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Our nemeses over at the Liberal OC Blog – Dan C, actually – recently posted a lame litany of why liberals shouldn’t want Congressman Ron Paul to be President of the United States. Lame, because I don’t really know more than a handful of us who would vote for him even if he did make it through the GOP primary. It was mainly a wearisome list – cribbed from some Daily Kos writer – of federal Departments Dr. Paul would like to abolish if he ever had the chance. Something that would maybe be in danger of happening if there were suddenly no Democrats in the world with half a testicle to rub together. The local justification for the post was Dr. Paul’s visit next month to LA for the California Republican Convention.
For a blog known for missing the point, Dan’s piece really broke new ground. Not being ones for nuance, I’m sure the boyz in blue will now imagine I’m showering Ron with praise. But my point is those of us Democrats who are progressive – those of us to whom peace, liberty, and fiscal sanity are among the highest priorities – should be CELEBRATING the fact that the ineffable Dr. P’s message is resounding with so many Republican activists and voters. This is a great and welcome sea change for the Grand Old Party, which we should encourage in a friendly way rather than MOCK just because Ron can’t win the primary.
I am saying that it’s GREAT news that ever-growing numbers of Republican voters – and even a few Republican politicians – are beginning to agree with us progressives that:
1. It’s time for America to stop being a nation that is permanently at war. This is much more than, as Dan reduces it to, “Bush’s war in Iraq.” There hasn’t been a day in my life or Dan’s life that America hasn’t been involved in some war, whether overt or secret. Our wars past, present and dreamed-of consume half our damn budget and are destructive to Americans, humanity, and other living things; Dr. Paul addresses the issue with a knowledge of history, a critique of US imperialism, with empathy and respect for other peoples, and fiscal sanity … and the IMPORTANT thing is, this message of his is resounding with more and more Republicans and independents. Do you remember how he schooled Rick Santorum on the history of US/Iran relations a few weeks ago? (While FOX News hosts rolled their eyes contemptuously and the pinheaded Santorum compared him to Obama for “blaming America?”) How many Republicans knew – how many Americans knew – that we’ve been at odds with that troubled nation since we overthrew their last democratically elected leader Mossadegh in 1953?
2 etc. The same with civil liberties. The PATRIOT Act, government surveillance, privacy. The failed Drug War and its offspring the Prison-Industrial Complex. Attitudes toward Muslims, gays. When have we progressives last had so much agreement on so many issues with so many REPUBLICANS? This is where fruitful coalitions come from, let’s not treat this new phenomenon with contempt, the way FOX News, the Republican Party, and the craven Lamestream Media do:
PS All right, on second reading Dan was responding to some Register editorial(s). (As though THAT rag was ever worthy of response…)
Hi, thank you for a refreshingly SANE piece. I voted for Obama for peace, I didn’t get any. Ron Paul is who im supporting this cycle, because I as many now see through the left/right paradigm. It is deliberately used to make voters divided, as you mentioned this type of coalition in the population is what will save America. There is believe it or not a middle ground, as I discovered after listening to Paul, and doing a bit of research on his economic ideologies, everything made perfect sense. I now see both parties and politics as a sort of wrestling match where they pretend to beat each other up to sell tickets and then make deals and divide the money when the show is over. Im an L.A native and a registered (D) but not for this cycle. I switched to (R) to support Paul because peace for me is above all this partisan crap. Upon careful review of Paul’s stance on welfare and immigration it is very clear that the man is not a cold hearted no more help for the needy kind of conservative, his solutions will keep the needy satisfied, and better off in the long run because whats the point of a gov’t issued check when it wont buy people basic needs. I encourage all fellow democrats and peace advocated to vote for Paul, so that AT LEAST, at the very least we have an anti war republican against Obama. I am however voting with paul all the way because i don’t believe Obama is actually running anything up there with the continuation of bush style policy under a blue banner. RP2012
Well, thank you for the compliment. But I would not vote for Dr. Paul, for precisely the reasons that Dan lists. I’m just saying that I think it’s great that so many Republicans have become receptive to his anti-war and pro-liberty messages, which are new things for the GOP – at least in recent decades.
I guess my first thought is:
“keep your eye on the ball” Dan. The Ron paul revolution has little chance of succeeding, but that never stopped the reactionaries. There is far more we can learn from the congressmans positions than we can lose. IF ONE IS PAITENT ENOGH TO SIT BACK AND WATCH.
Not to mention the subjects where liberals and RONPAULERERS agree: MARIJUANA, PRISON REFORM, DEFENSE SPENDING, DOMESTIC ECONOMIC DISTRIBUTION etc…
Personally, I like to watch the guy muck up the GOP primary process, while the Perry’s and Bachmans come up with OUTLANDISH proposals…….all of which make Mitt Romney look strong. Which gives us four more years of sensibility. Hopefully, more progressive sensibility, but I’ll settle for sensibility.
Ken lay. Your spelling is atrocious.
Yeah, I know. Vern can you get a spell chek thingy on here!
1. Don’t know how.
2. Would ruin the natural flavor of your comments. And Fiala’s. And the Grate One’s. And the Winships.
If you want less government in your personal life, vote for Ron Paul. He’s really the only conservative the GOP has. The modern GOP typically deficit spends, is pro illegal immigration for all of the wrong reasons, spends money we don’t have killing people in other countries for religion and oil, and is for monopolies that destroy our freedom of choice just as much as communism does.