Will the Ron Paul hype ever translate into votes?

Question

Even as a democrat I can respect Paul for his principles. I may not agree with all of them but unlike the other republican candidates and many of the democrat candidates I trust that Ron Paul is who he says he is.
I don't understand the Republicans though. He is pro-life, pro-gun, more fiscally conservative than any other candidate yet the Republicans favor Giuliani.

Will the votes ever catch up with his with his internet fame and his one day fundrasing record?

Answer 1

No, he appears to be the Kucinich of the Republican party!

Answer 2

Let's be clear. The only votes that have been taking place are the straw polls, and Ron Paul has been doing quite well in those polls [1]. Indeed, he is dominating the field.

The national polls are not votes. They are random samples of the total population of eligible Republican voters. Given that less than 10% of eligible voters turn out for primary elections [2], a sample of the entire population strikes me as a poor indicator of what a subset comprising the most active (and hopefully informed) members of that population.

Many have called into question the accuracy of the national polls - whether fraudulently or in error. They may well be inaccurate, but even if not, I think that what I wrote above is enough to convince me that the best indicators of votes will be the straw polls [3].

Answer 3

I attended a local Ron Paul meet-up last night in my area. {West Coast}

I see a "Monumental" change happening in America.

Contrary to what's being published, {Ron Paul's supporters are very young new generation hippies}
The majority of about 35 attendees were older retired people with a few young-uns mixed in.

All attendees voiced disapproval @ the political path the country is on now, and very definitely want a change. They see the Ron Paul platform as that change and are very intent on learning all about him so when the time comes when the mainstream media tries to smear him they will know the truth.

What I learned @ the meeting was:
The entrenched closed mindset of the Republican National Committee, has to be overcome, to accept Ron Paul, as their only hope for a presidential victory in 2008.

The BIG money is against Ron, but the American common workers outnumber the very wealthy by probably 10,000 to 1.

Those 10,000 represent votes, "We the Ron Paul Meet-up group's Members", have to try to convince those masses of voters that indeed Ron Paul is the "BEST" candidate for the future of America!
Thank you.
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Answer 4

You are watching this phenomenon happen before your very eyes. Yes, he raised $ 4 million in one day. On Dec 16th,
celebrating the Boston Tea Party, he will raise $ 10 million.
He will finish in the top 4 in Iowa. He will pull a huge surprise
by finishing a close second to Romney in New Hampshire.
With that momentum and $ 40 million raised to buy in the big media markets of California, he can win the nomination.

Answer 5

I hope so! Replace the dumb Texan with the smart Texan!
A Paul vs Obama match up would be the most interesting and meaningful. IMO

Huckabee is not my candidate, but I believe him to be a good man and should be higher in the polls.
Mc Cain should retire in AZ and stay out of the sun.
Romney is such a flip flopper.
Thompson, give me a break, no way!
Hillary, well, I couln't stand listening to her for four years, besides there has to be someone other than a Bush or Clinton qualified to be president. Enough of the dynastys.

Hoping the next president has more intelligence and much, much better judgement!!!!!!

Answer 6

I hope so. He raised $4.3 million in one day alone, the other day.

I respect Paul for his principles despite the fact that I don't agree with him on everything. Which is why I switched to GOP to vote for him in the primary.

I hope other real conservatives see the light soon and change alliance.

Giuliani is more liberal than Bill Clinton, and I have no idea why he is leading the polls.

Answer 7

No, Ron Paul's hype will never translate into votes because of:

1. His followers: It is a well known fact that the middle aged and elderly make up the majority of voters. Youth do not vote in high numbers. His base is full of youth, which gives him a tremendous disadvantage.

2. He's not a Republican: At best, he is a Neo-Conservative. But I think the fact that he ran for President as a Libertarian shows that he is a "Republican" because its a closer fit than "Democrat".

3. Party Backing: No matter how you slice it, you must get the party to back you, whether that be at the local, state, or federal level. Since he is a libertarian, he is getting many of the Anti-government votes/money. BUT, a very small portion of the republican party are anti-government (mainly because people are smart enough to know that we need SOME government).

4. (And Most Important) "The Hype": The Hype surrounding Ron Paul has shown to be a bunch of very good bloggers/techies who search the net tirelessly to write about Ron Paul. I will give you the fact that he raised a ton of money the other day, but there really hasn't been all that much hype about him outside of the blogosphere. (If you don't believe me, click on the link below!) Do some research about how much time he received on national tv. It isn't nearly as much as the frontrunners, or even Mike Huckabee (who was once a second tier candidate).

Answer 8

No. There is an element of physical attactiveness that plays into elections. People subconsciously put a little more stock into the words of people who are more physically impressive. That is why taller candidates often beat shorter ones and the more handsome candidate often wins the presidential elections.

Ron Paul is a squirrelly withered old loudmouth who seems totally against any compromise on even the least of his issues.

He seems like a crotchey old coot and that won't ever be given serious consideration, regardless of message. The Dems have a could candidates with similar problems.

Additionally Paul ran as a Libertarian for President againt the Republicans. Republican power brokers have long memories. Finally, he does not coddle the interest groups that rule the party currently. Not going to happen.

Answer 9

I hope so. I'd vote for him if he makes it through the Republican nominating process. Rudy Giuliani is just a male version of Hillary, but with Bill Clinton's sex drive.

Answer 10

He's gaining momentum fast. Lots of radio talk about him. Too many still don't know much good about him. We need someone very different like him to shake things up. We're strong enough to recover if he takes a few things too far.

Answer 11

I was skeptical for a long, long time, but I'm beginning to wonder. He's not my guy, but I DO hope he shakes up the Republicans - that party needs an enema, and Paul can provide it. (After all, he IS a medical doctor.)