Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Why is Ron Paul Still Going?


Why is Ron Paul Still Going?
Chris Littleton
Archives National Politics Ron Paul ­ 21 August 2012

Why, and how for that matter, is Ron Paul still going strong?

How the heck has a 77 year old man captured the imagination of today's youth?

Answer: for the man that inspired the new tea party movement in 2007, this was never about being President. It was always about advancing the cause of freedom. And this R3VOLUTION is just getting started, so on he goes!

From the Ron Paul campaign newsletter regarding the "We are the Future" celebration at the 10,000+ seat Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida on August 26th:

"The Sun Dome rally has sold out!  But don't worry.  We have overflow room in the USF outdoor baseball stadium next door."

Yes, there are legal battles to be fought and shenanigans at the convention to take place, but for all intents and purposes – Ron Paul has no chance at the Republican nomination for President. So, why am I – like thousands of others – making the journey to see Dr. Paul in Tampa this weekend?

If you've watched him at all, you know the answer to this question.

His impact on the cause of freedom is unparalleled in this generation, and providing a proper farewell for the man who provided a "red pill" to so many of us is the least we can do.

By no means am I close with Dr. Paul, but I've been fortunate enough to speak at a couple events where he spoke, and I've had a chance to sit and chat with him in his DC office a few times as well. The first thing that strikes you with Dr. Paul is his humility, a trait that is almost non-existent in politicians.

This humility exuded each time I was around him as he asked the most genuine questions of people who he had never met. The last time I was with him in DC, I brought an absolutely amazing young lady with me who invested more time and energy into his primary election than almost anyone you will ever meet.

When I explained what she had done for his election this year, he didn't blow her off with a simple thank you and a hand shake. Instead, his eyes lit up and he simply asked her, "Why did you do that?"

And he didn't mean – why did you do this for me? He meant, what inspired you to help the cause of freedom? As she began to clearly articulate the importance of freedom in life – he sat entranced as if no one had ever told him that story before, like a school boy listening to some amazing adventure.

When she finished, he was grinning from ear to ear and the 70+ years were long gone, replaced with the same hopes and dreams of the thousands of young people he has inspired to carry forth the message of freedom into the next generation.

At that moment, I was reminded of the last time I saw him and a simple answer he gave me to a very simple question. Why does he press forward even when things look horrible? He replied by telling me that things weren't horrible at all, and that he had great hope for the future because "liberty was alive and well in the next generation."

And that really sums him up. All his fighting, his stick in the mud stubbornness, his academic-like TV appearances, his status as "Dr. No" on most votes in DC, his grumpy demeanor and his principled positions in his personal and professional life – it all simply adds up to mean, he has publicly defended liberty and individual rights for over 30 years and is now seeing the fruits of his labor in so many new people. He has become America's premier messenger of freedom, and has inspired millions to pursue a life consistent with these principles.

That is why is he is still going, and why his Presidential run was never really about being President. What people who don't understand Ron Paul will never understand about any of us who stood with him – is that we weren't drawn to him as a man.

We were drawn to the message of freedom which he championed, and the unbending way he defended that philosophy. It was never about the man. It was always about the message.

If you have missed Ron Paul, you have literally missed the Thomas Jefferson of our time. A R3VOLUTION has swept college campuses across the country, and no army or government can stop an idea whose time has come. That idea is FREEDOM! I will be honored to say I stood with Dr. Ron Paul.

The last time I met with Dr. Paul a couple months ago, a few of us delivered a letter that thanked him for all he'd given to the cause of freedom. And, now I'd like to thank him again. He was vital in my finding the philosophy of liberty, which I now use as a guide to life. I, for one, am very happy and very thankful he is still going!

If interested in learning more about the good doctor, here is an old Cincinnati Enquirer editorial I was asked to write about him, " Why Ron Paul in 2 Minutes?"

http://chrislittleton.com/2012/08/21/why-is-ron-paul-still-going/

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