Maybe Ron Paul hates you, too

Libertarians sound great in small, bite-sized doses. But their problem rests in the fact they just don’t know when to stop talking. Take Ron Paul for example. Paul, darling of the straight-talk libertarian sect (and he boasts an unusually high stoner quotient as well), was the subject of an outstanding article by James Kirchick in the New Republic entitled, “Angry White Man: The bigoted past of Ron Paul.” In the piece, Kirchick looks back at the writings of Paul.

A chunk: … long before he was the darling of antiwar activists on the left and right, Paul was in the newsletter business. In the age before blogs, newsletters occupied a prominent place in right-wing political discourse. With the pages of mainstream political magazines typically off-limits to their views (National Review editor William F. Buckley having famously denounced the John Birch Society), hardline conservatives resorted to putting out their own, less glossy publications. These were often paranoid and rambling--dominated by talk of international banking conspiracies, the Trilateral Commission's plans for world government, and warnings about coming Armageddon--but some of them had wide and devoted audiences. And a few of the most prominent bore the name of Ron Paul.

As part of the package, the article also includes links to the old newsletters. Interesting stuff.

In response to the article, Paul issued the following statement: The quotations in The New Republic article are not mine and do not represent what I believe or have ever believed. I have never uttered such words and denounce such small-minded thoughts. … This story is old news and has been rehashed for over a decade. It’s once again being resurrected for obvious political reasons on the day of the New Hampshire primary. When I was out of Congress and practicing medicine full-time, a newsletter was published under my name that I did not edit. Several writers contributed to the product. For over a decade, I have publicly taken moral responsibility for not paying closer attention to what went out under my name.

That last bit tells me a lot about the man. Who in their right mind, let alone a guy who has aspirations for the presidency, would allow “a newsletter was published under my name that I did not edit.” While it’s been good to hear Paul challenge the GOP talking points (especially on topics like Iraq and “Why the World Hates Us?”), this whole situation shows you why the guy is doomed to single-digit status.