Paul: The Fight to Save American Democracy Starts in the New Hampshire Republican Primary
Ever since I was a middle schooler, I’ve identified as a conservative, inspired by former President Ronald Reagan’s vision of optimism, limited government and military strength. When I was a child, I dragged my parents to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif. because I was enamored with the 40th President of the United States. That same night, I bought a copy of Jon Meacham’s book, “Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush.” The book taught me about how the Commander-in-Chief of the Greatest Generation lived a life of service and conducted his presidency in a bipartisan fashion: what conservative governance can accomplish at its best. In my mind, it was the optimistic, conservative vision of these two presidents that revitalized America and brought a peaceful end to the Cold War — no small achievement. Now, however, the party that won the Cold War is taking policy positions that remind me of the Nazi and Soviet leaders that oppressed my grandparents and murdered millions in the name of an ideology.