In the next installment of our Ron Paul Paul-O-Meter effort to rate the Presidential candidates we hold John McCain to the Ron Paul liberty fire. Previously, we rated Barack Obama. For details about the Paul-O-Meter see the description.
Today we begin rating the Presidential candidates with our rating for Barack Obama. The Paul-O-Meter will give us a total score on 20 criteria. The closer a candidate gets to 100 points the more that candidate is like Ron Paul. For each criteria we will give the score and a short justification for that score. Read the results for Barack Obama below.
Who needs a Ron Paul endorsement when you have the Paul-O-Meter?
Everyone knows the perfection of Ron Paul. He is already a living legend. All future candidates are damaged goods simply because they are not Ron Paul. There is only one Ron Paul. So to see how other candidates measure up to his perfection we are introducing the “Paul-O-Meter”.
The Paul-O-Meter ranks candidates on a scale from 0 to 100 depending on how closely they are in agreement with Ron Paul on chosen criteria. Since no candidate can possibly equal Ron Paul, the highest score on the Paul-O-Meter attainable for candidates other than Ron Paul is 99. To simplify the ranking, each candidate will be graded from 1 to 5 on each of the 20 criteria. The 20 criteria are listed below, along with a short description for each.
NEW: Now you can submit your own ratings using our new Paul-O-Meter web polling service. Check it out here.
Civil Libertarianism – a strain of political thought that emphasizes the supremacy of individual rights and personal freedoms over and against any kind of authority.
Some ardent libertarian minded Ron Paul enthusiasts have chosen to not support Bob Barr in his effort to attain the Libertarian nomination for President. For the most part this seems to be about a lack of trust. Comparing every candidate to Ron Paul is like comparing an HDTV signal to a standard definition signal. No matter how much you fiddle about with the TV settings the picture will never look as rosy, crystal clear, and 3D-like as Ron Paul. I respect those purist Ron Paul supporters, but give Barr a break.
It is certainly true that Barr has a bit of a checkered past. Assuming he gets the Libertarian nomination (which is apparently not a foregone conclusion), he will be on the ballot. Ron Paul will not. On the issues in 2008 Bob Barr and Ron Paul are twins. Not many will argue that. The arguments are all about Barr’s congressional voting history and the fact that he once worked for the CIA. I can understand those that point to his voting history on such gems as the Patriot Act and the Iraq war authorization. Not supporting Barr solely because he once worked for the CIA befuddles me. That is merely reaching for an excuse.
The ideological Ron Paul math can be summed up with the following expression:
Ron Paul(Foreign Policy) + Ron Paul(Economy) = The Solution
Ron Paul’s position on foreign policy is consistent with his position on economics. He preaches non-intervention overseas and the deregulation of markets. His positions are interesting in that they steadfastly refuse to contradict each other. Likewise, He is pro-life and against the death penalty. Many other Republicans contradict their pro-life view by supporting the death penalty.
His is a true non-interventionist position. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have a faux non-interventionist position. They make the colossal mistake of thinking that pulling out of Iraq is enough non-intervention. Ron Paul correctly and consistently points out that Iraq is only part of the entire foreign policy portrait. Obama and Clinton do not preach non-interventionism because they don’t believe in the principle. They will not bring our troops home from Germany or Korea. They advocate repositioning troops from Iraq to Afghanistan. This is hardly any real “change” from George W. Bush. Chances are neither would even follow up on their promise to bring our troops home from Iraq. Certainly, some new excuse to keep troops there can be manufactured when the time comes.
Ron Paul spoke at Liberty University earlier today. The video is in 5 parts. He is introduced by Jerry Falwell Jr. Ron Paul goes all religious for a bit of the speech, framing his principles for the audience.
Very good interview with Carol and Ron Paul. First, Carol Paul talks about their life together, their family, and their faith. Next, two of Ron Paul’s granddaughters are interviewed. They speak about looking up to Ron growing up and going to the same church with him. Finally, Ron Paul is asked several questions, most of which we’ve heard the answers to before.
Once again a Rudy Giuliani campaign event draws Ron Paul backlash.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — What happens when a Rudy Giuliani campaign event, Ron Paul spoilers and anti-abortion protesters collide? Not a press conference, that’s for sure.
Giuliani’s campaign scheduled what is known in the political world as a “meet and greet,” a supposedly impromptu opportunity for a candidate to stroll through a place where lots of people are gathered. In fact the event is planned in advance.
It was no secret that the Republican presidential candidate and former New York mayor was going to be at TooJay’s Original Gourmet Deli on Tuesday.
So when Giuliani showed up at the shopping mall where the restaurant is, he was greeted by supporters, reporters and staff, and a few dozen enthusiastic backers of Paul, a long-shot GOP rival. The Paul backers have shadowed Giuliani at many events. At the deli, they held signs behind his head so that any camera shot of Giuliani could appear as an advertisement for Paul.
The “Roe” in Roe v. Wade is set to endorse Ron Paul today. Here is the ABC report:
It’s not as well-known as his anti-war stance, but Ron Paul – an OB-GYN by trade – is also pro-life.
This is a fact he has highlighted in Republican early primaries as he has tried to sell his libertarian, anti-establishment ethos to the Republican rank and file.
He will get a boost at an event in Washington tomorrow when the “Roe” in the Roe v. Wade 1973 court case, Norma McCorvey, endorses his bid for the presidency.
Well, it’s a problem for me and probably the general mainstream of America. According to CNN’s polling last night 86% of GOP voters said religion played a role in their vote. After reading this ABC article it is no surprise that Huckabee won in Iowa among the GOP voters.
Rebekah Swicegood, a 22-year-old music teacher from Lowell, Ark., led the circle with seven friends, pontificating for approximately 20 minutes, beseeching the Lord to provide a victory for Huckabee, a Baptist minister before entering elected office.
Swicegood said, “We pray that you will lift Mike Huckabee up, Lord,” as part of a plan for the U.S. to “return to the God of our founding fathers.”
This would include ending abortion, and ending homosexuality. “When Rome got to the point of accepting sodomy, they fell,” Swicegood said.
Weeping at one point, Swicegood also prayed “that we no longer say, in the name of tolerance, that we accept every wrong religion.”
After her prayer was finished, the group broke out into a chorus of “God Bless America.”
Swicegood said she was home schooled, which is a constituency Huckabee has courted assiduously.
“Mike Huckabee is a picture of God’s last chance for America, because we have rejected him,” she said. “Mike Huckabee is going to beseech God’s mercy on America.” (source: ABC news)
This alone tells us Huckabee’s chances at the GOP nomination. Slim. It does however make a wonderful case for him being selected as a running mate to the eventual nominee.
Liberty Maven
In the next installment of our Ron Paul Paul-O-Meter effort to rate the Presidential candidates we hold John McCain to the Ron Paul liberty fire. Previously, we rated Barack Obama. For details about the Paul-O-Meter see the description.
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