THE GOP'S RODNEY DANGERFIELD
By Chuck Muth (05/07/07)
The ten announced GOP presidential candidates gathered at the Reagan Library last Thursday to show off their stuff for the first time to a generally disinterested nation. Without dwelling on the relative merits of the field or how they handled themselves at what can only loosely be described as a "debate," I do want to talk about the one candidate who is deserving of far greater attention by Republicans, but who has, to this point, gotten the least respect.
Congressman Ron Paul.
The GOP debate was broadcast on MSNBC, and an online post-debate survey of over 50,000 people conducted on the network’s website clearly showed Ron Paul came out ahead. Yet one post-debate columnist referred to the congressman simply as a “gadfly,” and a Fox News pundit who published a wrap-up assessment this weekend didn’t mention Paul at all. I’ll return the favor by not mentioning the pundit’s name, but he wrote about three of the other nine candidates using words such as “losers,” “dull,” “unattractive,” “boring” and “bland.”
So maybe Paul should be thankful for small favors.
But Ron Paul’s candidacy deserves far greater attention and consideration by national Republicans who have clearly lost their way. GOP leaders in Washington who are still shell-shocked over the shellacking they took last November should stop scratching their heads and asking “What happened?” and start listening to Ron Paul. His campaign is all about the reasons so many limited-government conservatives stayed home or voted for a non-GOP option last fall.
For those of you who don’t know much about Congressman Paul, here are a few facts: He’s a doctor. He’s run for president before; in 1988 as the nominee for the Libertarian Party. He’s solidly pro-life and makes a Constitution-based argument for his position. He’s also earned the nickname “Dr. No” in Washington because he won’t vote for any bill which isn’t authorized by the Constitution. As columnist Joe Sobran notes, “When the House votes for something 434 to 1, you can safely bet that Paul is the 1.”
Indeed, the two American political figures Ron Paul strikes me as being the most similar to are Thomas Jefferson and Barry Goldwater.
Jefferson wrote, “Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare but only those specifically enumerated.” Goldwater famously wrote, “I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is 'needed' before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible.” Paul explains on his website that he “never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution.” Birds of a feather. Peas in a pod.
And for all the candidates trying to position themselves as the one, true heir to the Reagan mantle, John Fund of Political Diary reminds us that “Dr. Paul has been in and out of Congress since 1976, when he was one of only four GOP House members to endorse Ronald Reagan's challenge of President Gerald Ford.”
This bears repeating: “One of only four GOP House members to endorse Ronald Reagan's challenge of President Gerald Ford.” In other words and to borrow a phrase, Dr. Paul was a Reaganite long before being a Reaganite was cool.
This is a “gadfly”? This is a Republican who warrants no mention?
Consider Ron Paul’s position on Iraq. He’s unique in that he was against the war before he was against the war, unlike all the Democrats (save Kucinich) who were for the war before they were against it. But also unlike the Democrats, Ron Paul’s opposition to the war is rooted in our nation’s founding history, not political expedience or pacifism. In explaining his consistent anti-war position, Dr. Paul notes the non-interventionist policies of the Founding Fathers.
Wasn’t it that early-American “gadfly” George Washington who warned our fledgling nation not to “entangle our peace and prosperity” in the affairs of foreign nations?
When asked during Thursday’s debate if, as president, he would to phase out the IRS, Rep. Paul responded, “Immediately.” But he added that “you can only do that if you change our ideas about what the role of government ought to be,” noting the IRS will be around as long as citizens think “government has to take care of us from cradle to grave.” That might be the sign of a “gadfly” to liberals and Democrats (but I repeat myself repeat myself), but it is quintessentially conservative and what was once, long ago, quintessentially Republican.
When asked “yes” or “no” on the emotional issue of embryonic stem cell research funding, Paul remained consistent and constitutional, responding that “Programs like this are not authorized under the Constitution.” How Jeffersonian. How Goldwateresque.
When asked whether or not he trusted the mainstream media, Rep. Paul responded: “Some of them. But I trust the Internet a lot more, and I trust the freedom of expression. And that's why we should never interfere with the Internet. That's why I've never voted to regulate the Internet.”
On the notion of turning America into a “Papers, please” nation, Rep. Paul declared, “I am absolutely opposed to a national ID card. This is a total contradiction of what a free society is all about.”
And showing he’s not all wonk and no play, when asked if Bill Clinton being back in the White House would be a good thing for America, Paul deadpanned, “I voted to impeach him, so...” Laughter all around.
In announcing his presidential campaign earlier this year, Paul said, “I’m confident the Republican Party has gone in the wrong direction.” That assessment is unassailable. It’s also the reason why so many conservative Republicans are cutting up their GOP membership cards and re-registering as independents or with third parties. If national Republicans want to stop this bleeding of grassroots support, they’d better start giving the views (http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul-arch.html) and presidential candidacy (http://www.ronpaul2008.com) of Ron Paul a lot more respect.
Chuck Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, a non-profit public policy advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. The views expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Citizen Outreach.
Copyright 2007 Chuck Muth.
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