he said he wouldn’t endorse the nominee “unless they’re willing to end the war and bring our troops home. And not unless they’re willing to look at the excess spending.”

Same thing, really, don’t you agree ?

Paul said nothing of the sort. Actually, he said he wouldn’t endorse the nominee “unless they’re willing to end the war and bring our troops home. And not unless they’re willing to look at the excess spending.”

Ron Paul has already stated that he is not interested in a minor party or indepedent bid for the presidency in 2008. He reiterated that stance on Tucker Carlson’s show on MSNBC today.

The idea of Ron Paul running in the 2008 general election as a minor party or independent candidate has no basis in reality. Just take the man at his word.

A third party with 5% support has no chance. Since most members realize that, they don’t even hit 5% in the general election.

However, if Giuliani and Clinton are the nominees, I think Ron Paul has a moral imperative to run, to try to save the country. Given his overwhelming advantage in plain-spokenness, integrity, consistency, and character, he might have a chance, even if he is viewed as radical.

But how far outside the mainstream is Ron Paul, really? He’s the only candidate who is against the war and for smaller government and against illegal immigration — arguably the three biggest issues in the election, and he’s got the market cornered where they overlap!

Ron Paul also has a viral marketing, grassroots campaign that has a lot more potential to move up. The real question is whether it can hit critical mass by February 5th, but I think another nine months after that and it could be in the 25-35% range.

and by that i mean the GOP will do any back door agreement or whatever if they really feel Paul might actually be caucused in.

frankly, i don’t even see Paul being caucused in. but i couldn’t care less. i still canvass, i’ve still donated, and i don’t give a damn b/c i’m not stopping until it’s over.

the GOP leadership is probably pragmatic in knowing that they will be absolutely slaughtered this cycle, possibly for the next POTUS too. however the legislative and state governership bodies will be definitely be influenced by the Paul campaign (i.e. Paul-esqe platforms)

Maybe this is about a fledgling ideology striking a chord in a public bitterly disaffected with the representation provided by the two major parties.

Ron Paul’s campaign is an investment in a different way of thinking about the relationship between government and governed. Keeping the message in front of the American people for as long as possible may be the best this campaign can achieve.

Change will not come overnight for those who agree with Ron Paul; win or lose. But this is a vision worth waiting for, and those who see little difference between mainstream Republicans and Democrats can afford to be patient.

There is no other Presidential candidate that has his grass roots on the ground volunteers in the GOP. Would the GOP be ignorant enough or arrogant enough to think that they can not use Ron Paul’s army of nearly 53,000 (as of today) on the ground volunteers in their fight for the Presidency in 2008?

The closest thing the Dems have is Barack Obama with just slightly over 6000 volunteers. The rest of the GOP combined has only a fraction of that kind of support.

I guess the idea is that money can and does buy the Presidency and they could give a damn how the people feel and the 2 parties will only chose the one among the candidates who is the most sold out to the hilt for their party leadership.

I for one am tired of voting for the lesser of 2 evils so I will vote for Ron Paul instead. This prairie fire is not going out no matter how many buckets of water you try and throw on it.

Here in the South. He is getting huge.

As dumb as Fred looked yesterday, all of those Fred heads will be jumping ship soon.

And people in the South are getting tired of sending our sons out to foreign lands to die for some New York socialists, in which you support.

Wall Street is murdering us and selling out the nation. But, you, the pundits don’t have any remorse.

Really ? It can’t be the model of hope or an outlet of frustration ? It can’t be a loud voice of protest that drives a particular issue or groups of issues ?

It can’t be something earned and fought for by its erstwhile participants and adherents ? It can’t be a ballast to a status quo of constant war or ever increasing welfare state ?

Maybe we can’t all be ‘winners’ in the popular sense of Ameri-Arcana, but I’d rather stand out in the rain with fists clenched and raised then at home on the couch with a bag of chips and a light beer listening to Chris Matthews blather about the Mayor of America or the new First Spouse.

There’s a real good reason half the population doesn’t even bother . . .