As someone who was born in Iowa, I’m pleased to see many Iowans flocking to support Ron Paul.

The Washington Post has a tut-tutting front-page story today complaining that Paul’s 45-minute stump speech “outlines a view of the world so bleak it would make Chicken Little sound like an optimist.”

It is not surprising that a Washington reporter would be aghast at someone who spoke honestly about U.S. government policy. But hopefully Iowa voters will be far more realistic than Washington Post editorial writers. It is encouraging to see so many people enthusiastic about a politician who is not promising them handouts.

Ron Paul’s support is a gauge of how many Americans have caught onto to the prevailing doggerel from Washington. Many, if not most, of these folks will never “return to the fold” to docilely support whoever the Republican Party coronates as a presidential candidate later this year. Ron Paul is toppling political idols – and many Americans will never bow to those idols again.

The New York Times had an excellent piece last week on Republican candidates’ views on executive power. Ron Paul was the only candidate who declared that the President does not have a right to order the killing of American citizens on his own authority. The other Republican candidates sounded like Obama – who signed a bill on Saturday that gives the federal government dire new powers. The superb poster below features Obama – but it could just as well have included the Republican presidential candidates – except for Ron Paul.

[If anyone knows the author of this poster, shoot me an email and I will credit the creator.]