Ron Paul is an ASS.

I frequently hear reports about a coming together of the worldwide communist movement, the Islamist-Nazi movement and other anti-American interests… along with groups such as MS-13, in a global effort to overwhelm America in a losing battle. The 1 in 5 Democrats who think America would be better off if we lose this war surely support the above-mentioned forces.
(e.g. –the ignorant, uneducated, untalented maggots in Hollywood, and the utopian bastards at our universities).

When history pays US a visit in the not-to-distant future, these people actually believe they will be spared, that the mushroom cloud and subsequent radiation will go around them because they support the downfall of America. They had better hope they have enough lamb’s blood to paint over their doorways, to avoid the creeping death of radiation.

In all seriousness, I'd suspect that the reality behind that poll is that 97% of those "Republicans" who said they'd vote third party are "Republicans" who will vote Democrat (again, as usual) or who never vote at all. Similarly, I don't deny some who have considered themselves "conservative" support Ron Paul, but I suspect a very significant % of his support comes from a combination of white supremacist groups and liberal truthers eager to roil the waters of the Republican primary process.

I must come at least partway to Dr. Paul's defense.

Dr. Paul has been a good public servant in Congress, and is one of the few Constitutional absolutists anywhere in public life. He's firmly for Constitutionally limited government, hard money, balanced budgets, and the protection of the unborn. His major problem is his isolationism. It was a tenable position before World War II, but it's no longer possible to isolate our nation from the lunacies of the larger world. Perhaps matters would be different today had we not erected NATO and SEATO after World War II, but that's an unprovable speculation. At any rate, we cannot afford a "fortress America" foreign policy or military posture today; we must engage the Islamic threat as we would any other declared enemy of our nation.

All that having been said, it would be nice if Dr. Paul were appreciated for his many virtues, to an extent as great as he's been criticized for his obvious flaws. As I was his 1988 Presidential campaign manager in New York, I think I can say with some authority that those virtues are considerable.

I agree with my friend that, in the main, Paul has been a good and faithful public servant.

That said, many of his supporters that I have crossed paths with are infested with their own form of Paul Derangement Syndrome.

The problem with Paul is not his service or his virtues but the fact that he represents yet another 3rd party option. And while 3rd parties may make their members feel good, they lead -- many times -- and especially in 2008 to disaster.

Will the rush of pulling the lever for Paul survive at least 4 years of Hillary?

I doubt it.

Too right, Gerard. Too right by half.

I can't help but think that 3rd party candidates, especially those who've been a mainstream politicion like Ron Paul, are all about their EGO. Ron and others before him know that the way our system is designed - first to the post and winner takes most - will always equilize at a two partys. There is much virtue to this system. Ron Paul should work hard within the Repub ranks to move the Repubs closer to the classical liberal values of our founding...not destructively and egotistically boondoggle as a third party LOOSER.

"I frequently hear reports about a coming together of the worldwide communist movement, the Islamist-Nazi movement and other anti-American interests… along with groups such as MS-13, in a global effort to overwhelm America in a losing battle."

Ah, that's Blair's law: The world's multiple idiocies tend to converge over time into one giant, useless force.