Ron Paul For President

It has been a long time since I really liked a Presidential candidate and wanted them to win instead of wanting someone else to lose. I’m angered and horrified not only by both mainstream political parties’ march to war in Iraq but by their embrace of amnesty for illegal aliens (though none of them have the guts to call it that).

Enter Ron Paul. The New York Times calls the Texas Republican “the most radical member of Congress.” He’s drawn support from disaffected Democrats and Republicans alike. He’s against the war, in favor of restoring civil liberties, in favor of enforcing immigration laws and against amnesty. He’d also like to abolish the income tax and the I.R.S. He’s actually read the U.S. Constitution and wants to apply it to the federal government.

It has been about 14 years since I have worked for a Republican candidate. I became disillusioned with the mainstream Republican and Democratic parties over the course of the last few years and have become much more libertarian.

Ron Paul has been the thorn in the side of the Republican Party this year, calling the bluff of frauds like Giuliani and Mitt Romney and standing up to the smooth lies of John McCain.

I decided to help do my part to support the Ron Paul campaign, even though he is a long shot. I joined an online “meet-up” group in the city and spent a few hours this past Friday and Monday handing out campaign literature in Grand Central Terminal.

Because he has been outspoken against the Iraq war, there are a lot of Democrats who like and respect Ron Paul. As I was walking through Grand Central’s main concourse, an Obama supporter who was holding up a big campaign sign said he hoped Ron Paul got the nomination. One Clinton supporter whispered, “Hillary, Hillary!” at me as she walked by, but in good-natured fun.

There weren’t too many negative people. One man sneered at me and said, “I believe in the Federal Reserve system.” Another woman went to take a flyer and then drew her hand away as if she had touched a hot stove. A few people asked legitimate questions about the candidate, such as if he was pro-choice or pro-life (he’s considered pro-life but takes the strict Constitutionalist view that abortion should be decided by the states) and the smear that he is a racist.

Dr. Paul isn’t perfect, no candidate is, but without a doubt he’s the only candidate standing for the Constitution and for common sense. I hope that he runs as an independent in the general election. Either way, he’s got my support and if you have the chance, please vote for him.