You'd be hard pressed to say anything more fatal about a candidate. I don't look for a perennial naysayer in a president; I'm looking for a leader who gets stuff done.
True, and this is the sad part.
The one thing that he single-handedly would be able to change though is foreign policy. As Commander in Chief he would be able to bring the troops home, end sanctions that kill hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians and have the exact opposite effect of what they're supposed to have. He would cease drone programs, withdraw completely from a region that is hostile to the UR because of the
very presence and their constant meddling in affairs. He would shut down all foreign military bases, end the Afghanistan War, end the Iraq War (it's not over, there's about 17000 contractors still there afaik).
He would also be able to end a lot of civil liberties atrocities.
These are things he can realistically do.
But as far as replacing the monetary system and financial reform, actual downsizing, none of that's going to happen. I mean, he's not going to be able to end the federal income tax either, or withdraw from the UN or NATO in the near future.
jsem, do you not have doubts yourself about RP? I mean, what's your personal view on this guy?
rumborak
I have no reason to doubt his sincerity, his truthfulness or his integrity. I have no doubts that he would abandon his views once he gets into office.
The thing that bothers me about him though is his strict view of the Constitution. The Constitution was a very good document, but several things in it put me off. The "general welfare" clause is one of them, it could be used to justify nearly any intervention by the government into the economy and people's pockets. Also there is this absolutist view of states rights that bothers me, I'm not a US citizen so it shouldn't concern me that much - but even if Ron Paul would end the drug war federally, he wouldn't go in and stop a state from banning marijuana or something of that nature.
His personal view is however to have a union where every state has libertarian laws, but he takes his oath of office too seriously. The Constitution is in small parts an anti-liberty document.