I said that Ron Paul would be a force to pull Republicans to the left if for no other reason than that he would bring the Anti-War message to a crowd that was used to not hearing it and would be able to confront those who were pro war by assailing their logic. He would also be able to lay bare the fake economic message that many of these Republicans pass off to the public. Maybe I credit Paul too much for this but I find Cockburn's statement on the matter to be reflective:
However, the supersensitive antennae of Dickie Morris twitched alertly on Tuesday night on the Fox Channel as he pored over exit polls in Florida and declared that (a) he could detect signs that the Republican Party was lurching to the left because of the economy and (b) that such votes as Edwards was getting in Florida came from people who could not bring themselves to vote for a woman or a black. Maybe that type of voter will switch allegiance to Ron Paul on Super Tuesday.
Trending left you say? Republicans have been used to voting against their self interests for a while now. I stand by my position that Paul's candidacy has exposed it and a significant portion of Republicans are beginning to see that they are being played but can't bring themselves to align with someone they consider "liberal."
In related Paul news we have the following statement, which is old news really:
It's true he should have been more vocal, denouncing those racist newsletters that went out over his letterhead, but one the other hand there's his forthright statement to Wolf Blitzer on CNN on January 10:
I attack two wars that blacks are suffering from. One, the war overseas. In all wars minorities suffer the most. So they join me in this position I have against the war in Iraq. And what about the war on drugs? What other candidate will stand up and say I will pardon all blacks, all whites, everybody who were convicted for non-violent drug acts and drug crimes. And this is where the real discrimination is. if you want to look for discrimination, it's the judicial system. So I am the antiracist because I am the only candidate, Republican or Democrat, who [wants to] protect the minority against these vicious drug laws.
I'm not prepared to hand Ron Paul, Anti-Racist papers, but he's right on track with his position on prisons. Don't expect anyone on the left, still in the game to even approach this level of discourse during the election cycle, even if they are amenable to the idea. Talk about change. After receiving e-mails with a phot of Obama and his wife in NH, and telling me to vote for him because of the cute picture, I don't think too many black folk are really paying attention anyway.
Oh and in passing Giuliani has apparently admitted that Ron Paul won the debates.
And Ron Paul...
(APPLAUSE)
... who won all the debates, on that thing where you call in all the time. I used to watch it afterwards at night when I'd go back to my room and Ron Paul would win all the debates.
We told you that already didn't we?
Technorati Tags: 2008 US Elections, Ron Paul
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