In the Meet The Press interview on Sunday, after Russert plays Paul’s response on CNN regarding the Huckabee Christmas Ad, there is this exchange…
REP.
PAUL: Oh, I didn’t say that. I said it reminded me–as a matter of
fact they caught me completely cold on that. I had not seen the ad,
and they just said there was a cross there. And, you know, it was an
instantaneous reflex because I knew of Sinclair Lewis about being
cautious…
Paul’s comments on CNN sounded like he was accusing Huckabee of being a Facist. Without saying so. But I’m amazed that any thoughtful politician who had NOT seen the ad would have said anything other than “I have not seen the ad, so it’s hard for me to comment on that”.
So here is my question, America, do you really want a president in office that is willing to react, out of reflex, to something he admits that he has no information about? Is this the person you would want on the phone with foreign heads of state? Is this the man you would want speaking out as the voice of the United States? Is this the person you would want in control of the most powerful destructive force (the US nuclear arsenal) in the world, able to unleash with little effort or constraint?
I avoid asking if you want him as the leader of the Free World, since he already presses an isolationist agenda, which will essentially put some other country in that position. Lets see, who might that be? Hmmmm… not France (to wishy washy)… not Great Britain (the leaders there are cow-towing to public opinion so badly the current government cannot be viewed as a world “leader”)… not Japan (they don’t have a strong enough military yet, but they’re coming along)… I’m thinking maybe Russia, although I think they are still confused about whether they have a geopolitical influence approach to leadership, or global relationship-building. However, I think the best candidate for World Leadership during (and after) a Ron Paul administration would be China. I already have a list of concerns around things that are happening in our relationship with the Chinese (built on technology concessions created during the Clinton administration), including their apparent stranglehold on the stability of our economy in terms of imports and their accumulation of US dollars (and recent releasing of some of those dollars to the international market). Needless to say, I think China is looking to a near future day where they are considered the “Leaders of the World” (hard to put “free” in there, sorry).
I’m not done giving him a complete shake, and there are a few things that he says that actually make some sense, but I’m pretty convinced Paul does not belong anywhere near the highest office in the land, and furthermore I’m confused as to how his constituents could send him to Congress… I’d be embarrassed.
Update: Great additional analysis of the interview found at Bitsblog. Others blogging: The Campaign Spot, Los Angeles Times, The Sundries Shack and PoliGazette, Hot Air.
