So what happens to Ron Paul and all his supporters once he fails to get the nomination?

[proud2BlibKansan]

Will he run as a Libertarian? If he doesn't will his supporters feel disenfranchised and refuse to vote?

I am not a Ron Paul fan but I sure respect the movement he has built. It would be a shame to see so many young people not stay involved in politics.

[jody]

1. So what happens to Obama and all his supporters once he fails to get the nomination? n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Obama is a mainstream politician

I have no doubt he will resume a leadership role in the party IF he fails to get the nomination.

Ron Paul, however, is not really a mainstream republican.

[jody]

7. What "leadership role" has Obama played so far in the Senate as a Democrat?

Obama is assigned to the committees listed below but I'm not aware that he has yet distinguished himself in those duties.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. I really don't want to have a debate about Obama

I think that running for president makes him a leader but that is just my opinion I guess.

I started this thread with a question about Ron Paul and his supporters. Do you have anything to add to that discussion?

[jody]

12. Ron Paul is a maverick who will continue to attract those with a Libertarian view which includes

Repugs and Dems.

[Somawas]

3. He run Libertarian before. Hope he does it again.

Even though I think Libertarians are pretty wack on a lot of things.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Yes I think they are whacky too

But in many ways, they share progressive views. They are anti-war so I have met a lot of them. They are also solidly against FISA, the torture bill, etc. They hate bush as much as we do.

I was just wondering what will happen to all the Ron Paul people. I don't support him (his stance on choice is enough for me to say no to Ron Paul) but I really appreciate the enthusiasm of his supporters.

[MissWaverly]

5. Ron Paul has incredible support in the military

our abused military that went to war based on a lie and was redeployed x 3, 4 or 5 times.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Yes that's true

He has a lot of support that he gets little credit for.

[MissWaverly]

11. He's the invisible man

anybody who doesn't want the status quo, endless war in the M.E. doesn't get much attention. Listen closely, the ones that diss the
Iraq War are proposing invading either Pakistan or Iran for "US Interests"

[Somawas]

14. Libertarians are right some of the time.

But the ones I know confuse me.

They seem to think that amendments to the Constitution after #10 are not valid.
That the Federal government is evil, but that its ok for your friendly state government to establish a church and deprive you of free speech.
That the commerce clause is evil.
That everything should be privatized.

And then we get into their free market fairy tale. They think that its bad for the governement to screw you blind, but fine if a corporation does it. And won't admit that their "Free market" is pretty much as much a fairy tale as is "perfect communism."

[last_texas_dem]

6. I'd like to see him run as a Libertarian

I think his would be the strongest run ever by a Libertarian Presidential candidate; stronger than his past run. However, I think this is unlikely since he's an elected Republican politician.

In terms of where his supporters will go I'm not sure, because I'm not sure what their breakdown is politically. I'd assume he gets mostly independents and Republicans who feel disenfranchised, and perhaps a handful of Democrats. There is no obvious Republican candidate I can see his supporters moving to. The party-line Republicans who support him will likely move to whomever their party's nominee is; I see the others either voting third-party or not voting.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. I would like to see him run as Libertarian too

I would like nothing more than a viable multi-party system in this country.

[RFKJrNews]

15. Ron Paul should run Independent

I agree with you totally, and think the 2008 election may well turn out the greatest number of Independent/third party voters in 100 years or more.

Ron Paul has amazing support that crosses party lines, he always has, and he should continue his campaign as an Independent if he does not win the Republican party's nomination (which would take a miracle).

I've heard him state categorically that he will not run as a Libertarian this time around, but that doesn't mean he has ruled out a run as an Independent. What an interesting addition he would make to the race! He just might pull some surprisingly large numbers in the general election.



*Please SIGN THE PETITION to Draft Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run for the White House: http://RFKin2008.com

[safeinOhio]

13. stay home....

....wash hair?

[Perry Logan]

16. The Libertarian Party: for people who REALLY want to waste their vote.

[PurityOfEssence]

17. Ah well, back to the drawing stone...

Tidy up the cave and wait for the Mastadon to start running again.

[saltpoint]

18. If Ron Paul is more moderate than most of his Republica colleagues,

he's still way too far right for any ebullient praise from liberals.

I'm not seeing that his followers constitute a movement that needs tending after he is crushed like a potato chip for the GOP nomination.

That isn't to say that I don't respect his remarks on the war, or that I don't find him superior to Rudy, John, Mitt, Sam, and so forth.

But he's not casting a very long shadow onto national discourse right now and when he loses it will vanish very quickly.