Ron Paul

[beercop]

So what's your opinion of this cat? Anyone know anything about him? Whould he be good for the U.S. or is he just full of shit?

I do like how he wants to balance the budget and states rights but not sure if he could accomplish anything. Discuss....

[shel311]

He's no different than all the other cats.

[jsence2]

If it's any indication, his son is a total moron.

[nick]

If it's any indication, his son is a total moron.

George Bush's son was a total moron too

[shel311]

If it's any indication, his son is a total moron.

George Bush's son was a total moron too

A

[LytezOut]

If it's any indication, his son is a total moron.

George Bush's son was a total moron too

Bush was a total moron

[brett11253]

Ron Paul is the best out of anyone else who's in the running..

[BFiVL]

He is no rupaul

[Crowes]

Ron Paul is the best out of anyone else who's in the running..

That's not saying much.. Has some really good ideas then some out of this world crazy ones too...

[Cnasty]

What's scary is that it can get worse than where we already are.

Hell, give Trendon a go at it.

[brett11253]

He's still my pick though. when voting for him you know what you are getting. He isn't the kinda guy to say one thing and do another. He's stick with his ideas throughout his whole time.

[Shiftdnb]

Someone stated they would like to see Ron Paul get elected by the Republicans just so they can see the supposed "Liberal" Obama debate keeping the war in Afghanistan going.

I agree with some of what he says, but his stance on getting rid of any public assistance is just ignorance of the grey of day to day life. (see my comments in the OWS, not going to explain myself again)

[jsence2]

If it's any indication, his son is a total moron.

George Bush's son was a total moron too

A

You get an F for thinking George Bush Sr was a good President

Like I said.....Ron Paul's son is a moron, and Nick's argument just proved my point even further--the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

[trendon]

Ron Paul is the best out of anyone else who's in the running..

That's not saying much.. Has some really good ideas then some out of this world crazy ones too...

They are different, not crazy.

From the Wiki. The one I listed as #19 is my favorite and sets him apart from everyone else. He is pro-life and very much dislikes abortion, but he feels he should have no say in whether it is illegal, only the states should. That is a huge thing with me, the ability to evaluate. Nobody else has it or wants to have it.

1. Paul's views are generally attributed to those of non-interventionism, which is the belief that the United States should avoid entangling alliances with other nations, but still retain diplomacy, and avoid all wars not related to direct territorial self-defense. "There's nobody in this world that could possibly attack us today... we could defend this country with a few good submarines. If anybody dared touch us we could wipe any country off of the face of the earth within hours. And here we are, so intimidated and so insecure and we're acting like such bullies that we have to attack third-world nations that have no military and have no weapons."[

2. He also proposes that the U.S. stop sending what he deems massive, unaccountable foreign aid.

3. Paul advocates withdrawing U.S. participation and funding from organizations he believes override American sovereignty, such as the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, the WTO, the Law of the Sea Treaty, NATO, and the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America.

4. Paul considers it a "boondoggle" for the U.S. to spend much money policing other countries' borders (such as the Iraq–Syria border) while leaving its own borders porous and unpatrolled.

5. Paul believes illegal aliens take a toll on welfare and Social Security and would end such benefits, concerned that uncontrolled immigration makes the U.S. a magnet for illegal aliens, increases welfare payments, and exacerbates the strain on an already highly unbalanced federal budget.

6. Paul believes that illegal immigrants should not be given an "unfair advantage" under law.[57] He has advocated for a "coherent immigration policy", and has spoken strongly against amnesty for illegal aliens because he believes it undermines the rule of law, grants pardons to lawbreakers,[58] and subsidizes more illegal immigration.

7. Following the 9/11 attacks, Paul "opposed the federalization of airport security, the creation of the DHS and increased police state measures, but did propose legislation that would allow airline pilots to begin carrying firearms in cockpits", on the theory that "it's much harder for terrorists to commandeer an airplane when pilots can fight back."

8. Paul believes the size of federal government must be decreased substantially. In order to restrict the federal government to what he believes are its Constitutionally authorized functions, Paul regularly votes against almost all proposals for new government spending, initiatives, or taxes

9. Paul would substantially reduce the government's role in individual lives and in the functions of foreign and domestic states; he says Republicans have lost their commitment to limited government and have become the party of big government.[84] He would eliminate many federal government agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Education,[85] the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Commerce,[86] the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,[86] the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Internal Revenue Service,[87] calling them "unnecessary bureaucracies". Paul would severely reduce the role of the Central Intelligence Agency; reducing its functions to intelligence-gathering. He would eliminate operations like overthrowing foreign governments and assassinations. He says this activity is kept secret even from Congress and "leads to trouble".[88] He also commented, "We have every right in the world to know something about intelligence gathering, but we have to have intelligent people interpreting this information."

10. Paul's campaign slogan for 2004 was "The Taxpayers' Best Friend!"[97] He would completely eliminate the income tax by shrinking the size and scope of government to what he considers its Constitutional limits. John Berthoud, president of the National Taxpayers Union, an organization that promotes lower tax rates, has said, "Ron Paul has always proven himself to be a leader in the fight for taxpayer rights and fiscal responsibility ... No one can match his record on behalf of taxpayers." Paul has been called a "Taxpayer's Friend" by Berthoud's organization every year since he returned to Congress in 1996, scoring an average percentage of 100%, tying Tom Tancredo for the highest score (1992–2005) among all 2008 presidential candidates from Congress.[102] National Federation of Independent Business president Jack Farris has said, "Paul is a true friend of small business ... He is committed to a pro-small-business agenda of affordable health insurance, lower taxes, tort reform, and the elimination of burdensome mandates.

