US Elections: A Surprise for Dark Horse Ron Paul?

Which Republicans will compete for the White House?

The U.S. elections are, of course, not a horse race. But even before the beginning of the “Elephant Party’s” primaries, the world’s largest broker firms opened the betting.

At one time the odds for former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum were quoted at 20:1. Then for the former governor of the state of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, Santorum and former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, who, at 33:1 was getting nothing. The odds for Texas congressman Ron Paul were also low.

“There was a time when you were trotting…”

To the participants of the race, it doesn’t matter who gives them money. What’s more important is collecting the means for conducting a campaign: the creation of a pre-election headquarters, commercials in the press, payment of specialists in many different areas, including image makers…

No one can compete in this with Obama’s funds, which are already at $172.7 million. In comparison, we could say that Romney’s fund starts off much more modestly at $75.6 million, Gingrich at $20.9 million, Santorum at $15.7 million and Paul at $34.4 million.

Both Republicans and Democrats have traditionally laid claim to the position of White House head, with many false finishes during elections in the U.S. and sovereign countries. For the candidate of the “Donkey Party,” current President Barack Obama, it is easier. He essentially has no competitors. His rivals, the Republicans, still have to make a second tour of the United States in the final race.

What does the public expect from the honorable challengers? Escape from the financial crisis and the pit of financial debt; reduction of unemployment levels (because even at 8.2 percent, millions of Americans are left without work and no way to make ends meet); assurance of guaranteed constitutional rights and even the right to the assurance of old age and preservation of health…

Actually, there’s nothing special about what the people require. Yes, the gap between the rich and poor is increasing; the defective tax system, as before, hits the working class harder than ever, but all the same we believe that the burdens to this class could be overcome. How? Here, the suggestions vary.

Four challengers remain. Romney is noticeably losing touch — so much so that it’s time for the other competitors to go the distance. The suggestion was made that, in order to win the current presidency, Gingrich should agree to pull out his candidacy. Then, the conservatives would rally around Santorum and pass over Romney who, according to all general opinion polls, isn’t up to White House standards. Newt has correctly observed that these discussions themselves are a testimony of the displeasure felt at Mitt Romney’s membership in the party, though his own chances at August’s upcoming party convention are no better and no worse than others.

In the opinion of the conservative wing, the Grand Old Party (GOP), Romney is a liberal. To them, his programs vary only slightly from those run by the current White House head. Take a look at the difference between Obamacare and Romneycare, the reforms introduced by Mitt during his time as governor of Massachusetts. In the general opinion polls, most conservative Republicans assert that if Romney runs against Obama, they just won’t participate in the election.

Rick Santorum? You can’t deny his conservatism and that he might receive support from the Episcopal Church. But Democrats, Independents, atheists and all other non-Republican groups will also be voting in the elections. Isn’t it strange that only Paul, dawdling at the tail, is staying close to the president in the polls and that respondents have even given him preference?

Victorious Duo

We’ve observed however that the primaries don’t necessarily reveal Obama’s competition. The GOP has changed the fundamental rules of selection of candidates. In light of this advancement, the establishment party can and does strip the laurel wreath from a candidate in whose victory Obama does not believe. The truth is that most of the Republican primaries and candidates as early as 2008 awarded potential delegates on the basis of “winner takes all.” But this time, at the end of all the competitions before April 1, electoral delegates are awarded in proportion to the percentage of votes for each participant. If by the time the convention is convened no one has a clear victory, an election will take place in which it will be easy for the electorate to give preference to anyone. For conservative-populist Newt Gingrich, who has many friends among party leaders, the race will not continue in vain.

But the press was so pleased with the idea of the creation of a victorious duo that the thought of a union between Mitt Romney and Ron Paul was spread in earnest. Paul, who admitted that he participated in the elections only for the proselytizing of his libertarian programs, was and remains the dark horse who doesn’t make it to the end of the first primaries. But I think that this isn’t his goal. For him, you could say, the gait is set by the pacer.

Interestingly, it’s difficult to call 76-year-old doctor and Texas congressman Ron Paul a Republican; at one time he ran in the presidential elections for the Libertarian Party. Here we have a very unusual politician with enough radical ideas and loyal supporters. Despite noticeable distance between him and the other competitors, he hasn’t experienced money troubles. At the time of his attempt to compete for the presidential position in 2008, Paul received outstanding support from Internet users (read: young voters). In October of 2007, the site called on his confederates to collect a million dollars a week in support of Paul. America was struck with awe as in only one day, November 5, the congressman’s fund received more than $4.3 million. December 6 of last year saw the creation of a new U.S. record out of all parties and candidates for the collection of funds — $6 million.

At his appearances in any university city, a thousand people gather; if his competitors in the primaries spend considerable time and energy organizing agitators, then Paul’s volunteers are ready to drive around the states at their own expense and inform voters about the agenda of their idol.

So what’s in this agenda? Above all, the denial of the right of government to interfere in a citizen’s private life. The plan shows that he stands against the government war on narcotics and the restriction of the right to bear arms, calling them both unconstitutional. Most importantly, Paul differs from Romney and Santorum in that he has never changed his principles, even if this reduces his popularity with certain voter populations. In foreign policy, he insists on turning away from any military involvement in the business of other countries and Israel “would be allowed to defend herself as she sees fit, without the permission and interference of the U.S.”

War with the False Dollar

Paul’s domestic politics preach limiting state intervention in economics, radical lowering of taxes and liquidation of the Federal Reserve System, believing that the FRS has printed false money seeing as the dollar has not had a gold standard for a long time. It’s difficult to argue with these observations since Paul chairs the House of Representatives’ Committee on Financial Services and is head of the subcommittee on domestic monetary policy!

Needless to say, many of the things Paul advocates are near and dear to the broad American public, but of course he won’t win the primaries. At least that’s what the press has begun to speculate (in the analogy of the Santorum-Gingrich alliance). Allegedly, the Texas congressman is conducting secret negotiations with Romney in order to hand off his delegates.

But this will never happen, even if the leader of the race invites Ron Paul as vice president. I think his ultimate goal is the 2016 presidential race. You’re saying, “At 80 years old?!” No. At that time, Senator Rand Paul, the Congressman’s son, will only be 49! A prominent figure like Ron, and a favorite of the tea party which is gaining power in the country, it’s entirely possible that those who are voting for his father today might vote for him, you could say, by inheritance — especially since they hold many of the same positions. We received evidence of this recently when Rand blocked the adoption of a new senate resolution calling for new sanctions against Iran.

Well, as they say, time will tell. Right now Ron Paul continues the race, and don’t forget he could still seek the support of the Independent Party…

P.S. On April 10, Rick Santorum, second in the Republican primaries, pulled out of the race due to family circumstances.