Ron Paul Places Second in Values Voter Debate
At tonight's Values Voter debate, Baptist minister and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee won the post-debate straw poll with 63% of the vote. Ron Paul's debate skills earned him a second place finish at 13%. His strong showing may have surprised some observers, given his steadfast opposition to the Iraq war, and his refusal to use the power of the federal government to force conservative values on everyone. Newly announced candidate Alan Keyes placed third with 7%, with the rest of the field trailing. Not all of the 2,000 audience members were allowed to vote -- the straw poll was restricted to approximately 350 delegates pre-selected by debate organizers.
Although religious conservatives may like Huckabee's doctrinaire agreement on social issues, his record in Arkansas should dampen their enthusiasm: as governor, he increased spending by 65 percent in eight years, and his mixed positions on illegal immigration may account for his slow start in the fundraising race.
Social conservatives should also consider carefully the true limited-government platform of Ron Paul. Even if social conservatives gain enough power at the federal level to force their values on everyone, the gains will be fleeting and subject to reversal at the next election. A federal government constrained to its Constitutional limits, as Ron Paul supports, is the only government that can be trusted to respect all of our freedoms. As Barry Goldwater once said:
The Values Voter presidential debate invited all of the Republican presidential candidates to speak directly to an organization representing the religious conservatives who formed a large and influential part of the Republican Party's electoral success from 1980 to 2004. So-called front-runners Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, and John McCain showed their disdain for social conservative voters by ducking the debate.
Ron Paul's closing statement in the Values Voters debate:
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Although religious conservatives may like Huckabee's doctrinaire agreement on social issues, his record in Arkansas should dampen their enthusiasm: as governor, he increased spending by 65 percent in eight years, and his mixed positions on illegal immigration may account for his slow start in the fundraising race.
Social conservatives should also consider carefully the true limited-government platform of Ron Paul. Even if social conservatives gain enough power at the federal level to force their values on everyone, the gains will be fleeting and subject to reversal at the next election. A federal government constrained to its Constitutional limits, as Ron Paul supports, is the only government that can be trusted to respect all of our freedoms. As Barry Goldwater once said:
A government big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take away everything you have.
The Values Voter presidential debate invited all of the Republican presidential candidates to speak directly to an organization representing the religious conservatives who formed a large and influential part of the Republican Party's electoral success from 1980 to 2004. So-called front-runners Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, and John McCain showed their disdain for social conservative voters by ducking the debate.
Ron Paul's closing statement in the Values Voters debate:
