We have not given much air time on this blog to the campaign of Congressman Ron Paul, for better or worse. Formerly a libertarian, Ron Paul believes in strictly limited government, limited foreign policy objectives, and the reinstitution of the gold standard in the international economy. While his positions may be somewhat misaligned with the mainstream of Americans, his internet following is viral and he has raised millions of dollars. A critical mass of voters certainly share his opinions.

In last night's debate Paul put into historical context the recent stand-off between Iranian and American naval groups at sea, a reference that stood apart from the television-ready polemic. From NPR:

Paul likened the incident to the Gulf of Tonkin engagement that was used as a justification for expanded military action in Vietnam.

“Let's put it into perspective. We have five small speedboats attacking the U.S. Navy with a destroyer. They could take care of those speedboats in about five seconds. And here we’re ready to start World War III over this?” Paul asked.

The comparison of the war in Iraq to Vietnam has been made before, but it's interesting to hear such a reference in a debate among prospective leaders of the Republican party, which until not long ago, lauded neoconservatism as its predominant foreign policy dogma. Whether Ron Paul's debate performances and fundraising are enough to lead him to the nomination is quite another story.