Howard Fineman thinks the GOP can save themselves by channeling their inner Ron Paul. Never mind that Fineman thinks Rep. Paul is ‘out there,’ ‘angry, and ‘apocalyptic;’ the important thing is that he believes in something. Because he believes in something, it doesn’t matter that many of ‘his ideas are unworkable, some are dangerous.’

According to Fineman, ‘Paul is a bargain-basement Jefferson for our time.’ I’ll give you five bucks if you can tell me what the hell that means and why it’s a compliment. Here’s a quote from Jefferson. Maybe you can tell me how Ron Paul reflects a poorman’s latter day Jefferson.

“And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerve in the brain of Jupiter. But may we hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this most venerated reformer of human errors.”

-Thomas Jefferson, Letter to John Adams, April 11, 1823

What? Does that not seem like something Ron Paul might write or that his supporters might understand? Well, how about this?

Priests…dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of daylight and scowl on the fatal harbinger announcing the subversions of the duperies on which they live.

-Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Correa de Serra, April 11, 1820

This is not even considering that Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, served in the Confederation Congress, served as Minister to France, as Secretary of State, and Vice-President and President of the United States. He created the University of Virginia. He invented the freaking swivel chair. And that list only scratches the surface of his accomplishments. Who could possibly trace Fineman’s mind when he compares Ron Paul to Thomas Jefferson? He ought to be so embarrassed that he never writes again.

My best guess is that Fineman thinks of Jefferson mainly as a representative of agrarian interests. Show me the modern-day freethinking farmer-populist and I’ll show you a bargain-basement Jefferson. Ron Paul, my ass.

The teabagger and Ron Paul movements are anything but freethinking. Unless, you mean ‘free to think any nonsense that pops into their minds.’ The GOP might make electoral gains with this foolishness but, if Jefferson saw their arguments, he’d never stop throwing up.

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