Posted by
Moonkeeper on Thursday, March 13, 2008 12:10:28 AM
Life is a learning experience. I know that first sentence was cliche, but I needed something to open with. Anyway, I've been a Ron Paul fan ever since I found out about him 7 years ago. Prior to this year I had only heard good things about him. When I found out he was running for president, I thought to myself, if this guy can break through the second tier, we could have an opportunity to correct the mistake we made by not electing Goldwater in '64. Since then, I've learned plenty. I would like to share some of the things I have learned:
1. The Constitution has to wait at least another 4 years
2. When a liberal name calls, it is an attack. When conservatives name call Ron Paul, it is a valid counterpoint
3. Support amnesty? The GOP will forgive you. Gun grabber? The GOP will forgive you. Support election laws that infringe on freedom of speech? The GOP will support you. Support government run medicine? The GOP will forgive you. Against keeping military in 130 countries and believe that to stop terrorists we should go after the TERRORISTS instead of nation building? Well, in that case, you have no business in the GOP. In fact, the GOP does NOT want your vote or your support if you believe this.
4. Being the only candidate whose top donor group was military personnel means nothing. Some fringe group accounting for .0016% of your donations means you agree with every aspect of that group.
5. Building on that last point, anything that the fringe group says that could be deemed harmful to a small-government candidate will be accepted as fact despite the source being a group that no one would ever believe in any other situation.
6. Individual freedom is not as important as "strong strength, leadership, resolve and courage."
7. A voting record is not a good indication of how a candidate would act as president. A good indication is a 12 year old article, citing a 4 year old article at the time, by taking it wildly out of context and attributing it to someone that didn't write it.
8. We don't need a stable currency
9. When someone doesn't receive lobbyist gifts, doesn't participate in the federal government's pension program and returns extra money to congress they could have spent on their office, that means nothing. When that same person runs for president, they are clearly after fame and power.
10. When someone has a disproportionately large grassroots following compared to the media coverage they receive, then they are a fringe candidate that is out of line with mainstream America.
11. Building on that last point, when the media is tougher on Republicans then on Democrats, it is because of their left-wing bias. When that same media doesn't give all Republican candidates equal media coverage, it is for a valid reason.