A favorite among Internet bloggers, Rep. Ron Paul's campaign for President falls short in the Iowa straw poll.
For months now, Texas Congressman Ron Paul has been the darling of the Internet. His unconventional and decidedly Libertarian views have attracted Republicans and Independent looking for something beside business as usual, and for some time his name has been one of the most Googled terms on the web. But his long-shot campaign was dealt a serious blow in the recent Iowa straw poll.
Despite a the absence of leading candidates Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and the yet-to-announce Fred Thompson, Ron Paul was only able to garner a fifth place showing, according to a story on CNN.com. Paul trailed former Massachusetts Mitt Romney, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, and Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo.
The result was a blow to Paul’s hopes for moving from a favorite of Internet bloggers to a viable first-tier candidate. Paul has been unable to move above 2% support in national polls in spite of the massive online attention his campaign has received. The poor finish will also likely reduce the flow of campaign donations that poured in after a testy exchange between Paul and Giuliani in a debate earlier this year.
During that debate, Paul said: "Have you ever read about the reasons they attacked us? They attack us because we've been over there. We've been bombing Iraq for 10 years."
After Giuliani attacked him for this statement, Paul attempted to explain the concept of "blowback," which is the result of someone else's action coming back to afflict you. None of the other candidates seemed satisfied with this explanation, even though it was a key idea offered by the 9/11 Commission in its final report.
His strong stance amid a group of candidates that can’t seem to make up their minds on anything was a refreshing change for voters already weary of the extended 2008 campaign season. His ongoing opposition to the Iraq war (he was one of the few to vote against the use of military force in 2003) has made him a darling of anti-war Republicans.
And his run as the Libertarian candidate for President in 1988 had many from that party pinning their hopes on him this time around.
His defeat in Iowa, however, makes it unlikely that his campaign can continue much longer, let alone have a chance to win. Without a huge war chest, he cannot hope to compete when the large number of early primaries roll around in January and February, and a fifth-place finish is not going to inspire financial donors. It appears that Ron Paul’s quixotic campaign has finally come to an end.
