Ron Paul

It was not long after the 2000 election (in which I voted straight Republican, as had been typical) that my eyes were opened to the nature of our one-party political system; that by and large, the Republicans and Democrats offer nothing different, just varying shades of the same crap. Realizing that the principles of “personal liberty” and “fiscally conservative, small government” were just rhetoric to the Republican Party, I parted ways with my (blind) straight party voting. Principle – not Party – became paramount for my vote; honestly politics became more fun as I could step back and see the Republicrat game for what it is. I just have to laugh and shake my head sometimes when I see people sucked into it.

I tell you this so that you will understand it's surprising when I say I will be voting Republican for President in 2008. That is, if Ron Paul receives the Republican nomination.

“Ron who?”, you probably just asked.

Ron Paul is a Republican Congressman from Texas. Stick with me, this is not another Shrub. You see, Ron Paul is what's called a “Constitutionalist”, which means that he takes his oath to “uphold and defend the Constitution” seriously. His votes are cast based on what the Constitution permits, not what is politically expedient or even popular. Because of this and his regular votes against un-Constitutional legislation, he has received the nickname “Dr. No.”

When asked why he wants to be President, he said, “My main goal to run for President is the same goal I have for all my activities in politics; and that is always to shrink the size and scope of government and maximize individual liberty.” He has a strong record of 17 years to back this up. He has never voted to raise taxes or congressional pay. He has never voted for an unbalanced budget. He voted against the Orwellian-named “PATRIOT” Act and the Iraq War. He does not participate in the congressional pension program. Few – if any – congressman can make these claims.

I have been following Ron Paul for several years now and am always struck with his principled positions. Whether you agree with his positions or not, I think you'll be impressed to hear a “politician” who articulates unique positions (for Washington, at least) clearly and without the typical vague, meaningless political style. Furthermore, it's evident that he believes you are the best person to run your life – not himself, the federal government, or bureaucrats.

Don't take my word for any of this, check him out yourself:

• He will be in the first Republican debate with 9 other candidates this Thursday, May 3rd at 8:00pm. The debate will air on MSNBC as well as streamed live on politico.com
• One-on-one interview, with audience questions part 1 and part 2
• Ron Paul 2008, official site