If Ron Paul is the GOP candidate, given his clear get out of Iraq now

[hedgehog]

stance, where does that leave us?

Everyone assumes the Guiliani will be the candidate. Ron Paul is crazy as a **** house rat, but he does have one or two clear stands that will resonate with a lot of voters.

[onenote]

1. if Ron Paul is the GOP candidate, I'll be a monkey's uncle

Maybe it resonates with a lot of voters, but not with a lot of repubs who vote in primaries.

[rox63]

2. It still leaves us with a bat-s**t crazy GOP nominee n/t

[Rhythm and Blue]

3. If Ron Paul is the GOP candidate,

then we'll know that they replaced their primary system with online polls posted on Digg.

[Deep13]

4. "Everyone assumes the Guiliani will be the candidate."

I assume Romney will be the R. candidate.

[robinlynne]

5. reality check.

[DrFunkenstein]

6. My Guess is That Ross Perot Will Make a Late Entry into The Race

Maybe Pat Buchanan, too.

[Milo_Bloom]

7. Ron Paul isn't crazy.

We may DISAGREE with his stances on most of the issues, but he is the most 'sane' of all the GOP candidates, in that his positions are principled. Other GOP candidates (and many DEM candidates) just take whatever position is convenient and pay little attention to the principles behind it. They can say they are "anti-war", but vote for the Iraq war and all funding bills. They will say they want to stand up to corporations and then draft a health care plan that is just a huge gift to insurance corporations.

Ron Paul may have the mistaken belief that private enterprise is de-facto better than "government" and that may lead to conclusions we consider wrong, but crazy... sorry, he just doesn't fit the bill.

[cali]

8. No he's not. He doesn't remotely approach sane.

He authored a constitutional amendment that states that life begins at the moment of conception. That's fucking insane. He want UNFETTERED free trade: fucking insane again. He wants to kick the U.N. out and stop all U.S. participation in it.

Ron Paul may not be insane, but his ideas are.

[pnutbutr]

11. bills

Actually it was just a proposed bill that would create a federal law that life begins at conception and it would also prevent any abortion related case due to this law from ever being heard by the supreme court. Along with this bill he proposed another that's purpose was to do away with Roe v Wade. Put these two together and you have killed Roe v Wade and created a federal law making abortion equal to murder and prevented the supreme court from being able to rule on any cases related to it.

I don't think he is crazy but he is a damn good sneaky rat politician.

[Milo_Bloom]

12. Why are those things INSANE?

If someone believes that life begins at conception, why is that INSANE? Doesn't it? I mean, seriously, isn't a cell dividing "life". Hell, if we found one single microbe on Mars the headline would read "Life on Mars". I happen to believe that a woman's right over her body takes priority over the rights of cells dividing.

What is so "insane" about unfettered free trade? Its a global economy, right? unfettered free trade leads to lower prices and potentially more innovation. I believe that the benefits of free trade are outweighed by the harm (other countries with unfair labor practices, slave labor, etc.). Others believe that how a country runs itself is none of our business and that each country has to work out its own problems. "If the workers are unahppy in China, they will rise up and demand, just as happened in the US" Insane? No. Incorrect, Yes.

Many people believe participation in the UN is bad for two reasons. #1 it gives equal voice to nations considered to be "bad". It affords a cruel dictator the right to come and speak and gives him/her an equal vote to those of leaders of nations properly elected. Some people believe that is harmful, to give these people legitimacy and standing in the world. I believe in the marketplace of ideas and believe and have seen that people generally "out" themselves when given a forum in which to speak, such as the President of Iran claiming Iran has no gay people... isn't it great that he had a chance to say something so stupid for everyone to hear and judge him by? However, if you believe that some people shouldn't be allowed a forum from which to express their ideas, then you may view the UN as harmful and wanting it out isn't insane, but the most sane thing you could ask for.

So, no... Ron Paul may be wrong, but he is still not insane under any definition of the word.

[cali]

14. Whatever. In any case his ideas are radical

sometimes racist and distinctly anti-women.

[Renew Deal]

9. I don't think Ron Paul is crazy.

He's one of the brightest candidates in the race. He just thinks different about government. He's not like most pukes who irrationally spew whatever the polls say or the audience wants to hear.

[hedgehog]

10. I heard a blip suggesting that the pundits were surprised at how

many Republicans liked Paul after the initial debates. I can see him getting the nod. If the choice in 2008 is between a Democrat who might continue the war vs a Republican who will stop it, I think it's up for grabs.

[harun]

13. The Bourgeoisie in this country will never let a non-Imperialist

get nominated for either the Dem or Rep party. Too bad because a Ron Paul nomination would bring some interesting debate.

[frylock]

15. all i see down here in san diego is love for ron paul..

every now and then I'll see a Duncan Hunter bumper sticker, but I see more support for Ron Paul than for any other candidate down here in the 619.

[cali]

17. Well, there ain't any love for him here

in the Northeast Kingdom.

[wndycty]

16. this post is why single issue voters are stupid

The man has a bad record on civil rights and many believe him to be a bigot. Getting out of Iraq is important but the civil rights of Americans is more important.

[hedgehog]

18. But you have to consider the Republican or independent voter who is

looking for an excuse NOT to vote for the Democratic nominee. A wishy-washy attitude toward =ending the war would be a prime excuse, IMO.

[wndycty]

20. GO ahead Hedgehog you vote for the bigot. . .it will tell me a lot about you. . .

:kick:

[hedgehog]

21. Hey - I didn't say I would vote for him. What I said was that we should

consider the possibility that he'd be the opposition. I know he is wrong on every other issue I care about. In fact, I can see a lot of people using his antiwar position as an excuse to vote for him when it's his racist attitudes that really attract them. One look at his web page would be enough to make anyone who posts here pretty sick.

Let me be more explicit. A lot of people are supporting Hillary on the premise that she is a winner. What I'm suggesting is that if Hillary is perceived as someone who will let the war continue and if Ron Paul with his clear anti-war stance is her opponent, then we may have a problem.

[hedgehog]

23. I was curious enough about him to check out his web site.

That's enough to put anyone off. However, he can be an attractive speaker.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2007897


We have to remember that a lot of voters decide on first impressions.

[pnutbutr]

24. just wait till you dig deeper

I have done way too much research into this guy for my own good but can now silence any Ron Paul supporter or get them calling me bad names in a matter of seconds. His policies would destroy this nation in so many ways it's not even funny. He is an attractive speaker though which is why he has gained so many supporters from the hundreds of youtube videos of him. They listen to what he says instead of looking at what he does. He is a true politician playing the game and he is good at it because his supporters think he is the exact opposite of what he really is.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

19. Ha

I have a better chance of marrying Halle Berry than Ron Paul has of winning the Rethuglican nomination...

[hedgehog]

22. Remember, you're talking about the people who brought us

Nixon, Reagen, Bush I and Bush II!

[Stop Cornyn]

25. If pigs fly, pork belly futures will surely increase in price.

[Nederland]

26. Ron Paul is the Dennis Kucinich of the GOP

A fringe candidate with no chance.

[Stop Cornyn]

27. Not at all. Paul is the Lyndon LaRouche of the Repub party. Kucinich is the Feingold of the House.

[hedgehog]

28. May I present the evidence:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3594123