# 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:** 23
**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, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/441 "2010-05-06T19:42:43Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Much though I hate tp admit it, I think the Paul people are being honest here. Paul might be ok with other Congressional awards, but he pretty consistently votes against giving the Congressional Gold Medal. He did vote for one for the moon landing astronauts, but even voted against giving a medal to the Reagans. Thanks for the backup, even if it was begrudgingly acknowledged. Not given Rosa Parks the Gold Medal is the most insane argument for him being a racist I have ever heard. ---
**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, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/442 "2010-05-06T19:44:05Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > In terms of rallying support for your candidate, here’s a tip for Ron Paul groupies: stop with all the references to the Federalist papers, James Madison, the Constitution etc. > > It does not get me intrigued with Ron Paul; it makes me want to reach for my Flit gun. > > My reaction when I see the types of people who are enthusiastic about Ron Paul is much the same. What is the problem you have with the Federalist Papers and the Constitution? I think most Americans would do well to read both. ---
**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, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/443 "2010-05-06T19:44:54Z")
> [@Galileo\_Galilei](#): > > I studied actuarial science in college and passed 7 actuary exams. Check out books by the former head of the SSA, A. Haeworth Robertson. Medicare and Medicaid are both broke by trillions of dollars. Thanks for your contribution to this thread! ---
**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, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/444 "2010-05-06T19:46:41Z")
> [@jrodefeld](#): > > What is the problem you have with the Federalist Papers and the Constitution? I think most Americans would do well to read both. Quite a few of us here have already read them. ---
**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, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/445 "2010-05-06T19:54:00Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Perhaps you might try reading something modern instead of works centuries out of date. Modern? You mean Newsweek, The National Enquirer, Celebrity Tabloids, The Audacity of Hope, No Compromise: The Case for American Greatness (Mitt Romney) and any other flavor of the month political book? Yeah, much more serious and timeless than Common Sense, The Federalist Papers, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and the articles written by the Founders, right? The truth doesn’t come in model years. You seem to think that anything more than thirty years old is irrelevant and worthless. The great Austrian economists such as Ludwig von Mises, FA Hayek, Murray Rothbard and Henry Hazlitt provided us timeless wisdom about economic truth and the benefits of a free economy. They provided groundbreaking work on the origins of recessions and depressions and the nature of the business cycle. What exactly do you mean “centuries out of date”? ---
**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, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/446 "2010-05-06T19:58:29Z")
> [@jrodefeld](#): > > Modern? You mean Newsweek, The National Enquirer, Celebrity Tabloids, The Audacity of Hope, No Compromise: The Case for American Greatness (Mitt Romney) and any other flavor of the month political book? > > Yeah, much more serious and timeless than Common Sense, The Federalist Papers, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and the articles written by the Founders, right? The truth doesn’t come in model years. You seem to think that anything more than thirty years old is irrelevant and worthless. > > The great Austrian economists such as Ludwig von Mises, FA Hayek, Murray Rothbard and Henry Hazlitt provided us timeless wisdom about economic truth and the benefits of a free economy. They provided groundbreaking work on the origins of recessions and depressions and the nature of the business cycle. > > What exactly do you mean “centuries out of date”? I believe he was responding to a list posted by your ally in this thread. Please take a few moments to review his contributions to your cause. ---
**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, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/447 "2010-05-06T20:00:22Z")
> [@jrodefeld](#): > > 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. The distribution of wealth has gone crazy, but this statement is too vague to really mean anything. > [@](#): > > 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. Ridiculous. The UN does not dictate US foreign policy, and the US has always been more than willing to ignore the UN when that suits its interests. Democrats and Republicans agree on that point. It’s the same for any other nation and that’s why the UN is so ineffectual. > [@](#): > > 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. Agreed. > [@](#): > > In foreign affairs, peace and diplomacy, free trade and honest friendship with all is the policy we should pursue. No entangling alliances. “Entangling alliances” needs to be more specific. > [@](#): > > 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. I agree. > [@](#): > > 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. Most corporate subsidies are unnecessary stupid giveaways. I do think there’s a role for the government to play in encouraging technological innovation, but that’s not what it happening now for the most part. “End too big to fail” does not mean anything out of context. The bailouts were awful and more financial curbs are needed, but a collapse of the global economic system would not have been good for anyone. > [@](#): > > Reform our banking system starting with a full Audit of the Federal Reserve system. The Fed is your bugbear, not