Why I'm Supporting Ron Paul

I've never been an overly political person, largely because I view that stage a few notches below that of car sales and the pharmaceutical industry in terms of honesty and integrity. I vote, but I've always voted by principle and for the person I thought to be the best candidate, not necessarily the candidate with the best odds of winning. I've been reprimanded for that ("Why throw your vote away?"), but I intend to do just that again this year. This time out though, there's a candidate who speaks plainly, truthfully and poignantly. If you consider yourself to be at all "web-savvy" (a term that sounds like something my mother would come up with), then you probably know who I'm referring to (hint, the post title kind of gives it away too):

Ron Paul

I know some will say, "But he's a politician, you can't take what they say at face value!" This is a valid point, but Paul succeeds where others often fail miserably. Why? Because his voting record reflects his presidential platform. All too often you seen candidates flip-flopping on votes they've taken previously, because now that they're running for president, their previous conviction on an issue may no longer be popular. Somehow, seemingly overnight, they "change their mind" and are now wholly committed to what seems to be a contradiction. This just isn't so with Ron Paul. He's stuck to his guns throughout his political career, he's refused to take gifts from lobbyists who would buy his vote, he's never once voted to raise taxes, he's refused special interests and special benefits of the position. In fact, Paul's core principle could be said to be enabling and preserving the rights of the individual as established by the Constitution of these United States of America.

Where Dr. Paul stands on the issues:

Non-Interventionist Foreign Policy - Diplomacy over Warfare
Put the Homefront First (Promote the General Welfare of citizens)
Ending entangling treaties and alliances (WTO, NAFTA, etc.)
The Lowering of Taxes and the end of the Internal Revenue Service
The Protection of Property Rights and the Right of Eminent Domain
Healthcare Freedom - Giving power back to patients, not doctors and corporations
No more corporate welfare (rewarding big-business with tax dollars) and pollution
Protecting the Rights and Civil Liberties of Citizens (this is still a free country...right?)
Educational Choice - Give parents their rights to choose where their children go to school
Cut Foreign Aid (How can we give aid when the United States is in debt?)
Fiscal Responsibility at the Federal Level - If you were the government, you'd be bankrupt.

I've oversimplified a lot of these, and left some off entirely (it's getting late...need to sleep), so go here for more in-depth reading.

Even if you're not usually a voter, listen to what Dr. Paul has to say. His words seem to resonate strongly with those who have been disenchanted by the political system in the past, and this is a good thing. I think it scares those who are used to "politics as usual" because it brings in an unknown element, people like you and me, who don't care for party affiliations and who haven't had much voice in government. If there was a time to take America back from the status-quo, there's really no time like the present.

Vote Ron Paul '08.