Something Fun Is Happening in America

So, there's this guy named Ron Paul who's running for President. This guy has no business running for President. Here are just a few reasons:

He's served a total of 24 years in the House of Representatives, and introduced 620 bills. Only one of them has become law.

He's never voted for a tax increase or for an unbalanced budget - which basically means he's hardly ever voted yes on anything.

He doesn't think we should start wars unless congress votes to go to war - which means he thinks every war since WWII started unconstitutionally.

He thinks we should treat drug users as patients, not criminals, and wants to end the war on drugs.

He thinks we shouldn't have federal departments unless they're mentioned in the constitution - so he wants to get rid of things like the Department of Education and the Department of Commerce.

He thinks the Federal Reserve is responsible for devaluing the dollar and perpetuating bad banking practices, and he wants to return to a gold standard. On these two points, the vast majority of established economists think he's wrong.

He's old, thin, stoop-shouldered, and cranky. He also talks too fast.

So, what I'm trying to say is, this guy sounds like he's doing everything any rookie politician can tell you is a surefire way to lose, and lose badly. He doesn't listen to the lobbyists who help you get elected, he doesn't bring federal money to his district, and he's stayed fiercely committed to a set of unpopular ideas for literally decades.

But ... he's been elected to the House twelve times. He trailed the two leaders in Iowa by less than five points, and took a solid second place in New Hampshire. He got 13% of South Carolina's vote - 4 times more than in 2008.

And that's why I say something fun is happening. And the fun thing isn't that Ron Paul suddenly became a normal candidate - the fun thing is that there are suddenly people who want to elect Ron Paul. Whoa! There are people who like consistent ideas more than they like slick debate performances, people who like civil liberties while simultaneously loving the free market, people who will re-elect someone who doesn't give them money ... where did these people come from?

See, I'm not sure I agree with Dr. Paul
- but I am sure that I wish there were more candidates like him, and I am sure that a vote for him is a vote not for a man but for an idea about what liberty is, and how we should defend it. And I think his supporters are there not for him, but for that idea. I wish that instead of having to pick between Newt and Mitt and Barack, I could instead pick between the consistent ideas supported by Newt or Mitt or President Obama, and know that they'd stick with those ideas while they were in office. Now, usually I'd brush off that desire as unrealistic. Politicians, I know, are usually pragmatists - action often requires compromise, and election seems to depend more on presentation than on content.

But then I remember Paul getting a fifth of the vote in Iowa and New Hampshire. And I think of all the people who made that happen, and who cheered with passion at his rally tonight even though he came in fourth - the people who are voting for an idea, not a politician.

And I think there might be something to this whole democracy idea after all. And that's a fun thought.