The overwhelming sentiment that motivates Ron Paul’s supporters is opposition to utopian social crusades - whether it be foreign military interventions by neocons or “duty to protect” liberals, or domestic spending programs like “No Child Left Behind” - and a resentment at being expected to pay for these things.
The majority of Ron Paul’s supporters are not hardcore ideological libertarians like the Lew Rockwell crowd. These people are appealing to a broader slice of the electorate - especially Independents and under 40 voters - because of war fatigue and the general sense that the federal government is unresponsive, favors the privileged, and is out of control.
Most of Ron Paul’s supporters can be won over quite easily:
(1) If respect was shown to them. Something that can easily be done. As Palin is wisely doing here.
(2) If there was a serious effort to cut government spending, massively cut the size of government, and reign in the incestuous, corrupt relationship between Wall Street and DC.
(3) If the saber rattling, warmongering neocon element were reigned in who destroyed the Republican Party in 2006 and 2008 through the unwise intervention in Iraq - or, in Newt’s case - through his hypocrisy in the 1990s.
It is repudiation of George W. Bush-style “compassionate conservatism” more than anything else.
WH, that’s a well thought-out analysis. My proposal was just pragmatic.
As you know, there’s about 50M voters who don’t bother to even show up- and I think that’s in good part because they don’t believe there’s any difference between the parties.
I guy like perot, or Palin or Paul resonates wt them. I’m just saying if you give these people one of their planks— a real demonstration that the Fed will be audited by a credible person-— that might show them some of the respect that you advocate.
Excellent post....
I am here talking with 3 over 50 men who are Ron Paul supporters. All have been long time conservatives and voted Republican, two even voted for the rino Mccain.
Two are evangelical Christians.
All three work for a living, one is retiring next year.
None are hippies, or smoke dope.
Those of you who think Ron Paul supporters are all lefties are shooting yourselves politically in foot. Two won’t vote for Romney no matter what, one probably won’t. One won’t vote for any of the others running for the GOP.
All this malice towards those who have voted Republican in the past and now support Ron Paul, is nuts. Do you guys want to lose the White House again. There is good reason these people support Ron Paul and you had better wake up, especially after what the polls showed from last night. Ron Paul has strong support from those who have voted Republican, some who have voted Republican for decades. Add in the younger vote that supports Ron Paul and want Obama out, we need these peoples votes, duh!