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What is it about Ron Paul?

Is it the gray hair? The wrinkles? Is it that distracting habit of licking the upper lip? I have wracked my brain trying to come up with the reason why the Republican party has such an aversion to Ron Paul. However, the only conclusion I keep coming back to is the simplest, most obvious one. Ron Paul is anti-government. Or, I should say anti-BIG government as my colleagues so deftly (ouch!) point out.

Some have used the words "eccentric" and "flaky" to describe him. However, when one considers the candidates who opposed him and watches footage of the 2008 debates, this holds no merit

whatsoever. Aside from a slight tendency to ramble when he speaks, which can be easily forgiven, his comments are nearly always poignant and accurate.

In comparison, Sarah Palin has stepped back into the limelight. She appears to have gained quite a following among conservatives. However, upon reviewing her interview with Katie Couric during the 2008 elections, she was elusive, vague and grasping for answers. She also recently wrote a letter of praise to Obama regarding his handling of the war in Afghanistan and asking for more troops. During the 2008 debates, one of the classic questions asked was whether or not the President needed to consult with Congress to take military action against a nuclear threat. Romney did not know

the answer and hedged to the best of his diplomatic ability. In contrast, not only did Dr. Paul know the answer, he was vehement in his delivery, "read the Constitution!"

In fact, when one reviews the debates, it is amazing how Dr. Paul always seems to land on his feet regardless of the question. Another example is when he is coming under attack from Giuliani and even the moderator for his stance on pulling out of Iraq. Mike Huckabee, who has made it clear that he is also for maintaining the war despite its enormous financial drain, stated that it did not matter whether or not we had made a mistake by getting into the war, but that we needed to finish what we started. Dr. Paul's response to this was "when people make a mistake... they are responsible to

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correct the mistake, not continue the mistake". This is possibly a reference to JFK's famous speech regarding freedom of the press in which he quoted Orlando Battista who said, "an error does not become a mistake until you refuse to correct it." This does not sound like dementia, eccentricity or "flakiness". It is good, sound reason!

Another clear observation during the 2008 debates is made when the subject turns to war. Ron Paul is always vehemently opposed to war. However, no other Republican can bring himself to oppose it, including Huckabee and Brownback. War is to Republicans as social programs are to Democrats. It is a chance for politicians to make tons of money. It means more government jobs. It is also an opportunity to increase technology, to try out new toys and to simply expand the government's reach. Remember, both Democrat and Republican parties have the same goal in mind, the expansion of government control and power. Ron Paul is marginalized because he is anti government. Someone who has been consistently right on economic issues and is now pushing through a measure to audit the Federal Reserve, which has never been done in its entire 90 year history, cannot be all that "flaky".

Dwight Eisenhower himself warned against the "military industrial complex". He stated that, "only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals." 

Recently in Pittsburgh, military and police were dispatched to break up anticipated riots in the city. It was unprecedented show of force in an American city. Many of the scenes from this melee are disturbing. In some instances it appears to be taking place in some other third world country rather than here in America, except for the sophisticated military "toys" on display. I believe in having a strong defense, but not at the expense of being a "bully" to the rest of the world and certainly not to be used on American citizens. In one Pittsburgh instance officers are clearly

antagonizing a young female until she responds, then is promptly thrown to the ground and arrested. Whether or not the officer is disciplined, he clearly went outside his boundaries and was caught on camera.

Herein lies the problem with the Republican stance of war and the legislation of morality. Whenever force is used to compel people to comply with a belief, ideal or policy, regardless of whether or not it is for their betterment, natural rights are violated. Once government has encroached upon these rights, there is no retreat. In fact, both Republican and Democrat parties are guilty of this encroachment. Forcing individuals to obtain health care is just one example.

In the Ron Paul video above, Mitt Romney states that we would "use the law to follow people who are preaching doctrines of terror and hate..." without any conscious recognition that this would violate every citizen's right to privacy. Unfortunately, this type of thinking has now become commonplace. Fighting terrorism sounds good until YOU are labeled terrorist. We have already seen how easily that can take place.