The Neocon Morning Line

The Daily Caller presents its ranking of the potential Republican candidates for president. Its five faves–Christie, Romney, Palin, Daniels, and Huckabee—are all neocons. The site is also, predictably, nasty, ignorant, and dismissive when it comes to the “Aging Revolutionary,” Ron Paul: “If the Texas congressman ran, won the GOP primary and then won the presidential election—two of those are absolutely inconceivable—he would be the oldest first-term president in American history. Unfortunately for Paul, his age is the least of his problems. It is hard to see how the GOP electorate would elect a leader with his isolationist tendencies. Much of his base of support is also drawn from the loony bin.” That is, Ron is not for endless wars in the Middle East, endless violent rhetoric against Muslims, and endless violence against Muslim civilians, many of them shot in the head or blown limb from limb by predators.

As to age, maybe Americans are tired of neocon punks and their many axes of evil. Maybe we yearn for wisdom and experience, and a man who is not a chicken hawk nor a vampire of power. I do not know whether Ron Paul will run again. I do not know if it is in his own interest, or the interest of his vast, worldwide movement—the “loony bin” to neocons. But I do know that he is going to be around for a very long time in a leadership role. Recently, for the first time in many years, I saw the athletic congressman in a bathing suit, and I should have taken an iPhone photo. He looks like a seniors champion swimmer in his 50s. Is there a time machine in Lake Jackson?