Ron Paul, Presidential Underdog
Since the mainstream media isn't paying him much attention, here's a quick review of ten interesting facts about this underdog Republican presidential hopeful. If you're a Ron Paul supporter, these items may not be news to you, but for the rest of us, here's a quick primer on Ron Paul...
1. To get it out of the way... the Ron Paul bio condensed to 50 words: Born and raised in Pittsburgh. Graduated from Duke School of Medicine. Flight surgeon in Air Force during 60s. As a Texas obstetrician/gynecologist delivered more than 4,000 babies. Served in the U.S. House of Representatives in the late 70s and early 80s. Reelected 1997 to represent 14th Congressional district of Texas.
2. Ron Paul's congressional record, according to his website: Never voted to raise taxes, never voted for an unbalanced budget, never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership, never voted to raise congressional pay, never taken a government-paid junket, and never voted to increase the power of the executive branch. He voted against the Patriot Act, regulating the Internet, and the Iraq war.
3. His stands on some hot-button issues:
Abortion - "While Roe v. Wade is invalid, a federal law banning abortion across all 50 states would be equally invalid." (Believes it is a state, not federal issue.)
Stem cell research - "Individual states and private citizens should decide whether to permit, ban, or fund it."
Immigration - "No welfare for illegal aliens... End birthright citizenship."
Border enforcement - "Physically secure our borders and coastlines. We must do whatever it takes to control entry into our country before we undertake complicated immigration reform proposals."
Gay marriage - "I do not believe a constitutional amendment is either a necessary or proper way to defend marriage.... If I were in Congress in 1996, I would have voted for the Defense of Marriage Act... to ensure that no state would be forced to recognize a same sex marriage license issued in another state."
(Read more at http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/)
4. Paul's entrance into politics was at least partially influenced by Richard Nixon's breaking of the U.S. dollar's tie to the gold standard. "After that day," Paul has said, "all money would be political money rather than money of real value. I was astounded."
5. Paul's list of notable endorsements isn't as lengthy as those of the frontrunners, but he has attracted some supporters of note. Adding to a lengthy list of names from academia, a number of entertainers have named Ron Paul as their presidential candidate: singer John Mayer, Nivana bassist Krist Novoselic, Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski, blues guitarist Jimmie Vaughan, and wrestler "Kane" (Glen Jacobs) from the WWE, among others.
6. Paul's appeal extends beyond his own party. Frustrated by their own party's field of nominees and admiring Paul's anti-establishment stance against the Republican Party's old guard, a group of Democrats have started "www.DemocratsForPaul.com."
7. During a December 16 fund-raising drive on the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, Paul's campaign collected more than $6 million from supporters. It's reportedly one of the, if not THE, largest 24-hour fund-raising totals in U.S. election history. Paul's campaign spokespeople said the number reflected a huge amount of small contributions from individuals, averaging $102 per donation. The event followed a similar fundraiser in November 2007 which brought in $4.3 million.
8. Paul refuses to participate in the taxpayer-subsidized congressional pension program, forgoing a lucrative benefit the vast majority of congressmen and women enjoy.
9. Ron Paul's book, A Foreign Policy of Freedom: Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship, is a best-seller on Amazon.com. As of December 2008, it ranked #406 in all books, #1 in the Economic Policy and Development category, #5 in Government, and #6 in Accounting and Finance.
10. This isn't Paul's first run for the White House. In 1988, he was the Libertarian candidate, having been disillusioned with the Republican party's acceptance of massive deficits under President Ronald Reagan.
Sources: www.lewrockwell.com/paul/, www.ronpaul2008.org, www.wikipedia.org, www.democratsforpaul.com, www.amazon.com.
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