Two weeks ago, Dr. Ron Paul’s campaign set up a table in the student center. As someone who has been watching this campaign closely, I am fascinated by its role in the process and I could not help but notice how many students not only stopped by the table, but stayed to talk.
As a political organizer on this campus for the past four years, I can tell you it’s not easy to get students to stop at a table, let alone stop and talk.
This is the trend I have seen for the past few months with young people showing quite a bit of enthusiasm for Paul, enthusiasm I have not seen since the ’08 election for our current president.
All of this leads me to the question, what does Ron Paul stand for and is it what we need?
Paul has inspired hoards across this state, and the country, to re-examine our political process and the divisive nature in which we do things today. He has done this by preaching consistency, honesty, and always voting what one believes in, no matter what the consequences.
Paul, who has been running for president off and on since the ‘80s, has pretty consistently laid his views down on the line and essentially told his constituents, if you don’t like it, don’t reelect me.
Although this philosophy has translated into electoral success as he has kept his seat in the House of Representatives for over a decade, it has not translated into “political” success as he has rarely held a leadership position.
Although Paul has rarely been accepted by the “political establishment,” he has inspired many across this country to get engaged and informed, which are extremely beneficial to the system and the nation.
Besides his leadership and campaign style, many are attracted to his libertarian policies, which appear to be absent in the rest of the candidates.
Paul’s support of the end of our foreign engagements and drug war here at home have helped him attract voters, especially younger ones.
This is a sign of where students stand on the issues and highlights our liberal social values.
The conversation he is starting with these stances is a constructive one because it encourages Americans to re-evaluate their values, especially on social issues.
Although these issues are what has helped make Paul an intriguing candidate, especially for younger voters, the question still remains: are these potential voters informed on the rest of his positions?
I entered politics from the libertarian point-of-view and have gradually moved away from the ideology as I have become more educated on the issues and their far-reaching effects.
Although I strongly support the issues raised above, the stances he has held on other issues have always caused me to hesitate in my support of his candidacy.
Paul has run for years on the premise of abolishing the federal income tax, an idea that is far from beneficial in these tough economic times and one that may be on the opposite side of the solution.
His view of abolishing the Federal Reserve has always been intriguing to me, and although I believe it absolutely needs to be audited and reformed, abolishing it is not in our best interest and would put us at a grave disadvantage.
Finally, his willingness to knowingly take campaign money from known White Supremacist groups in 2007 has always irked and perturbed me. These are some of the views, combined with his stance on abortion and gay marriage, that have always held me back from supporting his campaign.
The issue with Paul’s candidacy in regards to the process is that it relies quite heavily on presidential power, power that the president just does not have.
In order for the president to get virtually anything done she or he has to have the support of both houses, something that will be difficult for Paul to get based on his views and stances.
For example, he can’t “decry” that the wars are over, there is no income tax, and drugs are legal; the houses will support a cut in pay before they support those issues (hint: NEVER).
His stance on these issues is what attracts young voters and they must be reminded of how little power the president actually has.
Although I believe Paul’s mobilization of young voters is a good thing because it allows the younger generation to get engaged, I would nevertheless like to see more education on the issues as well as on the process of our government and the limits on presidential power, something that I believe will happen as the campaign continues.
Although I may not agree with him on all of his stances, I like the conversations he is starting and wish to see more politicians adopt his style of governing.
Jordan Posner can be contacted at jposner@ksc.mailcruiser.com