Puke puppeteers.

Jim DeMint on McCain:

“McCain, who is a proponent of campaign finance reform that weakened party organizations and basically put (hedge fund billionaire and liberal philanthropist) George Soros in the driver’s seat."

“His proposal for amnesty for illegals. His support of global warming, cap-and-trade programs that will put another burden on our economy. And, of course, his embrace of the bailout right before the election was probably the nail in our coffin this last election. And he has been an opponent of drilling in ANWR, at a time when energy is so important. It really didn’t fit the label, but he was our package.”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2140294/posts

Too bad that DeMint forgot to mention McCain's implicit support of Osama bin Laden via his overt support for one of al-Qaeda's affiliates, the Kosovo Liberation Army.

[LibLieSlayer]

He stated that he would shrink the Military until it was only a force to protect our borders. He is anti-trade and he is an isolationist... even an isolationist like buchanan has said so. His foreign policy would kill America quicker than hussein's will.

LLS

[Gary Johnson in 2012]

He is anti-trade

Bullcrap. Did you listen to even a single GOP presidential debate in 2007?

[Gary Johnson in 2012]

He stated that he would shrink the Military until it was only a force to protect our borders.

This too is also BS. In 2004 Ron Paul voted against the Virgil Goode's amendment to HR-4200 authorize the U.S. military on the border.

I support using our military to secure our nation's borders. But Paul has never been a 'Tancredo' on immigration.

[9YearLurker]

The only thing scarier to me now that I give Paul his due—recognizing he wasn’t just some extremist crank, but cogent, sincere and well-considered in his opinions—is that I actually find myself agreeing with Dreher.

Still, the best thing Paul could do would be to cultivate a cadre of serious candidates in his mold and see a national intra- or extra-Republican Party organization put them into office.

He’s never going to be president, but he might become the Goldwater that gives way to a Reagan.

[FBD]

Uh-huh, an old newsletter posted in CNN...”rant against blacks, gays...”
That is typical liberal bilge about conservative “racism and bigotry.” What a crock of BS.
Is CNN your favorite news source?
-That figures.

[freeandfreezing]

Did anyone think about the fact that we were throwing out the most Internet savvy, the best grassroots organizing, the best fund-raising, the youngest and most dynamic people in this whole election cycle?

I'm sure that a lot of them voted for the 0.

It was a tactical blunder of epic proportions. Most of them didn't vote for Obama, they just stayed home. The only thing that almost saved McCain was Sarah Palin. I don't know anybody who voted Republican because of McCain, either they voted against Obama or for Palin.

Without the small government, libertarian wing of the Republican party we end up with RINO centrist losers like McCain or Dole. And Democratic presidents.

[Drango]

Are you saying that’s NOT Ron Paul’s newsletter, or are you saying that didn’t write the article and published it without reading the material?

[Piers-the-Ploughman]

I did my best but 19 yo daughter was for Ron Paul. And yes, there was enough overlap between Paul and other Republicans that he and his folllowers should be treated with respect. The Republicans needed every vote. And we will the next election. It never hurts to be kind at least to those who actually may vote for you.

The economy tanked at a very inopportune moment, Bush seemed clueless, and the war was not popular. And our candidate was clueless.

If we are going to do a preventive war 5000 miles away from America, it had better be quick. Now we are faced with the prospect of a SCOTUS with a liberal majority if one of our guys goes down.

SCOTUS is far more important for conservatives than the internal politics of Iraq. Bomb the crap out of Iraq all you want but getting bogged down in a land war is not a good use of political capital. Liberalism/socialism Harry Reid, Pelosi etc unfortunately while not nutty Islamists are right here in our own country and far more dangerous than nutty Muslims 5000 miles from here.