While Iowa proved to be a state filled with many Ron Paul supporters — as seen by the 26,000-plus votes he captured in the Iowa caucuses — many Republicans dubbed Paul too radical to be the GOP nominee, thus losing the chance to gain many Republican votes in other states.

Although Paul just recently suspended all active campaigning, the main messages that he ran his campaign on should still be heard on both sides of the political aisle, because they are vital to getting our economy back on track.

Fortunately for many Iowans, including many residents of Iowa City, those messages were received, and they will be carried on. As Paul clearly had the most enthusiastic fan base of any GOP candidate, as seen with the signs and posters that filled so many Iowa City houses and front yards, it’s easy to see that Iowa is one of the more pro-Paul states in the union.

However, despite all of the popularity Paul received in our state, his messages are still unknown to most Democrats and Republicans in Iowa City.

During the Republican primary season, a common message shared by all the GOP nominees was cutting federal spending, allowing for fewer taxes so the national debt could be eased.

Paul presented his plan to eliminate $1 trillion in government spending in his first year in the Oval Office, if he were elected president. He gave specific instances on how he was going to accomplish his promise of lowering federal spending with his consistent references of what government departments and organizations he would cut, such as the Department of Education, the Federal Reserve, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Whether one agrees with Paul’s policies is beside the point — this is a politician who had clear, organized plans on how he would accomplish the tasks that he campaigned on. President Obama won the votes of so many Americans with his promise of hope and change but without clearly explaining how he would actually accomplish his change. It’s easy to see why this change hasn’t occurred.

One of Paul’s biggest causes for concern in our economy has been a subject lightly touched on by both Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney — the Federal Reserve.

Paul knows more about the inner workings of the Federal Reserve than does any other high-profile politician. Unlike Obama or Romney, Paul understands how alarming of an issue the Federal Reserve has become — the institution has been virtually printing money out of thin air, causing both inflation and the national debt to increase. Paul knows the severity of the issue, the reason he has been so vocal about the Reserve, and why he wrote a New York Times‘ bestseller about it.

One may not agree with Paul’s stance on completely disarming the Federal Reserve, but it’s clear that the institution needs much more oversight and regulation. The Federal Reserve has been looked past by so many politicians, but thanks to Paul, the issue is now understood by many more Americans.

Paul energized so much of Iowa City’s youth to become more politically involved with his non-self-serving policies. Finding ways to politically engage more of Iowa’s youth is clearly needed as seen with the low voter turnout in the big elections of the past few years, including Tuesday’s Congressional primaries.

With Paul calling it quits to active campaigning, he deserves recognition for the work he’s done; he’s a politician who is truly looking out for the American people.