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Ron Paul Fans Return, as Tea Partiers

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 15, 2009 11:30 AM CDT
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(Newser) – If you polled the protesters at Saturday’s tea party protest on who they voted for in the Republican primaries, Tom Schaller of FiveThirtyEight.com has a sneaking suspicion they’d reply, “Ron Paul.” The protesters focus on libertarian complaints and rhetoric, and bear that familiar Paulite intensity. The first protester to tote a gun at an Obama rally is a Paul fan, and the man who brought an AR-15 is an ex-Paul campaign volunteer.

If the groups really do have major overlap, it’s ironic for two reasons: First, “the same ‘mainstream/liberal media’ that ignored and dissed Ron Paul and his supporters are now bending over backward to give them coverage beyond their actual numbers,” Schaller writes. Second, a movement that couldn’t even nominate its preferred candidate is now being asked to drive the Republican agenda.

Ron Paul supporters marching down Constitution Avenue to Capitol Hill, July 12, 2008, where they held an all-day rally.
Ron Paul supporters marching down Constitution Avenue to Capitol Hill, July 12, 2008, where they held an all-day rally.   (AP Photo/Medill News Service, Kathryn Grim)
Supporters of Ron Paul rally at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH, the location of the concurrent Republican and Democratic debates Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008.
Supporters of Ron Paul rally at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH, the location of the concurrent Republican and Democratic debates Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Ron Paul supporters during a rally in Washington, July 12, 2008.
Ron Paul supporters during a rally in Washington, July 12, 2008.   (AP Photo/Medill News Service, Kathryn Grim)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 30 comments
Guest
Sep 17, 2009 12:08 AM CDT
foodchain you must not know that there are over 30 registered national partys already
Robert_Dada
Sep 16, 2009 7:58 AM CDT
Ron Paul was duped by Bruno for F's sake. Ron Paul is a moron.
Guest
Sep 15, 2009 9:09 PM CDT
RP looks pretty healthy to me. He is the only one who has a philosophy in the GOP. Again, I think he is wrong, but at least he believes *something*. The rest of the GOP are just empty signboards for rent.

 
protests • Ron Paul • libertarian • health care reform • tea parties • Tea Party

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