The presidential elections may be more than a year away, but make no mistake; everyone’s eyes are already focused on who the next President of the United States will be. Some candidates are flashy, bursting onto the scene and causing a hubbub through all the political ranks, like President Obama did leading into the last presidential election. The once no-name junior senator from Illinois gave a powerful keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and less than five years later, he was inaugurated as the newest president.
But what do ex-girlfriends, Barack Obama and the 2010 Miami Heat all have in common? They didn’t live up to expectations. When Obama took office in January 2009, our country’s unemployment rate was 7.9 percent. Now, it’s 9.1 percent. Now I am not going to blame Obama entirely for this alarmingly high rate, which at times topped 10 percent. President Bush didn’t exactly leave a perfect situation in the White House to Obama. But Obama was supposed to cut unemployment, erase the national deficit, standing at $14.8 trillion, cure the blind and bring the Cubs to the World Series. Frankly, it couldn’t have happened and we all should have known that.
But if Obama isn’t the answer, then who is? What hot-shot, up-and-coming young politician will come out of the woodwork and take the world by storm?
Ron Paul. Not a hot-shot or up-and-coming, and definitely not young, but the right choice. Ron Paul first ran for president in 1988 as a libertarian and received nearly 450,000 votes, but lost to George H. W. Bush. Following the election, Paul returned to his medical practice, which he’s operated since 1968. He had another spirited but failed run in 2008, compared to the charismatic Obama, he didn’t stand a chance.
But for Paul, the third time will be the charm. He won’t be flashy, but his spending cuts and absolute refusal to raise taxes should be enough to turn a few heads. In a time when the national debt increases $2 million every minute, cutting spending and scaling back the size of the federal government may just be what the doctor ordered.
Many will criticize his position to reduce or cut many social programs, such as Social Security and Medicare. This may seem a bit extreme; however, I distinctly remember being asked in a class whether or not we believed there would be a Social Security program by the time any of us were old enough to retire. The class was large, but the hands were few. Some would call it pessimistic, but I believe it was just painfully realistic. It really hurts to watch a portion of my already meager paycheck go to a fund that I will likely never see again.
Around three weeks ago, the “Occupy Wall Street” protests entered the public eye with rallies across the country, including one here at Oswego State. Though the locations differ, the messages are the same: to put an end to corporate greed and a return of true democracy, a return of the “other 99 percent.”
So for the 99-percenters, if you want to make a real change, start by going out and voting. According to The American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara, only 57.5% of eligible voters voted during the 2008 presidential elections. When next November rolls around, go out and vote for the real young-persons’ candidate, the 76-year-old Ron Paul. He won’t impress with his sports knowledge and likely won’t invite you to the White House for a beer, but I want the shot to see some of my hard-earned money when I can finally retire.
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You have to register as Republican right away ! You can change back later before the general election between the two.
Ron Paul needs your help in the Republican primary elections!
I am an independent voter, and I registered as a Republican for Ron Paul !
Bring us home. RP 2012.
I’m not sure where Oswego State is or who the author is (though I’d venture to guess I’m old enough to be his parent) I say, “Nicely Done!” This is a well written article — and my only critique would be in the literal concept of democracy, where the majority rules. We are a nation of laws, but when Congress and the Executive branch (not just this administration, but admins past) evade those very laws — special interests are allowed to profit at the expense of the 99%.
OWS could be as powerful as the Tea Party once was if they can find the right focus (which sadly, the Tea Party lost.) Until they figure out what they’re fighting, they’re cause, like the Tea Party’s will be co-opted by the establishment.
Louise
You hit the nail on the head it will be taken over my guess is it already has been. But what incourages me is finally people are even seeing how that is done. The Rothchilds and other families have been behind every major revolution in history . they really know how to play the game
Great article. Please do more on Ron Paul and why he appeals to young, old, rich, poor, Dem, Repub, Indep, Libertarian, all religions, all races, even other NATIONS love him because he is for peace and prosperity. The only nation who seems to have a problem with him is America, and that’s why he wants to point out that the emperor has on no clothes. We are broke, we are disastrous, and Ron Paul is the only leader smart enough, and willing enough, to pull us out. But the military industrial complex/corporate TV media doesn’t want the people to know this. They like the status quo. To end wars means an end to $ for them. As a country, we don’t produce anymore. We consume. We used to produce cars, steel, homes, etc. We sat back and let it happen, but we do have one last chance in Ron Paul to bring it all back. If we let his time pass, we deserve what we get, and that means Romney, Perry, Obama, whoever the next robot the powers that be want to install. They’re all the same. They will continue the status quo. The only one that stands apart is Ron Paul.
Great article, your description of Dr Paul is right on. That being said, I had one point of disagreement in your writing: “to put an end to corporate greed and a return of true democracy, a return of the “other 99 percent.” The US is not a democracy where 50% plus one person control all the rest. It is a Democratic Republic, where the rights of the individual cannot be taken away by that 50% plus one. Dr Paul is very adamant about the rights of the individual, (YOU), being protected from government intrusion.
Thanks for a great piece about Dr Paul, keep up the good work!
Democracy? Republic?
One is Greek, the other is Latin, but they both effectively mean the same thing: They are both political situations where the majority of a group acts as the ruler of that group. In other words, they are politicial situations wherein a Majority can vote you into the poor house — or the grave — if you have something that they want.
And that is precisely what has happened in this country.
To say the same thing you have said — with different words — is that the smallest minority in this country (or the world for that matter) is the individual, and this country is fast reaching the point where the individual has NO rights.
A pretty fair article on Dr. Ron Paul. Good Job!
One very glaring problem though, the common misconception that a Democracy is a good thing. The Founding Fathers HATED Democracy:
“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!” Franklin, Benjamin
“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.” – Thomas Jefferson
“Our real disease – which is democracy.” – Alexander Hamilton
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” – John Adams
To anyone who has read and comprehended the Federalist Papers (ALL of them), this should be self-evident.
This could just be an innocient mistake, like calling the Sierra Nevada Range in California and Nevada “The Sierras” (Sierra is already plural, Sierras is redundant).
Or it could be more sinister. Progressives have been trying to turn our Republic into a Democracy for more than a century. If they succeed, America is doomed.
One thing is for sure, Ron Paul is the YOUNGEST Presidential candidate in any party.
I would venture to speculate that if Ron Paul won the Presidency in 2012, there would be a surge of liberty-minded candidates running for Congress. Rep Justin Amash of Michigan is an example of just such a candidate who won in 2010. This would then be the next step in the restoration of America.