Five Reasons Why Ron Paul is No Joke

While mainstream media may overlook Ron Paul and claim his base is eccentric people on the fringe of society, here are five reasons not to overlook him.

1. The “Paulites” are dominating the web

- Paul’s website had the most number of unique visitors of all Republican websites in August, according to Google analytics and the web information service Alexa. The site has also seen a 67% increase in visitors in the past three months.

- For months now, Paul has been the most popular GOP candidate on the Web, with more supporters on MySpace, Facebook and Meetup than Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson or Mitt Romney.

2. Surprising poll numbers/support among powerful groups

- Rasmussen Reports’ recent polls show Paul leading Clinton in the key demographic of voters aged 30-49, and leading all candidates both Dems and Republicans among black voters.

- RealClearPolitics Insider Advantage Poll from early October also indicated that Dr. Paul was the leading Republican candidate among Black voters in key primary state, New Hampshire.

- The Houston Chronicle reported that Paul has received the most campaign contributions from current and past military personnel.

3. Even if he “can’t win”…

Other GOP candidates should be concerned about whose support he’s taking away. In a crowded field, the money and votes he’s drawing could affect the primary outcome.

4. Republican disenchantment and the war vote

Paul has the ability to draw on the large number of Republicans who feel the party has lost its way. He offers a return to limited government and fiscal conservatism. Furthermore, as Andrew Smith, a pollster and director of the University of New Hampshire’s Survey Center told the Washington Post, “In an election in which a party doesn’t think it will win — and a lot of Republicans here have a perception that no matter the nominee, they’re going to lose next year — voters have an opportunity to vote with their gut.”

And with his call for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, he can tempt the independents to cross over to make the protest vote against the war.

5. He’s got money

Paul shocked the political world by raising $5 million in the third quarter, 70% of which came from online donations. The money trail provides a picture of where all of these “Paulites” are cropping up.

Here are three maps showing donations from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters. As you can see, the growth along the East Coast is the most striking. It’s also interesting to note how support is spreading out from metropolitan areas. For example, the areas around Chicago, Atlanta, and Houston continue to grow.

1st Quarter

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2nd Quarter

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3rd Quarter

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