mine. > [@](#): > > Crack down hard on corporate crime. Definitely. > [@](#): > > Repeal the Patriot Act. The wiretapping and domestic spying portions need to go. > [@](#): > > Don’t move towards martial law. Meaning what? > [@](#): > > No National ID card. I agree, but I don’t think one is coming. > [@](#): > > End the War on Drugs Agree. > [@](#): > > Allow all consensual activity that doesn’t harm anybody else. I’m inclined to agree, but “doesn’t harm anyone else” is defined differently by different people. > [@](#): > > Cut spending by ending overseas military bases, ending the wars and slashing the Defense budget. I agree. > [@](#): > > Pay down the deficit and temporarily fund Medicare and Social Security. Horrible and callous idea. > [@](#): > > Allow school choice through vouchers and tax credits I have qualms about funding for private religious schools. I’d be willing to consider this. > [@](#): > > give competition to all monopolistic governmental agencies and programs. Where is there no competition? > [@](#): > > Allow competition in mail delivery What are FedEx and UPS - not to mention the Internet? And doesn’t Amtrak compete with other forms of travel like cars and planes? > [@](#): > > In monetary policy, allow private money and competing currencies to circulate. A ridiculous idea. > [@](#): > > This is the number one thing that we could do to restore liberty to this nation. That’s doubly or triply ridiculous. > [@](#): > > Reestablish National Sovereignty and back out of the United Nations, IMF and international agencies which are unelected. Your concerns about the UN are baseless, so this is completely unnecessary. I’m not a fan of the way the IMF works but I think aid to developing nations is a worthwhile idea. > [@](#): > > We wouldn’t circumvent the Constitution to go to war under UN resolutions, for example. Right, like in Iraq… except we didn’t have a UN resolution there. Depending on the country’s aims, the UN is a fig leaf or a mediation. The UN does not make wars happen. ---
**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, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/448 "2010-05-06T20:03:24Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > **jrodefeld** usually posts later in the day, I think. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled with where this thread has gone. Actually, not so much. I would prefer to discuss how we fix the problems we are facing today. Its fine to discuss early American presidents, but not really relevant to what we are facing today. I think we have established that I (and Galileo Galilei) think that Ron Paul has a chance to win the nomination in 2012. Most of you disagree. Fine. What I would like to focus on is what you all think of Ron Paul’s practical solutions to the imminent problems we are facing, fiscally as well as in foreign affairs. That would be a more constructive use of our time. ---
**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, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/449 "2010-05-06T20:06:18Z")
> [@jrodefeld](#): > > Actually, not so much. Sarcasm: not just an SDMB moderator, it’s your friend. 😉 Anyway I just posted a response to your post about your beliefs, so maybe we can work from there. ---
**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, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/450 "2010-05-06T20:11:01Z")
It wasn’t long ago that Rand Paul had no chance to win. For some people, giving up the ghost is not easy. Let’s start with something easier; Does Ron Paul have a chance to win the Ames, Iowa Straw poll in August 2011? [YES] ---
**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, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/451 "2010-05-06T20:11:30Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > **jrodefeld** , don’t quote an entire article in your post. Since this board is owned by a newspaper, our policies on fair use are a bit conservative. Use a short quote and link to the rest. (Granted, the article is not very long.) I’ve abbreviated the quote in your last post, and put in a direct link to the article. Fair enough. ---
**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, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/452 "2010-05-06T20:13:52Z")
> [@jrodefeld](#): > > What I would like to focus on is what you all think of Ron Paul’s practical solutions to the imminent problems we are facing, fiscally as well as in foreign affairs. Well, here’s what I wrote in response to what you described as Ron Paul’s most important practical solution: > [@Kimstu](#): > > > [@jrodefeld](#): > > > > 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. > > We DO allow private money and competing currencies to circulate. Any individual or institution who wants to can issue their own form of money. [(Really.)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_currency) > > What they can’t do is legally force anyone else to accept their private currency if they don’t want to. And most people don’t want to accept private currency because it’s more limited in use, more vulnerable to forgery, and more likely to become worthless if the issuing party goes bankrupt. So that’s one reason why I think your so-called “number one thing we could do” as a “practical solution to an imminent problem” is actually of no real practical use. ---
