Ron Paul, Rising Political Star

The New Republic: Libertarian's Debate Remark Draws Some Fire, But Plenty Of Praise

(The New Republic)  This column was written by Michael Crowley.

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A star had just been born when, a day after the May 15 Republican presidential debate in South Carolina, I met Texas Representative Ron Paul for lunch on Capitol Hill. The meeting had been scheduled for several days; but, as luck would have it, the previous night Paul had gone from an oddball obscurity to a major sensation in the political world when, answering a question about September 11, he seemed to suggest that the attacks were justified by an aggressive U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. "They attack us because we've been over there. We've been bombing Iraq for ten years," Paul explained. The ever-macho Rudy Giuliani was quick to pounce. "That's an extraordinary statement," he marveled. "And I would ask the congressman to withdraw that comment and tell us that he didn't really mean that." The crowd roared its approval. A previously flagging Giuliani suddenly enjoyed his best moment of the race.

But it was also, oddly enough, Paul's best moment. The response to his comments was fast and furious: Angry Republicans, including the party chairman in Michigan, former Senate candidate Michael Steele, and unnamed South Carolina sources cited on Fox News, called for his exclusion from future debates. Sean Hannity couldn't wait to bully Paul in a post-debate interview. John McCain even added a line to his stump speech bashing him. But the outrage was instructive: Suddenly, Republicans were taking seriously a quirky 71-year-old Texas libertarian whose national support has hovered in the zero-percent range.

Nor was the attention all negative. Far from it. Paul won several instant polls on the debate, including one at the conservative Newsmax.com and a Fox News text-message poll. Incredibly, Paul's name began beating out "Paris Hilton" as the number-one query on the popular blog-searching website Technorati. (Granted, it's possible that Paul's fervent supporters are manipulating such online metrics.) The incident prompted a feisty exchange among the ladies of ABC's "The View," of all places. And, to top it off, within a day of the debate, Paul's campaign had raised $100,000 — about one-sixth of his entire haul for the first three months of 2007. Paul's spokesman says the campaign headquarters has been "inundated with phone calls" ever since — 80 percent of them supportive.

When Paul ambled through the door of a cheap Mexican joint on Capitol Hill last Wednesday, he hardly looked like a freshly-minted celebrity. His slight frame, elfin face, and reserved persona suggest the doctor he used to be, not a politician. But Paul turned heads all the same. As he approached his table, a man seated nearby extended his hand with a broad smile and a hearty "congratulations." Paul explained that he had received a similar reception among his colleagues in the House. "I've had probably ten people come up to me and compliment me — including people I thought were war hawks," he said. "It was a tremendous boost to the campaign."

Who would have expected it? At its outset, Paul's campaign promised to be a curiosity. The nominee of the Libertarian Party in his previous run for the presidency (in 1988), Paul seemed likely to play a predictable gadfly role — using his stage time to press hoary libertarian bugaboos like the abolition of Social Security, the legalization of drugs and prostitution, and — Paul's special obsession — a return to the gold standard. Instead, thanks mainly to his adamant opposition to the Iraq war, he has assumed a far more serious role. In a Republican field that has marched in lockstep with George W. Bush on the war, Paul's libertarian isolationism has exposed an intraparty fissure over foreign policy that is far wider than has been acknowledged, encompassing not only disgruntled libertarians but some paleocons and social conservatives, as well as such GOP lions as William F. Buckley, George Will, and Bob Novak. As populist-isolationist Pat Buchanan wrote in an op-ed last week, Paul was "speaking intolerable truths. Understandably, Republicans do not want him back, telling the country how the party blundered into this misbegotten war."

Paul, for his part, thinks his view is commonsensical. "This is a very Republican position," he told me. "I just think the Republicans can't win unless they change their policy on Iraq."

