While I'm reading the article, an interesting pullquote popped up - Santorum would vote for Paul if he wins the GOP nomination. I understand his point, he is going to go for the ABO candidate but it is odd that he would say something after garnering support from the kook fringe religious right and having more religious righter asking Bachmann to leave the stage. Maybe those in the religious right are fuming after that comment and we will see his retraction sometime in the next few days.
If I had to guess probably not - it's an established orthodoxy (even if it's wrong and utterly misguided) to support the party's nominee. Indeed, if one does not, one is considered a heretic, an apostate.
If he retracts, it would be foolish for a lot of different reasons.
OTOH, one should never underestimate Dr. Paul's practical and principled position on foreign policy (and particularly Israel) to ignite the self-righteous fervor among the kooks.
Now this comes on the heels of learning that Ron Paul has a new supporter - Bachmanns Iowa campaign manager. I know that's old news but maybe this is the shape of things to come?
Could be ....
As folks figure out what they are actually up against, it may cause some to forego their "groupthink" on adhering to the present misguided (and insane) failed foreign policy orthodoxy that they are desperately clinging to, and reconsider what are actually the best chances/odds are for prevailing against President Obama.
In a wide field (according to polling) Dr. Paul actually garners the most support out of any candidate for those that consider themselves evangelicals.
Now, it's possible that when the field narrows that our own American functional-equivalent of the Taliban, will lay down the sticks that they are incessantly beating the drums of war with - and actually espouse and truly practice the philosophy of the One that they claim to follow - and make at least some minor attempt to act in a manner that demonstrates they at least don't hate their fellow man, even if they are, at the moment, incapable of actually loving him.
My own bet is that there will be many that are, at present, simply incapable of foregoing their own bloodlust and desire for vengeance, instead, giving into the constant and continual state of terror that they allowed themselves to be goaded into and are apparently willingly chosing to live in, and will continue to refuse to look at the reality of our foreign policy and the practical (and predictable) consequences .....
Some folks are really looking however - even among those who are for the more extreme of the candidates (as evidenced by Bachmann's Iowa Co-chair's change yesterday)
No where is the above more evident however, than in the media, particularly on the liberal/left/progressive side of the political spectrum. Some examples of that are
Cenk Unger (of "The Young Turks" on Current TV),
Ed Schulz (The ED Show on MSNBC), and
Rachel Maddow (The Rachel Maddow Show),
Glen Greenwald (writes for Salon) and a number of others. These folks, who are often not in total agreement with Dr. Paul's philosophy, nevertheless see a potential for alliance, due to mutual interests.
A particularly good example of how this is beginning to be viewed is evidenced by what happened on The ED show yesterday - and shows (partially) what the other candidates are up against (
but there is more to it than even what is shown here ):
Ed Attends Ron Paul Campaign Event In Iowa
Of course, those who have a never-ending love affair with war (both on the left and the right), will immediately reject the above folks as potential allies in any way whatsoever - due to differences of political ideology, and failing to see any possibility of
common cause .... due to their inculcation into the "groupthink" of endless war.
This goes back to something that greg has (very wisely, IMO) commented on many, many times - our failure, as a nation, to come together for our own mutual self-interests and survival.
This is a fundamental philosophical difference between Dr. Paul and
all of the other candidates (including Obama) - he is seeking
to unite us as a nation - rather than
divide us.
As far further evidence of what is there in terms of organization, the following article gives a hint at what is going on around the nation:
'Stealth' campaign promotes Ron Paul in Florida