11. In the words of the New York Times, Paul is "not a fan" of the Federal Reserve.[107] Paul's opposition to the Fed is supported by the Austrian Business Cycle Theory, which holds that instead of containing inflation, the Federal Reserve, in theory and in practice, is responsible for causing inflation.

12. Paul believes that prayer in public schools should not be prohibited at the federal or state level, nor should it be made compulsory to engage in.

13. In 1997, Paul introduced a Constitutional amendment giving states the power to prohibit the destruction of the flag of the United States.[149] In June 2003, he voted against a Constitutional amendment to prohibit the physical "desecration" of the flag of the United States.[150] He believes that prohibiting flag burning is a state power, not a federal power.

14. He believes the internet should be free from government regulation and taxation, and is opposed to internet gambling restrictions and network neutrality legislation.

15. Paul has been criticized for voting against legislation to help catch online child predators, one of the votes used in the CNET "Technology voter guide". In response to critics, Paul said, "I have a personal belief that the responsibility of raising kids, educating kids and training kids is up to the parents and not the state. Once the state gets involved, it becomes too arbitrary." He also believed that the proposed law was unconstitutional.

16. The only 2008 presidential candidate to earn Gun Owners of America's A+ rating, Paul has been a lead sponsor of legislation in Congress attempting to maintain individual Second Amendment rights.[163] He has also fought for the right of pilots to be armed.

17. Paul broke with his party by voting against the PATRIOT Act in 2001; he also voted against its 2005 enactment.[172] He has said, "Everything we have done in response to the 9-11 attacks, from the Patriot Act to the war in Iraq, has reduced freedom in America."

18. Paul opposes all federal efforts to define marriage, whether defined as a union between one man and one woman, or defined as including anything else as well. He believes that recognizing or legislating marriages should be left to the states, and not subjected to "judicial activism"

19. Paul calls himself "strongly pro-life"[207] and "an unshakable foe of abortion".[208] In 2005 he sponsored the Sanctity of Life Act to define life as beginning at conception.[209] However, he believes regulation of medical decisions about maternal or fetal health is "best handled at the state level"

20. Paul stated in August 2007 that at the state level "capital punishment is a deserving penalty for those who commit crime", but he does not believe that the federal government should use it as a penalty.

21. Paul has asserted that he does not think there should be any federal control over education and education should be handled at a local and state level. He opposes the federal No Child Left Behind Act, voting against it in 2001 and remaining opposed to it as an ineffective federal program.

22. Paul contends that prohibition of drugs is ineffective and advocates ending the War on Drugs.[255][256][257] "Prohibition doesn't work. Prohibition causes crime." He believes that drug abuse should be treated as a medical problem, "We treat alcoholism now as a medical problem and I, as a physician, think we should treat drug addiction as a medical problem and not as a crime." The Constitution does not enumerate or delegate to Congress the authority to ban or regulate drugs in general.

23. Paul believes that the Veterans Administration should not be building more hospitals, and that VA hospitals should instead be phased out. He believes that government should pay to treat veterans in private hospitals, arguing they will get better care more cost-effectively.

24. In 2004, he spoke out against efforts to abolish the electoral college, stating that "Democracy, we are told, is always good. But the founders created a constitutionally limited republic precisely to protect fundamental liberties from the whims of the masses, to guard against the excesses of democracy. The electoral college likewise was created in the Constitution to guard against majority tyranny in federal elections. The President was to be elected by the states rather than the citizenry as a whole, with votes apportioned to states according to their representation in Congress.

[Shiftdnb]

If it's any indication, his son is a total moron.

George Bush's son was a total moron too

A

You get an F for thinking George Bush Sr was a good President

Like I said.....Ron Paul's son is a moron, and Nick's argument just proved my point even further--the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Bush Sr. is not a moron as much as he is just another conservative crony. W is straight up retarded.

[LetsGoPeay]

It doesn't matter who you vote for. They'll do what they, their congressional supporters, and financial backers want to do. Most of what is said on the campaign trail goes in the shitter the second the final returns are in.

[Shiftdnb]

It doesn't matter who you vote for. They'll do what they, their congressional supporters, and financial backers want to do. Most of what is said on the campaign trail goes in the shitter the second the final returns are in.

I think that is why everyone is wondering if they should vote for Ron Paul. The one thing I have to give props to Ron Paul for is he is not just saying things that are going to get him elected. He's saying some stuff any other politician wouldn't touch with a 10' pole years ago.

[LetsGoPeay]

It doesn't matter who you vote for. They'll do what they, their congressional supporters, and financial backers want to do. Most of what is said on the campaign trail goes in the shitter the second the final returns are in.

I think that is why everyone is wondering if they should vote for Ron Paul. The one thing I have to give props to Ron Paul for is he is not just saying things that are going to get him elected. He's saying some stuff any other politician wouldn't touch with a 10' pole years ago.

It's all the same and always will be until there is some sort of monumental, revolutionary change to the election system. Dumb down your politics in order to appeal to the large percentage of morons who vote based on thirty second commercials and get yourself elected. Then do whatever the hell you want when you're in office and blame it on the other party if it doesn't work.

[brett11253]

good ole democracy

[LetsGoPeay]

The key to getting elected is to find the balance between appealing to the optimistic and appealing to the moronic. If the optimistic ones are also morons, all the better.