Ron Paul's swan song: Has he launched an enduring movement?
| Tampa, Fla.
Can the Ron Paul movement survive without Ron Paul?
Many in the GOP no doubt are just as glad that the 12-term Texas congressman 鈥� much more a libertarian than a traditional Republican 鈥� is retiring after years as perhaps the US House鈥檚 most prominent gadfly, a man whose principles and policies challenged the very basis of how the US government is thought of by both major parties operates here and abroad.
At what likely was the last major political event of his career, Mr. Paul bathed in the adoration of an estimated 10,000 admirers who greeted their hero at the University of South Florida in Tampa Sunday with cheers and thunderous applause. But it also had the feel of a swan song as he gave a sweeping survey of 20th-century history, laying out the points at which government became more powerful 鈥� in particular as it applies to foreign wars and economic and monetary policy.
They鈥檇 heard it all before as he ranged from war in Afghanistan to the Federal Reserve to government regulations on raw milk. But it was music to the ears of Ashley Nicole York and Antonio Rivera, both 26-year-old students, enthusiastic supporters of the 鈥渓iberty movement,鈥� as they prefer to call it, and the likely face of the future of the movement 鈥� if it is to have any future at all.
They鈥檇 each heard mention of Paul from a friend, then turned to the Internet 鈥� especially YouTube videos of Paul speeches 鈥� to become true believers and local Paul activists.
鈥淗e was talking on a deeper level, and that opened my eyes,鈥� says Ms. York, who lives in Henderson, Nev. Now, she says, 鈥淚 feel like we鈥檙e his voice, we鈥檙e his legacy.鈥�
Mr. Rivera, from Boca Raton, Fla., says his 鈥渁wakening鈥� came during the 2008 presidential debates, when he first heard Paul. Since then, he says, Paul has 鈥渆nlightened鈥� him on the workings of the Federal Reserve, health-care policy, and immigration.
鈥淎 lot of people say it鈥檚 the end of the Paul movement,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut I think it鈥檚 just the beginning.鈥�
Paul himself agrees that the movement he launched over three runs for the presidency 鈥� winning 177 delegates to the Republican National Convention this year, more than anybody except Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum 鈥� needs many more people like York and Rivera to succeed.
鈥淚t won鈥檛 be a true revolution unless the college campuses are aligned with those principles,鈥� he said Sunday at his 鈥淲e Are the Future鈥� rally.
In one recent way, his influence already is being felt in Congress.
After years of his badgering Federal Reserve Board chairmen and Treasury secretaries in committee hearings, the House (including about 100 Democrats) last month approved a measure ordering an audit of the Fed. In the Senate, there are 29 cosponsors to do the same.
Leading that Senate effort is Sen. Rand Paul (R) of Kentucky, Ron Paul鈥檚 son and a libertarian who looks likely to be as annoying to establishment Republicans as his father was in the House. (Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, also from Kentucky, had endorsed Rand Paul鈥檚 primary opponent, so the younger Mr. Paul feels a special independence from the party line.)
Rand Paul will not assume his father鈥檚 movement mantel 鈥� no one can do that, he says 鈥� but he is one of a growing number of younger elected officials eager to fight at least some of the same fights.
鈥淭ogether we are changing the Republican Party from the bottom up,鈥� says Rep. Justin Amash (R) of Michigan, first elected to the House of Representatives two years ago at age 30. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our responsibility to grow it into the majority it can be.鈥�
Another is Sen. Mike Lee (R) of Utah (the youngest member of the Senate), who ousted veteran Republican Sen. Bob Bennett in 2010.
South Carolina state Sen. Tom Davis (R) had the crowd (metaphorically, at least) grabbing for tar and feathers when he thundered that Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is 鈥渁 traitor and a dictator!鈥�
鈥淩on Paul has pulled the curtain aside and said, 鈥楲ook at what these people are doing,鈥� 鈥� he said.
One policy area, Ron Paul acknowledges, will continue to keep most Republicans from supporting his cause: cutting the defense budget, refraining from overseas military action, and vastly reducing foreign aid 鈥� including to Israel.
Here in Tampa, some Paul supporters grumble that Republican convention rule-setters have put the squeeze on any influence Paul delegates might have had 鈥� even though Paul himself has said he wants no disruption.
The听Republican National Convention seating chart shows the delegations from Nevada, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, and Oklahoma all located on the outer fringe of the convention floor, Politico reported Sunday. Each are states with significant Paul followings.
听
Paul himself might have had a formal speaking slot, but he rejected two requirements: that his speech be pre-approved and that he formally endorse Romney.
He refused, telling The New York Times, 鈥淚t wouldn鈥檛 be my speech. That would undo everything I鈥檝e done in the last 30 years. I don鈥檛 fully endorse him for president.鈥�
Instead, the convention is scheduled to air a video tribute to Representative Paul, early Wednesday evening before the major speakers.