Before Paul became an antiwar hero, his support consisted largely of libertarian activists — people like Michael Badnarik, the Libertarian Party's 2004 presidential nominee. Badnarik refuses to get a driver's license (even though, he conceded to me, "I have my car operational") and warns against anyone who might try to force a smallpox or anthrax vaccination on him. ("You bring the syringe, I'll bring my .45, and we'll see who makes a bigger hole.") Badnarik recounts rallying support for Paul at a recent conference of the Free State Project, a group of libertarians who have relocated to New Hampshire in the hope of concentrating their power and more or less taking over the state government. "I asked how many people would drive without a license and not pay income taxes, and three-quarters raised their hands," Badnarik recalls. "I'm choking up. I've got my heart in my throat. And I said, 'We need to do something — and Ron Paul's campaign is the shining star. We need to contribute the full two thousand dollars now. Tell all your friends.'"

[sos4usa]

Rock On Ron, Rock their world. Ron is pretty good, I think. I do not like the writers name calling and nitpicking on Ron's appearance, acting like he is an oddball, quirky and his other descriptions. Ron Paul articulates his message, though he may be verbose at times, which politician isn't? Comes with the territory. And you are learning if you are listening.

I do not agree with all of his views. But he sure puts a lot of politicians to shame. He is also, a uniter! This country can get behind him, from a left winger like Bill Maher's crowd to the conservatives like Rev Chuck Baldwin.

[goldenequity]

Who IS Ron Paul? They still need to know!!
NOBODY explains Ron Paul
BETTER than Ron Paul himself!

Here is an interactive audio archive of
Ron Paul speeches and interviews in chronological
order.
http://www.ronpaulaudio.com

[bobebenson]

I find Ron Paul's plain talk VERY refreshing!
If I think about Ron Paul as President, with a Democratic Congress to temper/balance his more radical views and a solid cabinet that will tell him what he needs to know (not just what he wants to hear--like we presently have), I am very intrigued!

If I were given that scenario on one side and Hillary on the other, I would think seriously about voting for him.

Are any of you Republicans interested in an Ohio Democrat's vote?

[clestes-2009]

Gee, someone speaks a little truth, then makes the common sense deduction from that truth and the rep party starts foaming at the mouth like a rabid skunk.

It is a sad day in this country when someone like Ron Paul is crucified by his own party for telling the truth.

He is absolutely right. The constant intervention of American military in other countries political processes have brought all this trouble on us.

Too bad someone like Paul will never get the nomination. He has too much courage and integrity.

[toddpw01]

How quickly people forget that the gold standard is what gave our dollars their strength after WW2 when virtually every other developed country was deep in debt.

If it were not for the deficit spending of the cold war and Vietnam in particular, we would not have been forced to leave the gold standard in the first place.

And if it were not for the global US military protecting our oil and other imports, other countries would not be forced to use the rapidly depreciating dollars after 1971, and we would have seen much worse inflation and a currency crisis decades ago.

The real value of a gold standard (which does not require immense reserves if implemented correctly) is that it restrains banks and government from engaging in reckless loans and deficit spending. It promotes price deflation, which rewards everyone who saves money.

Inflation only rewards people who spend recklessly and are constantly in debt. Is that what we want?

[ananar]

I watched Ron Paul on Bill Mahr this evening. This is the guy I'll vote for.

[gunownerdan]

Dr. Ron Paul may very well be the only candidate so far who would actually obey the presidential oath of office.

[tansidude]

It is truly amazing to see the fire storm that Ron Paul creates by speaking his honest opinion ( which may even be the truth ) The media is in denial over the support and interest he is receiving. The other politician can't even match his knowledge of the Constitution.I must be dreaming and back in the 60's with Goldwater running against Johnson!
I plan to write his name in for the General Election.
Viva Ron Paul Revolution !

[tansidude]

It is truly amazing to see the fire storm that Ron Paul creates by speaking his honest opinion ( which may even be the truth ) The media is in denial over the support and interest he is receiving. The other politician can't even match his knowledge of the Constitution.I must be dreaming and back in the 60's with Goldwater running against Johnson!
I plan to write his name in for the General Election.
Viva Ron Paul Revolution !

[tansidude]

It is truly amazing to see the fire storm that Ron Paul creates by speaking his honest opinion ( which may even be the truth ) The media is in denial over the support and interest he is receiving. The other politician can't even match his knowledge of the Constitution.I must be dreaming and back in the 60's with Goldwater running against Johnson!
I plan to write his name in for the General Election.
Viva Ron Paul Revolution !

