Jan 12
6
Ron Paul: A Most Brilliant Oddball
Mr. Paul is the only candidate — Republican or Democrat — who supports ending federal criminalization of drug use. He has long believed that the US government’s so-called “war on drugs” is a massive failure that has only served to empower criminals and cause a great deal of violence and death…
It is interesting that the only presidential candidate Republicans are excited and passionate about is Texas Congressman Ron Paul — the one candidate that few Republicans really believe has any a chance to win their party’s nomination and even fewer give any chance of winning in a general election. But Mr. Paul is surprising more and more people with each passing day, particularly after coming in a very close third to Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum in the Iowa Caucuses on Tuesday night. Mr. Paul won 21.4 percent of the total vote, compared to Mr. Romney’s 24.6 percent and Mr. Santorum’s 24.5 percent. Mr. Paul trounced Newt Gingrich (13.3 percent) and Rick Perry (10.3 percent) — both of whom had been considered the heavyweights to beat not too long ago. Now the Republican race is heading into New Hampshire for the first Primary contest on January 10, and the latest polling has Mr. Romney currently ahead with 38 percent, followed by… yep, you guessed it, Mr. Paul, with a respectable 24 percent, and Rick Santorum with 11 percent.
Strange things are known to happen in New Hampshire Primaries. People from the Granite State pride themselves on producing surprise upsets. In 2008, candidate Barack Obama went into the New Hampshire Democratic Primary up by a full 10 percentage points only to be beaten by Hillary Clinton 39.1 percent to 36.5 percent. In the New Hampshire Republican Primary that year, Mitt Romney was upset by John McCain 37.1 percent to 31.6 percent. New Hampshirites simply do not like to be told for whom they are expected to vote. And that is why it is entirely possible that Mr. Romney may again lose New Hampshire and Mr. Paul could suddenly and strangely find himself — at least temporarily — at the head of the Republican pack next week.
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