Have your political beliefs changed?

[mconder]

I jumped on this train about 15 years ago, but dropped out in frustration. Didn't even hardly watch the news for 10 years. Didn't become interested again until I heard RP was running for the Republican nomination. My views haven't changed, but my hope has!

Sounds familiar. I feel ya...

 

[NeoconPaulsupporter]

Not really. But, I'll still vote for him.

 

[VoteRonPaul2008]

I am embarrassed to say I actually thought Obama was a good choice because he talked about the constitution a lot....then I watched freedom to fascism and understood that I understood nothing.

After Arron Russos site send out an email saying Ron Paul was "the guy" I started to support him based on one thing....he voted always based on the constitution.

During this whole time which started in late February/early March for me, I have had to look up obscene amounts of information about the founders, this country, politics, and the constitution in efforts to help my case in debates and on questions, and I have learned more this year about these things than in the entire rest of the 32 years I have been alive.

My understanding of history, political process, and politics in general has increased many many times over this year...even now as many of us learn about the delegate process, signature gathering, ground efforts that do work, etc, my new found political knowledge is coming at an increased pace and not slowing down at all.


Yes, my political understanding and beliefs have changed.

Glad you made the right choice in the end.. I'm also embarresed to have supported Hillary Clinton lol..

I've learned so much from Paul.. this is the first time where a presidential candidate has actually had an impact on me.. I had absolutely no interest in politics or even current events.. now I'm addicted

 

[RonPaulVolunteer]

I am a New Zealander. NZ is fast going socialistic. I was acutely aware of this. But. It was not until I started hearing Ron Paul speak that I realized that I had conceded so much of my life over to a reality of compulsory govt control. I never thought in terms of true freedom. I now am starting to see just how indoctrinated and captive to our govt's we have become. And for the first time, I am questioning why. I have a hope that when Ron Paul wins, it will cause a global chain reaction of freedom. Especially in New Zealand where we are almost the world's role model for the nanny state.

.

 

[thrillhouse]

I used to be very pro-Iraq war. I saw it as two choices, either stay in Iraq or bring the troops home. RP provides a different alternative - leave Iraq and everywhere else in the world, commerce with all, political entanglements with no one. It was a solution i never thought of or considered.
Everything else I've always been a fan of.

 

[stefans]

some changed, some got more consistent(e.g. anti-iraq war => anti-foreign intervention), and some stayed the same but I got more respect for those who disagree with me. in a sincere way like dr. paul.

 

[FreeTraveler]

Well, I had to change my registration from Libertarian to Republican so I could vote in the primary, does that count?

 

[TheConstitutionLives]

I used to be very pro-Iraq war. I saw it as two choices, either stay in Iraq or bring the troops home. RP provides a different alternative - leave Iraq and everywhere else in the world, commerce with all, political entanglements with no one. It was a solution i never thought of or considered.
Everything else I've always been a fan of.

- I'll tell you what one of the biggest things is that changed my mind on the Iraq War. When I heard Paul in the earlier part of the year talking about "Declarations of War". That had never entered my mind before. It never occured to me that the Congress acted unconstitutionally by transferring THEIR responsibility to go to war to the president. Once I heard that I was like "WHAT? This whole thing is a farce if I really support the constitution". The Congress does not have the authority to give their responsibility to someone else.

Nowadays, when I talk to people who support the war I ask them "Do you support the Constitution?" and they say "Of course" I say "Well, then you have to agree that the war is unconstitutional because of how we went to war."

They usually have this dumbfounded look on their face and you can tell that the wheels in their head are turning.

Do this and you'll win every debate regarding the War. And more importantly, you'll have converted them to your side because who is going to say they're against the constitution? This technique can be applied to other issues as well.

 

[Son of Freedom]

Yes, mine have changed. It has affected every facet of the issues I consider upon while determining a president or any public office. Most considerations have shifted more towards what Ron Paul suggests although that doesn't make me a Ron Paul clone by any means.

He has some really strong arguments and they're based on facts and common sense. Going against reason I have found is bad.

The greatest change has to be regarding monetary policy. Listening to Ron Paul forced me to research a lot myself but I have a much clearer view of how this all works now. I confess, I was somewhat ignorant a year ago. He makes sense to me. He is merely a representation of what I've felt was a reasonable way for things to be but he has sharpened my views, that's for sure.

 

[Hangly Man]

I was a Nader supporter and voted for him in 96 00 and 04, so the only view of mine that has really changed is how big government should be and what role it should play.

