The white signs with blue lettering that were posted alongside Lake-Cook Rd in suburban Chicago simply asked one question, nothing more. I glanced at them as I sped by and thought they asked, "Who is Ru Paul?"
Was the noted entertainer/drag queen entering local politics? Opening a celebrity restaurant in the area? Just trying to get his name out there?
Turns out the signs actually read, "Who is Ron Paul?" Well, that's a different story, isn't it?
"And just who the heck is Ron Paul anyway?" I thought to myself.
Well, he's a guy who raised $4.2 million in one day, that's who. Turns out he's running for president and he's a Republican, although he's not like any Republican in existence today. He's certainly not like any other Republican candidate. (Also turns out, Paul bears a vague resemblance to Pat Paulsen. For you youngsters out there, Paulsen was a comedian who "ran" for president in every election year from 1968 to 1996.)
Ron Paul, if his website is to be believed, is a true conservative, the kind with genuine conservative ideals of the sort that people who once called themselves conservative Republicans used to have.
Paul is a believer in small government and strict adherence to the Constitution. He thinks the Federal Reserve stinks, the FDA incompetent and believes in the right of every American to own a firearm.
Paul also believes that Americans, when it comes to health care, should have the right to full knowledge about alternative medicines and natural remedies, probably not something the large pharmaceutical companies want people to hear. He thinks there are some people, such as veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress syndrome, who should not be allowed to own guns. According to the Chicago Tribune, Paul would like to see marijuana and prostitution decriminalized.
In a politically polarized world, Paul's views could be looked at as being all over the ideological road map. That is a problem in terms of the way voters will perceive him and for the media who don't know how to deal with anyone who can't be simplistically defined, especially with a 10-second sound bite. (Wait, I just received word from CNN and Fox News that ten seconds is too long for a sound bite, they must all be five seconds now, and full sentences spoken by candidates must contain no more than three words.)
Personally, I hope Paul gets more and more recognition. This is one interesting cat. And he actually seems to believe in what he's saying.
Further reading:
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/
Paul: A seller of ideas
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