By Ben Cohen

Ron Paul's libertarian views became somewhat of a phenomenon amongst disaffected Republicans and independents during the presidential elections because of his willingness to stand up for true conservative principles. Paul's critique of the Republican Party in an article for CNN is spot on, pointing out the parties failure to adhere to traditional conservative values:

During the debates in the Republican Presidential primary, even

though I am a 10-term sitting Representative Member of Congress, I was

challenged more than once on my Republican credentials. The fact that I

was repeatedly asked how I could be a Republican when I was talking a

different language than the other candidates answers the question of

how the Republican Party can slip so far so fast.

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My rhetorical

answer at the time was simple: Why should one be excluded from the

Republican Party for believing and always voting for:

• Limited government power

• A balanced budget

• Personal liberty

• Strict adherence to the Constitution

• Sound money

• A strong defense while avoiding all undeclared wars

• No nation-building and no policing the world

Paul's solution for the imploding party is to return to traditional conservative values may sound good on paper, but there is zero chance Republicans will listen to him. The GOP has been bought, lock-stock by corporate America and as we have recently seen, these companies rely heavily on welfare when times are hard. Paul's vision for America is an interesting one, but ultimately a fantasy. Economic wealth has been built through protectionism, central planning and a heavy dose of state investment (despite conservatives adamant insistence that the 'free market' has created all the wealth). Ron Paul's Republicanism would be great in an alternate reality, but not in this one.