**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, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/453 "2010-05-06T20:15:25Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Can you provide some direct links to Doctor Paul’s\*\* bold \*\*statements? Its not a direct quote. It is a paraphrase of the argument Ron Paul would make based on his positions. He has said over and over that he supports a transition plan which would make these programs solvent while he cuts spending elsewhere avoiding a dollar crisis. The point is, the notion that people who are dependent on government assistance have anything to worry about with a Ron Paul presidency is completely false. ---
**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, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/454 "2010-05-06T20:16:25Z")
> [@Galileo\_Galilei](#): > > Let’s start with something easier; Does Ron Paul have a chance to win the Ames, Iowa Straw poll in August 2011? > > [YES] You’re trying to get everybody to skip over the “does it matter?” question. So let me refresh your memory about the 2007 Ames poll. In 2007, Mitt Romney won the poll. John McCain did not bother competing in the poll, finished _TENTH_, and eventually won the nomination. Ron Paul got 13 times as many votes as McCain, but he did not win Iowa. He did not win a single state. Sam Brownback and Tom Tancredo both finished ahead of Paul, in second and third place, and neither of them even made it to the Iowa caucus the following winter. A poll of a few Republican voters in August does not say anything about how the entire state party will feel about the candidates half a year later, and it says even less about primary or general election voters around the country. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/455 "2010-05-06T20:18:39Z")
> [@jrodefeld](#): > > Gold has value because there is a limited supply of it. Yes, you can discover more gold, but this happens very slowly over long periods of time. It is a historical fact that civilizations from the beginning of time valued gold. If we, for example, excavate an old civilization and find a store of gold, it has immense value. Think of all the tomb robbers over the centuries stealing from the Egyptian tombs. If we dig up some paper currency from a previous civilization (even one less than one hundred years old), it is worthless. > > History has proven that gold maintains its value over long periods of time. This is why there is trust in gold. History has proven the exact opposite, and others have given examples in this thread and you’ve responded by ignoring the examples. So let me ask the same question again, and maybe this time you’ll answer it. In the early 1980’s, gold was often above $900 per ounce. In the mid and late 1990’s, gold has dropped to the low $200’s per ounce, a 75% decline. If you doubt these facts, you can check historical gold prices on many economic websites. How does the fact that gold didn’t maintain its value over that period of time square with your claim that gold maintains its value over long periods of time? > [@](#): > > Civilizations literally rise and fall based on the quality of their money. Oh, silly me. All this time I thought that individual rights, democracy, and moral strength played a role. Now it turns out that those things are all irrelevant and that the quality of money is the only thing that matters. > [@](#): > > I don’t know where he got the info in post #153, but the quotes are not Dr Paul’s. How do you know that they are not Dr. Paul’s? Given that you’ve been forced to admit that nearly everything you’ve posted on this thread is untrue, why should I trust you on this point? ---
**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, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/456 "2010-05-06T20:22:33Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > See, this is a brilliant picture of why he doesn’t have any hope of winning. Your ten step plan includes _one_ stage where actual voters get involved. The rest involves a series of meaningless straw polls and endorsements, not to mention the absolutely laughable idea that Palin drops out _before a single primary or caucus_. Two of the items include Rand Paul, and a third assumes Ron Paul is writing a book and that that will really matter. Campaigns are not won and lost in straw polls. I can’t remember any straw poll results from 2007 (I probably didn’t pay any attention), but if Barack Obama won any of them I’d be shocked. Palin is polling very poorly at this time, only a few points ahead of Ron Paul in national polls despite immense media coverage. On top of this, she does not have much of an organization and has less money than you’d think. If Palin does poorly at the Iowa straw poll (which I expect), I think she will drop out and endorse Ron Paul. She has already endorsed Rand Paul. She is also making a lot of money and having fun traveling around the country giving speeches. If she runs, she will be inflicted with 24/7 savage attacks with very unlikely prospects of success. You heard it hear first from Galileostradamus. PS Brownback and Tommy Thompson dropped out in 2007 before the first primary. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/457 "2010-05-06T20:25:17Z")
> [@jrodefeld](#): > > Modern? You mean Newsweek, The National Enquirer, Celebrity Tabloids, The Audacity of Hope, No Compromise: The Case for American Greatness (Mitt Romney) and any other flavor of the month political book? > > Yeah, much more serious and timeless than Common Sense, The Federalist Papers, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and the articles written by the Founders, right? The truth doesn’t come in model years. You seem to think that anything more than thirty years old is irrelevant and worthless. As **Bridget Burke** said, I was responding to **Galileo Galilei** and not you. That said; yes, thirty year old texts are generally grossly inferior, and centuries old ones are normally useful only for historical purposes. It’s called progress. > [@jrodefeld](#): > > What exactly do you mean “centuries out of date”? I mean “superseded by more advanced knowledge back when steam engines were high tech”. EDIT: And ignore my earlier comments about “Rand”, as I thought the Rand in question was Ayn Rand. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/458 "2010-05-06T20:26:32Z")
