Obama Finally has a Primary Challenger: Ron Paul

Well, not exactly. But disaffected Democrats can take heart.  There is a candidate who supports many of their same views and has a history of being a thoughtful, smart, and honest individual.  I’m speaking, of course, of Congressman Ron Paul.

While it’s true that Dr. Paul is running as a Republican, that shouldn’t scare Democrats away, and I’ll tell you why.

• Ron Paul wants to “give peace a chance”, by returning our troops home and ending all six wars in which the United States is currently engaged.  In fact, he has “joined six Republican and three Democrat colleagues to file a lawsuit against the Obama administration over its illegal war against Libya.”  These six wars are listed below with links to articles describing the conflicts.

1. Iraq
2. Afghanistan
3. Libya
4. Pakistan
5. Yemen
6. Somalia

• Then there is the drug war.  This headline says a lot; Obama, Calderon Pledge Cooperation On Drug Wars.  Especially when you realize that a Mexican government report showed more than 22,700 deaths in a little over a three-year period were the direct result of the drug war.

Dr. Paul’s views on this subject are well addressed in the YouTube video: The War On Drugs: Ron Paul versus Barack Obama.

• Ron Paul is firmly against corporatism.

• If you believe that Americans who don’t pay income tax are not being taxed, think again.  The policies of the Federal Reserve since its inception in 1913 have devalued the dollar by 95% via the Fed’s massive issuance of money and credit.  The resulting inflation is a direct tax on the poor and middle class, when their money becomes worth less as prices rise.  The rich can afford the higher prices, but the rest of the citizenry are profoundly affected.

•  Ron Paul predicted the collapse of the housing bubble and offered solutions at least five years before it occurred, and is the only candidate who predicted the financial meltdown and our ongoing recession years in advance.

• Ron Paul is strong advocate of civil liberties and is against the Patriot Act and Real ID Act.

So what is a Democrat, who finds these issues important, to do?  First of all, don’t take my word for it, do your own research and compare Dr. Paul’s words to his actions, and then do the same for President Obama.  I’m confident you will be surprised at what you find.  You can find out more about Ron Paul’s views on the issues by visiting his campaign web site. http://www.ronpaul2012.com/the-issues/

If you are convinced that Ron Paul is the only candidate in either party who can “walk the talk”, then you will need to vote for Dr. Paul in the GOP Primary in your state in 2012 as a “crossover voter”.  This web site describes crossover voting, and lists the states with open and closed primary elections.  In the closed primary states, you would need to register as a Republican in order to vote in their primary.  Be sure to check your state’s voter registration deadlines and rules.

Ron Paul stacks up well in recent polls against President Obama; however, his biggest challenge will be in winning the Republican Primary nomination.  That’s why it is imperative that you vote in the GOP Primary in order to see a Ron Paul vs. Barack Obama matchup in the general election.  It’s historically proven that third-party candidates do not perform well in general elections, so anticipating a Ron Paul third party run isn’t the answer to putting him into the White House.

Finally, if you like what you find out about Congressman Paul, but you are frightened of being seen standing in line to vote at the GOP Primary, just remember this: if your fellow Democrat neighbor sees you in line, they are likely to be standing in the same line.