Is Ron Paul a moderate?

Question

It seems to me that 99% of his supporters only seem to hear how he is against the war and stop listening after that...

He is far far right on everything else.

IE) During the last Republican debate, he mentioned cutting the Department of Education. You don't get much farther to the right than that without falling off the edge.

Answer 1

Ron Paul is a white Christean bigot who hides his agenda of continued discrimination behind being in favor of states rights. He's far right
I would even include his views on Iraq.He might end up with the same practical solution for that situation at this momnet but his reasons aren't liberal or progressive at all.
Progressives usually are internationalists.I sure don't believe in turning our back to the rest of the world.I can see how people are enchanted by Ron Pauls stand on the war after the Bush fiasco, but they don't fully understand why he stands there.I've said this before.If you understand what Ron Paul stands for and you like him you can be an strictly economical liberal but only in the calassical sensehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_liberalism but you certainly are not a progressive.

Isolationism has been tried and failed before.It's also very anti social,I don't think those who suppoort Paul and consider themselves liberal or progressive understand that.Isolationsim is definetely a right wing trait usually.Being in favor of Isolationism effects more than war alone.If you choose that you turn your back on Africa too
http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Poverty.asp

He's against gay marriage and abortion rights.The reason he voted no on The Federal Marriage Amendment is because he fears it might give gay and lesbian people legal ground to demand equal rights not because he supports gay rights.He wants to give it to the states so they can discriminate.
"I oppose federal efforts to redefine marriage as something other than a union between one man and one woman, I do not believe a constitutional amendment is either a necessary or proper way to defend marriage....
I am convinced that both the Defense of Marriage Act and the Marriage Protection Act can survive legal challenges and ensure that no state is forced by a federal court’s or another state’s actions to recognize same sex marriage. Therefore, while I am sympathetic to those who feel only a constitutional amendment will sufficiently address this issue, I respectfully disagree"Ron Paul
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul207.html

He doesn't support seperation f church and state.From a text he wrote:"The notion of a rigid separation between church and state has no basis in either the text of the Constitution or the writings of our Founding Fathers. On the contrary, our Founders’ political views were strongly informed by their religious beliefs. Certainly the drafters of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, both replete with references to God, would be aghast at the federal government’s hostility to religion. The establishment clause of the First Amendment was simply intended to forbid the creation of an official state church like the Church of England, not to drive religion out of public life.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul148.html

He's a white Christian intolerant male who hides his support for continued discrimination,soicial injustice and social darwinism behind states rights.
Liberals should wake up about this guy.Ron Paul believes states are the best bet for fighting progress liberals seek.His attempt to play both sides on every issue make him loose all credibility

Answer 2

Ron Paul started out the famous TEA celebration stream overdue in 2007. Dems and Repubs laughed by using their single digit approval scores for so long as they might. whilst it became glaring that the individuals have been disgusted with close to-0 representation, FOX (who had laughed loudest on the stream) all of sudden claimed to be its founder. ...

Answer 3

I chose to vote for him because he is ideologicaly Libertarian.

How is cutting the department of education far right? It is bureaucratic and does nothing. Basicly you are saying you want people to get your tax money for doing nothing but screwing up our schools

He wants states to control there schools, not the federal government.

Answer 4

He isn't a moderate. Ron Paul supporters (most of us) know what he stands for. We don't have to agree on every little thing but most people that support him are libertarians and people who are disgusted with how the government is being run. Paul offers real change unlike many of the candidates. Sure, there are some who only know he is anti-war but you have to admit that he has real integrity. He says the same thing no matter who he is speaking to and has been delivering the same message for over 40 years. The guy is honest. His ideas might seem radical but they're no more radical than Kucinichs's big government plans. At least they're saying something new and different.

Answer 5

He probably can't even categorize himself. He is more of a Libertarian than a Republican, more of a whiner than a speaker. His little girly voice drives me up the wall, and some of his ideas are pretty far out there, way beyond moderate...especially like legalizing drugs! A vote for him helps us Democrats though, so go for it!

Answer 6

No he 's a nut, who only can scream "read the constitution" when asked a direct question.

For some reason he and his zombie like followers eat it up without actually understanding that the Constitution is a living document ment to adapt to the world not stay stagnant in the 17'00s.

Answer 7

Ron Paul attracts many on the left because of his anti war stance. However,he also attracts many separatists,conspiracy theorists and many other odd ducks.

Answer 8

Ron Paul is a libertarian.

Answer 9

Moderate, but many of his positions are grossly misunderstood

Paul wants to end Federal government interference in public education, NOT public education.. The states have departments of education,. If there was no fed government interference, then state departments would have more flexibility/funds to address the problems of their state in specific areas.

Have you even evaluated his reasoning for taking this position?

"If the steady decline of America's education system over the past thirty years has shown us anything, it is that centralizing control leads to a declining education system. In fact, according to a recent Manhattan Institute study of the effects of state policies promoting parental control over education, a minimal increase in parental control boosts students' average SAT verbal score by 21 points and students' SAT math score by 22 points! The Manhattan Institute study also found that increasing parental control of education is the best way to improve student performance on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) tests. Clearly, the drafters of the Constitution knew what they were doing when they forbade the Federal Government from meddling in education."

-source Ron Paul library

So what is the best solution for our failing public education system? Leaving it to Washington bureaucrats or teachers, parents, state/local governments?

Paul has a solution to funding as well.. this way every family will be able to get their children educated in a system that actually works.

"In order to put education resources back into the hands of the American people I have introduced the Family Education Freedom Act (H.R. 935). This act provides a $3,000 per child tax credit for parents to help cover K-12 education expenses. I have also introduced the Education Improvement Tax Cut Act (H.R. 936), which provides a $3,000 tax deduction for contributions to K-12 education scholarships as well as for cash or in-kind donations to private or public schools. HRs 935 and 936 move control of education resources back into the hands of the American people and help ensure parents can provide their children an excellent education. In fact, since the tax credits contained in H.R. 935 and H.R. 936 may be used to help finance the purchase of items necessary for a science education, such as labs equipment and computers, these bills will particularly benefit those citizens who wish to improve science education. I therefore urge my colleagues to reject the failed, unconstitutional command-and-control approach of H.R. 4271 and instead embrace my legislation to return control of education resources to the American people."

-source Ron Paul library

EDIT: Holy Cow, he does not want to abolish the FBI, there are many different intelligence gathering agencies. He wants to end the bureaucracy and consolidate.. not abolish them.. this actually strengthens our central intelligence by gathering intelligence and making it more effective

It's not about abolishing everything, just ending Fed government involvement..

EDIT: Tommy, Paul is for trade and diplomacy, what he advocates isn't even remotely close to your statement. After 9/11 Paul voted in favor of entering Afghanistan and he supports the letters of Marquee and Reprisal to counter terrorism.

Answer 10

No, I think he's insane. He has claimed that he will abolish the FBI, the Department of Education and numerous other federal agencies after taking office. And these ridiculous claims that he is a "constitutionalist" just crack me up!