Jefferson said that the tree of liberty needs to be nurtured from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. We've all heard of the "Ugly American", but there has always been a counterpart to the ugly American, and that is the quintessentially decent, freedom-loving and hard-working American. That's Ron Paul. Throw in a very sharp and curious mind, and the courage to go where the truth leads and you have a man that many believe people will be able to nurture the tree of liberty before we are in the dire straights that Jefferson refers to. Not all of his supporters (or detractors) understand certain of his more complex policy positions exactly, e.g. regarding the gold standard or the Fed, but they do recognize that he is a man of principle and freedom, and that greater freedom and a prosperity will come from his leadership. The welfare/warfare state is a prescription for totalitarianism and the good doctor offers a prescription which will honor America's hard-won patrimony. I honor the freedom-loving people of the Texas congressional district that have given Ron Paul this platform. For the sake of freedom and prosperity, we need it to be writ large.

I understand that LWM, being a smart fellow, and having written 2000+ letters to Salon might not have time to run a google search, so here goes..

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/thomasjeff109180.html

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

Thomas Jefferson

They would be subject to just as much hatred as Ron Paul.

"Freedom is popular" says the bumper-sticker slogan of the Paul campaign - but it's not universally popular. Human nature still gestates many slaves & tyrants, petty and otherwise.

Restore constitutional government and the rule of law! Decide for yourself - as the blimp says, "Google Ron Paul"

Hillary ran a heckuva campaign and almost won the nomination. She tried real hard and upped her game. I like her better than Bill, and her fibs and maudlin stories are no more numerous. Obama is just better at delivering a speech and is more congenial. Madame Ferraro says Obama is a (subconscious) affirmative action candidate, but can't the same be said of Hillary? Is Hillary so much more brilliant or experienced than say Dodd, Edwards or Kucinich? No, it was time to give a woman a chance. Until Obama came along - then it was time to give a black a chance. And we must give president Bush some credit for this. His presidency has Americans thinking that no human could do much worse. So let's break some new ground. Hillary did very well and came close - also she has gotten better looking with age and how many women can say that? Whoops - the last part of that was sexist. My apologies.

Hillary ran a heckuva campaign and almost won the nomination. She tried real hard and upped her game. I like her better than Bill, and her fibs and maudlin stories are no more numerous. Obama is just better at delivering a speech and is more congenial. Madame Ferraro says Obama is a (subconscious) affirmative action candidate, but can't the same be said of Hillary? Is Hillary so much more brilliant or experienced than say Dodd, Edwards or Kucinich? No, it was time to give a woman a chance. Until Obama came along - then it was time to give a black a chance. And we must give president Bush some credit for this. His presidency has Americans thinking that no human could do much worse. So let's break some new ground. Hillary did very well and came close - also she has gotten better looking with age and how many women can say that? Whoops - the last part of that was sexist. I apologize.

Joe Biden: A shallow windbag. To him, conventional (establishment) wisdom is as gospel. He was graced with good looks, but with time and repitition, the stupid shows through. A charmer? Maybe at times. A loose cannon? Yes at times. He does have the establishment playbook down pat, but his act may wear too thin for his fellow climbers. Gravitas and Biden won't be seen in the same sentence. Granted, he may be no worse than the others, if only more annoying. His attempts at dampening his meglomania with self-deprecation leaves one thinking he has much to be modest about. A modern pol of the first order.

Under the economic system Ron Paul favors, America went, in its first hundred years, from being an agricultural backwater to one of the richest most advanced economies on the planet. America lent money to the world while now it is the world's greatest debtor. The Federal Reserve and fiat money are responsible for the current crisis. That America has continued to prosper even under this unjust and shakey system - which now has reached a breaking point - is due to advances in science and technology, not to the soundness of the financial system. Ron Paul preaches freedom - freedom is what made America great and Ron Paul, a quintessential American, understands that. Through the clarity of his rhetoric, he helps others understand.