The West and Others

Ron Paul on American Exceptionalism



About Ron Paul: U.S. Representative

Born: 20 August 1935
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Best known as: Famously conservative Texas Congressman, 1997-2013

Ron Paul was a U.S. Congressman from the 14th district of Texas from 1997 to 2013. Paul was a staunch advocate of limited government; his official biography described his platform as "limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary policies," and said Paul "never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution." (This voting record earned him the nickname "Dr. No.") Paul earned a degree from Gettysburg College in 1957, then a medical degree from Duke University in 1961. He was drafted into the U.S. Air Force and became a flight surgeon from 1965-67, then settled in Texas as a doctor specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. He first served as a congressman from Texas's 22nd district in 1976-77, winning a special election in April of 1976 but then losing in the general election that November. He was elected again in 1978 and served until 1985, when he returned to his medical practice after losing in a 1984 run for U.S. Senate. Paul was re-elected to Congress from a different Texas district, the 14th, in 1996 and was re-elected seven more times from 1998 through 2010. He was the Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. president in 1988, Republican nomination for President in 2008 and 2012.

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