As the
2008 US Presidential Election becomes more interesting by the week,
political junkies should not
forget about Republican Representative Ron
Paul of Texas and the Ron Paul Revolution.
While there has not been much media coverage on Representative Ron Paul
of Texas since Senator John McCain or Arizona has become the presumed
GOP nominee, Paul has not retreated into the shadows. Instead, Paul has
revealed himself to be the dark horse or possibly the “true” maverick
of the GOP.
So far, Paul has refused to endorse the candidacy of McCain. For
anybody that has kept track of the Republican debates, Paul seemed to
have stood out from the rest of the candidates. Paul was the only GOP
presidential hopeful that was against the war in Iraq. Though Paul did
not even come close to getting the GOP nomination, he still remained
the maverick.
In short, Paul had gone up against the grain of the current image
of the GOP. Unlike the other former GOP hopefuls, Paul has not endorsed
McCain. Paul has said that he would refuse to endorse any candidate
that is for the war in Iraq. Iraq has been the main platform for the
campaign for McCain.
So far, Iraq has managed to make it back into the focus. But, that
issue is under heavy competition with the issue of the economy.
In regards to the Ron Paul Revolution, it has been gaining followers.
Such new followers are Leon Lim and his wife Ranjani Powers of Ohio.
The couple said that they were planning to move away from the Iraq War
and Patriot Act. But, the Ron Paul Revolution has given them a reason
to stay.
On May 18, Ron Paul’s book “The Revolution: A Manifesto” showed up on
the New York Times bestseller list. But, sales had already dropped.
Still, the Ron Paul Revolution continues to gain supporters.
With the current image of the GOP going down the toilet, the GOP
may have a lot to be concerned about in regards to the Ron Paul
Revolution. So far, McCain has yet to get support from the conservative
bloc of the GOP.
This is something McCain should not discount.