It is widely-acknowledged that Ron Paul won the first Republican debate. To be fair, it would have been hard for Dr. Paul not to win. All he had to say was "I was against the Iraq War from the very beginning" and watch the rest of the field stumble all over themselves trying to explain why they not only supported the war at the beginning, but continue to support this failed intervention.

That said, Chuck Muth -- a libertarian-leaning conservative -- explains why the rest of the Republican field should pay close attention to what Dr. Paul is saying about bringing the GOP back to its small-government roots.

Whether you are a Republican or Democrat, basing your ideas on principles is a welcome change from current politics as usual.