Libertarian prospective Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has stolen the hearts and minds of the internet and much of America, with his straight talking honest approach to politics. And I confess even as an outside observer from across the pond Ron has won me over too.
How has Ron done this? Simple, he’s done absolutely everything a politician shouldn’t. Ron has been consistent and honest, he never changes his views no matter public opinion, he’s willing to stand up against his party (he was strongly against the patriot act for example,) he’s upset the mainstream media and he supports policies seemingly suicidal to any presidential bid. Pro-cannabis, Pro-gay marriage, pro-peace with Iran. This is a man seeking the Republican presidential nomination. However the biggest reason we love Ron is he wants to take power away from government and give it back to individuals.
But it’s the way that Ron defends his policies, with passion, intelligence and common sense which really wins you over. He forces you to challenge your own ideas. You realise, he has in my eyes at least, things about 95% right.
Everyone knows the American political system is broken. Power is now concentrated within such a small political elite. Two people were president from the same family within 10 years for goodness sake. The corporate lobbyists control the political process, everything is bought with dollars. The SOPA act is a great example of this. And the mainstream media is very obviously controlled by various corporate interest groups. Is the US even a democracy anymore? It certainly doesn’t look like the land of the free from here and something needs to change.
Ron Paul stands against the status quo. He wants to take power from away from this small elite and give it back to the people. His voting record backs this up. We love him for it, The media hate him for it and we love him all the more.
It has been shocking and fascinating to watch the media attack him. First they tried to ignore him (see Daily show sketch above) Next they tried to smear him with an obviously ridiculous racism claim. Now they are trying to pretend a victory for him in the first and often crucial Iowa caucus will be irrelevant. That’s not to mention the extremely hostile interviews.
Whatever you think of Ron Paul you can’t help but respect him. I hope he wins in Iowa. It will be fascinating to watch his and the internets on-going battle with the mainstream media as events unfold.