Congressman Ron Paul has been called by many the “Thomas Jefferson of our times,” yet perhaps this moniker is even more true than they first understood…
Jefferson Supports Paul
Thomas Jefferson has so many important areas of his life upon which historians have focused–his drafting of the Declaration of Independence, his work as Ambassador to France, his time in office as President, etc.–that there is one area which tends to get overshadowed: his Vice-Presidency from 1796 – 1800. In these early days of our Republic, prior to passage of the 12th Amendment, the President was determined by being the person receiving the highest number of electoral votes; the second-place finisher became Vice-President. Thus, in contrast to what modern Americans have grown accustomed to, two candidates of widely disparate political views could end up serving as President and VP simultaneously. For acclaimed Anti-Federalist Thomas Jefferson, his second-place finish ensured that he would be serving as Vice-President under the staunch Federalist President, John Adams. Fireworks were sure to erupt.
The Vice-President’s primary responsibility, as enumerated in the Constitution, is to preside over the Senate. Thomas Jefferson took this responsibility seriously, drafting the “Manual of Parliamentary Practice” which was to become the guiding document for the Senate’s internal rules and procedures. While these efforts were important to the makeup of the young legislative body, it was Jefferson’s work beyond the enumerated responsibilities of his office that was among the most compelling of his life.
The late 18th Century was a time of tumult and strife worldwide… not too entirely different from today. Fear of popular uprisings-turned-ugly overseas (such as with the French Revolution) happening in America led the majority Federalist party to increase the power of the federal government and the Executive, culminating in the fiercely unpopular and patently unconstitutional Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. Both acts gave the power to detain and/or deport foreigners and even US citizens merely under suspicion of opposing the government. In the most egregious acts of abuse, under the Sedition Act, publishing “false, scandalous, and malicious writing” against the government or certain officials was made an offense punishable by fine and imprisonment.
While Thomas Jefferson could do little by virtue of his office as Vice-President to prevent these horrific laws from passage, he was able to make immense contributions through his continued advocacy for the primacy of Liberty and limited government. Working anonymously along with James Madison, he help craft the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, which appealed to the doctrine of interposition as a duty of the several States to protect their citizens from unconstitutional federal laws. He also continued his advocacy of ending the Bank of the United States–the first central bank in US history–and ending recent new federal tax levies. These efforts ultimately culminated in nothing less than the “Revolution of 1800,” with his ascendency to the Presidency upon an overwhelming surge of popular support for the ideals he had been championing as VP.
Flash forward 216 years and the United States again finds itself in a similar, difficult position. The undefined “War on Terror” enabled the passage of the Patriot Act, the most abominable, Constitution-shredding piece of legislation to have passed through Congress since the Alien and Sedition Acts. The recent passage of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 authorizes the military to arrest and infinitely detain US citizens merely suspected of terrorism–no trial, no due process, “no nothing”… except a one-way ticket to Guantanamo Bay. Fiscally we are completely awash in debt; our constitutional monetary system has been plundered by the current central bank (the Federal Reserve) ensuring the destruction of the US dollar and the annihilation of the US middle class along with it. And almost all of the “solutions” being presented to these problems are more of the same old failed ideas that got us into this predicament in the first place: more debt-financed spending leading to more taxes, more money printing leading to rampant inflation, larger and larger government leading to less and less individual liberty.
This election cycle is very, very different than most, however–a true revolution in the making. For the first time in decades there IS a legitimate, viable alternative to the status quo: Congressman Ron Paul (for more information on the details of his positions, we urge you to explore Scuttledd’s exclusive “Ron Paul Starter Kit“).
While Ron Paul may be running as a Republican, he is the utter antithesis of any of the other Establishment candidates, in either party. His broadest appeal lies with independents and those less associated with straight-ticket voting. His support base lies all across the conventional political spectrum and continues to grow, as witnessed by his recent first-place tie for delegates in the Iowa caucuses. While it remains to be seen if Congressman Paul’s support is large enough to secure the nomination outright, four (4) crucial elements are undeniable:
- His grassroots popular support and financial war chest is strong enough for him to remain in contention all the way through to the nominating convention;
- Should he not get the nomination, his supporters will NOT fall in line to support any Establishment nominee, but will follow him in a third-party bid and/or support whoever he endorses in a third party (e.g., Gary Johnson on the Libertarian ticket);
- The Establishment Republicans know that if he takes his support to a third-party, they WILL NOT be able to defeat Obama;
- If the Establishment Republicans could get him onto the ticket as VP, his support combined with theirs WILL defeat Obama.
