The Parallel Universe of the Paulophobe With practically each passing day, we are becoming ever more familiar with the recently identified PDS Paul Derangement Syndrome. Also known as Paulophobia, PDS, it has now been determined, compels its victims to create for themselves an alternate reality, a parallel universe that is, in some critical respects, quite literally the mirror image of our own. In the real world, those who are looking for a tireless, consistent champion of limited government, individual rights, states rights, and the like i.e. conservatives and constitutionallist Republicans know that there is but one person in the field of GOP presidential candidates to whom they can turn. That person, of course, is Congressman Ron Paul. In the real world, of this field of candidates, the former Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, has a record that exposes him as the least likely of such candidates to advance these principles. But in the parallel universe that the Paulophobe labors incessantly to create, Mitt Romney is the GOPs frontrunner while Ron Paul is treated as if he is marginal at best, non-existent at worst. In the real world, Ron Paul has proven himself second to none in eliciting as devoted and enthusiastic a following as any politician of our generation including Barack Obama and Sarah Palin. This is no mean feat at a time when the electorate seems to have become as disenchanted with politicians as it has ever been. At least as impressive is that this following is as substantial in size and diverse in quality as it is loyal to their candidate. In the Paulophobes alternate reality, however, Paul supporters are somehow less than real voters, maybe even less than real people. At a minimum, they are neither respectable voters nor respectable people. Those who endorse Ron Paul are depicted as constituting a marginal group of cultists. Paulophobe extraordinaire, nationally syndicated neoconservative Republican talk show host Michael Medved, as purely as any PDS patient illustrates this tendency to reduce Paul backers to intellectual and/or moral paupers. That Medved routinely refers to Pauls supporters as Paulistinians is, to put it mildly, telling. In the real world, most national polls have steadily assigned Ron Paul third place for months, and the Texas Congressman defeats all competitors in one straw poll after the other. A candidates straw poll performance, though certainly not determinative of how a race will end, is still a not insignificant indicator of the strength or weakness of his or her candidacy. In the world of the Paulophobe, either Ron Paul doesnt participate in straw polls or, if he does, his rankings in them not necessarily the straw polls themselves are dismissed as meaningless. When Pauls supporters protest that their candidate is being treated unfairly, the Paulophobe is as dismissive of their complaint as he is dismissive of Ron Paul himself: the Paul people are paranoid and conspiratorial, he insists. At the same time, though, to explain away Pauls fortunes, the Paulophobe conjures up conspiracy theories of his own: The Paul people rigged this poll or that, etc. In the real world, Ron Paul argues for redeploying our troops from overseas lands to our own porous borders. That Paul receives more contributions from active military personnel than our current President and all of the other Republican presidential candidates combined demonstrates that his message resonates with legions of those men and women who, presumably, know best when it comes to matters of national security. In the parallel universe of the Paulophobe, in glaring contrast, Ron Paul is an appeaser, a virtual pacifist, nuts on parade, as Paulophobe Rush Limbaugh described him not too long ago. No, a President Paul would be Americas last President, because it wouldnt be long after his inauguration that America would meet her demise and the entire planet would come under Islamist rule. In the real world, Ron Paul has pointed out what the bipartisan 9/11 Commission, the Central Intelligence Agency, and Islamic terrorists themselves have long noted: anti-American Islamic hostilities, from the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993 through 9/11 to the present are primarily designed as responses, not to our beliefs regarding ourselves, but to our conduct toward the Islamic world. In drawing our attention to what is obvious to all who have thought about this issue, Paul, of course, never meant to excuse or justify the heinous acts of those horrible men who are determined to murder Americans. After all, shortly following 9/11, Paul spared no time in casting his vote in favor of invading Afghanistan. And he most certainly never meant to suggest that it is the American citizenry who deserve blame for the terrorist attacks that they have suffered. Rather, it is precisely because Paul cares so deeply about the wellbeing of his country, because he so highly values peace and a strong national defense, that he seeks to analyze our situation in ideologically-neutral, even if politically risky, terms. In the Paulophobes universe, Ron Paul is exceedingly naïve when it comes to confronting the Evil of our time i.e. Islamofascism. Paul fails to grasp that Islamists want to ruin America because of her exceptionalism, her unrivaled freedoms and liberties. America is the only nation in all of human history to have been founded upon a universal proposition or idea, the proposition that all men (and women) are created equal. It is this the exceptional character of America that makes her the target of the Islamists animus. Not only, though, is Ron Paul naïve; he is as well dangerously close to being an anti-American himself, for Paul never spares an occasion to blame America for 9/11 and other acts of terrorism. While it is understandably exasperating for the inhabitants of the real world to abide his delusions, they should consider taking pity upon the Paulophobe, for in the imaginary world of the latter, Ron Paul people constitute a dispensable indeed, even an irritating ragtag band of misfits whom he would just as soon see disappear. In the real world, however, if Paul doesnt get his partys nomination if his supporters oblige the Paulophobe and disappear come Election Day 2012 Barack Obama will sail to a second term. http://thenewamerican.com/opinion/jack-kerwick/9456-the-parallel-universe-of-the-paulophobe
I don't think you would be far off either, that and the "dumbing down" of the American education system. I think the American experiment is just about over. Like any democracy, its going to commit "Suicide" from sheer stupidity.
Excellent post Bosco. I've mentioned several times here on PF that Paul, in many ways, is actually more conservative than the rest of the GOP field. The things that many Conservatives claim to want, Paul actually intends to deliver. His loss of Conservative support stems mainly from his stance on foreign policy, and his ideas concerning drug policy. Sadly though, most of the opposition to his ideas has arisen from misinformation, flat out slander, and fear mongering. It's as people believe that if elected, he'd simply march into Washington and turn things upside down overnight. Ideas like ending the Fed and such cannot happen overnight, perhaps not even in a single term. I don't agree with Ron Paul on several things, but in my mind the pros outweigh the cons, and I don't fear him for his beliefs that I disagree with, because again, I know he can't simply snap his fingers and make things happen. I could tolerate Cain, Romney, or Gingrich... basically anyone but Obama, but RP is the man I want to see in the White House.
Another dishonest 'ophobia term on the horizon? Almost as bad as "Islamophobia" which was created by the Muslim Brotherhood after they noticed how effective the word "homophobia" was in halting criticism of the homosexual agenda. Paul's biggest problem is his foreign policy beliefs. His recent calls for friendship with Iran and Palestine are two great examples of his naivety when it comes to America's genuine enemies in the world. Appeasement simply doesn't work with the Islamofascists who threaten the US. And no, they didn't become murderous savages in 1952, or when Israel became a nation. They have been a violent group since the beginning of their supremacist religion and ideology. Paul has many great ideas on the economy. No conservative will deny that. However, his foreign policy stance is simply too dangerous to make him electable to many voters. His standoffish style turns off a lot of people as well. Paul is happy to have his loyal group of supporters, and doesn't see the need to appeal to the larger conservative base.