So Republicans..Whose your guy/gal???

[Boris Godunov]

So, then, would it also be consistent for him to support a military intervention that is supposed to stop a genocide? Or invade a country in order to protect its population's rights from some dictator?

Right to life for brown people

[Elok]

So, then, would it also be consistent for him to support a military intervention that is supposed to stop a genocide? Or invade a country in order to protect its population's rights from some dictator?

I'm not really a fan of Paul's (I always thought he was pro-choice), but IIUC he doesn't believe we have a right to intervene in other countries' affairs. So, from his POV the military should only be used for clear cases of self-defense. Action against foreign powers and action against citizens within our borders aren't really directly comparable. I don't agree with him on this, but I don't see an inconsistency there.

[DinoDoc]

Pauls position that he wouldn't have ordered US troops to intervene in the Holocaust?

No State contributed troops to the Allied side of the war because of the Holocaust.

[OzzyKP]

I think this is the way to go, if you believe that. Tactical voting doesn't make any sense to me.

In a way it is a tactical vote. It is unlikely Paul will win, but if my vote demonstrates more support for him, and his ideas, then perhaps his ideas will be adopted by more mainstream politicians, or his banner will be taken up by more serious candidates in years to come.

Paul believes in protecting people's rights--so his position on abortion is totally consistent.

Right to life

As for the Holocaust, Japan attacked us. We went to war, eventually that war resulted in defeating Germany and ending the Holocaust. I don't think Paul would have handled that any differently. I could be wrong, but I think he is the only veteran running for President in either party right now. He isn't a pacifist, he just war should be reserved for self-defense. I agree with him.

[Elok]

No State contributed troops to the Allied side of the war because of the Holocaust.

But don't you remember when we intervened in Rwanda, back in the early nineties? Wow, it was really something to see all those troops rushing to defend basic human decency.

Seriously, I doubt any state would have taken Hitler on purely to stop the Holocaust, even had we all known with excruciating clarity the worst details of the camps.

[giblets]

I'm not really a fan of Paul's (I always thought he was pro-choice), but IIUC he doesn't believe we have a right to intervene in other countries' affairs. So, from his POV the military should only be used for clear cases of self-defense. Action against foreign powers and action against citizens within our borders aren't really directly comparable. I don't agree with him on this, but I don't see an inconsistency there.

So people aren't entitled to have their lives protected by the US government unless they are inside the US? If a US citizen's life is endangered abroad does the US government have no right to get involved, according to Paul?

[Elok]

So people aren't entitled to have their lives protected by the US government unless they are inside the US? If a US citizen's life is endangered abroad does the US government have no right to get involved, according to Paul?

You didn't mention US citizens abroad, and I haven't exactly studied his positions, only heard little bits of them since my wife admires him. From what I know, I don't imagine he'd object to the government intervening to defend citizens, though his idea of the appropriate means of intervention may differ from yours or mine. But I don't know, really.

[Boris Godunov]

Well, more moderate Republicans seem to be horrified by the slate of potential nominees:

DANFORTH: What have been the big applause lines in these debates? Well, a statement that the governor of Texas is responsible for killing 234 people on death row. Or that we favor torture. Or that we’re creating a fence on the Mexican border that electrocutes people when they try to cross it. Or when people show up at the emergency room at hospitals and they’re not insured don’t treat them. And that, I mean these are the big applause lines, people just hoop and holler when they hear all that. [...]
It doesn’t have anything to do with the republican party that I was a part of. This is just totally different. And all of these people who are saying this, y’know, and claiming that, y’know, they’re for all this stuff, they also sort of ostentatiously say, “Oh, we’re very religious people. We really, we’re just very pious, Christian people.” They were for torture, and electrocution of the people on along the border and all of that. That doesn’t have anything to do with, is contrary to the Christianity that I understand.

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/12/01/380148/john-danforth-slams-gop-field/

[kentonio]

Paul believes in protecting people's rights--so his position on abortion is totally consistent.

Right to life

He's all for government keeping its nose out of all parts of its citizens lives, except on abortion where suddenly his own beliefs are more important than everyone elses freedom. He's a ****ing hypocrite.

[giblets]

Nah, he just thinks the US government is obligated to protect people who aren't US citizens. Well, unless they're outside of the country, because the right to life doesn't exist outside of America. If abortion is banned, just go to Canada to get one.

[Elok]

You realize that plenty of detainees in Gitmo aren't US citizens either? There's really nothing inconsistent or hypocritical in what the man says AFAICT.

[Kuciwalker]

Huntsman if it were possible, Romney in reality.

[DinoDoc]

Huntsman if it were possible, Romney in reality.

There's a difference between them?

[Hauldren Collider]

Yes, Hunstman hasn't waffled on abortion and it would be even harder for obama to attack him since he used to be Obama's china ambassador.

I think Huntsman would do better than Romney in the general election, but Romney can still pwn Obama.

[Kuciwalker]

Romney hasn't waffled on anything. He's just lied.

I'm not too worked up about that because he lies about agreeing with people like me (he claims he doesn't) so that Republican primary voters will nominate him.