So then, Ron Paul was the surprise winner of the CPAC presidential straw poll, and herein lies a lesson . . . for somebody. He came in first by a long shot, Romney second, and Palin third. It may soon start to sink in on establishment republicants, who want to “harness” all that tea party energy lying around, in order to get us a return to something like the Bush years, that this might be harder than it looks. The electorate is starting to act like a bear with a sore head. The immediate focus of this anger is Obama and his trillion-wielding minions, but a large number of Republicans wouldn’t have to work too hard to get the treatment either.
There are deficiencies in Paul’s approach to the world, but hardly any deficiencies in his approach to things like the deficit. And it is the deficit, and Republican earmarks, and Democratic earmarks, and the way things are usually done in Washington, that are the immediate and pressing danger to national security, and a bunch of people are starting to realize it. My children and grandchildren are far more likely to have their lives ruined by the big spenders than they are by the Taliban — determined by common sense and ordinary math.
It is not a problem for more mainline conservatives to challenge Paul or debate him on certain issues they deem important. Have at it. But it is beyond stupid to try to marginalize him, in this climate, and with this electorate. Advice to the neo-cons and the mainstreamers on this one. There are two ways to go — respectful disagreement, like this, or hissy fits, like that. Those who give way to the latter are going to find themselves identified as part of the problem. And it won’t be a misidentification either.