Ron Paul Could Be Obama's Best Friend

Impact

Congressman Ron Paul’s campaign could lead to several doomsday scenarios. His base is largely comprised of several loud minorities who have all banded together to collectively give a thumb in the eye to Republicans, other conservatives, and ‘the man.’ From here on out, his winning or over-performing in Iowa could have several unintended, yet disastrous consequences.

Not spending more than we take in, trimming the size of the federal government, and eliminating a few departments are things that almost every conservative and Republican can agree with. His foreign policy runs to the left of President Obama, Hillary Clinton, Michael Moore, and Cindy Sheehan. His followers are so passionate that they would rather sink the entire country than see another Republican win. They’re not only selfish, they’re irresponsible.

His foreign policy crosses over from naïve to dangerous. Paul is someone who probably wouldn’t have declared war on Hitler. He sees no threat from radical Islam that is not our fault. For this reason and others, he could never make it through the GOP primaries. Even if he did, it would lead to a 1984-style landslide defeat. Even worse, if Paul wins in Iowa but nowhere else, he could run as a third party candidate, splitting the anti-Obama vote and becoming Democrats' best friend since Ross Perot.

Iowa’s GOP royalty worries that a Ron Paul victory will delegitimize the already-questionable caucus. People already wonder if Republicans can select a candidate that the majority of the country would support. This of course would not send the hallowed Iowa caucuses into history, but could lead to their being played down by a majority of candidates in the future.

For the first time, Congressman Paul’s baggage is starting to be aired. In the 1980’s, he published a newsletter which showcased a large number of racially charged articles. Tidbits detailing how Martin Luther King Jr. “seduced little boys and girls” and stating that African Americans who protest should “gather at a food stamp bureau or crack house” are just the tip of the iceberg. Strangely enough, these have not been exploited by the left.

Only conservative pundits like Hannity, Limbaugh, and Levin are talking about it, because they’re aware that sending Paul up against Obama is all but gift-wrapping him a second term. That’s also why so many liberals are keeping quiet. If he pulls off a miracle and wins the nomination, he would not only wound the GOP, but help seal its fate while they discuss his baggage on every nightly news program for nine months straight. 

If conservatives want to win back the White House, they need to realize that there is no shame in nominating someone whom you only agree with eighty-five percent of the time. Never compromising on anything may allow them to pat themselves on the back, but it rarely works in a republic. Romney and Gingrich may not be perfect, but they would certainly help steer the country in a better direction.

America needs a good leader, not a political savior or martyr.

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