# The best candidate to challenge Barack Obama in 2012 is Ron Paul **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 3, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114 "2010-05-03T03:50:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/401 "2010-05-06T17:28:12Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Many doom-and-gloom nutcases predicted this economic crisis years ago, simply by virtue of being doom-and-gloom nutcases who are always predicting catastrophic crises. Eventually, the doom-and-gloom nutcases are always proved right, because eventually some catastrophic crisis is bound to happen. But that doesn’t mean that we should automatically respect the ideas or predictive skills of nutcases on that account. Kind of like Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Samuelson’s comment about one economic theory: “It successfully predicted nine of the past five recessions.” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/402 "2010-05-06T17:28:39Z")
> [@Galileo\_Galilei](#): > > The State governments did that, for the most part, not the federal government. If we confine this to the Trail of Tears specifically, I suppose so. I should’ve been more precise. But didn’t Jackson sign the Indian Removal Act of 1830? He strongly supported these policies. > [@Galileo\_Galilei](#): > > Even if you oppose the trail of tears, it benefitted the average US citizen at the time. Massacres and forced removals often do. This logic could also be used to justify slavery. > [@](#): > > One mistake does not make a rule. One genocidal “mistake” is enough, thank you! > [@](#): > > You strike me as the type who doesn;t wanmt the Mexicans coming here over the border. Well, if you are of that mentality, then Jackson is your man. I’m not of that mentality. And I’m glad not to share a mentality with a butcher like Jackson, who did, after all, kill his share of Mexicans, too. > [@](#): > > Jackson’s whole family was killed by the evil British empire. And Ron Paul is going to stop this with his modified DeLorean? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/403 "2010-05-06T17:28:49Z")
> [@Galileo\_Galilei](#): > > We lost, but we did kill Brock: > > [Battle of Queenston Heights - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Queenston_Heights) You seem to be under the illusion that when you say “we” and when I say “we” that we’re referring to the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/404 "2010-05-06T17:29:36Z")
> [@Galileo\_Galilei](#): > > You strike me as the type who doesn;t wanmt the Mexicans coming here over the border. Well, if you are of that mentality, then Jackson is your man. Those evil Cherokees, born and living on our land! ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/405 "2010-05-06T17:43:21Z")
So, whatever happened to **jrodefeld** , anyway? AFAICT he has not been sighted here since **Galileo Galilei** grabbed the baton back in post #300. If these guys really do get paid by somebody to improve the image of Ron Paul on internet forums, ISTM their employer is wasting his money. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/406 "2010-05-06T17:45:52Z")
**jrodefeld** usually posts later in the day, I think. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled with where this thread has gone. ---
**Author:** ![jrodefeld](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/59ef9b/32.png) [@jrodefeld](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jrodefeld)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/407 "2010-05-06T17:59:11Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > So this thread is _not_ about Paul. Fine. That’s great because I’ve heard more than enough about him, enough to conclude that he is someone I want to keep far away from any locus of power, and most of that I learned from your posts about him. But yes, I am for liberty and for respecting the Constitution. And world peace. And ending world hunger. And ice cream, I like ice cream. And against evil, hate that evil stuff. > > Probably very _few_ of us are against liberty and respecting the Constitution I think. We just may disagree about what being for those things means. Okay. What do you think is the purpose of the Constitution? My thinking and that of the founders was a contract between the people and their government strictly defining what functions the Federal Government would have. The rest would be delegated to the states and to the people. This was to prevent Tyrannical government and abuses of the peoples liberties. My view is that over the years, we have “made the constitution a blank paper by construction” as Thomas Jefferson warned, essentially rendering it meaningless. Also, if you respect liberty, don’t you agree unbridled government power is a serious thread to liberty? Whether or not we can agree on what exactly the role