As many Americans lose hope in President Obama, one candidate still represents a change in American politics.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul may be an enigmatic and eccentric figure in American politics today, but he is also the best candidate the Republicans have.

Since 9/11, Americans have watched as their country's character has been undermined in the name of security. Movements outlined in the Patriot Act and the recent National Defense Authorization Act have stripped Americans of their civil liberties as unnecessary wars claimed American lives while taking a toll on the country's economic strength.

Paul is the one candidate that proposes to buck this trend. The congressman has been unwavering in his support of the Constitution and opposition to acts that violate the founding document.

Paul has consistently voted against encroachments to American civil liberties and the unnecessary invasion of foreign countries, including the war in Iraq.

It is therefore not surprising that Paul's strongest base of support is among young voters. Americans who have only recently become old enough to vote have found that they have fewer civil liberties now than when they were born and that they had no say in the matter.

"There is a healthy instinct among the young to be distrustful of arbitrary bureaucratic authority and interested in questions of constitutionality," according to Political Science Department Chair James Stoner, who is not a Ron Paul supporter himself.

Paul's call to audit the Federal Reserve particularly attracts voters distrustful of federal institutions. Right now the Fed does not have to disclose all details of its lending, but a full audit would give the American people the transparency needed to oversee the bank.

Paul is also the candidate most serious about reducing the size of government. His economic "Plan to Restore America" is the most ambitious plan put forth by any Republican candidate in the race.

The plan calls for a $1 trillion spending cut in the federal government by eliminating five cabinet departments, ceasing all foreign aid and ending the war in Afghanistan. In a move that could please many members of the Occupy movement, Paul's plan also calls for an end to corporate subsidies.

Yet Paul's greatest contribution to the presidential race is his view on foreign policy. Paul understands that America's global military presence is unsustainable and stretches the country's resources thin as more trouble occurs at home. Paul's plan to close down foreign bases in Japan, Korea and Europe and to bring troops home would free up resources that can be used for domestic policy. People who expect a backlash against Paul's foreign policy may be surprised to find that the Texas congressman receives more money from the military than any other candidate.

Of course, Paul is not a perfect candidate. His opposition to reproductive rights and his desire to take a chainsaw to the federal government may repel many Americans, but the congressman brings issues to the table that aren't being debated in Washington.

Unlike the other Republican candidates, Paul can challenge Obama on his encroachment of civil liberties and enforcement of the War on Drugs. Paul's consistent record in standing up for civil liberties and his view of the Drug War as a harmful institution may compel liberal voters that have become disillusioned with the Obama administration.

The congressman represents an actual challenge in American politics and brings much-needed substance to the national consciousness. A race between Obama and Paul would cause Americans to ask themselves a tough question: Do you want the candidate who offers an expansion of health care and support for reproductive rights, or do you want the candidate that will protect your civil liberties, draw back America's unsustainable global military presence and end its costly and institutionally racist drug war?

He may have been deemed "unelectable" by the media, but if you value civil liberty, Paul is the best choice for the Republican nomination.

David Scheuermann is a 19-year-old mass communication and computer science sophomore from Kenner. Follow him on Twitter at @TDR_dscheu.

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Contact David Scheuermann at dscheuermann@lsureveille.com