Ron Paul – 3 Political Positions Voters Must Understand

Ron Paul is the most widely followed presidential candidate on the internet – yet many of his political positions are poorly understood. Ron Paul calls himself a “constitutionalist”. To properly understand Ron Paul as a political candidate – one must examine his political positions in the context of his underlying constitutionalist philosophies. Using this foundation – we’ll take a look at his political positions on the Iraq War, abortion (Roe v. Wade) and gun control.

When Ron Paul calls himself a constitutionalist – he’s saying he follows a strict interpretation of the United States Constitution. A constitutionalist favors a small federal government, the rights of individual states, and a very limited role of the federal government in the lives of voters. Take a look at his political posisions on these three issues:

1) The Iraq War:

Ron Paul opposes the Iraq War because his political views assert that only the United States Congress has the power to declare war and the acts of President Bush were illegal. Consider what Ron Paul said in this document - Ron Paul files lawsuit against "illegal" war:

"The president has violated the law and must be taken to task," said Paul. "It is a shame that Congress has not done more to stop the president from this
destructive course. So it is therefore incumbent on us to resort to the courts
to force Mr. Clinton to follow his Oath of Office and uphold the Constitution
and laws of the United States."

What Ron Paul is saying is that the Iraq War was an illegal ward, a war not declared by the United States Congress. Ron Paul is not an “anti war” candidate. He simply wants to see the United States Constitution followed when the United States does go to war.

2) Abortion & Roe v. Wade:

Ron Paul is a pro life candidate – but he does not believe the federal government should make abortion illegal. If you’re looking for a candidate who will seek to appoint Supreme Court justices to make abortion illegal – Ron Paul is not the answer. Consider what Ron Paul says from this document – Federalizing Social Policy:

Ron Paul Speaking:

“Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided, but not because the Supreme Court presumed to legalize abortion rather than ban it. Roe was wrongly decided because abortion simply is not a constitutional issue.”

Ron Paul's political position on abortion doesn’t concern his personal pro life views – again, he simply wants the United States Constitution to be followed and let each individual state decide on the issue of abortion.

3) Gun Rights & The 2nd Amendment:

Ron Paul’s constitutionalist positions can further be seen in his political views on gun rights. Personally, he is an avid gun rights supporter. He believes that ALL federal gun laws are illegal. The states should decide on gun rights issues. Examine what he says in this document – Gun Rights vs. Centralization:

Ron Paul Speaking:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a firm believer in the Second amendment and an opponent of all federal gun laws. In fact, I have introduced legislation, the
Second Amendment Restoration Act (HR 153), which repeals misguided federal gun
control laws such as the Brady Bill and the assault weapons ban. I believe the
Second amendment is one of the foundations of our constitutional liberties.”

In summary, it’s easy to become attracted to or repelled by a presidential candidate simply because you learn he is a pro life candidate or a gun rights candidate. However, it’s critically important for voters to take a look behind the curtains – examining those “popular labels” in the context of the candidate’s political philosophies. You might find a few surprises.

E Lawrence Welch

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