Yahya: I would vote for Ron Paul or Bob Barr
Moin Yahya would vote for Texas Republican congressman Ron Paul, or Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr
Moin A. Yahya - November 3, 2008
Were I an American citizen who cared to vote, the candidate who comes closest to my political ideals would be Rep. Ron Paul. My second choice would be Bob Barr, but only because he is running on the Libertarian Party ticket. I have not examined the bona fides of Barr's platform, and so my choice would be based on the label of his party rather than any endorsement of views.
Three things matter for me in a candidate:
1. A commitment to minimizing the role of the federal government as much as possible. The federal government in the United States was created by separate sovereign states. The federal government occupies so many areas that were once the province of the states. Any candidate should commit to cutting all the major departments, such as Education, Health, Commerce, etc., and agencies that have no relevance to the original understanding of the role of the federal government. All federal crimes, other than treason, should be abolished. The federal state should occupy no more than five per cent of GDP, and any candidate who cannot grapple with this idea is not worth of my (hypothetical) vote.
2. A commitment to abolishing the federal income tax. See point 1.
3. A commitment to appointing judges who live up to the spirit of the constitution and not hide behind the words. Such judges would limit the growth of the federal government and safeguard our liberties.
Moin A. Yahya is an associate professor of law at the University of Alberta, where he is also the associate dean of graduate studies. He received his PhD in economics from the University of Toronto and his JD from George Mason University.