Politicians are a dime a dozen. But, some politicians, regardless of what position they hold, make their mark.
Dr. Ron Paul is one such politician who quickly rose to fame, eventually turning into quite a phenomenon throughout his term as a U.S. Congressman.
This two-time presidential candidate first made waves when he entered the race back in 2007, and he has been in the spotlight ever since.
Who Is Ron Paul?
Born on August 20, 1935, Ronald Ernest Paul is a former U.S. Congressman and a man of many talents.
Paul graduated in1961 from Duke University’s School of Medicine with a Doctor of Medicine, after which he was at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital where he completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology. During 1963-65, Paul served in the United States Air Force as a flight surgeon. He then went on to serve in the United States Air National Guard between 1965 and 1968.
Dr. Ron Paul is a former U.S. Air Force flight surgeon, author, and activist, and currently has a private practice as an obstetrician-gynecologist in Texas.
Paul has served as the U.S. representative of Texas for three different terms — 1976 to 1977, 1979 to 1985, and 1997 to 2013.
A principled statesman dedicated to upholding the Constitution of America, Paul has always been vocal about his belief in liberty and freedom. This is one of the reasons he became a major candidate for the 2012 GOP Presidential Elections.
Ron Paul has run for the US precedence three times: in 1988 as a nominee of the Libertarian Party and then in 2008 and 2012 as a Republican Party candidate.
Ron Paul’s Political Standings
While Ron Paul has served primarily as a Republican Congressman for several years, he is most well-known for upholding liberty in politics and is best described as a constitutionalist.
He has been a staunch critic of the fiscal policies put forth by the federal government, including tax policy and the wars on drugs and terror. He has also not held back on criticizing the NSA surveillance programs as well as the USA PATRIOT ACT, believing that these policies infringed upon the rights of the people.
These are only a few of the many reasons that this plain-speaking libertarian was characterized as the “intellectual godfather” of the Tea Party Movement — a political movement that stood against most matters of interventionism, calling for lower taxes and for a reduction of the national debt through decreased government spending.
How Ron Paul Made His Mark In American Politics
Ron Paul has taken some staunch stances on some of the most crucial issues plaguing the US.
During the 2012 election, Paul proclaimed he wanted to completely eliminate the income tax, provide major tax breaks to homeschoolers, and reduce the federal budget by a trillion dollars. He also wanted to end foreign aid, repeal Roe v. Wade (which, as of 2022, has happened), pull the US from the United Nations, and repeal Obamacare.
Controversial, to say the least.
Ron Paul campaigned to restore America, and this he did by collecting delegates from Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, with plans to pick up more representatives from Minnesota and Colorado. This initiative to vie for delegates nationwide quickly put him in the headlines, giving him instant popularity with the masses — especially over the web and with a younger population.
He advocated for the state’s right to decide how to regulate social matters. A prime example of this is his statement regarding same-sex marriage in 2011 —
“My personal opinion is government shouldn’t be involved. The whole country would be better off if individuals made those decisions and it was a private matter. People have a right to do what they want, and say what they want, and associate with the people they want.”
While he personally does not believe in same-sex marriages, he supports a civil union between a couple of the same sex.
However, there have been times Paul has been less popular with the general public, especially on abortion-related legislation. He was a staunch supporter of the Sanctity of Life Act and believed in the idea that life begins at conception — a belief he picked on with his experience in obstetrics.
He also voted for the Secure Fence Act, but did seem to regain some of his lost popularity by opposing the proposed border wall by putting out the statement —
“I don’t like walls. I don’t want to wall people in and wall people out.”
Barring a few half-thought beliefs and statements, however, Paul has appeared to be dedicated to bettering America.
He stood firmly against casting a vote he didn’t believe in, especially proposals involving government spending. His enthusiasm for bashing overspending and overreach of the government led him to be called “Dr. No” on Capitol Hill.
This is because Paul said that he’d “never vote for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution.”
Saying Goodbye to Politics
In 2012, Ron Paul announced his retirement from Congress. But, that doesn’t mean he’s faded away into retirement.
Paul has continued to take an active interest in promoting libertarian-conservative ideas on college campuses. He also provides political commentary through The Ron Paul Liberty Report — a podcast he co-hosts on YouTube to discuss news, laws, acts, and everything in between.
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