Will Ron Paul Disappoint Me?

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In the early, rural primaries and caucuses, Ron Paul has achieved very weak results. Sure, he took second place in Nevada (misrepresented on some news pages) and is practically guaranteed to sweep his home state of Texas, and has gotten ten to even fourteen percent of the votes in some states, but no matter how you slice it, this is not a favorable omen when the leading candidates are pulling numbers in the thirty percent range. Nevertheless, Representative Paul's massive online donations have been coming from somewhere. It is not out of the question to think that he has strongholds in internet-heavy suburban centers in populous states and that these have yet to show his true strength. It is also possible that his organization will streamline their processes and get the message across: if people don't vote in the primaries, Ron Paul will not be on the Republican ballot this fall. Would a write-in campaign succeed? These are not likely outcomes, but they are possible.

The question remains: will Ron Paul disappoint me? Tens of thousands of people have voted for him, donated to him, believed in his message, and argued with their friends, co-workers, families, and neighbors trying to convey the message that real change is possible. Are we all to be disappointed?

Contenders are dropping out because they are tired, because finances are strained, to spend time with their families, or because the votes just aren't there. It is conceivable that Mr. Paul might be beset by one or more of these problems. We'll find out in just a few days now whether his political message has really penetrated to a significant number of people, and whether they will take the time to vote, so that they might say when they had an opportunity to change the future of America, they seized the chance, and cast the vote. At the end of the primary process, it is possible that not enough people will have received or understood the message, that they did not take the time and opportunity to vote for Mr. Paul, or perhaps even that the time for his ideas has not yet arrived. If this is true, then I will be disappointed in the people of this nation. While their spirits may be weak or floundering in a mishmash of propaganda and conditioning which might not be broken overnight, they have the ability to change. If they have closed their minds for reason of their own, in this I will be disappointed. I will be disappointed that we must wait longer to clean up the sludge that has accumulated through decades of mismanaged government. I may be disappointed that the candidates who are leading right now will bring only more of the same mismanagement and socialism, leading us down the same path toward failure and shame as a nation, as a people.

But I will not be disappointed in Ron Paul. This man, who has given so much of his life in service of the nation he loves, who has thrown himself into the harshest political race anyone could ever think to endure, has not failed. He may have been reviled, ridiculed or rejected for having the audacity to propose meaningful change, but he has been steadfast and strong. Win or lose now, his message has been delivered to tens of thousands of people who are only now beginning to feel their strength.

As the messenger who bore news of the Battle of Marathon to Athens, Mr. Paul's campaign may not ultimately survive, but the run, the delivery of the badly-needed message, is what will be remembered. He has already outdistanced some runners: Thomspon and Hunter have dropped out. Giuliani is faltering, and Ron Paul continues. If he completes the race and the message should be "Victory!" then so much the better, but no person with a heart or soul could be disappointed in his magnificent run.

When the time comes, then, I will proudly cast my vote without fear of disappointment. I will feel only pride in doing the right thing, in voting for the ideas of freedom and good government. I will never, ever, relinquish the dream that we can restore this nation, to promote liberty and free trade, to once again raise that torch of liberty as high as it may reach for all to see. I will vote for Ron Paul because his message cannot disappoint me.

January 30, 2008