Will Ron Paul Supporters Prove Me Wrong?

A Ron Paul supporter politely responded to my assertion that a 2nd place finish in New Hampshire is as high as his man can probably hope for. He wrote:

Since they are all likely to be fairly matched in money and advertising funds — the strength of the volunteer forces will be a major tipping factor. And only Ron Paul has anything at all for true grassroots support.

See here: http://www.infiniteronpaul.com/meetupmaps/

The Meet Ups for New Hampshire are darn impressive at 918. I couldn’t find out how many they have in Iowa, though what I was able to find looked substantial. Do I think Paul’ll win? No. Establishment Candidates have a lot of volunteers, many of whom wouldn’t know what a Meet Up is. So, while it’s impressive, I’m not sold on Paul overcoming Romney’s edge, because it’s a 25 point edge. Yes, there are Independent voters who could come out and further bridge that gap, but much of that depends on the Democrat race.

However, the job of the Paul Supporter is not to convince me, just to go out and do it. I certainly won’t try and dissuade anyone from thinking Ron Paul can win the New Hampshire Primary. Numerous cliches apply, “Aim for the stars, and you may just hit the moon.” “You gotta believe.” Whatever, you might say, confidence is key.

I won’t doubt what the Paul supporters can do. They’ve done things I could have never imagined happening a couple months ago. November 5th was big, and Tea Party ‘07 looks to be even bigger. They’re schoolin’ America on how politics ought to be run, what online campaigns should look like, etc. They’re also providing hope to Americans who have for many years assumed you needed big special interests to win.

I’ve been writing about Paul’s campaign in recent days because it’s fascinating to watch. It’s dynamic, it’s grassroots, at times it’s a bit crazy, but it’s a great illustration of how politics ought to be, rather than the games that our nation usually plays. The folks who are backing Paul are committed and have caught a vision and are willing to sacrifice for it. How refreshing is that given the spectators status of most Americans in politics?

So, guys, give it your best shot. If I’m wrong, I’ll admit it, but the proof will be in the primary results, not in pre-primary posturing.