Why Republicans Should Vote for Ron Paul

I believe there are two primary objections among many Republicans, which might possibly prevent a vote for Ron Paul. I also believe that these objections can, and should be overcome.

Firstly, many Republicans may contend that in a "post-911 world", we can't afford to have a President who is weak in the 'War on Terror', or who will back out of the "war" in Iraq. Some might even call this a "cut and run" position and think that Ron Paul will assure our defeat in Iraq (through withdrawal).

a) Ron Paul is not weak on defense - in fact, he would likely support cutting all other areas of government before ever cutting our defense spending. He does feel strongly that our military's role is to defend our country, not to operate as a police force or to assist in the rebuilding of post-war Iraq.

b) We already have WON a military victory in Iraq! Those who complain that withdrawing will assure defeat are just plain wrong. Our military is the most advanced, most powerful military in the world, which soundly and easily defeated the military forces of Saddam Hussein's regime. If our forces stay in Iraq, some level of insurrection and civil war will continue well into the future. If our forces exit Iraq, some level of insurrection and civil war will continue well into the future.

Furthermore, regardless of where you stand on Iraq or the 'War on Terror', Ron Paul is a true conservative who supports less government, family values, protecting our 1st and 2nd amendment rights, lower taxes and less government intrusion, and restoring a sound economic policy to foment stability and growth! Perhaps most importantly, Ron Paul believes in enforcing our constitutional laws - and that includes securing our borders; not giving amnesty to 20,000,000 illegal immigrants (something our Republican frontrunners and Democratic frontrunners BOTH support). We're losing a cultural war that is eroding our heritage and morality - we need a leader who is truly a man of conviction - who will do what is right regardless of the influences of special interests, the media, or the pendulum swing of popular opinion. His honesty and integrity is unmatched among his peers, and the consistency of his voting record is truly unparalleled. When was the last time we, as Americans, voted a president into office and they actually voted consistently based on the same values and positions they used in their campaign? Ron Paul is that kind of man.

Secondly, many other Republicans, though acknowledging his honesty, integrity, and admirable strict adherence to our Constitution, contend that he's not worthy of a vote -- because he simply cannot win. This couldn't be further from the truth. Ron Paul is a true conservative who will energize the base of conservative Republicans in a way we haven't seen since Ronald Reagan. In addition, his position on the war in Iraq appeals to a wide range of voters - even liberals and libertarians who would otherwise not consider voting for the Republican candidate. Those are votes that a Giuliani, McCain, or Romney definitely would NOT get.

If Giuliani or McCain gets the nomination, many of the core conservatives will flee to a 3rd party candidate or just stay home, whereas the Democractic base will be energized and flock to the polls for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. But, if Ron Paul is on the Republican ticket, some of that Democractic base will cross-over. As a true conservative through and through, Ron Paul can appeal to the conservative base of the Republican party, while also appealing to anti-war Democrats, to the growing numbers of libertarians (in particular, the young vote), and even to the moderate voter simply fed-up with our immigration policy (or lack thereof). Ron Paul not only has a real chance to win in '08, a strong case can be made that he has the best chance to win!