Thanks to Ben of openswitch, I have become the latest victim of the 123 Meme (did you know that the origin of the word ‘meme’ comes from evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins?). Essentially, this latest online cultural idea — that, supposedly like a gene, can replicate and evolve — requires you to select the nearest book and post an excerpt on your blog using the following rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating! ¹
2. Turn to page 123.
3. Find the first 5 [full] sentences. ²
4. Post the next 3 sentences.
5. Tag 5 people.

For regular readers this quote will come as no big surprise:

[...] Where they supported the Persian Gulf War, this administration has not garnered their support for partisan reasons. The principles of interventionism, constitutionality and morality have not been applied consistently to each war effort by either political party; and there is a precise reason for this, over and above the petty partisanship of many.

The use of government force to mold personal behavior, manipulate the economy and interfere in the affairs of other nations is an acceptable practice endorsed by nearly everyone in Washington, regardless of party affiliation. [...]

The above was taken from “A Foreign Policy of Freedom: Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship,” which is a collection of Congressional speeches given by U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas between 1976 and 2006. What might surprise you is that the date of this speech was April 21, 1999, in which Dr. Paul addressed U.S. foreign policy and NATO’s involvement in Yugoslavia and Kosovo. And you thought he was talking about Bush.

I am tagging: Rob, Jeremy, Jake, Matthew and stelmodad.

¹ I only later noticed that Dave Ramsey’s book, ‘Financial Peace,’ might have been closer. However, it was covered by a stack of papers on my desk. I guess that is natural selection at work.

² The original meme did not specify whether or not partial sentences counted. There goes that evolution and memetic mutation again.

Buchanan’s ‘The American Conservative’ Backs Paul: How on earth, four days before Stupor Tuesday, did I miss the announcement of this key endorsement? I guess us ‘tech savvy’ folks just don’t watch enough television these days.

I just came across the following press release sent by the Ron Paul campaign. It is a good reminder that delegates are ultimately what matters when it comes to winning your party’s nomination, not simply public opinion polls (though I suppose this concept confuses people on about the same level as the Electoral College).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2008

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – While most reports about this past weekend’s Maine Caucus focused on the purely symbolic presidential preference poll, in the meaningful race to secure delegates to the state convention Ron Paul is primed to finish second with likely 35 percent of the total delegates.

Delegates to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis are elected by the state delegates. Internal results from 10 of 16 counties, including the largest cities of Portland, South Portland, Lewiston, Auburn, Augusta, Waterville, Bangor, and Brewer, show Ron Paul picking up 215 of 608 State Convention delegates so far reported, or 35%.

“Ron Paul’s strong second place finish in Maine, in which he beat John McCain, is proof that this race is far from over,” said Ron Paul campaign manager Lew Moore. “We’ll continue to battle for every delegate in this wide-open race for the Republican nomination.”

In the presidential preference poll, with 70 percent reporting, Ron Paul is in third place just two percentage points behind John McCain. However, the Maine preference poll is purely a beauty contest, and in the actual election of state delegates the so-called “frontrunner” McCain is far behind Ron Paul.

It seems that depending on how Super Tuesday turns out, we could be looking at brokered conventions for the Democrats and Republicans (providing people vote their consciences). And while some folks probably just want all this politics stuff to be over and done with so they can go back to their regularly scheduled programming (especially since an end to the writer’s strike is imminent), I think that a prolonged contest and a bona fide convention (not a coronation) would be good for the country.

Its a competitive world
Everything counts in large amounts
– Depeche Mode

Blowback: A good explanation of Ron Paul’s position on U.S. intervention overseas.