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I know you don't like Dr. Paul and I agree with you that he's wrong on the war on terrorism and most of foreign policy.

But it was his campaign who made the Tea Parties what they are today. His supporters made their own signs, held meet-up groups (the forerunner of the Tea Parties) and donated their own money to him, and held various rallies on the days of his one-day online fundraising records.

I attended some of these meet-up groups where we would hold signs at intersections supporting Paul, and holding rallies at parks protesting big gov't. Same thing the Tea Partiers are doing now.

All of this happened way before Rick Santelli's rant.

You need to appreciate the libertarians (the small gov't libertarians not the pot smoking/911 Truther kooks) that Paul has brought back into the GOP. Without them the GOP would be dead.

I know many good conservatives including on FR who will never again go near a Tea Party event.
The Ron Paul loons have hijacked them with the crapOla including handing out 9/11 Truther material.
Have seen this first hand and have head the same thing from other states.

Ron Paul’s anti war , close Gitmo and bring the trial to NY,
and other Far Left views are no different than Obama’s.
It is great to have small Gov. but with Ron Paul’s foreign policy, America won’t have any government. I thank
Republicans, especially the Conservative ones for keeping
the Ron Paul loons from not destroying this country.

You need to appreciate the libertarians (the small gov't libertarians not the pot smoking/911 Truther kooks) that Paul has brought back into the GOP.

I have to agree with you EEE. Like Republicans and even Rats, Libertarians are NOT monolithic and have their own Right and Left wings. The hippies, pot-smokers, and 9/11 truthers are on the left, while small government, fiscal responsibility, and low taxes group are on the right. I consider myself as a Libertarian Conservative, and quite frankly, it would not take much from the GOP to push me over to becoming a full-blooded Libertarian (right wing of course).

The big test for me will be in 2012 once I see how the GOP establishment treats Sarah Palin (if she decides to run like I think she will, especially after reading her book). If the beltway-cocktail-Brooks/Parker Crowd sabotages Sarah like they have been trying to do all year, then I am gone. If they line up behind her and support her 110%, then all will be forgiven (but not necessarily forgotten).

And like I've repeatedly argued before on this forum, if you're a true Conservative, then you are a Libertarian to a certain degree since the two ideologies overlap to a significant degree.