By Adam Bitely — Most recent polls indicate that Ron Paul is in the lead in Iowa. Other polls around the nation indicate a growing level of support. After years of being painted as a kooky Congressman from Texas, it seems that Ron Paul may have finally hit the mainstream.
Since late summer, GOP primary voters have flipped back and forth on who they deem the conservative choice against Mitt Romney. First it was Michele Bachmann. Then it was Rick Perry. And then it was Herman Cain. And then came Newt. And now Paul, it seems, is getting his shot at being the anti-Romney choice.
How far things have come since Paul was treated as the red-headed step-child of the GOP in 2008 when he was relegated to the back of the line and treated as some sort of radioactive creature that needed to be disposed of immediately.
All the while, he stayed true to the principles of limited government.
At no point in Paul’s recent rise has anyone had to point out that his positions are recently taken. Unlike Newt and Mitt, Ron Paul has been consistent with his platform. He has not had to explain why he changed his mind to oppose health care individual mandates or why we don’t need the government to enforce climate change policies. Paul has been a consistent opponent of anything that will increase the size of the federal government.
But here is where things will get as dicey as they can possibly get. If Paul wins in Iowa, he will have to fight for the life of his campaign as he heads on to the ensuing contests.
His Iowa victory will be belittled. Those in the media will claim that the Iowa results were meaningless. Keep that in mind as they try to mention who finished second behind Paul, as they will claim that the second place result will somehow have meaning…
Already, Republican and Conservative elites have come out and announced that if Paul wins Iowa, the results of the caucuses should be ignored. So much for democracy.
Whether you support him or not, at least Ron Paul has been a consistent candidate. And that consistency is helping him gain support.
In the last 6 months, voters have been exposed to a flurry of ads and stories about candidates changing their positions in an effort to curry favor with the more limited government base of the GOP. Paul’s consistency on less government spending, less federal bureaucracy, more transparency especially at the Federal Reserve, and an overall change in the relationship that Americans have with their government finally seems to connect with the voters.
We can only hope that the elites in Washington D.C. will let the process play out as it will and not seek to undermine the voters who voluntarily choose their candidates.
After all, if these GOP elites were so brilliant in making the correct decisions for the Republican party, perhaps they wouldn’t have been cast to the political wilderness in 2008.
One thing is for sure, voters are showing an appetite for sincere candidates that talk the talk and walk the walk when it comes to limiting government. It would be a disservice to the future of America if the establishment of the Republican party tries to silence these voices.
Adam Bitely is the Editor-in-Chief of NetRightDaily.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @AdamBitely.
