Ron Paul to attend S.F. anti-war rally

Aug. 31, 2010

NEWS AND OPINION

By Darren Richardson

Special to The Punditty Project

If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear a “Don’t Tread on Me” patch on your headband. Or a flower in your hair, as you like. It’s really up to you, as it should be in a free country. Chances are the Libertarian-minded folks attending the Campaign for Liberty anti-war rally Saturday in San Francisco won’t care what you wear – they’ll just be glad to see you exercising your constitutionally guaranteed freedom of assembly.

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) will be attending the San Francisco rally in support of Republican candidate John Dennis, who faces a formidable and well-funded opponent in California’s 8th District – House Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy Pelosi . Former S.F. supervisor and Ralph NaderRalph Nader’s 2008 vice presidential candidate Matt Gonzalez will also be in attendance, urging voters to turn out Pelosi in exchange for representation from the anti-war Republican candidate. Gonzalez, running on the Green Party ticket, narrowly lost the 2003 S.F. mayoral race to Gavin NewsomGavin Newsom.

The rally begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, at the San Francisco Civic Center at Polk and McAllister, with doors opening at 1 p.m. The free event, dubbed “Principles over Parties: Ending Washington’s War on Us” is being presented by Campaign for Liberty and Young Americans for Liberty. The speakers are expected to focus on anti-war, pro-liberty, Free Speech issues.

Although Pelosi - San Francisco's representative since 1987 -- would have to be considered the favorite in this race, former House Speaker Tom FoleyTom Foley (D-Washington) was considered the favorite in Seattle in 1994. He was dethroned by Republican GeorgeGeorge Nethercutt that year as voters rejected congressional Democrats and handed legislative control to the GOP in both the House and the Senate.

Given the strong anti-war sentiment in San Francisco and Pelosi’s continued doubletalk about the wars, the more voters learn about Dennis, the more likelihood of an upset. Pelosi angered many of her constituents – maybe even most of them – when she refused to consider impeachment proceedings or even a meaningful ethics investigation of then-president George W. BushBush in the lead-up to the Democrats winning control of the House in 2006.

Shrewd observers have commented that Pelosi’s “hands-off Bush” strategy would backfire on the Democratic Party, a prediction that seems to have come true. Congessional Dems are now garnering higher negatives than the party of Bush, with overall approval even lower than those Bush garnered late in his presidency. Dennis focuses mostly on the issues, as a good congressional representative should, but if he can convince voters that he would have supported the impeachment of George W. Bush, he may be able to put the entrenched Pelosi on the defensive. If that happens, Pelosi may join Foley in the Upset Wing of the Democratic Hall of Hall of Shame.

However the race turns out, it is impressive to see Paul – the greatest political mind the GOP has to offer – venturing to San Francisco. If anyone can help open the eyes of San Francisco voters to how Pelosi has misled and manipulated them for so long, it’s the ever-steady Paul. The hardest part will be getting voters who are used to automatically voting for Pelosi to pay attention to her record. Saturday’s pro-freedom, anti-war, Free Speech event should go a long way toward that end.

The Punditty Project supported Ron Paul during the 2008 presidential primary season before becoming a Barack Obama voter in the general election. This column from 2008 explains why.