There's a lot of chatter about libertarian GOP candidate Ron Paul. The upcoming prospect that he may have raised 2.4 million doesn't put him in the Obama netroots category, but the average GOP folks don't have as much experience as the other side. Whatever online support, YouTube viewers or whatever metric one wants to attribute or take away from the campaign, he is getting MSM coverage. That's something no declared Libertarian candidate can ever really claim. 
While there are prominent naysayers in the LP camp over Dr. Paul, the spirit of the Ron Paul supporters is something to be carefully watched. The creative videos and quasi-commercials on the Net may never reach the encrusted GOP'ers in paneling graced family rooms with land lines who get most of those random poll calls, but those willing to go out and reach out is increasing. This seems more so than any other 'second-tier' candidate as some in the elite core of the MSM like to call them. The question for us hardcore LP'ers is not whether we can compete with the Paul campaign, but is whether this enthusiastic rabble in arms not in the clutches of corporatism and special interests will have any interest beyond the brief glimpse and hope that Paul offers in terms of message.
Libertarian bloggers and activists like Dr. Carl Milstead and Timothy West take every opportunity to villify any LP candidate advocating the abolishment of the Federal Reserve, IRS or the return of the gold standard. They claim these aren't mainstream issues that the average voter can accept or identify with. 'Goldbugs' they are called. Yet we have a GOP candidate whose net and grassroots popularity doesn't seem to be suffering at all with this message. If I'm correct, both Milstead and West are basically supporting Paul as an anti-Libertarian model for success. These are definitely insular discussions and assumptions.
I hope to get to a couple Ron Paul 'meetups' in order to assess the feeling of these passionate supporters. My guess is that any admission to LP affiliation will be grudgingly accepted and that focus will be re-oriented to practical efforts for the Paul campaign. My one hope is that the spirit and enthusiasm I see on these videos and blogs might be given a friendly home when the invariable disappointed sets in that Rudy or Romney will be the nominee. I can remember the pride and Spirit of '76 as a kid back in the seventies. It's a shame that average folks who want freedom from government can't see third party politics as a practical thing. Most middle class conservative individuals can't be persuaded to see third party politics as anything but a waste of time. Despite horrendous taxation policies and practices, they take their chances and democracy really watered down.
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