Ron Paul is the best republican candidate

Regarding your first point: It's not government's job to be involved in the redistribution of wealth, and congressman Paul has always voted against any spending bill that does. If such a bill is to be passed, however, it would be even more unfair for any one district to be singled out for no money. If a given amount of money is already set to be spent, the second fairest solution is for every district to get a share. Dr. Paul, however, has always worked tirelessly to eliminate such spending entirely, by speaking and voting against any bills not authorized by the constitution. While the fact that all districts get some money makes these bills slightly better, the overall bill is still an abuse of power. The fact is, no other candidate has anything close to the record that Paul does in taking principled stands to shrink the size of government and defend personal liberties. When congress proposed gold medals (costing about $30,000 apiece) for Ronald Reagan, Rosa Parks, Mother Theresa, and others, Paul volunteered to donate $100 of his own money to pay for each medal, and proposed that all other members of congress do the same. Of course, the rest of congress, ever ready to spend everyone's money but their own, instead paid for them with taxpayer money. This is just one example in a long list of principled stands that Paul has made. As senator John McCain told Kent Snyder (Paul's Aide), "You are working for the most honest man in Congress". ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Regarding your second point: At the very least, even if the congress never agrees with him on anything, Ron Paul will veto any unconstitutional legislation that crosses his desk. This will require congress to have a 2/3 majority to expand government -- which even by itself would be a huge step in the right direction. Also, he could immediately rescind unconstitutional executive orders, and if the congress does not pass a declaration of war, save hundreds of billions of dollars a year in overseas expenditures. If Paul were voted into office, it is likely that legislators of like mind would soon be elected, and current legislatures, swayed as they are by the winds of public opinion, would begin to lean towards a return to constitutional government. In reality, both sides of the aisle support liberty for particular cases, so a liberty minded leader would likely have a better chance of bringing people together than another party hack. Indeed, most members of congress do agree with Paul from time to time, just not consistantly. An effective leader is one who does what is right, and acts according to principles, not one who sacrifices them in the name of "getting things done". Most of the time, bills produced in this manner would be better not produced at all. "I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!" --Barry Goldwater ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What is your proposal for returning to the constitution then? Are we to be swayed by the fear of others' negative opinions? Never! It is those who carelessly discard the keystone of our representative government, those who would sacrifice our civil and economic liberties for reelection who are extreme, and fringe! Shall we take babysteps to liberty, begging "mainstream" candidates to occasionally toss a bone our way as they compromise the basic principles of our republic? I am proud to call myself an American precisely because our ancestors refused to make this compromise, and I would be ashamed of myself, and they would be ashamed of us if we prove too jellyspined to fight for our liberties now. "The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men." --Sam Adams "Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud, is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people." --John Adams "To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it." -- Thomas Jefferson "America... well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extraction, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom. The fundamental maxims of her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force... She might become dictatress of the world. She would be no longer the ruler of her own spirit." - John Quincy Adams; Address, 4 July 1821 "The executive has no right, in any case, to decide the question, whether there is or is not cause for declaring war." --James Madison You say that you disagree with Ron Paul on many things. What are these, let's discuss them! We both know that while he is not perfect, there is no one within lightyears of Paul when it comes to a commitment to constitutional principles. So let's not pretend that's why you don't support him -- let's get to the point, shall we?