Ron Paul is a man I disagree with on many levels who I really wanted to be president. I think economically, he is far too conservative. On civil liberties he is correct in principle, but he would let the individual states get away with too much power. I think the federal government should take an active role in protecting civil liberties and individual freedom from state tyranny, something Ron Paul would likely find unconstitutional.
Despite my misgivings regarding some of Paul's positions, I think he is the man who deserved to be president this year. Had he gotten the nomination, I would have voted for him in a heartbeat. His foreign policy is the only one that makes any sense, he's one of the few politicians to see through the corrupt facade of a central bank known as the Federal Reserve, he's far more fiscally responsible in terms of government spending than anyone else, he understands and empathizes with the average American better than most Washington Republicans, and he is one of the only politicians with the traits of honesty and principle in Washington. I may not agree with total deregulation of everything, and there are some really good federal programs he would try to cut, but when it comes to the core problems in this country, he is right on the money.
He may not have won, but he's altered the political landscape forever. Without him, I don't think either the tea party or occupy movements would have occurred. He's inspired thousands, maybe millions of young people. Cheers to Ron Paul; I hope he has a long and wonderful retirement.
