Dixie - In Memoriam
New member
I already know I'm going to catch hostile flack from the libertarian nut wing here, but I need to vent a little. Of all the people currently running for president on the GOP side, I am most disappointed (and totally befuddled) by Ron Paul. Here is a man who could have very easily been the next Ronald Reagan, and led a massive broad-based coalition to an easy landslide victory. I believe he had the clout and credentials with the ever-so-important swing voters, and could have parlayed that into one hell of a run. His problem is, he went off the tracks early and has continued to do so at every opportunity. Instead of reeling in the idea that his views might be a little wacky, he doubled down on wacky, and I just don't think mainstream America connects with wacky when it comes to presidents.
For the past decade or more, people have heard of Ron Paul, and have encountered enthusiastic Paul supporters along the way. This election was his chance to finally bend the ear of mainstream voters and take it to the next level. In my opinion, his strategy has to be one of the worst political strategies of all time. I mean, protesting the wars, really? I was not aware that any great massive and overwhelming number of GOP voters were vehemently opposed to military actions abroad, isn't that predominately a left-wing thing? The only reason G.W. Bush was re-elected, was because of voters who supported him on the wars, in spite of objecting to his spending and 'compassionate conservative' fiscal philosophy, which was dubbed 'liberal lite'. The "Anti-War Right" is a very small minority of mostly idiots who think they have smarts. The Pinhead Right!
So now Paul has aligned himself with about 17-18% of the people, who either hold these same wacky views, or don't care what kind of wacky views he has, they are just ready for the 'nuclear option' here, to shake things up. Moderate Anarchists, as it were. Through his liberal-sounding tirades in the debates, he has completely alienated the typical conservative voter out there, and his appeal is to the radicals. What is a shame is, most of mainstream America could have supported Paul's views on fiscal conservative policy and size/scope of government, that's where he totally missed his opportunity to be Reaganesque, in my opinion. Had he emphasized economics more, and stayed away from his foreign policy nuttiness, the result may have been quite different. I think Paul missed his chance at greatness.
For the past decade or more, people have heard of Ron Paul, and have encountered enthusiastic Paul supporters along the way. This election was his chance to finally bend the ear of mainstream voters and take it to the next level. In my opinion, his strategy has to be one of the worst political strategies of all time. I mean, protesting the wars, really? I was not aware that any great massive and overwhelming number of GOP voters were vehemently opposed to military actions abroad, isn't that predominately a left-wing thing? The only reason G.W. Bush was re-elected, was because of voters who supported him on the wars, in spite of objecting to his spending and 'compassionate conservative' fiscal philosophy, which was dubbed 'liberal lite'. The "Anti-War Right" is a very small minority of mostly idiots who think they have smarts. The Pinhead Right!
So now Paul has aligned himself with about 17-18% of the people, who either hold these same wacky views, or don't care what kind of wacky views he has, they are just ready for the 'nuclear option' here, to shake things up. Moderate Anarchists, as it were. Through his liberal-sounding tirades in the debates, he has completely alienated the typical conservative voter out there, and his appeal is to the radicals. What is a shame is, most of mainstream America could have supported Paul's views on fiscal conservative policy and size/scope of government, that's where he totally missed his opportunity to be Reaganesque, in my opinion. Had he emphasized economics more, and stayed away from his foreign policy nuttiness, the result may have been quite different. I think Paul missed his chance at greatness.