of government should be, you should agree that there should be limits, and it should be clearly defined. Today, there is no rules and no limits. That is a serious threat to liberty. ---
**Author:** ![Galileo\_Galilei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Galileo\_Galilei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galileo_Galilei)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/408 "2010-05-06T17:59:30Z")
> [@Algorithm](#): > > Funny, where is James Madison on [this list](http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=13379)? > > Or [this one](http://sourcedmock.blogspot.com/2009/12/libertarian-ranking-of-united-states.html)? Hint: look for him next to Andrew Jackson, in the “failures” section. The list is pretty kooky. Examples: - it says Madison started the War. No, the 12th congress declared war. And unlike today, this was a bottom up war, rather than a top-down war. Today, the military leaders decide they want a war, then issue propaganda to get public support. In the early 1800s, Jefferson and Madison opposed war. But gradually the people started elected more warlike congressmen until the 12th congress was elected and made Henry Clay the Speaker of the House. So the list is wrong here. And Madison ended the war halfway through, that’s why the real issues of the war were not covered in the treaty of Ghent. Madison could have sent Jackson up to conquer Canada after New Orleans, but Madison wanted to keep loss of life and property to a minimum. - the list has Zachary Taylor first. Taylor was Madison’s second cousin and followed James Madison’s principles as president. In fact, his whole life was modeled after Madison. For example, in the Mexican war, he was relieved of command becasue he was too nice to Mexican prisoners. So if Taylor is so good, why is Madison bad? - John Tyler is second. Tyler was educated by another of James Madison’s second cousins, Bishop James Madison. Tyler specifically said he modeled his presidency after that of James Madison. - Monroe is 4th. But Monroe was a disciple of Madison who constantly asked Madison for advice when he was presdient. Madison even wrote the first draft of the Monroe doctrine. - van Buren is 10th. But letters exist of van Buren writing letters to James Madison, asking him how to interpret the Constitution, and Buren followed that advice as president. - Jefferson is 11th. But evidence from foreign archives shows that Jefferson was mostly Madison’s puppet as president, with Secretary of Strate Madison making all the important decisions. Madison was Jefferson’s best friend for 50 years. - Washington is 12th. But when Washingto first took office, he was mostly Madison’s puppet who told him exactly what to do and what to say. Madison wrote his inaugural address and also the first draft of his farewell address. - Jackson is 15th. But Jackson’s private secretary and closest advisor was Nicholas Trist (Jackson made little use of his cabinet). Trist was a lifelong Madison disciple who modeled his entire life and philosophy after Madison and guided Jackson through things like the bank war and the nullificatio crisis. Trist was the grandson of Mary House. House owned the house where Madison stayed whenever he went to Philadeplhia including during the Constitutional convention of 1787. Trist grew up idolizing Madison. Trist was at the center of ALL of Jackson’s correspondence from 1828-1834. In 1832, Jackson even travelled down to Virginia to make a personal visit to Madison, where Madison gave him the go-ahead to get rid pf the bank, and instructed him on nullification. - JQ Adams is 16th. But Adams, although initally opposed ot Madison, changed his mind (he remained opposed to Jefferson). In 1836, when Madison died, Adams spent two months writing the most amazing eulogy of a president to another president ever written. The admiration of Adams to Madison is so great as to stagger the imagionation. - Pierce is 20th. I don’t know much about Pierce except to say he seems to be another one of the types who modeled his actions after Madison. I could have said the same thing about Fillmore who is higehr up on the list. So this list is bunk. **John Quincy Adams on James Madison (1836)** > [@](#): > > "Is it not to preserve, to cherish, to improve the inheritance which they have left us—won by their toils —watered by their tears—saddened but fertilized by their blood? > > Are we the sons of worthy sices, and in the onward march of time have they achieved in the career of human improvement so much, only that our posterity and theirs may blush for the contrast between their unexampled energies and our nerveless impotence? > > Between their more than Herculean labors and our indolent repose? > > No, my fellow citizens—far be from us; far be from you, for he who now addresses you has but a few short days before he