Jessica Bernier
Burlington Free Press
March 2, 2008

Lately I’ve been talking to people about the upcoming presidential election and I hear many, many dissatisfied voters. Now, I will admit that my conversations have taken place primarily with Republicans or independents as the Democrats are bursting at the seams for their socialist of choice.

So I will direct the remainder of my letter toward the voters who prefer the ideals of a smaller government, a balanced budget, an appreciation for life and constitutional rights, a distaste for the idea of pre-emptive war and general uneasiness with the state of the union. Amazingly, I have found that there are still very large numbers of people like this left in Vermont and it gives me great solace.

I am a supporter of Ron Paul and his radical plans to do the unthinkable: uphold the Constitution. As president he would reduce the size and scope of the federal government, returning power to the state and local level. This is extraordinarily important. At a time when we have a $9 trillion deficit (not including Social Security and Medicare), his economic plan actually reduces spending by $150 billion a year while every other candidate has plans to increase spending.

We borrow $1 billion to $3 billion a day from Japan and Communist China, and what we can’t borrow the Federal Reserve simply prints, causing a threat of massive inflation and the collapse of the dollar. The baby boomers are now entering retirement, and at the rate we are going, the economy and government will collapse. This is the greatest threat to our national security, and the people I have been talking to know it.

For other candidates this seems to be a non-issue. Instead, they are looking to expand the war to Iran (and/or Pakistan) or create universal health care, each costing over $1 trillion more over the next few years. If the U.S. were a business, it would have closed its doors a long time ago. We need a president who will protect our national sovereignty, eliminate the deficit and restore the strength of the U.S. dollar.

Many people dismiss his views because he wants to end the occupation of Iraq and bring back troops from bases in over 130 other countries (which alone costs us $500 million a year) Many people also do not understand his foreign policy, which focuses on free trade rather than policing the world. He wants to follow the Constitution, and he is considered crazy for his beliefs.

Many people I come across believe in his issues, but say they don’t want to waste their vote. If every person who said that voted for him, he would win. The primary should not be treated as a horse race. Voting for Ron Paul, even if he doesn’t win, sends a powerful message to the GOP in Vermont and America that we need to be financially responsible, spread democracy by example, not by force, and follow the rule of law under the Constitution.

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