Will the GOP—and Dems—Rue Paul Next November?
That's the question columnist Ron Hart asks. Snippets:
Little noticed in the increasingly shrill sniping, however, is the emergence of a purplish centrism. These centrists who will shape future elections are we libertarians—fiscally conservative and socially moderate. We believe in personal responsibility and minimal government—and not just while running for office. In short, we say smoke all the crack you want, just don't expect us to pay for your rehab. We do not meddle in places where it is not our business, e.g., Iraq, your bedroom, your religion. Libertarian thinking is gaining traction in our culture by those fed up with the far left and the far right….
Ron Paul is not your typical politician. He strikes me as the only one running who is more likely to be listening to a constituent in a bar rather than getting a $400 haircut or running his opinions by a focus group. He is a smart, conscientious and an accomplished private sector doctor who went into politics for the right reasons. He is a man who stands firmly by his beliefs and does not pander to the worst in human instinct. As such, and if history is any guide, rest assured that he has no chance in hell of winning.
reason on Ron Paul here.
Matt Welch and me on RP and the libertarian ascendency here.