I've always watched the LP with curiosity, but the idea of having a government so small always made me nervous. I thought if you cripple the state, then that leaves the door open for big corporations to run our lives.

I changed my mind though when I heard Ron Paul talking about shutting down the Federal Reserve. If you shatter the power of the banking monopoly, then big money isn't something to be afraid of. I think a lot more liberals should pay attention to this plank in the libertarian platform. It really is the magic bullet.

 

[yongrel]

RP was the catalyst for my conversion from the Chicago school of Economics to the Austrian school.

 

[unloud]

Honestly, I didn't think I fit into either party for the longest time because I never realized how far the Republican politicians have wandered from their original stances. I always saw being republican as being a own-the-world christian, but I'm very wrong.

I'm telling you, if more republicans were actually republican like Dr. Paul, I would vote republican a lot more often than now; I'm sure it's the same with other people and I don't understand how the republican party is so afraid of that.

 

[Man from La Mancha]

My believes have been changed a long time ago, I was just waiting for someone to support. And once you start studying every field of endeavorer, it is the select small groups that control the info of every field of science, medicine and politics.

.

 

[AggieforPaul]

I supported the invasion of Iraq, but started slowly disagreeing with us being there, and especially disagreed with us staying. I'd been sympathetic to libertarians on a lot of issues, but I disagreed with them on abortion and illegal immigration. Then RP comes along, and I realize I agree with him on almost everything. I watched him in the debate though, and sort of fell for Rudy's red herring until I heard Paul on CNN the next day explaining that no we didnt deserve the attacks, but that our actions did play a hand in them.

I didn't agree with some of his more unorthodox stances at first (especially the gold standard), but I was drawn in by his integrity and patriotism (through service and good works, not through words like Bush and Clinton). As I started supporting him, Ive come more toward his line of thinking on most of the issues as I've read all his explanations and rationale.

 

[Politeia]

Have my political beliefs changed?

Yes, radically. But for me it all began in 1981, when more or less by accident I learned that the income tax is voluntary, and realized I could withdraw support for the US Gummint's constant mischief overseas (as in Nicaragua and El Salvador at that time, Vietnam in the 60s -- to escape which I went to Canada -- and Iraq today). That began a process of education whereby I learned that nearly everything I'd been told and taught all my life about politics, economics and related subjects was a pile of lies, which in turn precipitated a total overhaul of political views, from left-liberal to libertarian -- and beyond.

In 1981 I also discovered Ron Paul, and began sending him a little cash now and then; he remains the only "politician" to whom I've ever contributed financially. Though actually he's somewhat "moderate" compared to where I've been most of the last two decades, I'm very happy that his present run has sparked this huge explosion of interest, and education. Only six months ago I was continuing preparations for the coming Dark Age, but now -- who knows what will happen? Everything's suddenly, and most unexpectedly, a lot more interesting.

 

[Ronnec]

I used to be a Green, but now I'm a green left-leaning social liberal (which means I'm a bit more progressive than hardline libertarians, but not by much).

Ron Paul changed my view of American government, of what people deserve and can achieve, and that the system can be fought.

Ron Paul cured my disillusionment, you could say.

 

[rpfreedom08]

I was a republican and forgot why. He has reminded me.

 

[Ibtz]

I had some libertarian leanings back in the 90's and actually voted for Harry Browne in '96. I bought into the neocon mindset and voted for Bush in '00 and '04. I'm now a recovering neocon but consider myself a Ron Paul Republican.

 

[jonahtrainer]

The greatest change has to be regarding monetary policy. Listening to Ron Paul forced me to research a lot myself but I have a much clearer view of how this all works now. I confess, I was somewhat ignorant a year ago. He makes sense to me. He is merely a representation of what I've felt was a reasonable way for things to be but he has sharpened my views, that's for sure.

I highly recommend you check out the work of GATA.org. GoldRush21 is extremely helpful in learning about monetary policy.

 

[BillyDkid]

I was a card-carrying, culture-warring "great American". I knew something wasn't quite right - and when I saw Bush at the National Press Club joking about WMDs, I felt very betrayed. I wandered in the desert for awhile - and then found the good Doctor. I will never be the same.

Was that the deal where he looking around the Oval Office and saying "No WMDs under here!" Man, when I saw that felt sick to my stomach - here we had Americans dying and thousands of Iraqi's dying because of lie and he's joking about it. There is a deep sickness in this man and the people around him. They have no souls.