Most will, and you know it. Just read the Ron Paul forums. These people have absolutely no use for any of the Republicans who may actually win the GOP nomination. And Paul's strongest base of support is college kids (and perhaps young techie types) who are focused mostly on his social libertarian agenda - drug legalization and isolationist/peacenik policies. I would suggest that the overwhelming vast majority of these kids will AGAIN end up voting for Obama as the lesser of 2 evils between the Republican and Democratic party. Oh sure, the people who truly understand what Ron Paul represents won't vote for Obama, but they'll end up voting for the Libertarian candidate.
Libertarianism is an important component of the Republican party and is the source of a great many ideas (some good, some not) and energy (some good, some not.)
I really want to agree with you here, but I ask you this - if Ron Paul is supposed to be a Republican yet won't even endorse the eventual nominee of his own party, what good is he? What good is he to Republicans if the supporters he supposedly brings simply bail the minute he loses the nomination? What good is he if his supporters won't even likely vote for Republicans downballot because they can't vote for socially conservative candidates?
Everyone knows Paul is simply using the Republican party label because no one would even pay attention to him if he ran as the Libertarian he truly is. I don't mind candidates having a libertarian streak, but Ron Paul isn't a conservative with some libertarian views, he is a straight up Libertarian candidate dishonestly using the GOP label.
If you want more of the same, keep voting for mainstream candidates.
Second point: Cato, Reason, and other outlets are important sources for ideas in the Republican Party, so singling Ron Paul out as the sole focus -- or even the main source -- of libertarian influences on the Republican Party is silly. There are conservatives who are not religious conservatives, and to the surprise of many on FRee Republic, they represent about 1/3 of conservatives in the country. Many are still socially conservative, but aren't religious, but many are sympathetic to libertarian ideas.
More on this second point: Surely you jest if you think Ron Paul is the only Republican with this problem. I would like to draw your attention to the number of so-called Republicans, and even in a few cases a few so-called "conservatives" who would not only not endorse the Party's candidate in 2008, but who actually endorsed Barack 0bama!
However flawed Christine O'Donnell may have been as a candidate (and I am stipulating to this for the sake of advancing the discussion, because I do not personally think she was particularly flawed) Castle had an obligation to endorse her once he was defeated in the primary. He did not. He is not unique in this regard. ALL of GWB's minions trashed her. Is Karl Rove then not a Republican? Again, FReepers might not adore him as they once did, but he is a Republican still.
Conservatives -- in a conservative party -- are constantly called up to fall in line and support the "moderate." Yet, it is typically the case that when the RINO loses, he jumps ship and trashes the very people whose efforts made his candidacy possible in the first place. IN NY 23 Scozzafava threw in with the Leftist Party after accepting nearly a million dollars in campaign money from the GOP.
So, please.
Politics makes for strange bedfellows, and I'll repeat my statement in light of these remarks: you may regard him as a stalking horse for the Libertarian Party, but the truth is that Paul is a better Republican than just about any "Republican" east of the Hudson River, or west of the Sierras.
I wish that were not true. But it is.
I would not vote for Obama.
I don’t know where you get “most will”.
Also, Obama’s strongest base of support was college kids. Why is it suddenly bad that they’re considering Paul? Even though he’s pro-life?!
This seems very significant to me, how can you not see it?
How is he “straight up Libertarian”?
He is pro-life.
“I really want to agree with you here, but I ask you this - if Ron Paul is supposed to be a Republican yet won’t even endorse the eventual nominee of his own party, what good is he? What good is he to Republicans if the supporters he supposedly brings simply bail the minute he loses the nomination? What good is he if his supporters won’t even likely vote for Republicans downballot because they can’t vote for socially conservative candidates?
Everyone knows Paul is simply using the Republican party label because no one would even pay attention to him if he ran as the Libertarian he truly is. I don’t mind candidates having a libertarian streak, but Ron Paul isn’t a conservative with some libertarian views, he is a straight up Libertarian candidate dishonestly using the GOP label.”
Your points are so good I just had to reprint them! :-)
“- if Ron Paul is supposed to be a Republican yet won’t even endorse the eventual nominee of his own party, what good is he?”
Have the other Republican candidates been asked the same question ... “If Ron Paul wins the Repbulican nomination will you endorse him?”
>>>I really want to agree with you here, but I ask you this - if Ron Paul is supposed to be a Republican yet won’t even endorse the eventual nominee of his own party, what good is he?<<<
If the GOP nominates a true conservative, Ron Paul will support her/him. He would do that even considering the GOP establishment in Texas is attempting to destroy his political career via redistricting. His loyalty is to the constitution, unlike most Freepers, whose loyalty is to the Party.
For example, I will hold my nose and vote for the GOP nominee who is not a conservative, just to keep the more evil democrats out; therefore I do not have the integrity of Ron Paul. But I am beginning to believe Rush was right when he stated, maybe tongue in cheek, that (paraphrasing) he would prefer Obama over McCain so the democrats would get the blame (that is, he believed McCain would do a lot of damage, as well). Turns out he was right, even though I feel certain he voted for McCain.