Ron Paul: A US Politician Who Says What he Thinks

Americans can either agree or disagree with Ron Paul’s stands on issues, but all political observers must admit that the Congressman is consistent on his positions. In Iowa’s GOP primary , Mitt Romney got the gold medal by 8 votes over conservative Christians’ favorite, Rick Santorum. Meanwhile, Ron Paul won the bronze medal in a tight race with both Romney and Santorum. Paul attracted independent and young voters, and the enthusiasm factor is definitely on his side. Next is New-Hampshire, which has a fiscal conservative tradition with a Libertarian streak, and those two elements which will play in favor of Ron Paul.

Of all the contenders in the GOP line up, Mitt Romney is getting the most support from the Republican establishment – Senator McCain today- and has strong support from big businesses. The real problem for Mitt Romney-in the likely case that, ultimately, it will be a contest between Obama and Romney in November-will be the evasive Christian conservative voting block. For conservative voters Romney is too “liberal” on “value” issues, but the real sticking point is, of course Romney’s “Mormon church problem”. Romney’s “Mormon problem” is likely to keep Evangelist voters from casting their votes for him in his likely contest with President Obama.

American politic is usually a spectacle, a meaningless ego driven charade, a circus similar to a poorly scripted  TV reality show, but meanwhile, the real decisions are made behind closed doors by non-elected players. American citizens have never been more dissatisfied with politicians, and rightly feel that an overwhelming majority of politicians, Democrats and Republicans combined, are more concerned about maintaining the status quo of their oligarchy than serving the interests of the people. This is precisely why a candidate like Ron Paul could be the wild card in this election. Ron Paul is a  political odd ball vocal about what he thinks and sticking to it.

Will Ron Paul Run as a 3rd Party Candidate?

It is almost certain that President Obama will be reelected for a second term, by easily defeating Mitt Romney. But Ron Paul could be the game changer if he becomes the leading figure of a 3rd party coalition ticket. Paul’s  pro-legalization of marijuana, anti-war and anti-US interventionism  positions are getting him support from the left. It is not a coincidence that Ron Paul’s campaign supporters were canvasing Occupy camps across the country. Paul is in many regards a “blast from the past” within the Republican party. From his stand on going back to the gold standard, his non-interventionist position, and his concern about privacy and liberty, Paul is one of the exceptions in the American political landscape.

If Ron Paul decides to run as a third party candidate, with a Libertarian undertone, he is likely to win votes from both Republican and Democrat registered voters. Many Democrats on the left are dissatisfied with President Obama, and could end up voting for Paul in a three way contest between Obama, Romney and Paul. In order for Ron Paul to become a credible national challenger, he will have to explore soon a run as an independent 3rd party candidate. If Paul makes this decision, his most critical decision will be then to pick a running mate. Needless to say, the decision which would get a Paul candidacy a lot more traction would be to pick someone with credibility on the real left such as Representative Kucinich, Senator Sanders or Alan Grayson.