YES!
By John Mazzarella
Which politician wants to bring our troops home, close Gitmo, end the war on drugs, and is hated by Fox News? Hint: he’s a Republican! If you don’t know much about Dr. Ron Paul, Congressman from Texas, you might be watching too much mainstream news. Unlike the same old politicians on both sides spinning their BS, Dr. Paul wants to restore our liberty and stop bullying the rest of the world, and the media seems to hate him for it. Whether you’re red, blue, or some shade of purple in between, Dr. Paul has something for everyone.
Are you of the Democrat persuasion? One of President Obama’s campaign promises was to close down Guantanamo Bay. Three years later, not only is Gitmo still alive and well, but Obama recently signed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 into law. It allows for indefinite detention of Americans, without a trial, by order of the president. Seriously, Google it. Obama promised that his administration wouldn’t use this against Americans; but even if you believe him, do you trust the next administration with that much power?
Maybe you prefer to hang out in the Grand Old Party? Paul has released his plan to cut $1 trillion in his first year (that’s $1,000,000,000,000!). Sure, Republicans all promise to cut, but if you look closely, they usually only cut new spending over the course of 20 years or more. Paul’s plan won’t be easy, but it is the only effective plan out there for cutting a solid chunk of out country’s over-$15 trillion debt.
If you’re sick of the TSA practically molesting U.S. citizens in our airports, and soon on buses and trains; if you’re sick over the ineffective war on drugs and the racist, for-profit prison system it feeds; if you’re sick of disingenuous politicians and their contrived and petty fights over funding NPR, USPS and NASA, and would rather defund something that would actually make a difference, like our multiple foreign wars — you need to look at Dr. Ron Paul. Don’t take the media’s word for it, and don’t take Jon Mael’s or my word for it. Google “Ron Paul” and learn the truth.
NO!
By Jon Mael
I really don’t understand why so many young people are so enamored of Ron Paul. I even remember classmates of mine campaigning on his behalf during my junior year of high school in 2008. I know he has some forward ideas, but he is still old and very conservative. He has many policies that would severely hurt the country; that is not what we need right now.
Why do younger voters love him? Well, first of all he said he would legalize marijuana. Quite frankly, if that is your main issue when voting for president, you need to look at your life and make some changes. The economy is in deep trouble and the world is teetering on the edge of widespread crises, but you just want to legally smoke a blunt. Snoop Dogg recently gave his endorsement to Paul. If you need any extra reason not to vote for him, that’s it right there.
Younger voters also say they like Paul because he wants to withdraw U.S. troops from bases around the world, and therefore will end all war. Well, just because you have some idealized, hipster dreams of a world where everyone gets along and loves each other doesn’t mean we can just withdraw troops all over the world and stop policing other nations who need our guidance. Doing so would be cruel to the rest of the world, throwing it into even more turmoil than it is in now.
Paul also wants to eliminate the national minimum wage. That would be a huge blow to the working class, because corporations that are only concerned with their bottom lines would almost certainly drop wages as much as possible, which would put the squeeze on most young people in the country. A vote for Ron Paul would essentially assault your bank account, not to mention your future.
What I’m trying to say is, put your pothead/hipster agenda aside and start thinking about the long-term welfare of America. Don’t vote for Ron Paul. At this point, even Herman Cain looks like a pretty viable option.