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View Full Version : Ron Paul, a Model of Conservatism and Consistency



Conley
02-06-2012, 03:44 PM
His parents married two days before the crash of 1929. He was reared on nightmarish stories of currency that proved worthless, told by relatives whose patriarch had fled Germany in the dark of night when his debts were about to ruin him.

Hard times, and fear of worse, were constants in Ron Paul’s boyhood home. His father and mother worked tirelessly running a small dairy, and young Ron showed the same drive — delivering The Pittsburgh Press, mowing lawns, scooping ice cream as a soda jerk. He also embraced their politics, an instinctive conservatism that viewed Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman as villains and blamed Democrats for getting America into wars.

As a young doctor in training, dissecting cadavers or practicing surgery on dogs, he would tell all who would listen about how the country was headed down the wrong path, about the urgency of a strict gold standard and about the dangers of allowing government too much power over people’s lives.

“Once that got ingrained, that became his religion,” said his brother Jerrold, a minister and a psychotherapist. “He says he preaches the ‘gospel of freedom’ — that’s the money quote. Politics became his crusade.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/us/politics/for-ron-paul-a-distinctive-worldview-of-long-standing.html

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/02/06/us/politics/paul/paul-articleInline.jpghttp://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/02/06/us/JP-PAUL-1/JP-PAUL-1-articleLarge.jpg

This is a good read if you're interested in learning more about the man.

Mister D
02-06-2012, 03:46 PM
Thanks.

Mister D
02-06-2012, 07:19 PM
Good article. Fair too.

Mister D
02-06-2012, 07:22 PM
Interesting that RP was sympathetic to the John Birch Society.

Mister D
02-06-2012, 08:14 PM
Some conspiracy theories were popular with the JBS. They are still around from what I see on Wiki. I would take anything on Wiki with a grain of salt though.

Chris
02-06-2012, 10:11 PM
My dad a liberal who voted for Obama started talking last night during the game about how the government is spending too much and that none of the current batch running for office including Obama would do anything to stop it because they'd lose votes, except this Ron Paul guy who he thought honest and sincere and would really make a difference, that he'd vote for him if he were nominated.

I was speechless as I'd been arguing these points with him for years.

Conley
02-06-2012, 10:20 PM
My dad a liberal who voted for Obama started talking last night during the game about how the government is spending too much and that none of the current batch running for office including Obama would do anything to stop it because they'd lose votes, except this Ron Paul guy who he thought honest and sincere and would really make a difference, that he'd vote for him if he were nominated.

I was speechless as I'd been arguing these points with him for years.

That is really heartening to read.

My impression is that people are finally starting to wake up to what's been going on for all these years. Part of it is Ron Paul getting the message out and part of it is people realizing there are real problems in this country, even when the incumbents try to tell us everything is fine.

Maybe I'm being a Pollyanna, but I don't think so. I have said on this board before that I think Rand Paul might really have a shot in 2016 to implement some of what Ron would have. I'm assuming at this point that Obama will be reelected and thus a GOP candidate like Rand can run in 2016 without battling Romney going for his second term. 2020 might be too late (not for Paul, but for the country) in my opinion.

Mister D
02-07-2012, 08:45 AM
I'm definitely voting for RP in the NJ primary. It won't make a difference as far as the nomination is concerned but I'm hoping he gains enopugh support in the primary so that his ideas carry some weight.

MMC
02-07-2012, 12:00 PM
I am voting for RP even tho he will not win. Plus I tell you now Newt Gingrich will not take Indiana. Pisses me off that Santorium stayed in the race being off 5 states and losing out big in the South. I look at those delegates or most of them going to Ron Paul over all else. Except for the harcore Conservative whatever the hell that means.

Conley
02-07-2012, 12:03 PM
I am voting for RP even tho he will not win. Plus I tell you now Newt Gingrich will not take Indiana. Pisses me off that Santorium stayed in the race being off 5 states and losing out big in the South. I look at those delegates or most of them going to Ron Paul over all else. Except for the harcore Conservative whatever the hell that means.

Not sure what it means but I think Santorum would fit under the "hardcore social conservative" label.

Mister D
02-07-2012, 12:06 PM
I don't mind if Santorum's ideas get some traction. I don;t want him as POTUS but, frankly, I'm not so sure I want Paul either. I want there ideas to break the neocon strangle hold.

Conley
02-07-2012, 12:15 PM
I like the idea of breaking up the duopoly and all the neocon bs, but Santorum disturbs me because I see it as a continuation of the expansion of the federal government and the loss of individual freedoms. If either Paul or Santorum were free to implement all the changes they supposedly wanted there would be some major fall out. Thankfully we do have a system of checks and balances in place to prevent that.

MMC
02-07-2012, 12:45 PM
Not sure what it means but I think Santorum would fit under the "hardcore social conservative" label.

Yeah I don't see how that is with him being Catholic and in opposition to evangelicals. Despite Perkins and the Heritage Foundation going with him. The Neo-Cons will not!

Mister D
02-07-2012, 12:58 PM
I like the idea of breaking up the duopoly and all the neocon bs, but Santorum disturbs me because I see it as a continuation of the expansion of the federal government and the loss of individual freedoms. If either Paul or Santorum were free to implement all the changes they supposedly wanted there would be some major fall out. Thankfully we do have a system of checks and balances in place to prevent that.


That's what I mean. I'd like their ideas to enter play but I'm not sure if I'd like either as POTUS.