Is Ron Paul's candidacy a turning point in American politics?

I was very excited when I discovered congressman Ron Paul was running for President. As the most consistently libertarian congressperson (even though he's registered Republican), he has provided the only remaining shreds of hope our government may someday stop this ever increasing journey toward fascism.


Although I'm not sure we need presidential debates a full 19 months prior to the election, I am very pleased for a chance to see all the candidates get a chance on stage. It remains to be seen whether any third party candidates will have a chance to debate. But in the meantime, we have the next best thing: Ron Paul.

As has been well covered by now, there was a tense moment at the Republican debate earlier this week. In an answer about foreign policy, Paul responded that our interventionist policies have actually been a contributing factor to the terrorism we've experienced. Rudy Giuliani countered out of turn about how absurd and offensive Paul's remark was. The audience applauded wildly as Giuliani called for Paul's retraction and apology. My heart sank as I waited for Paul to cower and waver on his statement.

But he didn't! Instead he further explained what he said without backing down. It was the proudest moment I've had as an American for a long time. Finally, someone standing up to the truth. In post debate interviews, Paul continued to stick to his convictions and in some cases, even commented that Giuliani should apologize to him.

But here's why I think this could be a turning point: there's a lot of positive chatter on the Internet about Ron Paul, especially since the debate. I think the Internet may finally be ubiquitous enough to serve as a tool to unite voters who would have previously been squelched by the media and major parties. The press is much more influenced by the Internet than previously and all the interest around Paul will most likely spill over into major media. There is already plenty of evidence of that; it's just a question of whether it will have staying power.

Admittedly, Paul has a slim chance of actually becoming the Republican nominee, but if he can remain a force through the entire election cycle, it will be a huge breath of fresh air and could have major implications in determining the policies for the next decade. And we will have learned that there is still some hope for truth and common sense.