To RoPaul's credit, he does deviate from the Libertarian party line on a number of issues. I think folks confuse him for a Libertarian because he ran for President on the LP ticket in 1988.
Even the Libertarian Party itself was an entirely different Party 20 years ago. Most of the Libertarians that I knew back then were normal, successful business people, but the platform & constituency of the Libertarian Party has also changed over the years.
I'd categorize Ron Paul as a libertarian-leaning Republican, as opposed to the statist-leaning Republicans that most currently represent the Republican Party leadership today.
“I think folks confuse him for a Libertarian because he ran for President on the LP ticket in 1988.”
And Reagan was a Democrat who liked FDR and “The New Deal” at one time too.