> [@jrodefeld](#): > > What I would like to focus on is what you all think of Ron Paul’s practical solutions to the imminent problems we are facing, fiscally as well as in foreign affairs. Let me tackle a few foreign policy questions. I think the idea that the UN tells us what to do or is a danger to us is completely baseless. The UN is a useful forum that has no means whatsoever to tell the United States what to do. It is unfortunate that Ron Paul goes so far as to criticize the UN for honoring sites of historical importance for the whole world (e.g., designating Independence Hall as a World Heritage Site). We should not withdraw from the UN. I think NATO is important as a political organization that links the United States to our friends in Europe. NATO is different after the fall of the Berlin Wall, but that doesn’t mean it should go away. Our NATO allies like our alliance with them, and unilateral withdrawal would be a huge slap in the face to them. It would do more damage to our international relations than anything else done in the past century. Ron Paul is wrong to advocate this. I think we ought to be engaged in the Pacific Rim, including close security agreements with Japan. Our alliance with Japan has stabilized the Japan-China-Korea relationship for half a century, and our abandonment of the alliance would cause Japan to rearm. That would increase tensions in the Pacific, and could lead to war that would seriously harm our globalized economy. Similarly, if North Korea invaded South Korea, we should come to the aid of our ally. Ron Paul agrees with none of that. I think the war in Afghanistan is justified, and Obama is pursuing the right course by starting to withdraw troops next year. I believe there is waste within our foreign aid budget, but I do not believe there is anything whatsoever inherently wrong with foreign aid. It is a very small percentage of our budget and I do not accept Paul’s proposal to eliminate US foreign aid. ---
**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, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/459 "2010-05-06T20:27:25Z")
> [@Galileo\_Galilei](#): > > Palin is polling very poorly at this time, only a few points ahead of Ron Paul in national polls despite immense media coverage. It’s May 2010. Your straw polls are 15 months away, and the primaries are mor than a year and a half away. It is too early for the polling to mean anything. > [@](#): > > On top of this, she does not have much of an organization and has less money than you’d think. But she can raise money much more easily because she was the VP candidate in 2008 and is in great demand as a speaker, hard as that is to believe. > [@](#): > > If Palin does poorly at the Iowa straw poll (which I expect), I think she will drop out and endorse Ron Paul. The straw poll does not matter. And there is no way she is going to quit before anyone votes. That happens to candidates with little name recognition and who can’t raise money. That’s not her. > [@](#): > > She has already endorsed Rand Paul. He’s not competing with her. > [@](#): > > She is also making a lot of money And establishing herself as one of the leading conservatives in, which Ron Paul still is not, outside of one corner of the Internet. She’s made money for herself and is showing she can raise money for a campaign. > [@](#): > > If she runs, she will be inflicted with 24/7 savage attacks She lives for that. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114/460 "2010-05-06T20:33:49Z")
> [@jrodefeld](#): > > That is so ridiculous. Ron Paul votes only for bill expressly authorized in the Constitution. I have already linked to a clear example of a case where Ron Paul voted for an award that was not authorized by Congress. [Here’s the link again, to save you the trouble of searching for it.](http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2007/07/11/ron-paul-rosa-parks/) Perhaps you were hoping that I’d forgotten that? If so, you’re out of luck. But let’s imagine a hypothetical scenario where your lame excuse was true. If so, it was extremely bad politics on Ron Paul’s part. You don’t get elected President by being the one person in Congress to metaphorically spit in the face of Rosa Parks regardless of what reason you give for it. Also, needless to say, my post was about two topics, the Rosa Parks award and the celebration of the Civil Rights Act. You only addressed the award while ignoring how Paul voted on the Civil Rights Act. > [@](#): > > By the way, why don’t you explain why, on January 21st, 2008 Ron Paul held a “money bomb” donation drive to honor one of his personal heroes? > > [DOTATOGEL # Login Toto Macau Dan Bandar Toto Macau Bet Termurah](http://www.nolanchart.com/article1183.html) I presume he did so because he wanted money. Groping for people’s money on that day does not honor Martin Luther King, Jr. It dishonors the man. > [@](#): > > Here are a few writings from Dr Paul on racism: > > [The Answer to Racism - LewRockwell](http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul381.html) Basically Paul is saying that he’ll oppose racism when doing so jives with his message, and ignore it on other occasions. His argument is utterly fallacious. It’s “government that divides us along racial lines”? Really? So there was never any private institution that excluded blacks in the old South? No restaurant, bar, stadium, or other commercial enterprise ever stuck a “No Negroes” sign on its door? I think both you and Dr. Paul should study the history of the period a little more before endorsing statements like that. > [@](#): > > You really have to come up with a new tactic, ITR champion. This is getting old. You haven’t contributed anything significant about the philosophy of liberty and Constitutional government. You haven’t said anything about the Federal Reserve, Austrian Economics or Foreign Policy. Other posters have already shredded your claims on those issues quite thoroughly, hence there’s no need for me to do so. > [@](#): > > Why not contribute something constructive to the thread? Well, I’ve already posted a question about the historical downfall of gold prices. You didn’t answer it. I asked whether you could name the supposed piece of legislation containing funding for the NAFTA Superhighway. You didn’t answer that. I asked whether you could provide any evidence of plans for the North American Union. You didn’t answer that. etc… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-candidate-to-challenge-barack-obama-in-2012-is-ron-paul/538114.md?page=24)