Yes, folks, Ron Paul the icon for many libertarian-minded people, endorsed Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party candidate. This is a relatively old story but I'm bringing it up because there was a debate of third party candidates on C-Span (the debate occurred on Thursday but I didn't see it until Sunday). Here's Ron Paul's explanation: Ron Paul Endorses Chuck Baldwin for President | Ron Paul .com

The debate on C-Span had only two "third party" candidates participating: Constitution Party (Chuck Baldwin) and independent (as in not aligned with a party) candidate Ralph Nader. The Green Party wasn't there, the Libertarian Party wasn't there, the American Socialist Party wasn't there, and neither were any of the other non-Democrat, non-Republican parties there.

I'm fairly certain Ron Paul doesn't agree with Chuck Baldwin on absolutely everything. I'm sure that just about anyone, if honest, would say they don't agree with absolutely everything a particular candidate proposes. But apparently there is enough agreement between Ron Paul and Chuck Baldwin to where Ron has endorsed Chuck's candidacy.

In watching the part of the debate Sunday that I was able to catch, I found both Chuck and Ralph to have well-reasoned positions and there were even areas where the two were in agreement (such as corporations not being "persons"). They were allowed to ask each other questions, something I thought was a nice change from the Democrat-Republican love-fest that was the three debates run by the Democrat-Republican Commission on Presidential Debates. Overall, it was a pretty decent debate that more resembled an actual debate than the Democrat-Republican love-fest we've been subjected to since 1988 under the CPD. You can find a link to the debate here: C-SPAN Politics | Campaign 2008
(you need RealPlayer to watch it).

I have serious problems with Chuck Baldwin's belief that America was founded on Judeo-Christian values - particularly since the Constitution is a decidedly secular document. I was pleased, however, that he made it a point to insist that Americans have the right to practice any religion they choose - or practice no religion at all. I especially liked that Baldwin is opposed to interventionism and the United States going to war against other countries unless Congress specifically declares war. I also liked that he is opposed to foreign aid and that he opposed Bush's faith-based initiatives. His discussion of the health care issue was fairly weak but it's clear he believes in the free market. With regard to the current economic crisis, he and Nader both agreed on criminal prosecution of various people on Wall Street whose illegal activities helped cause the crisis. Baldwin opposes the bailout, Nader appears to oppose it as well.

One of my biggest problems with Bob Barr, besides his unwillingness to participate in Ron Paul's alliance and his absence at the third party debate discussed above, is that he is very clearly an interventionist. This is an important issue for me because I agree with Ron Paul that part of our interventionism brought about 9/11 and I agree with many of the founding fathers that the United States should not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries - have friendly relations with them, trade freely with them, but don't get involved in their internal affairs and don't enter into entangling alliances with them.

So, at this point, I'm not sure who I want to vote for. Voting for the Libertarian Party candidate helps make the Libertarian Party viable. Voting for Chuck Baldwin or writing in Ron Paul is voting for someone who shares my non-interventionist belief.

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A panda walks into a cafe. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.

"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes toward the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

"I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up."

The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.

"Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."

A vote for Chuck Baldwin is a vote in favor of a Christian theocracy. No, thanks.

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"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty." Thomas Jefferson

Walter Mondale: "George Bush doesn't have the manhood to apologize." George Bush: "Well, on the manhood thing, I'll put mine up against his any time."

Like you, I am on the fence, when reading the above. Some of that I agree with, some I don't.

Heck, I may vote 3rd party, too. Makes no difference here, anyway, since this state is so flamingly red.

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"Oh, bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round...

doesnt do much good to run if you arent on the ballot (he isnt here in ga)

Come to think of it, I may vote for me, seeing as I am the only potential candidate with whom I entirely agree.....

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"Oh, bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round...

This seems like a major dis to the LP and Bob Barr. Ron Paul, even though a republican in name, has been almost like a hero to many libertarians, and had huge support from them in the primaries (getting him more votes than Thompson or Guliani, who were both touted by the press at one time or another). I think that this is going to be one of the worst elections for the LP and may bump them further down in the 3rd party rankings, and Ron Paul isn't helping.

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Set your destination with your heart, get there with your mind.

"The wisest men follow their own direction." - Euripides

There seems to be some fracturing of the libertarians. (Certainly, there's enough to confuse the heck out of me, at least....)

Rothbardians, Rand, Friedman, anarchists, minarchists, nihilists, libertarians decrying the Libertarian Party as a sellout and not true.....

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"Oh, bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round...

He may find it difficult to get campaign volunteers the next go round.

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The law perverted! And the police powers of the state perverted along with it! The law, I say, not only turned from its proper purpose but made to follow an entirely contrary purpose! The law become the weapon of every kind of greed! Instead of checking crime, the law itself guilty of the evils it is supposed to punish! - Frederick Bastiat

Have you been paying attention to the BPT? They are up to their usual antics stating that 'a cabal' is running the party...etc. I swear, watching them is like going to a roadside carnival freak show.

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The law perverted! And the police powers of the state perverted along with it! The law, I say, not only turned from its proper purpose but made to follow an entirely contrary purpose! The law become the weapon of every kind of greed! Instead of checking crime, the law itself guilty of the evils it is supposed to punish! - Frederick Bastiat

Indeed this comes as a shock to me. And lowers my opinion of Dr. Paul.


This just goes to show the LP is not ready for prime time. They really screwed the pooch by nominating someone who voted for the patriot act. They can not even rest knowing they did the right thing this time around.

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