Ron Paul

3 posts
Info Dump

Shut Up, Ron

Ron Paul can be a smart man at times. There are times I can really get behind some of his ideas. Then there are times like this:

I’m sure there will be some backpedaling from his supporters about “context” or something, but this is just Ron for you. He’s got his internally consistent ideology, and he sticks with it, even when that means doing some truly cringeworthy things.

I’m sure this is some extension of his disdain for what he sees as foreign adventurism.  However, there’s a wide gulf between criticizing a policy and castigating people who’ve put their lives on the line for us. Somebody needs to grab Uncle Ron by the elbow and quietly usher him off the stage at this point.

Info Dump

Perhaps Warming Up to Ron Paul

2 comments

Tonight’s Republican Presidential debate in Ames was, of course, little more than glossy dinner theater wrapped in the flannel shawl of politics. Heck, it was run by Fox News. Nevertheless, it gave us some clue as to the intentions and character of our possible nominees.  Some of it came as a surprise.

In short, Ron Paul rocked the house. We’re talking Hendrix at Woodstock, folks. All the man needed was a bottle of Zippo fluid and a Fender Strat.

The most interesting dynamic was the running academic debate between him and Rick Santorum on constitutional limits. I disagree with Paul vehemently on his blanket hostility to the 14th Amendment, but I sure wouldn’t have to debate it with the guy in person. Though he comes across as a little nervy, Paul is capable of delivering complex concepts in layman’s terms, and doing so with real fire. The crowd responded to him, in approval and not, more vocally than they did for any of the other candidates.

Civil Rights

Still a Ron Paul Fan?

8 comments

I wrote briefly about the Congressional amicus curiae brief [pdf] in support of the petitioners in McDonald v. Chicago when it was submitted.  We saw a great deal of support from both sides of the political spectrum, but one signature was notable for its glaring omission: Ron Paul.

I’d been wondering about that, and Howard Nemerov was able to get a statement from Dr. Paul’s office:

Congressman Paul’s DC office said he didn’t sign the brief because he believes that it interferes with state’s rights, whose policies shouldn’t be dictated by the federal government.

Let’s get a few things straight here, people.  First off, states do not have rights. Like any other government, they have powers that are delegated to them by the people.  Only people have rights.

Second, the 14th Amendment does not conflict with the 10th, and in no way does it interfere with the agendas of individual state governments.