Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch see a 5 percent standing in the polls and a few million dollars raised as a revolution where I just see a cult:

When a fierce Republican foe of the wars on drugs and terrorism is able, without really trying, to pull in a record haul of campaign cash on a day dedicated to an attempted regicide, it’s clear that a new and potentially transformative force is growing in American politics.

That force is less about Paul than about the movement that has erupted around him — and the much larger subset of Americans who are increasingly disillusioned with the two major political parties’ soft consensus on making government ever more intrusive at all levels, whether it’s listening to phone calls without a warrant, imposing fines of half a million dollars for broadcast “obscenities” or jailing grandmothers for buying prescribed marijuana from legal dispensaries.

We’d be much closer to a revolution if someone could craft a rational libertarian platform. That hasn’t happened yet and Ron Paul’s personality cult is only setting that date back a few more years.

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7 Responses

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1. truthseeker Says:
   November 24th, 2007 at 3:21 pm

   Well, how about the regular bunch of Republicans and Democrats pushing a sensible platform that will balance the budget and protect our civil liberties?

   Is their plan to keep spending money we do not have in the Middle East fighting all the “terrorists” until they stop hating us?

   I just do not see how the Republicrat “strategy” is going to work very well for our country - I see the sensible thing to do as bringing our troops home from 120 countries and concentrate on protecting our borders and balancing our budget.

   I am sure for my beliefs you will label me as a “kook” or some other derogatory term- but more and more people are finding Ron Paul’s approach to be the most logical- and that is what elections are all about.

2. Alexia Says:
   November 24th, 2007 at 3:43 pm

   Even Congressman Paul says that it is not about him - it is about his message.

   I would be curious as to how you would define a reasonable libertarian platform.

3. jon thompson Says:
   November 24th, 2007 at 5:12 pm

   Nothing new to see here, folks. Just another attempt to pass Ron Paul supporters off as members of a “cult”. Why didn’t you choose “kooks”? It doesn’t matter, America is so far gone. It’s truly a sign of the times when a man such as Ron Paul stands for the constitution and is ridiculed. >

4. Walter in Denver Says:
   November 25th, 2007 at 12:11 am

   Personality cult? Are you kidding? If he had any personality at all he’d double or triple his poll numbers.

5. Outside The Beltway | OTB Says:
   November 25th, 2007 at 9:09 am

   Ron Paul’s Libertarian Revolution…

   Reason editors Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch argue in today’s WaPo that a libertarian revolution is afoot, as evidenced by Ron Paul’s having risen to five percent in the polls and raised a substantial sum of money.
   The piece has gotten subs…

6. Li Says:
   November 25th, 2007 at 2:14 pm

   The fact that this post attacks Paul’s support as a cult while not mentioned any policy at all (except in the quote of the WaPo op-ed) leaves me to conclude that the opinion generated here is worthless. Instead of discussing what a “rational liberterian platform” would be you attempt to shoot one of the people generating national discussion of such a thing. This post is exactly part of the problem, not the solution. Let’s see you generate actual discussion of messages, policies, and directions for the country instead of slandering those who are. Are you up for THAT challange?

7. barry b. Says:
   November 25th, 2007 at 8:32 pm

   I think Paul only helps the Libertarian Party - Now what they’ll do with all the new people interested I don’t know but will be interesting to see.

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