Amazing, people will moan about income tax, but when a presidential candidate proposes eliminating it, and praises those who fight against it, people get upset...interesting to observe.
It's not so simple, Collector. I think you missed the point of most of these posts.
This is an opportunity for Paul to make this important point: Americans feel very strongly about being overtaxed, and having their hard-earned cash taken and handed to the spendthrifts in DC. The extremes to which some dedicated people will go shows that clearly. We need change, and there's no time like the present. Elect Ron Paul, for a real change from the status quo!
A statement like that would be a sign that he can be a winning candidate who can turn some current event into a reason to vote for him. That's how you win elections.
What he DID say is bad on two counts.
1. Who knows what sort of craziness will happen before this is all over in New Hampshire? Ron Paul has now linked himself to whatever does happen. A wise man doesn't link his fate to loose cannons when he doesn't have to.
2. He failed to turn this into an opportunity to campaign. He could have expressed support in the way I wrote above, and used this to the advantage of his campaign. If he becomes President, it will help the people in New Hampshire FAR MORE than his comparing them to Ghandi now.
This is the big time. He's running for the highest office in the land, and some say the most powerful political position in the whole world. If you want to play with the big boys, you've got to play LIKE the big boys. It's entirely possible to be principled, yet watch your words. Yes, many politicians are slimebuckets who say what they think people want to hear, but saying whatever crosses your mind when running for President is not the opposite of "slimy politician." It's the flipside.
Now I do understand that there are some people here who think that my comparing Paul with Howard Dean in 2004 was a compliment. It's not.
Personally, I think that Ron Paul can possibly do more good where he is -- or I'd love to see him make the jump to Senator -- than running a reckless Presidential campaign off a cliff.
On the other hand, I'd also love to see him, like Dean on the other side, become Chairman of the RNC. I don't think it's a waste of time to support Ron Paul, but I don't think he'll make it to the White House next year.