...What about that Ron Paul? I'll bet the Republican National Committee reached in and burned a few hundred votes, else wise he wold have buried Michelle. Awesome. Can he win in January? End all the wars! Audit the Fed! Repeal the drug laws!
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And I can do no better than:
The RP of Iowa runs this show, and the count is accurate. It is a quadrennial fund raiser which generates seven figures for the party, and these guys are smart enough to know that loose tallies would kill credibility, hence the goose.
What makes Paul's finish all the more impressive is his opponent. Actually, opponents, plural.
In running against Michele he took on the entire Jesus-on-my-Sleeve political apparatus, and Iowa is a fundamentalist bastion. They are well-funded and exceptionally well-organized. To even approach the numbers of Bob VanderPlatts' crusaders is a victory more than moral.
He also bucked the muddle-headed GOP center, what Goldwater called the east coast establishment, the Rockefellerites who differ with the hard left only in the speed and direction of their statist ambitions. And these guys are even richer than the fundies.
So, I'm pleased with his c. 25 per cent even though yesterday probably marked his personal high point. You should have noticed by now that the news coverage is concentrated on how soon Michele will burn out, how Romney will fare against Perry, and the level of chaos Sarah will create if and when she jumps in. In media eyes Congressman Paul remains a quaint old fellow with a few useful thoughts but certainly is not a man to be taken seriously. I mean, who cares about those crazy Austrian economists? Who can even understand them? And Murray Rothbard? Whozzat?
To be viable six months from now, Paul would need at least very strong second-place finishes in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. (Nevada -- where he might even win -- could help him, but I haven't checked on its 2012 primary/caucus arrangements yet.) He will get the money he needs for these early contests, but his message is ultimately not salable to 50 per cent plus one at this time in our history.
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I was there with one of those unlimited-access badges around my neck, so I got to hang out about anywhere I wanted. I chose mostly to mingle with the enthusiastic youngsters -- kids your students' age. I haven't digested the events well enough to write about them yet, and I have only one firm observation to report: Ron Paul's volunteer co-eds were quite a little prettier than Michele's, but the typical Bachmann girl showed a lot more leg. Make of it what you will.
:)
Jim
(Addendum: I hope no one confuses opposition to theocracy with opposition to religion.)
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