Romney, trying to hang on Ron Paul’s coattails

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After Ron Paul Makes Meteoric Gains, Romney “Borrows” Philosophy

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. On the other hand, it does not show much honesty, integrity, or conviction. The latest test of this principle is to watch “1st tier” presidential candidate Mitt Romney start to emulate the political philosophy of “2nd tier” candidate Ron Paul. Ron Paul has been in favor of small government since he became a Congressman. He has been in Congress for ten terms or twenty years. (Ron Paul is currently listed with 8 to 1 odds of becoming the next US President)

Throughout that time he has consistently advocated that we strictly adhere to the Constitution of the United States. He has written volumes of information on the topic and may be the most patriotic statesman this country has seen in generations. The mainstream media either ignores or ridicules Dr. Paul and his views, but lucky for us, there are two wonderful sources of finding these volumes of writings. The first is on the Lew Rockwell site. Visit the home page and look for the Ron Paul file in the lower left corner. There you can find many articles written by and about Ron Paul as well as a host of videos. Another source is the Ron Paul Library . For the well versed Ron Paul supporter as well as people new to his positions, I suggest that you look through his work. His writings and statements he has given on the House floor are truly inspiring.

Apparently, others are now finding Ron Paul’s writing inspiring too. Of late, a nod to Constitutional policy has been found in sound bites from the other candidates. One can attribute this to the surprising support that Ron Paul has seemed to garner. Surprising, that is, to all of the Neo-cons who were sure their pro-war nation building tactics would surely gather the most supporters. Not at all surprising to the rest of us who know the country is ready for Dr. Paul. As Ron Paul’s popularity continues to rise, the other candidates have tried to ridicule him or ignore him. Now, seeing the amazing support Dr. Paul is generating, some candidates are trying to be him.

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Mitt Romney gave responses that were not just taken from a page out of Ron Paul’s book, but seemed to be taken right out of the good doctor’s mouth. Mr. “I will double Guantanamo Bay” has now decided that States have rights and perhaps we ought to consider ceding them more authority over certain issues such as education and abortion. Both of these are positions that Ron Paul has been stating for years (not surprising to those of us who have read the U.S. Constitution), yet Mr. Romney seems to have had a sudden epiphany as I have heretofore not seen nor heard him state these position. On January 30, 2006, over a year ago Dr. Paul wrote: “. . . the federal government has no authority whatsoever to involve itself in the abortion issue. . . .Why are we so afraid to follow the Constitution and let state legislatures decide social policy?” Today, August 22, 2007, Mr. Romney remarked: that states should “fashion their own laws with regard to abortion. That’s what I think the next step should be.” I wonder where he got that idea.

What this all shows, besides the fact that Mr. Romney has an amazing ability to learn to adapt as quickly as a chameleon, is that Ron Paul is having a major effect on the campaign. The man who everyone scorned, laughed at, made fun of, and generally ignored, is now the man to be emulated, copied, and listened to as closely as E.F. Hutton.

Ron Paul’s success has been frightening a lot of candidates. Despite continued low national polling numbers (many have consistently questioned the methods of the pollsters) Ron Paul did amazingly well this weekend in two straw polls. He won by a landslide in Alabama receiving a whopping 81% of the votes, while Mr. Romney received 5%. Dr. Paul also took New Hampshire by storm in the Strafford County GOP straw poll on August 18, 2007 receiving 73% of the votes cast. Two days earlier Dr. Paul came in third by a hair in the Illinois Republican Party straw poll. While on August 14, 2007 he came in first in the Gaston County, N.C. straw poll with 37% of the votes.

All this success is being ignored, as usual, by the mainstream media, but apparently not by his opponents. Ron Paul is beginning to run away with this race where it counts: in the voting booth. Ron Paul may become the only President in history to win the nomination while “polling” nationally at 1%.

The Ron Paul wannabees are now trying to jump on the Constitution bandwagon. Watch for more of them to parrot Dr. Paul’s ideals and positions as we get closer to the primaries. How can you tell the true blue from the copycats? Long ago, my mother taught me a way to test a man’s character that has held me in good stead. I hope it helps you. She told me: “You can trust that a man will behave in the future the way he has behaved in the past.” People who develop “instant” new positions can usually be counted on to be equally as flexible in the future: leaving you with no real idea of what they will do once in office. Let’s not forget George W’s speech about no nation building while he was campaigning. If you want a man who means what he says, lives what he espouses, and has been unwavering in his dedication to keeping the United States a free nation where people retain their liberties, then Ron Paul is your man. How can this be said with such conviction? Just look at his voting record and writings over the past decade.

Here is what Dr. Paul wrote back on July 20, 1997, over ten years ago, about the dangers of the Federal Government taking over the education of our children (one could choose from many more articles and statements made throughout the years as he has never wavered on his position):

An American statesman once said that the philosophy of the classroom in one generation will be the philosophy of the government in the next. And thanks to the federal take-over of education, that’s a thought which should scare us all.

After all, the federal government has so invaded our classrooms, that daily our children are constantly bombarded with the message that everything good flows from the federal government, and that no one but the federal government has the ability to put right problems in our culture and world. On any given day, the federal government has more influence on the education of the average child than that child’s parents. . . .

As long as we accept the notion that the federal government has some sort of “right” to control education, we will never see this trend reversed. But the good news is, more and more people are awakening to the horrible things which have occurred since the federal government began taking over our schools. . . .

There is absolutely no authority over education given to the federal government by the Constitution, none whatsoever. Everything we see the federal government doing in education is outside the bounds set by the Constitution; not, of course, that many people any longer feel bound by the restrictions set forth in the highest law of the land.

So the real challenge for us is determining how to rescue our school kids from the clutches of the federal education bureaucrats.

Even though many people across the nation are tired of what they see the federal government doing in education, there are too many entrenched congressmen, senators and federal employees who are unwilling to eliminate this unconstitutional waste of tax dollars. Therefore it is unlikely we see the Department of Education abolished, as it needs to be, any time soon, nor will we see the myriad of education-related federal rules and regulations discarded.

I am confident that day will come, for history has shown us that big, centralized government systems always collapse. But until that days arrives we cannot sacrifice our children. In order to ensure our children and grandchildren are receiving the education they need, parents must be able to consider options for their kids other than, or in addition to, the government schools. But realistically, tutoring sessions, home schooling and private schools are options far out of reach for many people, simply because of the cost. . . .

I am absolutely convinced that the key to an educationally prosperous nation is found not in a federal government program, but in the right of parents – consulting with teachers and local administrators – to effectively utilize their moral responsibility for their children. By so doing, we will foster a philosophy of independence, self-reliance, and local responsibility; a philosophy which will permeate our classrooms and our government.

And that is a philosophy of which we are in desperate need not just for the next generation, but also today.