I personally don't think Ron's campaign was ever about winning to begin with. Let's face it, his name among the public is still very much unknown factor. I think the idea in the beginning and even now was to use the campaign and it's vocal platform to get a certain message out in the public arena of ideas and maybe, just maybe, enough force behind it to get a seat at the table so to speak. America is not ready for that much freedom and "if" Ron got elected and "if" Ron started dismantling gov't (he won't because he knows this too) that there would literally be riot and revolution in the street. We are all addicts of gov't and it will take years, decades and likely several generations to wean off just as it took the same to get hooked.
As for Ron's internet campaign, look at Howard Dean who at least IMO was the first to use the internet as a campaign tool. I know al invented it but good ole Howard (God Bless him) showed the world how it could work. I was never a Dean supporter as he and I differ on public policy in a ton of areas but I did cheer his efforts as it really was a populace campaign early on outside the controls of the big corp. movers and shakers. Ultimately Dean failed so it seemed but did he? The Clinton machine and the DLC had to cave and give Dean a seat at the table (party chair) as they were smart enough to realize that Dean come 08' could in fact be a real player. Imagine Dean out in the democratic campaign now with the message he had in 04'? Yeap, Hill baby would be in trouble and they were smart enough to foresee that problem. Even though we disagree in many areas I was a big fan of Dean in 04' and very sad he caved in to filthy lucer and joined the neocon lites and his voice was silenced.
As for Ron, what has surprised a whole lot of people including me is how his libertarian/Austrian economics message has clicked among the younger college set. Will it hold? Will it sustain over time? Or is this just a college fad to buck the system so to speak? Who knows. Iowa would be a tough sell for Ron because IMO this State is not out on the edges either way but pretty much likes moderation and for the most part the status quo. However New Hampshire may prove a rather interesting animal as those voters tend to have a different mindset. I mean, what State in the country has the balls to have on their license plate of their cars the State motto of "Live Free or Die!" This State was also choosen several years ago for a effort called the "Free State Project"
http://freestateproject.org/with the idea of getting 20k libertarians, if you will, to move to New Hampshire in order to begin a concerted effort to effect political change. Exactly where they are in that effort I don't know, I don't think it's much (couple of hundred maybe?), but the fact is this State was choosen out of the 50 for a reason and it wasn't because it had a hardened Federal gov't mindset. Facts point otherwise.
Some experts are even starting to suggest that Ron could make a 4th and even a 3rd place showing and if that happens, the dynamics of this race and the exposure of Ron's message will change. At the same time the big guns will also come out full ablaze against Ron and there is weakness in his armor. Here's one example:
http://freestudents.blogspot.com/2007/07/ron-pauls-personal-pork-projects.html
Don't get me wrong, I like Ron and met him back in 1981' through my friendship with then Congressman Larry McDonald. He a very smart man but also very sincere and respectful. Most politicians are arrogant beasts (even Larry had his moments)who think God has bestowed them divine right to be King for a day. Ron never showed those type of personality traits that I could see.
I do hope Ron places in the top 3 or 4 and I also hope and pray the Republican attack dogs of talk radio come after Ron with full force. This campaign IMO is a chance not to win the White House but rather a chance to seperate the wheat from the chaff and for true historical conservatives like the Goldwater era and before to realize the so-called Rockerfeller wing has won and maintained control of the republican party and that your choice is to follow the NeoConservative platform which is nothing more than a fiscal conservative Trotskyite movement (they really aren't fiscally responsible if you look deep) or a return to true conservative values moored in the beliefs of the individual expressed in the writiting and traditions of our founding fathers. It also IMO presents an opportunity for estranged Americans to discover one another and become a force.
For years people made a choice in that they choose civil liberties and tended to vote democrat or choose economic and tended to vote republican. However across the spectrum they shared lots of common beliefs that tended to defy both parties but fear of the other tended to keep them in check. Ron may have tapped that divide but it's a time will tell kinda thing. Your choice in many repsects is the expression of freedom as written by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence or the ideas of gov't expressed by FDR, LBJ, GW and in the near future Hillary and Newt.
As I said, this campaign IMO is about making people think first and foremost rather than win an election. Besides, as I've said before, you want by-partisanship in Washington and in the Congress? You want the Congress to work hand in hand with lots of unnanimous votes on bills, amendments and legislation? Well here's you chance. Make Ron the next POTUS and you will see unparralelled by-partisianship never before seen in the annuals of American history as bothsides work at fever pitched pace to save their protected turf and monetary playground!
I'm wkmac and I support this message!
What freaking maroon came up with the idea that political commercials for and by the candidate needed this tagline? Are we that damn stupid? I'm sad to say I think we are!