The GOP's possible banning of Ron Paul may have unintentionally created some good for us

[ck4829]

If the GOP bans Ron Paul from future debates, then they have taken care of the "Ron Paul Democrats" for us.

[TwilightGardener]

1. What Ron Paul Democrats? He's a nut, aside from the war.

[ck4829]

3. They've been mentioned

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x836543

[ramapo]

9. He's so nutty that he might be the smartest of the bunch

I don't believe in the Libertarian view that government should be restricted to national defense and not much else. In my world, government should play an important, unifying role in education, health care, environmental, and other issues of public welfare.

These are major philosophical areas in which I differ from Rep. Paul.

However, he is against the "free" trade agreements, against governmental intrusion into our private lives and information, for secure borders, for fiscal responsibility and against the policies of the Fed which have fostered the runaway debt that will one day come back to haunt us all. He is for property rights of the individual rather than the "rights" of special interests. Yes that does bother me to a degree in respect to protecting open space. Certainly not nutty positions.

Nor does he lack for intelligent explanations or discussion. All the candidates, Republican and Democratic alike, speak in soundbite with the exception of Sen Gravel and Rep Paul.

[TheFarseer]

2. where did you see that?

If they ban him, that would be a shame. Alot of people think like him and that's unfair if they can't even be heard.

[ck4829]

4. I have nothing against the guy personally myself

But here is where the Republicans talk about locking him out of future debates.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=907567&mesg_id=907567

[Dhalgren]

5. How does banning Paul from the Republican debates "take care"

of the Ron Paul democrats (and who are the Ron Paul Democrats)? TIA...

[NashVegas]

6. He's the Howard Dean '04 of the Republican Party Right Now

He will get Deaned; if you look at him on other issues it's a mixed bag, with plenty to like for RW conservatives & economic elites, if you take the war and one-world government out of the equation.

I'm happy to see him get attention for his views on the war, and WTO, GATT, NAFTA, etc., but I don't want to see him as the Republican nominee, not unless we have the means to paint him as a total flake.

[Old and In the Way]

7. Great....let them ban the only realist who says what he means.

Taking Paul out means that they are tacking even harder to the more-war/more-religion/less- freedom Republican Party today. Let them duke it out to win the vote of the 28%ers. After their primaries, they'll have to leave with their positions in the GE.

[KayLaw]

8. I liked him

Until I found out he's pro-life. Is that common for a Libertarian? Thumbs down.

[0rganism]

10. It'll be the GOP shooting what's left of their party's integrity in the gut

A lot of Libertarians are nominally GOP because of candidates like Ron Paul. They can swing close elections, too -- like the Green party did to the Dems in 2000 but moreso. The true decline of the Republican party will begin when the Libertarians and other fiscal conservatives splinter off, leaving the rabid imperialists and theocrats to fend for themselves.