shall be called to join the multitudes of ages past—far be from you the reproach or the suspicion of such a degrading contrast. > > You too have the solemn duty to perform, of improving the condition of your species, by improving your own. > > Not in the great and strong wind of a revolution, which rent the mountains and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord—for the Lord is not in the wind—not in the earthquake of a revolutionary war, marching to the onset between the battle field and the scaffold—for the Lord is not in the earthquake—Not in the fire of civil dissension—In war between the members and the head—In nullification of the laws of the Union by the forcible resistance of one refractory State—for the Lord is not in the fire ; and that fire was never kindled by your fathers! > > No! > > It is in the still small voice that succeeded the whirlwind, the earthquake and the fire. > > The voice that stills the raging of the waves and the tumults of the people—that spoke the words of peace—of harmony—of union. > > And for that voice, may you and your children’s children “to the last syllable of recorded time,” fix your eyes upon the memory, and listen with your ears to the life of James Madison!" ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/409 "2010-05-06T18:05:06Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Of all the pro-Paul arguments I’ve seen here, the idea that young people will persuade older people to vote for him is the most ludicrous. I agree its not a great argument. It doesn’t even approach, however, the top ten most ludicrous pro-Paul arguments in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Galileo\_Galilei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Galileo\_Galilei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galileo_Galilei)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/410 "2010-05-06T18:06:05Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > If we confine this to the Trail of Tears specifically, I suppose so. I should’ve been more precise. But didn’t Jackson sign the Indian Removal Act of 1830? He strongly supported these policies. > Massacres and forced removals often do. This logic could also be used to justify slavery. > One genocidal “mistake” is enough, thank you! > I’m not of that mentality. And I’m glad not to share a mentality with a butcher like Jackson, who did, after all, kill his share of Mexicans, too. > And Ron Paul is going to stop this with his modified DeLorean? James Madison didn’t actually like Jackson all that much. He blocked Jackson’s presidency for 12 years. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/411 "2010-05-06T18:14:16Z")
> [@jrodefeld](#): > > …Whether or not we can agree on what exactly the role of government should be, you should agree that there should be limits, and it should be clearly defined. Today, there is no rules and no limits. That is a serious threat to liberty. Please explain that “no rules and no limits” bit. And stop telling people what they “should agree” about… ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/412 "2010-05-06T18:17:59Z")
> [@Galileo\_Galilei](#): > > The list is pretty kooky. Hopefully you noticed what website it came from. Just trying to give you a little perspective on what your libertarian and Ron Paul supporter cohorts are thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Galileo\_Galilei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Galileo\_Galilei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galileo_Galilei)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/413 "2010-05-06T18:28:55Z")
> [@Algorithm](#): > > Hopefully you noticed what website it came from. Just trying to give you a little perspective on what your libertarian and Ron Paul supporter cohorts are thinking. Neither list is very accurate. It just shows how much work we have to do to educate the general public before the 200th anniversary of the War on 1812. The War of 1812 is the key to liberty and a Ron Paul victory in 2012. It is the one irrefutable argument against the War on Terror. ---
**Author:** ![jrodefeld](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/59ef9b/32.png) [@jrodefeld](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jrodefeld)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/414 "2010-05-06T18:31:16Z")
> [@Algorithm](#): > > Why is it that Ron Paul supporters (and 9/11 CTists) always seem to formulate their arguments based on a lengthy series of 3 hour “documentaries” they expect everyone else to watch before trying to argue with them? > > IOW, **jrodefeld** , nobody is going to spend 3 and a half hours watching a documentary you suggest. See if you can formulate a cogent argument without telling someone to read a book or watch a video. That might help your credibility, and prove you actually understand