Sunday, February 21, 2010

Ron Paul?

Apparently Ron Paul won the straw-poll at CPAC.

Vox likes it.

...this straw poll win won't be trumpeted by the NY/DC Axis Republicans the way it would have if Romney or Jindal had won. It is astonishing how they continue to argue that a liberal Mormon from Massachusetts or an Indian from Louisiana is going to have more national appeal than the libertarian Texan who everyone now knows was correct about the failed World Democratic Revolution, correct about the financial crisis, and correct about TARP and the banking bailouts.

Oh, there's more.

Romney is a liberal Mormon; he's about as electable as an Aztec priest. Palin is a political rock star, but she's a lightweight and won't be running if she has any sense at all because she'd be throwing away a very lucrative career in what passes for political commentary these days. Jindal is a lightweight who looks and talks funny. Pawlenty is an unprincipled snake, which is probably why the neocons are talking him up. I don't like Huckabee, but he's probably the only other serious candidate in the bunch.

From what I've seen of Pawlenty, Vox nails it. I'll agree with him on the other names above, except to quibble over Huckabee, who is personally likeable, but politically skanky.

Paul does have a huge obstacle to overcome: The Party of War--which is spokes-fronted by Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin, Sykes, and Belling.

“There is nothing wrong with being a conservative and having a conservative belief in foreign policy where we have a strong national defense and don’t go to war so carelessly,” Paul said. That line was met with a lot of silence, some nods, but, based on my conservations with activists afterward, strong respect from many for not simply pandering."

It is very useful to remember that Statism is furthered best by war. See both Woodrow Wilson and FDR--not to mention GWB, the BigGummintPubbie (and heir to GHWBush...)

13 comments:

  1. Paul is foolish on defense to the extreme, and not a serious candidate at all- his support are little more than a flash mob.

    Nobody will consider a clown like this once Obama's international strategic errors mount- they'll be too scared, this isolationism is not how the world works, to me really quite naive in the face of China, Russia, Iran, and other no-good regimes waiting to fill the vacuum- you can kiss American power and wealth goodbye after that.

    Maybe something more like Palin-Patraeus would work... not Paul, NO way

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  2. Less "Globo-Cop" than "engaged". I don't necessarily think Ron Paul is a bad choice, but his people lobbied for him heavily.

    My biggest issue with Huckabee is that he's a "warmist". Romney's dalliance with universal healthcare puts me off on him (I'm still waiting for him to say, "Ooops...that was a bad idea".)

    I don't know much about Pawlenty and Palin is not ready, regardless of running mate.

    That leaves you and me. Rock/Paper/Scissors for president?

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  3. Nah. You be the Big Guy. I'll be the bucket of warm spit. (Wife agrees with me...)

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  4. Well...I'm sure I would do no more badly than the sitting President.

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  5. Sorry, but Paul is a pork king and a 9/11 truther to boot. NOT material for the big chair. But talks spot-on re: economics.

    I think the real nominee has yet to rise. Or at least I hope so, as my vote with the above crew is "None Of The Above"

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  6. Don't forget the Blogosphere Party Candidates.

    "Deeka and Dad. We Can't Be That Bad."

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  7. Oh yeah - Deeka and Dad is a sure winner! (Wink)

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  8. He's a truther. Game over.

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  9. Aside from his troubling relationship with the 911 Truther movement and other assorted conspiracy theory nuts, Paul has the additional baggage of having some rather nasty racial stuff allegedly ghostwritten in his name. We're not talking Charles Murray, whose book everyone criticized but nobody read. We're talking really vile stuff.

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  10. Not Ryan....this year ('12).

    Maybe '20.

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  11. For the record: personally, I am not a Paulista.

    However, his ideas that we should seriously re-think Globaloney/GloboCop crap and that the Fed needs a good shakeup are solid.

    Dunno about racism, and the Truthers are certifiable.

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