It's hard to judge whether Ron Paul is a force within the Republican party, a fringe kook, or both. Like anyone else in politics or otherwise, he has some good qualities and some bad qualities. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Ron Paul, though he does make some good points. For example, he's big on reducing the national debt. The problem is he's a bit kooky in a Pat-Buchanan-plus sort of way. For example he seems a bit soft on drugs and he's reflexively protectionist on trade. Ironically that latter point makes him most like Pat Buchanan (who was rabidly anti-NAFTA), most unlike traditional economic conservatives and to my way of seeing things, most insecure about America's greatness. Where he fits in on the future of America is a little hard to peg. But this post isn't really about him.
