He was all over, the last time, people knew who he was, and now, he isn't supported by the Tea Partiers, who view most of his positions as specious, at best.
Ron Paul is the Dennis Kucinich of the GOP and a RINO, since he is really a Libertarian, who figured out that he could never win as one and now takes money from the GOP and flies inder their banner, falsely.
You’re wrong. Flat wrong. Ron Paul got at least 2% in every state. I’m not sure what kind of math you’re using to get 1%.
Comparing votes with some “All Adults”.
The Tea Party’s core message is the same as Ron Paul’s core message, and he’s been on that core message the whole time.
Limited Constitutional Government.
For that reason, he certainly should get tea party support.
There is no doubt that some tea partiers will not approve of his foreign policy. There are certainly at least a handful of tea partiers who believe very strongly “must have less government, spend less money” at the same time as “must have more more, spend more money”. But the ones who chose “less government” over “more war” will definitely consider Ron Paul. And others will choose Sarah Palin, even holding their nose on “more war”.
But, seriously, no doubt there will be some tea partiers that Ron Paul doesn’t get because of foreign policy. But conditions in 2011 are not the same as in 2007. Telling Republican primary voters that he doesn’t like what Obama is doing is not the same thing as telling Republican primary voters in 2007 that he doesn’t like what Bush is doing.
Talking about Libya is talking about Obama, and being critical of a Democrat. I don’t think Republicans are so ideologically attached to intervention, as much as they don’t like to hear the Republican Presidents foreign policy criticized. Ron Paul can point to Libya and say, look, the Democrats are are intervening where we don’t belong - that’s what Democrats do, and always have done, and I’ve always been against that. I’m not agreeing with that, but that’s a potential argument he could make.
So, his core message is the tea party message, and the foreign policy ground has shifted from Bush to Obama. He’s also much more well known, and his son is in a powerful spot as pretty much one of the few national faces of the tea party. On the downside, he’s 4 years older.