Is the voting public sick of the Republican party?

I have heard of him, just I am not familiar with all his views... But now I have read some about him. He isn't antiwar actually, mainly just anti-Iraq it seems, he is for our involvement in Afghanistan. I can see why some of my friends like him. He wants to get rid of federal income taxes, and his views on gun control and him being pro-life. But why oppose the NCLB? That ensures that children get a proper education... And pulling out of NATO and the UN? I don't hate the idea, but I don't like it... I can't ever see that happening... If it was between him and Obama or Clinton, I would go with him... Except I cannot vote until the NEXT elections... ... But I can see why you like him... I just don't agree with his anti-Iraq policy, and a few others...

 

kolgames, you can get great insight into Ron Paul's thought process by reading the speeches he's made on the House floor over the years:

http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/

 

I looked at him on wikipedia for a while...

 

Frankly, the more I think about it the more I'm convinced less and less Americans have reason to buy into what has become the traditional GOP attack on Democrats of big spender/big taxer/ etc.

From what I recall, taxes were not a crazy big issue in 2000 and 2001. Bush made it a big issue and continued to push it. But the voting majority wasn't sold on it per opinion polls of the time, as I recall.

With the economy totally tanking, costs rising, jobs falling, I think people are far more concerned with righting the economy....not just taxes. The tax argument goes only so far in most folks mind....and obviously now....lower taxes under Bush aren't doing wonders for this economy.

As far as big programs, Bernard, thanks for referencing things that Carter was involved in.

I know that the costs of a department like education are relatively small. I don't know about the overall costs of programs it runs.

Frankly, with oil prices going through the roof and the inability of Bush to do anything about it in the face of Opec....one could argue that an activist energy department working on alternative fuel opportunities would be a government plus.

Meanwhile, the drug program under Bush, was not only enormously big....his administration purposely hid the size and lied about the size of the program while under legislative review....and pushed through a program of which a significant element is that it so incredibly supports drug manufacturers over med buyers and tax payers....that one has to seriously question the appropriateness of this legislation at its very core.

Of interest, following the third defeat on these special elections, house and senate republicans are in an uproar vis a vis the message they are putting out.

 

The economy was on the tail end of a boom cycle. The nation was just as upset with the Clintons at the time as they are now with Bush IMO.

no problem.

Everything is relative. The cost and scope of the Dept. of Education has grown considerably while our educational system has suffered (IMO - too tired to look up references for you). It should be abolished. It has grown under both Dems and Pubs but that isn't the point. All government programs grow and that's why it is so imperative for Americans to stop new programs before they start.

 

And to destroy programs that have failed and continue to grow with the government largesse allocated to remedy "failure".

Departments do not shrink on their own. They don't voluntarily admit, "mission accomplished" and dismantle. Where there is a department, there is a problem. Always.

 

I am sick of all politicians. No matter who you vote for the majority of them have one agenda. To stay in power, not to serve the public.

 

I don't think the public is sick of the republican party, they still embrace republican ideas. Travis Childers the guy in Mississippi ran as a pro life pro gun democrat, he didn't run on big government. The democrats have been doing a job of finding republican leaning candidates on issues and have been winning, but that will only take them so far. If those who win end up voting for things like gun control which their voters may not like those seats will end up in the republican hands again. This causes an issue with the other democrats in congress in terms of passing laws.

 

What Republican ideas? McCain is a pro-war liberal. He's Hillary Clinton with white hair and a nasty attitude.

You're dreaming, if you think the ideals people embrace haven't been abandoned by the party. Conservative after conservative have come out in the last year, and wanted to distance themselves from Bush Republicanism. McCain is a continuation of that, but even more to the center. McCain actually is running on the things that make Bush terribly unpopular.

How this is a winning strategy is beyond me. I hope he is destroyed badly in the general so that the party can get back to true conservative principles and present the American people with a credible ideological opposition to the Democrats.