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You Asked For It: The Ron Paul Post Print E-mail
Written by Dave Loos   
Sunday, 10 February 2008

When we put together our Super Tuesday Environmental Scorecard last week, we initially included an evaluation of Rep. Ron Paul. At the last moment we decided to list only candidates who to that point had won a primary or caucus, a standard that the Texas congressman failed -- and still fails -- to meet.

We stand by our decision, but three things happened since last Monday that caused us to slightly reevaluate Paul's exclusion from the list. First, a bunch of you posted comments and e-mailed us about the absence of your favorite candidate. You especially didn't like our "space limitations" excuse.

Second, before our EnviroWonk Super Tuesday poll fell victim to a fatal technical glitch, Ron Paul was in second place, ahead of Hillary Clinton.

Finally, it's hard to ignore events that happen in your own backyard. Not only did Paul finish second in last week's Montana Caucus, but he won in EnviroWonk's home base of Missoula County with 45 percent of the vote.

We get it. While Ron Paul might not be presidentially important, he is politically relevant. So, for the legions of very dedicated and very vocal Paul supporters, here, in it's entirety, is the post we failed to include last week ... Be careful what you wish for.

Ron Paul: Well, we had to look under the "More Issues" tab on Paul's Web site in our search for his environmental policy plan. We finally found it, right between "Home Schooling" and "No Taxes for Tips." As with many issues, Paul talks a lot about property rights as it relates to the environment. That's why he doesn't support federal subsidies for logging in national forests and constantly rails against the feds for facilitating polluters. But Paul remains a climate change skeptic, has voted against raising fuel efficiency standards, doesn't support any type of cap-and-trade system and sees little problem in maintaining the status quo with coal energy. Not exactly the man we want in Washington, though we eagerly await the e-mails we're about to get trying to convince us otherwise: FAIL
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Sasjhwa - Limited     | 98.203.211.xxx | 2008-02-11 00:22:53
In spite of the technicality of being in the Republican party, Ron Paul is really an Independent in his beliefs. The problem with so many Independent and 3rd Party candidates is that they are not well rounded. They have detailed ideas about the few issues that mean something to them, but gloss over or ignore completely other issues. Regardless of if the issues they are campaigning for are totally awesome or totally suck, having no ability to discuss other issues in a meaningful way marginalizes them and remains one of the primary reason we haven't seen a serious 3rd Party candidate get far in this country.

It is a shame. I really like a lot about Ron Paul. He just doesn't have enough of a platform to stand on.
Jon - pfft   | 74.207.7.xxx | 2008-02-11 21:37:44
Actually, Ron Paul is Republican in his beliefs, staunchly, while McCain, for instance, is a democrat. Neoconservative stances are basically national socialism. Paul supports property rights and small government. If property rights were properly defended, there would be absolutely no need for the EPA or government regulations. The EPA was created *NOT* to crack down on corporations polluting, but to give guidelines as to what's considered "acceptable" pollution.
Sasjhwa     | 98.203.211.xxx | 2008-02-12 03:18:23
I realize that it is part of Ron Paul's program that he is the only Republican going back to an older form of the party. The problem with that is that the CURRENT party is not what he is. Political parties update themselves with the times and the Republicans have, for better or worse, moved from their small government roots.

He doesn't match with the current party and is openly mocked by them for his claims. That is why I called him an Independent. He is under the banner of the Republican party because he's smart enough to know he won't get into the position he needs to be in to affect change by being a Libertarian or other Independent party.

I'm not arguing his policies because I believe in many of them. I'm arguing his political savvy and his breadth of issues.
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