Ron Paul given rock star treatment at UVU

Hermansen said he wasn't surprised at the audience's warm reception to Paul's talking points, even those subjects on the typically liberal end of the spectrum, because everything the congressman said ties back to the idea of personal responsibility.

Paul doesn't endorse certain choices, Hermansen explained, but argues that people should be free to make their choices and face the consequences.

"That's one of the most fundamental principles behind liberty and our constitution," he said.

Paul concluded his remarks by commenting on the state of democratic debate in the information age. He said any person who is for peace, prosperity or any other issue has access to the world around them, and he urged those in attendance to work toward causing an intellectual revolution.

"I, quite frankly, am convinced that we live in a great period of time," Paul said. "It's a great time to be alive because I think the opportunities are different than ever before."

With less than a month before the election, Hermansen said it's not likely the political paradigm shift called for by Paul could happen before the next president is voted into office. But he added that part of what Paul and his supporters are frustrated with is the idea that Election Day is the only time when individuals can influence government.

"That one day is only part of what are our decisions and what our actions are during the rest of the year," Hermansen said. "The other 364 days are what make Election Day more or less important." 

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