I will be happy to welcome Ron Paul to the Presidential campaign, if as rumored he finally declares. I know there are people who expect the Libertarian Party to close up shop during a Ron Paul campaign. I am not one of them. My stand on the Ron Paul campaign is:
(i) I am running for the Libertarian nomination. Ron Paul is running for the Republican Party nomination. We are not competing with each other. (ii) I am a major contender for our nomination. He is not a major contender for his nomination. As time approaches, I will welcome his supporters into my camp and our party: We are in agreement on a wide range of important issues. (iii) Ron Paul is highly unlikely to win the Republican nomination, because his party is dominated by the religious right, neocons, militarists, and the like. (iv) I will not withdraw. Withdrawal would be a craven act proving to all Americans that we are a gaggle of Republican sock puppets. It would be a complete disaster if our Presidential candidate quit during the race. We would become a joke. No matter who my opponents are, if nominated I will campaign vigorously for our party. (v) I am running to build an effective Libertarian political movement in America. To do that, we must have effective campaigns from top to bottom. Only Libertarian candidates can move us toward this goal. An isolated Libertarian who is elected while running as a Democrat or a Republican may leave a few footprints in the sand, but they will be washed away by the next wave of candidates from his party.
