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Ron Paul’s vision of America and the world, in particular his isolationism, anti-semitism and anti- Israel positions are not shared by most Americans and certainly not shared by most Conservatives.

Every candidate has their weaknesses. If he is truly anti-semitic that is a huge failing, but is he?

I've heard him say he's against continuing giving foreign aid to Israel, a first world country but the largest recipient of foreign aid. He is against all foreign aid feeling it is unconstitutional.

Do you agree that foreign aid is constitutional? It doesn't fit into the enumerated powers. There is no way it can be stretched to fit into the commerce clause.

Which part of the Constitution authorizes it?

So, I think there is a principled, conservative stand against it, which people may interpret as being anti-Israel.

Watch the Rand Paul interview with Wolf Blitzer. Wolf asks Rand if he is oopposed to foreign aid to countries like Hati - Rand says that Americans are generous and after huge natural catastrophies of course we should respond .. or something to that effect. Wolf's next question is about Isarel. (Which recieves more than 10X the aid Hati gets. That tells me more about Wolf than about Rand.

I agree most Americans really like the idea that we run the world.

We also have a 1.5 trillion dollar deficit. It is my opinion (which I know is a minority position here among FReepers, and is not shared by the management) that SOME reduction in our "Policing of the World" is possible, desirable and probably necessary given the financial constraints. But, I also agree with Jim that you don't want to go too far. Certainly national defense *is* the primary "only government can do it" job, it is a dangerous world, and we should maintain a powerful military.

Paul goes too far, in my opinion.

I liked Dick Cheney alot and feel that whoever booed him acted disgracefully. Hopefully they were ejected by the event organizers.

Every candidate has their weaknesses. If he is truly antisemitic that is a huge failing, but is he?

I've never read anything directly attributable to Paul that was antisemitic, but go to his website and read some of the commentaries and you'll find that antisemites feel free to express themselves at his site.

And I've reached a point where I no longer consider support of Israel as foreign aid, but more as a part of our national defense, which does fall under the responsibilities of our federal government.

Paul's non-interventionism is profoundly naive. It would be a beautifully gift wrapped package to all the despots in the world who have no problem with intervening into other countries governments, and give them the green light to set up puppet regimes. All for the stated purpose of destroying America.

Representative republics in the middle east are essential for America's security.

Do you agree that foreign aid is constitutional? It doesn't fit into the enumerated powers. There is no way it can be stretched to fit into the commerce clause. Which part of the Constitution authorizes it?

The Continental Congress didn't seem to have a problem authorizing tribute treaties with Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli...also known as the Barbary States...in the late 1700's. In the end, millions of dollars was spent, much of it borrowed.

Constitutionally speaking, there is likely no operation difference between tribute and aid.

I'd be interested to hear Ron Paul or one of his supporters address this point.