Join The Debate!

Ron Paul

I do not support Ron Paul, primarily because of his foreign policy. The threat of Islamojihadist imperialism (pace HalO) is not silly or invented. No doubt some of our policies have further inflamed our enemies, even though some of our interventions (Bosnia, Kuwait) benefited Muslims. But what inflames this enemy over the projection of American power and interests is that it frustrates their ultimate, eschatological objective of a global Caliphate.

However, a CNN/UTube debate between McCain and RP would be well worth watching -- especially if the moderators allowed for some good, spontaneous interaction between the candidates. I am no fan of McCain, but I would love to see a good exchange of ideas on the war, the budget, taxes, and federalism. I say give RP a chance to break through to the top tier. Even if he does not win the nomination, I would like to see his Constitutional philosophy gain a wider hearing in the electorate. Maybe he could help push the party back to its conservative roots, and we could also have the opportunity to assess the claims of Liberty, HalO, and others that RP's ideas will resonate well with a large segment of the electorate.

SteveL -- I do not support RP, but I do not believe, as you do, that his nomination would destroy the Republican party. Bush and a spendthrift Congress has already done a pretty good job of this. I am an evangelical, social conservative; I certainly will not vote for RP in the primaries, but if he is the GOP nominee, I would gladly cast my vote for him in the general election, despite my deep concerns about his naivetés regarding Islamojihadist imperialism. Hillary might be able to get to RP's right on the war, but if she manages to turn our nation into a socialist Republic, the Islamic threat will be the least of our worries. And as a social conservative, I do not want/need to see more government spending to promote conservative social causes. Yes, I disagree with the libertarians about the constitutionality of federal proscriptions against abortion and gay marriage, but if RP is willing to nominate strict Constitutional constructionist to the federal bench, I'd be a very happy social con.