I think the world will get along with that "huge void" just fine. I would take you more seriously if you would agree to pay twice as much income tax so we could keep the empire going without bankrupting ourselves.
That is my thesis. Paul did not have to renounce his foreign policy views, just temper them a bit. He could say we made a big mistake in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that he doesn't want to deal in hypotheticals regarding iran but that Iran getting a nuke is unacceptable. The point is that he wouldn't have been pandering. He could still make the point that our interventionist policy is bankrupting us and creating more problems than it solves. Just don't say stuff that frightens people and lends itself to being misinterpreted.
the problem is none of these republican candidates have the balls to lay it out there like Cain. 999 or 777 or no tax but tarriffs. or cut 3% a year until balance and a flat tax. or no tax but a vat. The independents also want a plan. Contrary to the fear that by putting out a plan you give Obama something to attack... the country is screaming for a change by a plan. Screaming for it. I can not believe how deaf these fools are. Cain showed them how to win. Stop listening to advisors and get on the train. Low flat, yearly spending cut - til balanced, Job producing industries targeted for tarriff or hard core trade negotiation. Exploit natural gas. Stop dollar debasing activities. How hard is that. you will get all the republicans and 90% of independents. How hard is that.
Perfect conservative by what standard? Racist, kook, or liar? The Fact Checker Ron Paul and the racist newsletters http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ker-biography/2011/12/21/gIQAKNiwBP_blog.html
Did you not get the ending of 'Tin Cup'? The point was that greatness is sometimes achieved by being stubborn (principled) and failing rather than doing the easy thing and succeeding. RP's only interest is in changing the political philosophy of the nation, and you don't do that by pandering. He understands that without a philosophical change among the populace, changing the leadership in Washington is meaningless. And perhaps Paul's legacy will reverberate through the coming years long after the winner of this year's election is forgotten.
After learning more about Ron Paul I have to say I like him. I believe he is a man of principle and honestly. His foreign policy was absurd but that doesn't mean he could have actually implemented it if he were elected. I think he would have taken the dishonest in our gov't to task and exposed the fraud. Frankly, whether it be obama or whoever, we are fucked There is more dishonesty in gov't and the media than I care to think about.
I realized after posting that I probably should have summarized Tin Cup for those who didn't see it. Here goes: Driving range pro blows chance to win U. S. Open because of obsession with hitting the perfect shot. He dumps multiple balls into a lake fronting the 18 th green trying to do so and loses. The movie's premise is that he is somehow a pure hero, unconcerned with society's definition of success. I thought the movie was stupid and the hero was a moron and loser who couldn't handle winning, so had to retreat into his own make-believe world. Now there does seem to me to be an obvious analogy with Ron Paul. In his case, I think it is a near obsession with principle, but it is healthy in that what he wants is what is best for the country. In Tin Cup, by contrast, it was purely ego-drive. "Look at me hit the perfect shot." The problem though is Ron Paul may be letting down his followers and the country, just as the guy in Tin Cup let down his fans. No one is asking Paul to jettison his principles just to be popular. Is it too much to ask though for him to try not to scare people who have been brainwashed for years?