Ron Paul withdraws from Presidential race, launches a new initiative

Yesterday, at a rally in Texas, Congressman Ron Paul withdrew his candidacy for the Presidency.

As a strong Paul supporter, am i discouraged? Some have been surprised when i tell them i'm not. The fact is, Dr. Paul's plan is continuing to unfold with greater effect than he had even hoped. The campaign wasn't about winning the White House- despite having run twice, Ron Paul was a reluctant candidate. His vision is much greater: a re-enlightened nation with renewed respect for the Constitution and the ideals of its framers- a reinvigoration of the "Great Freedom Experiment" that is our Republic. Paul knows that this will be a great effort to educate and inspire the nation, who in turn will elect representatives who value individual freedom, sound money, non-interventionism, sound markets, and constitutional government. From this perspective, you can see that the Presidential campaign was only a means to an end.

In hindsight, you can see it everywhere in his his political career: his lone votes against otherwise unanimous measures; his unabashed opposition to the war, popular at first with the nation, and still among his party; his almost completely unchanged political views over the span of decades, regardless of the fashionable sensibilities of the time. You can see it in his candidacy, as well: his unwillingness to soften his ideals to appeal to a broader base; his unabashedly pointed statements in cases where it might have been expedient to pander; his continued campaigning through the last of the primaries and caucuses, long after any chance of nomination; the seemingly ill-timed release of his best-selling book, The Revolution: A Manifesto. When framed against his ultimate goal, the appearance of strategic awkwardness washes away.

The end of his Presidential run is merely the finish of the first significant chapter in this ideological battle. In an effort to keep the momentum created by his candidacy, he simultaneously launched a new initiative, the Campaign for Liberty, which focuses on continued educational efforts and the promotion of like-minded candidates. Several events are planned to galvanize support, notably the July 12 Revolution March in D.C., and a rally in Minneapolis during the GOP convention in St. Paul. i predict the scope of the rEVOLution's impact will be at least on par with (yet markedly different in principle) that of evangelicals during the era of the Moral Majority, and of the progressive movement of this past decade. i look forward to actual debate in Washington, and an end to the controlled, carefully framed choices we're given.