Ron Paul Rising
It doesn't come from one of the key states of Iowa, New Hampshire, or South Carolina, and it's not strictly an endorsement. Still, an editorial in Sunday's Colorado Springs Gazette comes as a very strong recommendation for Ron Paul as a choice for Republican presidential primary voters.
The newspaper, located not just in one of the most conservative communities in the mountain states but in James Dobson's back yard, has this to say about the congressman from Texas:
Ron Paul, the libertarian-oriented and commendably antiwar 10-term Texas congressman and Republican presidential candidate, has in some ways been the most interesting phenomenon of the early going in the campaign, although a case can be made for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Paul’s Internet-oriented supporters are not only fervent, they have supported him with record-breaking amounts of money, most notably in two single-day fundraising “bombs” of more than $4 million and $6 million respectively.The enthusiasm of Ron Paul's supporters has become legendary in Republican circles. Recall three weeks ago, when Dr. Paul trounced all of his opponents in the Virginia GOP straw poll. That unexpected victory led to this above-the-fold, front-page headline in the Charlottesville Daily Progress on the day after the event:
Few observers would have predicted last summer that Paul, little known outside Texas, would be a financially viable candidate long after former Virginia Gov. James Gilmore, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback and Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo had dropped out.
Now, Paul’s enthusiastic support is starting to show up in poll numbers. We’ll soon see if it translates into actual votes....
In Congress, Paul has consistently voted against tax increases and against spending that he doesn’t believe is authorized by the Constitution. As a small-government proponent who also advocates a more modest non-interventionist foreign policy, he speaks to what many voters used to think the Republican Party stood for. His positions also appeal to a substantial number of younger people.
The Paul campaign is already the most significant pro-freedom mass movement of recent times. It’s time to find out if it brings him enough votes to at least give him a seat at the table when future policies are determined — and perhaps more.
This morning on Meet the Press, despite hectoring questions from Tim Russert -- to be fair, it is Russert's job to be hectoring, and one would be disappointed in him if all he did were to lob softballs -- Dr. Paul more than held his own. He kept on message, coming back again and again to the need to cut spending and to shrink the government to Constitutional size. It is no wonder he is gaining praise and garnering more support around the country.
2 comments:
Don't make excuses for that rude ass, Tim Russert. If one looks at old footage of how gentlemanly the discussions on Meet the Press were prior to Russert's tenure, it quickly becomes obvious that Russert is responsible for the degeneration of that program into a Jerry Springer-style shouting match.
Tim Russert sets a horrible example and has ruined what used to be a thought provoking, informative television program.
All of these men who are running for President and our other elected officials who appear on these programs deserve to be treated with courtesy, and they each should conduct themselves as gentlemen; as Dr. Paul always does.
One question I would like to see answered is: What would the first 100 days of a Ron Paul administration look like? What could he quickly change by Executive Order to forward his agenda and what actions would he need to work through Congress to achieve?
I'm not as down on Russert as J. Tyler is, but I do think that Ron Paul did a terrific job defending his positions and platform. There's a uniformity about Paul's views that I find refreshing, even if I don't agree with him on everything.
Honestly, I think he'll surprise some people in the early states if he starts putting some of that money of his to work. ;-)
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