Ron Paul's Run for America
Lewis Whitten

Republicans can do what Libertarians have been trying to since 1972
- elect a U.S. president committed to the message of limited government

Presidential Candidate Ron Paul, a Republican Congressman from Texas, is on the campaign trail delivering a call to save the Republican Party. Paul's announcement was made on C-SPAN's Washington Journal during a televised interview.

"A lot of people want to hear my message," Paul said. "I am willing to deliver it."

According to Paul, the Republican Party has strayed from its small government principles and become another party of big government. Paul also wants the GOP to return to a non-interventionist foreign policy.

"The American people are sick and tired of what they are getting," Paul said. "I'm confident the Republican Party has gone in the wrong direction."

Prior to his C-SPAN announcement, Paul addressed supporters at the 2007 New Hampshire Liberty Forum. Among those in attendance was 2004 Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik, who endorsed Rep. Ron Paul for president.

"If we had one last chance to restore liberty without bloodshed, how many of us would jump at the chance?" Badnarik asked. "That is why I'm asking you to dedicate your lives, your fortunes and your sacred honor to Ron Paul's campaign because this may be our second-to-last option; and none of us want to go to the point where we face the last option."

Badnarik has set a goal to get Paul elected in 2008. Unfortunately, he has been charged with abandoning the Libertarian Party. Levelheaded liberty watchers, however, know that Paul is a true, die-hard Libertarian, and any LP candidate who diverts funding or distracts voters away from Paul's campaign does not deserve a nomination.

An ongoing problem with Libertarian Party candidates is their insistence that they can win major partisan elections. Badnarik even falls into this category. When he stopped in Nevada during his 2004 campaign, he told a group of supporters, with a straight face, that he believed he could win. This really was a shock to a crowd who understood the odds against a Libertarian candidate in a major race.

Speaking one-on-one with a Las Vegas CityLife reporter in 2004, he said, "[Y]our question presupposes that it is impossible to win. That's not true. I'm already on the ballot in 45 states, and I plan to be on the ballot in all 50. I already have a mathematical possibility of winning the White House. If all of the young people who want to avoid the draft vote for me; if all the 80 million gun owners vote for me; if all the gays vote for me; if everybody in the United States who hates the IRS votes for me, not only would I win, but I'd win by a landslide."

He earned 0.3 percent of the vote.

Many Nevada Libertarians put their hearts into the near victory for James Dan in his run for Nevada Assembly. In 2000, Dan, running as a Libertarian, lost to an incumbent Democrat by a heartbreaking 9 percent of the vote. When Dan ran again in 2002, Democratic leaders launched an unheard-of campaign, which included expensive gift bags for voters as they realized Dan was a real threat to the status quo. Dan was defeated handily.

So most Nevada Libertarians know, without a doubt, that their candidates running for U.S. President will lose. Paul figured that out when he was the Party's candidate for president in 1988. In this day and age, an "R" or "D" by your name is powerful.

Paul wins consistently as a Republican. In addition to running for U.S. President next year, Paul will also seek re-election to an 11th term in Congress. Texas law allows candidates to run for more than one federal office.

Of course, Paul's current run for president is another long shot and because he is a known threat to the political elite, this group will do everything they can to either thwart or ignore his campaign. It's sad to say, but because Paul is a strict Constitutionalist, it's likely that if he does win the Republican nomination, GOP leadership will give the Democratic presidential candidate a silent endorsement. For Paul, the White House will be a very difficult win.

It's clear that Paul will not raise the kind of money collected by big-media favorites. Most of Paul's campaign funds come from individuals, not the typical big-government corporate donors. Analysts are suggesting that Paul's best chance at winning would be through an Internet-heavy campaign.

Business and public policy expert Murray Sabrin comments that "the Internet is abuzz about Ron Paul." He believes young Internet-savvy Republicans can spur life into the Ron Paul campaign and anger the GOP establishment.

Of course, young people are open to blunt discussions about issues - something Paul is known for. While most candidates will make vague safe remarks when "on the record," Paul is on record denouncing the war on drugs, calling for the elimination of the Department of Education, and demanding a return to the gold standard. Many of his articles and viewpoints can be found at LewRockwell.com.

On the surface, Paul's ideas might seem too radical for your typical Republican voter. Certainly, though, voters will appreciate the fact that Paul has never relented on his principles, including votes against farm subsidies despite the agricultural leanings of his rural Texas constituency.

Without a doubt, anyone who values freedom is duty-bound to support Paul for President. Libertarians and Democrats must, for the sake of liberty, register Republican and cast a vote for Paul in the 2008 Primary Election. Recall that the liberals have made it extremely easy to change your political affiliation; after the primary voters can re-register to the party of their choice.

A vote for Paul in the Nevada primary, however, won't necessarily earn him the nomination. More than likely, a Republican candidate will already have been identified by then. Voting for Paul will, however, send a crucial message to Washington D.C. about the need for the GOP to return to its small government values.

Libertarian activist Mark Warden stated in 2000, "The polls show that Bush will win in Nevada, so it's safe to vote for Libertarian Harry Brown."

That same logic can be used for unswayable status quo Republicans in Nevada. For instance, if Rudy Giuliani is your man, you can safely throw the underdog Paul a vote in the Nevada GOP primary since the Republican presidential candidate will already have been decided.

Giuliani currently enjoys much popularity and media attention because he stood on top of a pile of rubble with a bullhorn. That image leads many to believe he is best suited for handling the war in Iraq, a major issue in this election.

Many Republicans immediately dismiss Paul because they believe he will end the war in Iraq. This is not necessarily true. Paul pointed out in a statement before the U.S. House of Representatives that America is fighting an illegitimate war.

"Congress failed to meet its responsibilities four years ago, unconstitutionally transferring its explicit war power to the executive branch," Paul said. "Even though the administration started the subsequent pre-emptive war in Iraq, Congress bears the greatest responsibility for its lack of courage in fulfilling its duties. Since then, Congress has obediently provided the funds and troops required to pursue this illegitimate war."

If Congress were to pass a resolution for war, as required by the U.S. Constitution, then one can only assume that Paul, as commander-in-chief and an Air Force veteran, would go into battle with a clear objective and bring down the enemy.

The obvious problem with the current war is that the war zone is muddied by politics and money. If we are going to fight a war, then America needs a commander-in-chief whose campaign funding comes from the people, not the military-industrial complex.

Paul has stated that a congressional vote on declaring war against Iraq would not pass. In 2002, he reminded the U.S. House of Representatives about America's last legitimate war.

"The last time Congress declared war was on December 11, 1941, against Germany in response to its formal declaration of war against the United States," Paul said. "This was accomplished with wording that took less than one-third of a page, without any nitpicking arguments over precise language, yet it was a clear declaration of who the enemy was and what had to be done. And in three-and-a-half years, this was accomplished."

Paul has less than a year to win over American primary voters. And despite having an "R" by his name, every Libertarian should already be onboard.