The Truth About Rand Paul's Presidential Campaign - (as I see it)

I cannot count how many articles by any number of outlets that have asserted and claimed that Rand Paul has dropped out of the presidential race. This is not true. A suspension does not mean, although it can, that someone has dropped out. If Rand is on the ballot in all 50 states, he surely understood the importance of having his name on those ballots.

Rand Paul is still a viable and most notably, worthy candidate to vote for. It is unfortunate that Oregonians will not be able to cast a vote in the primary until May 17^th, but nonetheless, whether all fires have seemingly been extinguished in their spreading throughout this land, I will keep to my conscience and vote for Rand. After all, the write-in campaign for Ron Paul in 2012 was something I was proud to take part in and would do it all over again.

One truly positive thing that has surfaced since Rand made his unexpected announcement to suspend his campaign is the conversations that have arisen between me and my wife regarding politics. I have already been nudged to turn my support to Sanders, but it has become liberating standing up for my beliefs as they align with Rand’s positions. When it comes to Sanders, I am unable to support ideas when they are fundamentally based on force. Whether the force is an imposition of a tax, the forceful perpetuity of poverty future generations will inherit or the idea that everyone deserves something at the direct detriment of everyone else, his ideas are not for me.

So what are we left with?

I believe this Saturday’s Republican debate will finally demonstrate to the American people just how similar the three chosen candidates on the stage really are. I think people will have a difficult time differentiating between indiscriminate carpet-bombing of undoubtedly innocent people, taking out families of terrorists and the apocalyptic rhetoric of Rubio. They all will put us back in the Middle East, and by back I mean to the point where people become aware that we are fighting abroad the same ‘terrorists’ we have been aiding and supporting for years. Rand was the only candidate to point out the hypocrisy of our foreign policy, that we not only create what we then claim to be ridding, but that we claim to be fighting for liberty and freedom while giving operation to those who influence which liberties we have and will lose next.

I have had time to reflect on Rand’s decision to suspend his campaign and I realize that it is now up to all of us to bring him back. I have always been one for hope, and if Rand received enough support to place 3^rd or even 4^th in New Hampshire (after the media highlighted his withdrawal), that turning tide I so often speak of will become manifest across the nation. As long as I can dream I will do so. Dreams come true all the time…why not the dream of liberty?

Peace and Love always.