the argument you’re trying to make. > > I’m honestly not sure at all if you have a point you are trying to make anymore. The issue is that a lot of what I am saying won’t make sense to you unless you spend a little time watching some videos or reading some books. I will try to make my opinions known without overly relying on lengthy videos and economics literature, but I would think at least some on here would be willing to look at some of the videos I have posted. For your benefit though, I will lay out my argument about why Ron Paul’s positions on the issues make sense to me: First I believe we have power that is too centralized in too few hands in our society. Our government doesn’t really work for us any more. Our foreign policy is dictated by war profiteering in the Military Industrial Complex and encouraged by non elected UN people and international groups such as the Council of Foreign Relations. I believe when we go to war, it needs to be formally declared by Congress and there needs to be explicit proof that our national security is threatened. We should not nation build or engage in preemptive attacks. I don’t believe we should station troops around the world. In foreign affairs, peace and diplomacy, free trade and honest friendship with all is the policy we should pursue. No entangling alliances. I would like to see a United States were war is a very rare occurrence and we are known as the nation leading the example towards world peace rather than the one most likely to commit aggressive acts of war and threaten people. In economics, I support a rejection of Corporatism, cutting all subsidies and establishing the principles of Capitalism, that is allow bankruptcies to occur, end too big to fail and separate Corporate and State Power. Make it clear that our government is answerable to the people, not the corporations. Reform our banking system starting with a full Audit of the Federal Reserve system. Expose all the conflicts of interest in our banking system and prosecute all fraud. Once we audit the federal reserve and show the American people what they are actually doing, they will overwhelmingly be supportive of ending the federal reserve system and placing the function of “coining” money under the Congress, out in the open as the Constitution demands. Crack down hard on corporate crime. Make a serious example of the most egregious examples of Wall Street fraud and put them in jail for life. Show that we will not have two standards of justice in this country. Equal justice under the law. In personal affairs, I believe in restoring the Bill of Rights to their original standing before Bush came in to office. Repeal the Patriot Act. Don’t move towards martial law. Restore Habeas Corpus. No National ID card. End the War on Drugs and pardon any non violent “criminals” currently in our prison system. Allow all consensual activity that doesn’t harm anybody else. Cut spending by ending overseas military bases, ending the wars and slashing the Defense budget. Pay down the deficit and temporarily fund Medicare and Social Security. Let young people opt out of these programs if they want. Allow school choice through vouchers and tax credits and give competition to all monopolistic governmental agencies and programs. Its fine to have a government “option”, but we should ALWAYS protect the private option. Allow competition in mail delivery, allow competition with Amtrak. If we did, we would already have those futuristic high speed rail systems that other nations have. In monetary policy, allow private money and competing currencies to circulate. This is the number one thing that we could do to restore liberty to this nation. People would no longer have to be slaves of debt to big banks. People wouldn’t have to depend on a secretive Central Bank setting interest rates. People could save their money in a more sound currency. Reestablish National Sovereignty and back out of the United Nations, IMF and international agencies which are unelected. We can trade and talk and practice diplomacy just fine on our own. We wouldn’t circumvent the Constitution to go to war under UN resolutions, for example. These are my believes and Dr Paul’s as well. Now that they are laid out for you, you can comment on them all you want. ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/415 "2010-05-06T18:34:51Z")
> [@Galileo\_Galilei](#): > > Ron Paul will never be as great as James Madison, I agree with that. But he can still rise to the level of the lesser Founders. You convinced me. I’m voting for the James Madison/Andrew Jackson ticket in 2012. If Ron Paul is lucky, maybe they’ll appoint him head of the ONDCP or something. ---
