NASHUA, N.H. -- Ron Paul was in the Granite State campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination that he failed to capture four years ago, when he was perceived as a fringe candidate. With the lurch of the GOP to the extreme right, Paul no longer inhabits the lonely outland of conservatism as that real estate has been annexed by most Republican candidates.
However, he sharply differs with his Republican brethren (and Bachmann) on the issues of national defense and terrorism. He remains a strong, committed libertarian. At a Nashua town meeting held on Saturday, Dec. 3, he denounced the wars in Afghanistan & Iraq and the excursion in Libya. He also criticized the National Defense Authorization Act for broadening the battlefield in the War on Terror to the United States itself.
Unique
His appearance before 200 of the Ron Paul faithful revealed that his fervor to defend liberty has not diminished since he first ran for president back in 1988 as the standard bearer of the Libertarian Party. He hit on his favorite subjects such as re-implementing the gold standard and auditing the Federal Reserve System.
Ron Paul is unique among politicians in his "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!"/"My platform right or wrong" attitude. There hasn't been anyone like him since Barry Goldwater stormed the citadel of the Republican establishment and defeated the New York plutocrat Nelson Rockefeller in 1964. Ron Paul is the opposite of the proverbial "Pander Bear", the moniker Paul Tsongas hung on Bill Clinton during the 1992 New Hampshire primary.
You cannot help but respect the man. He is a puckish figure, in his cheap suit and black Reeboks, his legs crossed at the ankles as he recounted his life and beliefs to an interlocutor. He struck me as a combination of Frank Capra character and "Give 'em Hell Harry!" Truman.
Preaching to the Faithful
When the moderator of Ron Paul's town meeting asked if there were undecideds in the room, I and a handful of others raised our paws. The room was overwhelmingly populated by Ron Paul enthusiasts, and though the moderator promised that we undecideds would be called on in the question & answer period, that ukase was forgotten when that part of the meeting arrived.
It didn't matter. We all knew the man's policy positions and philosophy.
Four years ago, I did not see him in New Hampshire, but experienced some of his supporters behaving like goons, heckling John McCain at an appearance in Manchester. It gave me a bad impression, but the attendees at the event were polite, well-behaved, typically middle-class Granite Staters. Mike Huckabee in 2008, for instance, drew a far more "way-out" crowd.
The crowd was supportive, even affectionate in its esteem for the man. They were there not to question the candidate, but to show him their support.
His appearance in Nashua underscored the fact that Ron Paul remains a gadfly. Agree with him or not, he is a critical spirit whose presence on the national scene is vital to maintaining the political dialogue that is essential to democracy.
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