Ron Paul’s name continues to resonate throughout the blogosphere. People are either in love with his ideas, or they feel threatened by his very existence. This is most evident in the level of ire that can be found at popular sites like Digg.com, where most comments seem to be either passionately pro-Paul or vehemently anti-Paul. Most of the anti-Paul proponents appear to be frustrated by the Texas Congressman’s sudden appearance out of nowhere and the fact that he inspires people so ardently that they repeatedly post stories about his every word.
At blog tracker Technorati.com, Ron Paul’s name has been the top search term for several weeks, supplanting the usual Paris Hilton/Anna Nicole Smith/Fergie type crap people are looking for. How can a politician strike such a chord with people? The answer is simpler than most people want to admit.
Most politicians talk to their constituents. Ron Paul speaks on behalf of his constituents. For decades, Republicans have been talking about small government while growing government. That’s like a guy complaining about people who fart in elevators while he is busy ripping loud ones in, you guessed it, an elevator.
Another factor that resonates with people is that Ron Paul actually suggested that foreign policy decisions affect how the rest of the world views Americans.
But to suggest that we shouldn’t even consider that our actions overseas might have unintended consequences is, frankly, just ignorant. And to attempt to silence anyone who says otherwise as outside the bounds of civilized debate is doubly ignorant.
If you get stung by a hornet, it makes sense to see if there’s a hornets’ nest near your home and, if there is, to exterminate it. It doesn’t make sense to forge out looking for hornets’ nests anywhere you can find them, smacking them with sticks. You’re bound to get stung again.
Shocker! How dare he! For the record, I am NOT a supporter of an immediate pullout from Iraq. That would be the worst possible decision we could make. What I am interested in is a leader who can be pragmatic and visionary instead of stubborn and stumbling. Unlike the legions of screaming anti-Bush fanatics out there, I am not interested in holding a grudge. I would much rather get a new captain for the ship than scream at the old captain while we steam full speed ahead into disaster.
Non-interventionism as general policy is a great idea. Smaller government as general policy is a great idea. Ron Paul will not talk about these ideas and then add a new drug bill to the taxpayer’s plate. Ron Paul will not see a specific threat and then declare that we must fight a War on (Insert Nebulous Concept Here).
I’m ready for real change, and I don’t think I’m alone. And that is why people are fired up about Ron Paul. He represents a real danger to everything about the status quo of American politics. If we could clone Ron Paul a few hundred times in Congress, this country would return to the days where the words freedom and liberty actually had something more than a rhetorical meaning.