**Author:** ![jrodefeld](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/59ef9b/32.png) [@jrodefeld](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jrodefeld)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/416 "2010-05-06T18:36:21Z")
> [@Galileo\_Galilei](#): > > 30 reasons Why Ron Paul can win in 2012 (Summary) > > Here is a summary of what Ron Paul has going for him to win the GOP nomination in 2012: > > 1. Rand Paul is winning by 15% in the Kentucky Senate primary. He is beating both democrats in the general election. **If Rand can win, Ron Paul can win.** > > [RealClearPolitics - 2010 Kentucky Senate Primary (5/18)](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/senate/2010_kentucky_senate_primary_races.html) > > 1. Ron Paul won the CPAC Straw Poll. When Ron Paul wins nationally promoted straw polls, it creates the perception he can win. Ron will win the next CPAC poll as well, next February. > > 2. Ron Paul just won his House seat primary by a whopping 70%. He won 81% to 11%. Ron Paul will grab more headlines when he wins the general election in November. > > This creates the perception Ron can win. The greatest enemy to Ron is the mass media created perception that he can’t win. > > 1. Ron Paul has often been described as irrelevant because he has never sponsored major legislation into law, nor has he ever even gained national media for his legislation. That has now changed. Ron Paul’s Audit the Fed bill has passed the House with 317 sponsors, and is in the Senate with over 30 sponsors. This legislation is not going away. It will keep Ron Paul in the news during all of this year and 2011 for his legislative work. **Rand Paul in the Senate also makes a big difference here.** > > 2. The Tea Party movement backs Ron Paul. The only other leading GOP contender who has any tea party appeal is Sarah Palin. Mitt Romney is a phony and is not fooling anyone. > > 3. Every four years, we get an age shift in voters. New young voters tend to back Ron Paul, while old voters who have died since 2008 do not support Ron Paul. A four year shift is about 7% of the electorate. > > 4. Newspapers are against Ron Paul; they are going out of business or their circulation is declining. The Internet supports Ron Paul and it is on the rise. > > 5. Paul’s leading contenders are Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, and Mike Huckabee (if he runs). > > All these candidates have weaknesses. > > Huckabee has a cushy TV job, and doesn’t seem ambitious enough to run. > > Palin is widely viewed as unqualified to be president and has less money than Ron Paul. **Her poll numbers are very weak at this time, considering her immense media coverage.** > > Romney is a strong candidate, but he is a Mormon which hurts him among Christian conservatives. He was also a pro-abortion liberal governor of Massachusetts who now says he is a pro-life conservative. In other words, he’s a phony. He does not anywhere near the organization of Ron Paul. **And Romney supported Romneycare.** > > Pawlenty is the NWO choice for president. But he has low name recognition and is boring. He’s also a liberal republican Governor from Minnesota with little appeal for conservatives. He is counting on the NWO media to help him. > > 1. The Economy; the weak economy plays into Ron Paul’s hands to some extent. > > 2. End the Fed - Ron Paul’s book gives him another outlet for his message. Unlike Mitt Romney’s book, which is stone cold boring, people actually read Ron Paul’s books. \*\* Ron has another book coming out before the next election.\*\* > > 3. Ron Paul is good for TV ratings and is getting a lot of national TV interviews on cable news like Fox, CNN, MSNBC and CNBC. Rand Paul is also getting a lot of national TV interviews. **Judge Napolitano has a new TV show on Fox that promotes Paul’s ideas.** > > 4. Voters are getting used to Ron Paul’s “odd” ideas. > > 5. Ron Paul is 74, but has the health and spunk of a 60 year old; he’s not too old to run for president and serve one term in office. > > 6. Fund-raising - In the 4th quarter of 2007, Ron Paul was the # 1 GOP fundraiser. This was when he was below 10% in the polls. He will raise a lot more if he is at 10%-30% in the polls. Ron Paul could end up with more money to spend than Mitt Romney. > > **There is a $10 million dollar moneybomb already set up for the Boston Tea Party on December 16.** > > 1. The NWO sets the pecking order when they start to do polls in early 2011. In 2007, Ron Paul was at 1% in these polls. Ron Paul will be at a minimum of 10% in the early 2011 polls, putting him among the viable contenders from the beginning. > > 2. The Wars in the Middle East - People are getting sick of these wars, and Ron Paul opposes them. Democrats who found out Obama was a phony might support Ron Paul. > > 3. 