This interview with Reason Senior Editor Brian Doherty by Nick Gillespie gives a really good layout of where Ron Paul’s movement stands at the moment:
I only have two exceptions to what Brian says. He mentioned that Rand Paul perhaps attempted to “win back” some disgruntled Ron Paul supporters after the Romney endorsement. Maybe I’m just splitting hairs here, and I apologize Brian if I am, but I think that an examination of Sen. Paul’s voting record would reveal a pretty consistent voting pattern concerning liberty movement interests, both before and after the endorsement. Not 100% perfect for purists, but pretty stellar by any liberty standard. Sen. Paul has simply continued to vote as he always, much to the surprise of some in the liberty movement who were confused by the endorsement.
My second exception is concerning the importance of party platforms. Brian is absolutely correct that in the modern era, party platforms haven’t amounted to a hill of beans. But I would say the same is true, to a large degree, of our Constitution. Only recently, have conservatives began to emphasize that they are “constitutionalists” in a substantive way not seen in recent politics. Some mean it and others don’t. Few hold a candle to Ron Paul in this respect, who is now recognized as a constitutional standard bearer who even his critics will admit is without equal.
Thanks to Ron Paul and his movement, more conservatives than ever think the Constitution is important again.
Similarly, the Republican platform will only ever mean as much as Republicans want it to mean. When the Republican is George W. Bush or John McCain, for example, they could care less what is in their own party’s platform and proceed accordingly.
But what about Republicans like Ron Paul? Rand Paul? Justin Amash? Perhaps possible future Republican Congressman Thomas Massie (KY)? Perhaps possible future Congressman Kerry Bentivolio? Perhaps future Republican Senators
Kurt Bills (MN), Ted Cruz (TX) or John Brunner (MO)? Current Senators like Mike Lee and Jim DeMint who’ve been great allies on many liberty issues?
Could these Republicans take positions on the Fed, foreign policy, civil liberties and other issues that differ from recent conventional Republican positions on the same issues, and bolster the liberty case by pointing out that their positions are also part of the official GOP platform? When conservatives make their case for abolishing the Department of Education to other Republicans, they often point out that abolishing it had been part of the Republican platform until 2000. They also emphasize that this part of the platform was a Reagan-era plank.
Why do they mention this? Because it strengthens their case.
This could also be true of any platform changes Ron Paul and his delegates make in Tampa, where Ron Paul Republicans running this year, in 2014, 2016 and beyond could take true constitutionalist positions and when they are inevitably attacked by the neoconservatives or perhaps people like Rick Santorum as somehow being Republican impostors, these candidates could readily point to the party’s platform.
It is true that in modern times the Republican platform has largely been a rhetorical tool. But it is also true that it can be our rhetorical tool.
It could also be something more. The Republican Party’s platform will have meaning to the degree that there are enough Republicans in office or running for office who actually mean what it says. Thanks to Ron Paul, we now have the potential and ability to elect these types of Republicans.
The Constitution represents a fixed standard of what American government is supposed to look like. For much our history, politicians have ignored it. Now many Republican politicians find political benefit in revisiting it.
The Republican Party’s official platform is supposed to be a fixed standard of what the party stands for. For much of the party’s modern history, Republicans have ignored it. To the degree that Ron Paul’s forces can have great influence in changing the platform is also to the degree that it could begin to matter again.
Ron Paul’s movement has always been about principles above personalities. Given where we stood four years ago, codifying liberty principles in the official GOP platform will be a victory by any measure.