Honestly, if he was still in the running, I would be voting for Rick Perry come November.
But though he is out of Republican nomination, my vote still lies in Texas. The media report all the time about Romney, Gingrich and Santorum, and Ron Paul seems to be left in the dust. Yet, he has a larger following than I think many believe. He is a credible threat for the Republican candidacy, but he considers himself a “libertarian” and this tends to upset some Republicans from time to time. This could be why the media doesn’t cover him nearly as much.
According to Perry’s website, under Perry, Texas has led the states in job creation since 2010 and as the national and other state economies falter, Texas stays strong with an economy built on Perry’s conservative fiscal discipline. Under Gov. Perry, more students than ever have enrolled and graduated from college. Texas’ increased educational accountability has risen standards in high schools and colleges to help students succeed while still increasing teacher salaries. Clearly he and the state of Texas have been doing something right.
Paul is a congressman from Texas and is striving to “put government back in its place.” His foreign policies revolve around the principle of “America First.” Wars thrive on hatred and killing and we will forever be in war if we continue this unnecessary power play, constantly putting our soldiers at risk. He wants to continue to secure our borders but doesn’t believe being in a constant state of war does that. He believes we can protect our country while still securing our freedom, lives and dignity, according to his website.
Like every Republican candidate, I believe Paul wants more affordable health care and to do away with “Obamacare” in the future. Paul believes in the elimination of the income tax and even the IRS. Another conservative fiscal idea Paul believes is that what America needs is to cut spending immensely!
As I have stated in my column before, social views should not be and are not the most important part of a candidate’s platform. Paul is pro-life and if you don’t like that then get over it. He has many other social issues and fiscal plans that should outweigh that. He plans to take steps in cutting emissions and preserving the environment and wishes to eliminate the Department of Education, leaving education decisions to be made at the state and local levels. Paul is a good mix of a candidate — he has some conservative fiscal views while holding other liberal social views.
My trust still lies in Texas with Perry and now Paul. Although Ron Paul is left out of media focus, I believe he is still a strong contender, especially with the younger vote. Ron Paul shouldn’t be looked at as a joke of a candidate if you take a look at his real views and opinions on issues, not just what you see on TV or hear around campus. Go look him up for yourselves — Paul may be our last real hope.