Liberty Maven

Ron Paul’s excellent book “The Revolution: A Manifesto” was recognized by Amazon.com as the book with the most positive reviews of 2008. Once again we Ron Paulians are left to wonder what could have been had he somehow won the GOP nomination.

Of course, the critics will say that we spammed the reviews on Amazon. “Spam” may not be the correct word though. It is more the online “know how” that represented much of Ron Paul’s 2008 grassroots presidential campaign. The critics like most are merely envious.

I hope Ron Paul makes a single resolution to bring in the new year. I hope he resolves to run again in 2012 if the political climate suggests it. By then we may be begging for a President like Ron Paul.

That being said, I’ll likely be begging regardless of the political climate.

There is no mistaking those faithful activist followers of Ron Paul with the general drooling masses swayed into true belief in the boundless ability of the American presidency. It even filters down to presidential candidates. Myths become reality and contradictions are ignored. The Ron Paul zealots, even the conspiracists among them, deserve more credibility than those that believe in the magically deliciousness of Barack Obama. At least they pay attention beyond the main stream media soundbites. You don’t have to think very hard to realize that John McCain is just an old establishment hack politician. His claim of being a “maverick” is as credible as his claim of believing in the United States Constitution.

Yet the masses are moved into worshipping these men because they sought out the position of “leader of the free world.” The truth is the job of American President in this modern age is doomed no matter who sits on the Oval Office throne. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time, “The Cult of the Presidency: America’s Dangerous Devotion to Executive Power“, explores the slow development of the presidency from its humble beginnings to its godlike stature today.

The reality is that the more we expect from our President the less he is capable of delivering. This is especially true during economically calamitous times such as these. The book is a timeline of the American presidency put through the limited government microscope of author Gene Healy (CATO Institute). He celebrates the “boring” presidents like Harding and Coolidge. He hammers on the generally more popular and active presidents like Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and FDR.

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A brand new book about Ron Paul is set to be released on Tuesday, November 11th. “Ron Paul: A Life of Ideas” is the first biography of Ron Paul. It is not about the issues, but about the man and what molded him into the hero of liberty he has become. For fans of “the most honest man in Washington”, according to John McCain, this book promises to be a necessary addition to the liberty section on your bookshelf.

Two authors collaborated on the book. Chris Horner, who wrote the New York Times best seller “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming (and Environmentalism)” and Dr. Karen Kwiatkowski, a frequent contributor to LewRockwell.com are the authors.

I’ve already preordered mine, have you?