[tansidude]

It is truly amazing to see the fire storm that Ron Paul creates by speaking his honest opinion ( which may even be the truth ) The media is in denial over the support and interest he is receiving. The other politician can't even match his knowledge of the Constitution.I must be dreaming and back in the 60's with Goldwater running against Johnson!
I plan to write his name in for the General Election.
Viva Ron Paul Revolution !

[texmexborderswimmer]

There is no such animal as a new Republican, they are all the SOS as the ones before them, cash hogs who will feed at the public trough as long as they can get by with it.

[tansidude]

It is truly amazing to see the fire storm that Ron Paul creates by speaking his honest opinion ( which may even be the truth ) The media is in denial over the support and interest he is receiving. The other politician can't even match his knowledge of the Constitution.I must be dreaming and back in the 60's with Goldwater running against Johnson!
I plan to write his name in for the General Election.
Viva Ron Paul Revolution !

We need Ron Paul as president.This is just another slanted article trying to make people believe libertarians wont vote for Ron. Who else has a better chance of getting elected? The Libertarian Party and the Constitution Party both have to spend a lot of money and time just to get on the ballot. If Ron gets the Republican nomination he is automatically on the ballot in all 50 states. Even if he isn't perfect he is a *** site closer than any other candidate running for president. We need both of these parties to get behind Paul, We need a united front to defeat the establishment.

[bobnjersey]

[Paul, for his part, thinks his view is commonsensical.]

it's pretty unbelievable that over 5 1/2 years later ... everyone is still prohibited from actually making reference to the 'real' reasons for islamic terrorism.

so much for commonsense ... this has apparently been replaced by ignorance and party loyalty.

[grumpas]

Ron Paul sounds to me like the typical right wing nut case! He will be right at home in the Republican party!

[socrates392]

"For cbs to post an article on Ron Paul must mean they want to bolster him up so that the likes of hill and obama can do better. Ron Paul is the nader for this upcoming election. Why not write a decent article on a real Republican candidate cbs??"

Posted by janem4 at 09:38 PM : May 27, 2007

The Republicans have a real candidate?

[phoebe420]

to janem4:
Ron Paul is a real candidate and he stands for principles and ideals that all real Republicans should adopt, and probably would if they weren't so p-whipped by the Religious Right.

[nadeau4201]

A woman has a right to kill her unborn baby on the grounds that it is her body and she can do what she wants with it. Why is prostitution any different? It is her body to do what she wants.
As far as car insurance, I've been paying for 20 years with no accidents. It's pretty cheap so I don't mind paying, I just don't like being told I have to.
I don't think the government is doing a very good job of regulating businesses, otherwise they would be doing something about the oil companies. It seems they only regulate those they can't profit from. The FDA is a joke.
Ron Paul wants to legalize medical marijuana thats it.
I'm an independent who believes in their freedom. I guess some people would be lost without the government telling them what to do.

[plc43]

"Many Libertarians view mandated car insurance coverage to be an infringement on their personal liberty and they would remove its mandated status causing all manner of chaos for people involved in accidents; also any number of Libertarians are against Social Security, so it is disingenuous to act as if these are strange ideas to this political extreme. And, yes, the war on drugs isn't anything but a failure, but I do not want cocaine and heroin legalized! Nor prostitution for that matter. And Libertarians do believe that unregulated private enterprise is the salvation of the world. Along those lines, they don't even want regulation of child labor. They ignore history in this perception forgetting the robber barons at the beginning of the century which Teddy Roosevelt managed to get under control through governmental restrictions.
The ideas outlined here may not be shared by all Libertarians but they are a fair descripton in my experience with this group. Libertarianism has been placed in the extreme range of the political spectrum and candidates coming from it should be viewed with these political ideas in mind.
Posted by sesanders1 at 08:27 PM : May 27, 2007"

Many Republicans say "kill everyone in the Middle East and let God sort them out!" What's your point?