Today's piece is brought to you by the neocon Washington Times and can be found here.
My chief objection to this article is not the usual "Ron Paul might be getting some support but we know he can't win" dismissive attitude. Ignoring the fact that present polling has him among the top three declared GOP candidates and that his fundraising, the barometer of modern campaigns, is outstanding, I take issue with the suggestion that he is incapable of compromise.
Anyone who has been a Congressman for as long as Paul has knows how to compromise.
If he has earned the reputation as "Dr. No" on the Hill it is only because there has been such an abundance of unnecessary action by the federal government, that he is rarely given an opportunity to cooperate. But just take a look at his presidential campaign to see where he has.
Paul is often asked why he does not run as an independent, since he is hardly the Republican Party establishment's favorite member. He always responds that it is necessary under our present system to utilize one of the two major parties. That is a frank answer and it illustrates his willingness to cooperate with a system he does not necessarily agree with.
Ask him about Social Security. Paul will tell you that in theory he disagrees with the system, but in the short term we need to keep it going. When discussing the alleged debt default on the horizon, he argues we should immediately curb overseas and other federal spending before cutting of Social Security (and the multitude of federal health care programs currently screwing up the market). Such a concession conflicts with his free market approach, but he understands it is the humane and politically sensible course to take. He would rather waste money giving cash to seniors that lobbing bombs into Pakistan. Long term of course he would transition to another system, but he is not a blind idealist who just wants to turn off the spigot overnight (unless that spigot is funding the military-industrial complex which skews the market and wastes more money that OBama's wife on a weekend getaway).
He has shown the same willingness, although with a paucity of details, about how he would close the various, unnecessary federal agencies and departments which are now littering the capital. SHut them quickly, he says, but he concedes the process needs to take into consideration existing regulations and a transition to the private market.
It is correct to mention that Ron Paul has run for president before, it is okay to state where he is in the polls, and it is fine to write that he is steadfast in his beliefs. But characterizing him as completely unwilling to compromise is neither accurate nor fair.
Sensible libertarian views on nearly everything- except foreign affairs.