September 24th, 2007On this day in different years

Odaiba

Ron Paul

Up until yesterday, the name "Ron Paul" was only vaguely familiar to me. I could recall that he was one of the "minor" candidates for president, but probably wouldn't even remember which party he belonged to (it's Republican). Having spent an evening listening to his various speeches on YouTube, I have come to realize that it is very unfortunate that there is no way this person can ever get elected. I generally have a very liberal outlook on most issues, but have realized I like his positions better than those of any Democrat.

His proposals sound extreme and bizarre at first (unilateral withdrawal from Iraq, dissolution of most federal departments, repeal of federal income taxes), but in each case he makes an educated argument grounded in history and constitution about why his beliefs are actually the correct and reasonable things to do. If you have an hour, his speech at Google lays out most of his positions in a pretty detailed manner.

Too bad he's polling dead last despite a healthy dose of internet support.