By: Ryan Jaroncyk, THL ContributorMore and more Americans are growing tired of the bitter partisanship that has come to define our nation's politics. Republicans hate the Democrats, and Democrats hate the Republicans.
George W. Bush was supposed to be a "uniter, not a divider," yet he ended up bitterly dividing a nation. President Obama was supposed to heal those divisions, yet the nation seems even more polarized than ever under his leadership so far.
There is however, one individual who continues to buck the trend. This individual has demonstrated an uncanny ability to unite diverse political factions on a slew of critical issues. If there was ever a model for effective and principled bipartisanship, this individual fits the mold.
Most recently, this individual has united over 300 Republicans and Democrats on monetary policy reform. This individual has united two Democrats and two Republicans on potential war legislation. This individual has united diverse individuals, from the right and left, to consider an alternative strategy in Afghanistan.
Who is this mystery individual? Dr. Ron Paul. His Audit the Fed bill, H.R 1207 has garnered the support of every single House Republican, as well as over 100 Democrats in both the House and Senate.
On Afghanistan, he has joined one other Republican and two Democrats, so far, in proposing legislation for an immediate withdrawal. In addition, his concerns about the war in Afghanistan have inspired bipartisan criticism of the protracted effort.
For example, conservative commentator, George Will has issued a call for a much more limited and narrowly focused mission. Conservative Ret. Lieutenant Colonel, Ralph Peters has argued against further troop increases and has recommended far more limited objectives.
Richard Haas, a former Bush State Department official, has questioned the wisdom of committing more troops to an open-ended occupation. Robert Baer, a former CIA field operative, has called for a different strategy.
On the Democratic side, Vice President Biden appears to be offering significant resistance to more troops, and Arianna Huffington, the uber-"liberal", wrote an elegant, thought-provoking piece questioning the necessity of more troops and open-ended nation building.
On Afghanistan, he has joined one other Republican and two Democrats, so far, in proposing legislation for an immediate withdrawal. In addition, his concerns about the war in Afghanistan have inspired bipartisan criticism of the protracted effort.
For example, conservative commentator, George Will has issued a call for a much more limited and narrowly focused mission. Conservative Ret. Lieutenant Colonel, Ralph Peters has argued against further troop increases and has recommended far more limited objectives.
Richard Haas, a former Bush State Department official, has questioned the wisdom of committing more troops to an open-ended occupation. Robert Baer, a former CIA field operative, has called for a different strategy.
On the Democratic side, Vice President Biden appears to be offering significant resistance to more troops, and Arianna Huffington, the uber-"liberal", wrote an elegant, thought-provoking piece questioning the necessity of more troops and open-ended nation building.
On two of the most critical issues to our national security, Dr. Ron Paul has united individuals on the right and the left. On the issue of saving the U.S. Dollar, he has earned the support of over 200 Republicans and over 100 Democrats thus far. On Afghanistan, he has served as a catalyst for sparking a truly bipartisan critique of an eight-year war with no end in sight.
Now, many people disagree with Ron Paul. But, like or dislike him, his principled stands and ability to unite Republicans and Democrats on key issues are a breath of fresh air in a world dominated by rancorous, ineffective partisanship.
