Ron Paul beats Obama in Ohio

According to a Fox News poll based on a telephone survey with a random sample of 505 registered voters, Ron Paul would beat President Obama in Ohio (42% vs. 41%), should he be nominated as the Republican candidate in the 2012 elections.

Also two other Republican candidates, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney, are able to get more votes than Obama, according to the poll. Only Newt Gingrich would lose the state if he was running against Obama.

As one of the swing states, Ohio played a key role in the 2008 presidential elections.
Ron Paul’s approach to foreign policy, emphasis of personal freedom and constitutional rights and reduction of the federal government’s influence secured him widespread support – especially from younger voters.

In addition, Dr. Paul is one of the few persons in politics who did not change his political decisions when it seems politically advantageous, but stuck to his principles.

Even if Ron Paul should not be nominated and go on to win the presidency: He has motivated a lot of people to pay attention to politics more closely.

President Obama publishes first budget draft for 2013

President Obama announced his 2013 budget proposal on Monday. Even though his plan is not expected to pass Congress, it is seen as a strategy for the November election. According to the budget plan, revenue through taxes would increase by $1.5 trillion until 2023. A key aspect of the plan is a tax reform that targets at increasing taxes for wealthy Americans, while providing subsidies to various other groups, including students. A finalized version of Obama’s tax reform is expected at the end of the month.

Even though the president’s budget plans include a deficit reduction, the deficit is projected to grow substantially in the coming years. The US federal debt is already at more than $15 trillion and is projected to grow in the future. – and these numbers are provided by the government, meaning the projections on growth are rather exaggerated. Also, the reductions mentioned concern only the deficit. – the debt is still rising.
Furthermore, the assumption that a tax increase for the rich would not have any impact at all on productivity and growth is simply wrong. Rich individuals might choose to work less if they can keep less of the money they earned. In addition, some might move to other countries where taxation is lower (e.g. Singapore).

In general, it is right to address deficit reduction. However, instead of increasing revenue through tax increases, the government should focus on cutting spending first before any tax increases might be considered.
Politicians have to address debt reduction more aggressively – a constitutional amendment limiting the deficit is absolutely crucial!