Strange bedfellows, indeed
April 22nd, 2008 by Stephen GordonThe popular phrase “Politics makes for strange bedfellows” most likely originated with William Shakespeare’s final work: The Tempest. There has probably been no stranger use of this phrase since Shakespeare’s time than the title just used at Wired: “Ron Paul Supporters for John McCain.”
Wired seems more than a bit skeptical:
Given many of Paul supporters’ staunch and vocal opposition to the war in Iraq, and some supporters’ rocky relationship with much of the of the Republican party, this call for unity to support McCain is surprising.
Anyone with a rational mind will understand why Wired might be somewhat cynical about Ron Paul supporters falling in love with John McCain’s history of big-government solutions. After all, Paul supporters certainly don’t wish to abrogate their Second Amendment rights, increase government spending, promote McCain-Feingold or spend the next hundred years in a quagmire called Iraq.
To be sure, there is indeed a website with the authoritarian-sounding name of Join or Die. However, I first met Ron Paul years and years ago and this seems like an absolute antithesis of anything the good doctor might ever wish to represent about himself. From their site:
We are voting Republican and holding them accountable.
Will you stand with us?
We are Ron Paul admirers who will vote for John McCain in November!
Speaking as someone who worked hard on the Ron Paul campaign, this certainly seems like a direct slap in the face to anyone who supports the concept of a smaller and more limited government.
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:54 am
Not at all surprized by the Join Or Die nonsence. I’d expect this kind of imbecility from many of the Paul bitter-enders. Paul himself remains in the Republican Party and thus sets the example for them. And precisely who will it be that Paul will support? His recent renunciation of support for McCain seems time-conditioned, that is to say relevant to the period through to the Republican convention but not necessarily beyond. Can the Republican Party’s operatives tolerate having Paul endorse the candidate of another party without disciplining him? What kind of dance would Paul do should that be the case? I’d bet he’d endorse McCain to save his Republican skin.