2012 is the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, and will gain national attention. Interesting that the president during the War of 1812 was none other than James Madison, the Father of the U.S. Constitution. > > James Madison is the ONLY president to follow the Constitution during a major war. Despite an invasion from the British Empire that included the burning of Buffalo and Washington, a siege upon Baltimore, and attack on New Orleans, the capture of Detroit, an Atlantic ocean naval blockade, and a secession movement in Hartford, Connecticut, James Madison never claimed special war powers, arrested dissidents, issued war propaganda, had a draft, or suspended habeas corpus, despite going up against the worlds greatest power with no income tax, no central bank, and not much of an army of navy. And we won it, gaining free trade for all American on the Great Lakes, Atlantic ocean, Mississippi river, West Indies, and Mediterranean Sea. > > Word of what James Madison did in the War of 1812 might leak out to the people in 2011 and 2012. > > 1. A lot of people are getting sick of the war on drugs. Neither Bush or Obama will even consider legalizing medical marijuana, an issue which polls at 80% in favor of. > > 2. Ron Paul is the only candidate who can talk intelligently about the U.S. Constitution. > > 3. People are sick of the health care bill, and Ron Paul has credibility in opposing it. Ron Paul is also a medical doctor. > > 4. The Campaign For Liberty, Ron Paul’s PAC, is raising lots of cash and forging many ties with key GOP leaders at the state level. > > 5. Rand Paul got the endorsements of the Ronald Reagan PAC, Sarah Palin, Steve Forbes, and the Gun Owners of America. Expect to see Ron Paul get some major endorsements, if Rand Paul can. **Rand also got endorsements from Jim Bunning, Jim DeMint, Kentucky Right-to-Life, the Kentucky Credit Union Association, and James Dobson.** > > 6. Ron Paul voted against all the bank bailouts. > > 7. Ron Paul has an army of volunteers that will hit every straw poll, from CPAC to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, to the county GOP straw poll at the annual meeting of John Doe County in all 50 States. He is going to win almost all of them. > > 8. Ron Paul has enough support to win the Ames Iowa Straw Poll in the summer of 2011. He got 1300 votes in 2007, and needs only about 5000 to win. > > 9. Ron Paul tied for first in the Southern Republican Leadership Conference Straw Poll on April 11. **Ron will rpobabaly win the critical Value Voters Summit Straw poll on September 19 in Washington, DC, a key religious right event.** > > 10. Young people will talk their parents and grandparents into voting for Ron Paul. They will vote for their children’s future. > > 11. Ron Paul always shines in the TV debates. This time around he will get more attention by the post debate pundits. > > 12. Ron Paul can win the Iowa Caucus. > > 13. Ron Paul has enough support lined up to win the Nevada caucus and the Louisiana Caucus, both of which precede Super Tuesday. **Ron needs to run a smarter campaign this time for the New Hamphire primary, perhaps using Rand Paul’s strategy. If he does, he can win NH.** > > * * * > > Knowledge is Liberty! Hell yeah. Thanks for that list. I saw it posted on a few blogs, but didn’t think to link to it. Yeah, Ron Paul would be a serious contender if he were to run. The tide is turning in his favor. ---
**Author:** ![Galileo\_Galilei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Galileo\_Galilei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galileo_Galilei)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/417 "2010-05-06T18:38:24Z")
> [@theR](#): > > You convinced me. I’m voting for the James Madison/Andrew Jackson ticket in 2012. If Ron Paul is lucky, maybe they’ll appoint him head of the ONDCP or something. Ron Paul is the only viable GOP candidate who follows the plain language of the US Constitution in conjunction with the principles of the Founding Fathers. We accept you vote. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/418 "2010-05-06T18:38:32Z")
Wait - someone thinks the War of 1812 was an important war? The War of 1812 wasn’t even the most important war the English were fighting _in 1812_. Do you think the Brits really cared about some minor scuffle at the ass-end of the world while they were busy fighting Napoleon? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/419 "2010-05-06T18:41:47Z")
> [@jrodefeld](#): > > The tide is turning in his favor. The tide came and went. And I don’t mean the tide the British were sailing on in 1812. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/420 "2010-05-06T18:45:59Z")
Have we gotten yet an explanation as to why the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 is going to be a much bigger media event than, say, the 100th anniversary of the Spanish-American War was in 1998? (Besides the fact that someone’s apparently paying random internet posters to defend it.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114.md?page=22)