In the final Republican debate before Super Tuesday, and perhaps the last of the race, Texas Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) made quick work of his opponents.
Though not known for his stellar oratory abilities or powerful stage presence, the libertarian gadfly stood out among the remaining candidates during Wednesday night's contest for the same reason he has been able to stay in the race thus far: his consistent and convincing defense of free markets and small government.
Paul opened his time by defending his criticism of Santorum as fake fiscal conservative. In response to CNN moderator John King's question, "Why did you call Senator Santorum a fake fiscal conservative?" Paul quipped, "Because he's a fake!" After the massive applause died down, Paul pointed out that most politicians are fiscal hawks during their campaigns, but they tend to be far less principled once elected. Santorum, who admitted he wouldn't cut defense spending, and supported dozens of federal spending increases while in Congress, perfectly fits this description.
During a slap fight that broke out over earmarks between the frontrunners, Paul was criticized for sending federal money back to his district. Paul rightly pointed out that he earmarks funds for his district because the money would otherwise be spent on wars and bank bailouts by the Executive Branch. Though he prefers the money not be taken from taxpayers in the first place, Paul argued that earmarks ensure that some of the money is sent back to the people who it actually belongs to.
Ron Paul Calls Santorum 'A Fake'
On the auto bailout, Paul argued that all bailouts are economically harmful because they represent legalized theft. "Do we praise bank robbers if they are successful?" As many economists have long argued, Paul pointed out that bailouts save failing businesses at the expense of the rest of the economy, and that letting companies like General Motors fail is necessary if the economy is going to recover.
Should the government be involved in issues like contraception? Paul says no, because that's where the problem arises. Congress legislates morality; people of differing religious persuasions then fight incessantly over whose morality will be the law of the land. Much like abortion or gay marriage, the answer, according to Paul, is to return the decision to use birth control, and the cost of using it, to states and individuals.
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The Texas congressman also laid into Santorum for voting for Planned Parenthood while claiming to be a pro-life Senator. Santorum didn't deny the charge, but justified his vote by claiming that he authored legislation that would fund abstinence only education. Paul responded, "There's always an excuse for the spending."
Paul used a question about immigration to criticize our foreign policy of "worrying about the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan." He also claimed that we need to eliminate the incentives, mainly welfare, that encourage people to immigrate to America illegally. Meanwhile, the rest of the candidates argued over how to successfully arrest Mexican immigrants and build big fences along the southern border.
Ron Paul Explains Why War With Iran Is Wrong
While Santorum, Romney, and Gingrich stuck to the neoconservative line that we have to keep building our military and policing the Middle East, Paul, following a long line of foreign policy experts, explained that we need to stop fighting aggressive wars and consider our role in fostering the rise of violent dictators around the world.
Because our influence in the region, and the fact that Iran doesn't have a nuclear bomb, Paul also claimed that the likelihood of Iran starting a nuclear war is minuscule. He also highlighted the enormous costs of an aggressive foreign policy, citing the Soviets as an example of what happens to countries that overextend themselves abroad.
All of the candidates took reasonable stances on education policy. Each correctly took shots at teacher unions and argued that the federal Department of Education needs to be reformed. But as Paul opined, the other three contenders didn't go far enough. Education should be a state and local issue, a position no other Republican on the stage consistently defended while in office.
At this point in the race, it's unlikely that Paul will win the Republican nomination, trailing far beyond Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum as he is. But after tonight's debate, the Texas congressman has illustrated why he's the best choice. If Republican voters, supposed conservatives, can't see that, then they deserve the champion of big government that their next president will be.
Photo Credit: CNN
The Discussion
If you vote for anyone else but Ron Paul you will get more of the same and in a few years the economics will fail if the spending is not cut in a major way. Everyone knows you cannot spend 42 cents of every dollar spent by government forever. Wake up and vote for Ron Paul while there is still time.
Here is the bottom line. Ron Paul understands the core of issues that escapes the others. He understands the problems at a level that makes him the teacher and they the students. He sees issues and problems at a level that simply put are over the head of the masses. Ron Paul 2012
True, Ron Paul may not be the best speaker, but I'd rather have somebody who didn't speak well who had great policies, than someone who was a slick speaker, who lied regularly and had horrible policies.
It's easy to not have numerous skeletons in one's closet if they don't take positions that put one's self out there; when you haven't had a major bill authored by you passed in the last few decades. Except, of course, save for the osteology of a few odious outlines to omit the U.S. from the U.N.
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Not sure what you're trying to prove. Doesn't sound like Ron wrote them at all. If a story comes out in the L.A. Times does that mean that L.A. feels that way? Your digging lets face it. The man has ZERO skeletons in his closet. They found a mysterious tooth in a closet in Ron Pauls Time Share.
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Nice article, Cameron!
Only correction I would suggest is that he is actually in 2nd place with Delegates so it isn't "unlikely" that he will get the nomination. We have to at least see how super tuesday shakes out.
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Um, post-bailout General Motors has once again become the largest firm in the auto industry, hardly the mark of a "failing company".
Paul's "if I didn't earmark it, they would have wasted it" excuse is weak and hardly a consistent expression of his conservative principles. And the Soviet Union's demise was due much more to flawed macroeconomic policies at home and a failed attempt at reform than it was due to them overextending themselves abroad, though that reason does play into the mythos that Reagan spent the Soviets into oblivion.
I will say that Paul is right about the Iran situation, but that is one of the few correct positions he holds.
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"Paul argued that earmarks ensure that some of the money is sent back to the people who it actually belongs to."
"On the auto bailout, Paul argued that all bailouts are economically harmful because they represent legalized theft. "Do we praise bank robbers if they are successful?""
So Ron Paul thinks people in his district are tax payers being robbed by the federal government, but those in Michigan are thieves? Consistency, please.
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Ron Paul did a great job, and even showed some of that fire in his belly.
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We had a Ron Paul Rally at the New Life Bible Church.. There were OVER 2000 people there. Ron Paul made an appearance... We might have not been at the debate.. but trust me, there were MORE Ron Paul supporters, EVERY WHERE!!! RON PAUL 2012!!!
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Paul does pretty well on policy... if only the man could speak. Those videos are painful.
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Hey Paul http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp_sSqU0G-k I suggest you watch that so you stop pressing your hope for a racist candidate. As you will see from the video, its a confusing topic. You have to ask yourself do you really believe the man hates Black people. Two oaths. How many have you taken?
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Tonight Ron Paul once again demonstrated that he is the consistent conservative - a pure voting record and a pure conscience. The other candidates are big government phonies.
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Actually Ron Paul is in 2nd overall in delegates according to CNN check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=n7PDwmDlS7I
Ron Paul could very well be the republican nominee in fact I'll go as far as saying he probably will be.
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Actually, I not convinced that a Romney, Paul ticket is in the works. Brian Doherty just put the screws to the idea.
http://reason.com/blog#article_156019
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I'm not one for conspiracies (unlike Ron Paul!), but the audience was packed with Romney people. Good for him. He's a good organizer ($$$).
However, it's clear at this point that Romney is allied with Ron Paul. Paul has not attacked Romney in many ads, and works to tear down Romney's challengers. Plus, Romney and Paul's wives are good friends.
It stands to reason that the crowd cheered Ron Paul because they were Romney supporters who appreciated Paul's efforts on their behalf.
The ultimate irony here is that Ron Paul's supporters will deny all of this common sense analysis and declare...I don't know. Something crazy.
Also: everyone read Ron Paul's newsletters. We can learn from racist people like Ron Paul and avoid their mistakes.
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