–More After the Jump–
Selling Out?
No doubt, there will be some who meet the scenario I have detailed herein with derision; who say that Ron Paul, in accepting a VP nomination, would have just sold out all that he has worked so hard and long to defeat. To these people I ask, was Thomas Jefferson a sell-out when he became Vice-President in 1796? Did he alter his views in any way to accept that position, or after taking office? No. As a matter of fact, he only strengthened and expanded upon them, magnifying them through the “bully pulpit” of his office. For Ron Paul, how would this be any different?
Keep in mind that the President cannot “fire” his VP (I’m sure President Adams would have loved to fire his VP Jefferson if he could have). The undefined nature of much of the VP’s job responsibilities would be seized upon by a man of Paul’s initiative as an incredibly powerful tool. Would he, as President of the Senate, convene a special senatorial commission to explore auditing the Federal Reserve? or a return of the gold standard? or of sovereignty-violating treaties? Would he, as an ambassador to other nations, address foreign leaders as to the prospects of future US non-interventionism? The possibilities for sewing the seeds of Liberty are endless.
Would this lead to direct legislative action on any of these matters? No–at least not immediately. But it would continue to further the public discourse on such vital subjects that were, until only a few years ago, completely ignored. Think about what Ron Paul has done to shape the national debate to this point, as a Representative for one Congressional district. Imagine for a moment the impact he could have with a megaphone as loud as the Vice-Presidency. Perhaps we underestimate the incredible potential here because typically the VP is just a proxy for the President’s message. But we all know that WOULD NOT be the case with a Vice-President Paul.
Jefferson’s support was strong, yet just not quite strong enough to secure his election to the Presidency in 1796. That would have to wait only four more years, as an overwhelming majority of the public came to recognize that they had a powerful, ready alternative to the Federalist tyranny being thrust down their throats. By 1800 Jefferson’s candidacy was an unstoppable juggernaut–truly, not just another election, but the culmination of a total Revolution (a R3volution…?).
Ron Paul’s message of Liberty and the Constitution, and the sensible policies that follow from it, are needed now more than ever. A President Paul would clearly be ideal. Thanks to years upon years of Establishment conditioning, however, the full public may not quite be ready to put that into motion… but it won’t take much longer. In the years that follow, as the economy continues to disintegrate, as the police state continues to balloon out of control, as new unconstitutional wars are begun, resulting in more American lives lost, an angry, hurting, and desperate public will be ready for MAJOR change. In the past, situations as dire as these have led to the rise of absolute despotism, typically with a man in uniform promising “security” for all. We all know where that leads.
Fortunately, when late-1700s America was in such a similar dire state of affairs, it had a ready alternative promoting Liberty, sound money, the Constitution, and the peace and prosperity that comes from them: Vice-President Thomas Jefferson. Would it really be such a bad thing to have a Vice-President Paul “priming the pump” for a powerful return to Liberty over the next four years?
Jefferson Supports Paul
The Take Away
So what does this all mean in the current presidential campaign? For Ron Paul supporters, it is amazingly GOOD NEWS. The next election hangs in the balance, and Ron Paul holds the keys. He either wins the Republican nod for President outright (and from there the general election) or gets ready to assume duties as the most vocal and independent Vice-President since Thomas Jefferson. There is simply no way for the Establishment to get around this fact. All we’ve got to do as supporters is keep doing what we’ve been doing–grassroots organizing, personal outreach campaigning, phone-from-home calling, innovating new methods of reaching out to new people, and holding moneybombs galore to keep the campaign coffers full. Whether he wins outright or comes in a close second, the reality is that Ron Paul and the message of Liberty CANNOT lose in 2012!
Something tells me Thomas Jefferson would be pleased.
Scott Ledd swore an Oath to support and defend the Constitution and has never forgotten it. He can be reached at scuttledd@gmail.com.
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