Not all of them are sad

Background: Columnist and member of the MSU College Democrats Michael Stevenson slams the current array of GOP candidates. For the most part he's correct about them. However, he ignores his own party's pathetic nominees and improperly lumps Ron Paul with Rudy McRomney.

Overall, Michael Stevenson draws a pretty accurate picture of the 2008 presidential election (“Sad array of GOP nominees in 2008”) with a couple exceptions. For example, Stevenson claims “the Democratic field of presidential nominees hasn’t been this strong in decades.” Given the current candidates, I can only assume he believes previous candidates were so pathetic and utterly void of presidential capabilities that any Democrat with a pulse is considered strong.

But be honest, should Clinton, Obama, or Edwards be elected president we will simply have traded one self-serving, pompous politician for another. The faces and names of the special interests may change, but the doling out of favors will continue. Government will continue to grow. As The Who sang so many years ago, “Meet the new boss; same as the old boss.”

In addition, the title of Stevenson’s article is not completely accurate. Yes the leading GOP nominees - Guliani, Romney, and McCain – make the Democratic candidates almost palatable, but Stevenson ignored one GOP candidate who puts all the others to shame.

Only one candidate from either party is qualified to honor the oath of office and the commitment to uphold the Constitution. Only one candidate understands the concept of limited government and personal liberty upon which this country was founded. Only one candidate refuses to sell his soul for the opportunity to be president.

That candidate is U.S. Representative Ron Paul.

[Letter to the Editor - The State News. Submitted 09/12/2007.]