Ron Paul, is he a Tea Partier or Republican?

I watched an interview of Ron Paul regarding his fragile alliance with the Tea Party and the Republican Party. For those who don't know him, he is a hardcore Libertarian, but aligns himself more with the Republican Party and now with part of the libertarian faction of the Tea Party. However there are some in the Tea Party who do not accept his extreme libertarian ideas, after all they like their social security checks and medicare and disability payments and freeways and police department and fire department. The Republican's also have a love/hate relationship with him. Yes they agree with minimal government, but not the anarchist style of governance, that would put them out of business.

Ron Paul's concept is that there should be as minimal size of government as possible, if any government at all. Everyone should be responsible for themselves. Absolutely no social safety nets, thus eliminating Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare of any stripe, OHSA, SEC, FEMA, FTC, FDA, Interior Department, and every other departments that provides some sort of public service.

He directly stated that if a person is unable to earn and save enough money to live on in old age, they should live with children or be taken care of by religious organizations as charity. But it is morally wrong for society to be burdened with helping others. If you are old and get sick and can't afford a doctor or hospital, then die. It is not societies responsibility to keep you alive. If you are out of work, it is not societies responsibility to provide a short term survival income while you seek new employment.

To him we should turn the clock back to the pre 20th century way of life. A true dog eat dog society.

I don't know about you, but I think society has a different moral compass with some compassion for their fellow citizen and willing to share a little of what they have with their neighbor who is in need through a government sponsored program. In that way, individuals without children to care for them or a religion to rely on, can still be cared for at a minimal level.