As Ron Paul’s support peaks in Iowa with the caucuses creeping up, a quick jaunt through “Occupied” McPherson Sq., off K Street in downtown D.C. was a reminder of the hindrance that his more avid – and insistently independent – followers remains on his White House bid.
As the New York Times reported, in contrast to 2008’s vanity campaign, Paul has kick started the electoral engine that has kept him – and his idiosyncratic views – in Congress through decades of tough races. This time, Paul’s politicallysavvy campaign manager Jesse Benton has built an organization that does the “real stuff” of campaigns, and does it with remarkable effectiveness. Targeted potential Iowa Republican caucus-goers report being “touched” by the Paul campaign more than any other campaign.
Organizing the political outsiders that swarmed to Paul after his contretemps with Rudy Giuliani in 2008, and converting them into GOTV-activatible voters, has been a feat that Benton – who once “nerded out” with me over a UK parliament election game – seems to have achieved against almost insuperable obstacles. (Numerous accounts report that Paul’s non-interventionist stance on foreign policy puts off enough potential caucus-voters to suggest he’s bumping up a support ceiling with the GOP base.)
Breezing through McPherson Sq., I spotted a Ron Paul for president sign, and drifted over. Casually inquiring, “So, you’re ‘Ron Paul guys?'” got one avid affirmation and another quick disavowal. I looked to see if if any of Ron Paul’s pet issues (the “North American Union,” the Federal Reserve, bashing NAFTA, etc.) were being hyped in the stuff he was peddling, and when I could see they weren’t, I was on my way.
An angry “Hey! Why’d ya ask if you’re gonna walk away?!” followed from the park. Looks like submitting to my innate instinct to keep moving, and avoid getting mired in an arcane discussion of Ron Paul’s quirkier philosophical nostrums served me well.
How many of those “Ron Paul supporters” – perhaps too many of whom, like this “Occupier” character, I’d bet the kids’ college tuition isn’t registered to vote, and doesn’t intend to – will alienate real Iowa Republicans, and how many can Benton and his team harness into effective caucusers is a question that hovers over his campaign, but this year, it may be more of the latter than the former.
