Free Republic

By now, readers will know who I favor in the Democratic race. Here's my most considered case. But what of the GOP? For me, it comes down to two men, Ron Paul and John McCain. That may sound strange, because in many ways they are polar opposites: the champion of the surge and the non-interventionist against the Iraq war; the occasional meddling boss of Washington and the live-and-let-live libertarian from Texas. But picking a candidate is always a mix of policy and character, of pragmatism and principle. And what these two mavericks share, to my mind, is a modicum of...

It was a big moment for Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex, and his presidential candidacy when he appeared in late October on the Tonight Show, sandwiched between Tom Cruise and the Sex Pistols. But Paul will take his libertarian-tinged Republican ethos in another direction Tuesday, when he marches straight into the henhouse. He'll appear opposite Whoopi, Barbara Walters, Joy Behar and Kate Walsh of Gray's Anatomy and Private Practice fame, who co hosting in the absence of Elizabeth Hasselbeck on ABC's woman-oriented chat show 'The View' Tuesday. Its unlikely that the Texas OB-Gyn has ever himself seen The View. He doesn't...

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, won the Jefferson County Republican Party's straw poll for president, held Saturday at the Birmingham Zoo. Paul took 115 votes of 199 for about 57 percent of total ballots cast.

Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul said today that he could see no possible reason to ever launch military action or initiate a war, vowing instead to battle efforts he said are undermining the individual liberties of people in America. In an interview with Washingtonpost.com's PostTalk program, the Texas congressman said he could see "no reason" to justify military action if he were elected president. He compared the United States to a schoolyard bully and said the country has no reason to flex its muscles overseas. "There's nobody in this world that could possibly attack us today," he said in the...

NASHVILLE, Tenn.- A huge crowd came out Saturday afternoon to the War Memorial Auditorium to see Paul speak. The crowd of 1500 included about 300 people who support the Texas congressman through an internet group. Dave Perry is part of that online group of friends. The group, based in Nashville, recently decided to ask presidential candidate Ron Paul to visit them. "We contacted them and they said sure, We'd love to come to Nashville,'" said Perry. Actually, that is exactly how the Republican congressman is building his campaign. He listens to online supporters across the country and meets them. "Well...