Category: Ron Paul

The critical point to note is this: Paul was subjected to a harsh and informed attempt to embarrass him. Yet he didn’t embarras himself. We take it for granted that politicians flip flop, say stupid things, change their mind on substantial issues to pander to polls, and so on. It’s more a matter of how well they recover from (read: “distract from”) their oops’s than whether they make them. For Ron Paul, there is no recovering from faux pas’s because no one seems to have yet caught him in one, even after digging through newspapers back to the 80’s. And Russert’s attempts to catch him in one, aside from not working, occasionally bordered on the laughable (think of the accusation that it is inconsistent to be a strict constructionalist and call for a constitutional amendment). The very fact Russert, in trying to give Paul a workout and make him sweat, had to use such poor material just shows how dead consistent Paul has been.

The first thing I learned from driving around Nevada with Ron Paul for a couple of days: People really hate the Federal Reserve.

One month ago I wrote to Glenn Beck the following:

I must say Glenn, that after hearing your immoral attempts to de-moralize an honest man and his loyal supporters, you have lost my respect. I am still hopeful that your integrity will humble you enough to make a public apology on your radio show and TV show. Until then, you will no longer enter my airwaves nor will you have any more opportunities to influence my thinking on any subject.

Last night, Glenn Beck brought in Dr. Paul for an hour interview. The interview was honest and covered almost every issue Paul cares about. Indeed, Glenn gave Ron sufficient time to expound his ideas and delineate himself from his more conspiratorial supporters, though not excluding them. Glenn brought to Paul’s attention some of the threats he has received from Paul supporters. He may be legitimately concerned about his safety and his family’s. Paul did a fine job in defending a non-violent approach to individual and national relations.

I must say that Beck has restored some of my trust in his work, though I still carry strong distrust of his apocalyptic viewpoints. As Rockwell points out:

Some of Mr. Beck’s supporters advocate genocide against Arabs and Muslims, and the nuking of Mecca and Medina.

It would have been better if Beck apologized to the majority of Paul supporters and clarified his earlier statements where he equates supporters with terrorists. Nevertheless, this interview did restore at least some of my trust in Beck’s commentary, though perhaps Beck’s kind words in his interview with Paul had something to do with his highest ratings since day one.

The numbers are not official, but it appears the 10-term Congressman from Texas has raised over 6 million dollars in 24 hours. December 16th marks the celebration of the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Paul, an ardent opponent of government spending and of the Iraq war, shattered the media’s expectation. Tim Russert, host of Meet The Press, has invited Congressman Paul for a one hour interview on Sunday the 23rd. Perhaps this is a sign that the tide is turning for the 72 year-old internet sensation.

Conservatives ought to be looking for the next Washington, Jefferson, or Madison. These men had their differences, but they agreed that the success of the American Republic required a small federal government with limited powers. If you’d like to know what those powers are, read Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. It won’t take you long. Ron Paul’s consistent voting record shows that he understands and takes seriously the federal government’s limited role. Now, for the first time in the lifetimes of anyone reading this, the truth about what kind of government the Founders gave us—a government we discarded in favor of handouts—has been given a voice in a presidential election.