People Digg Ron Paul Because...

Technically, it doesn't matter what we write here, the core Ron Paul supporters will either visit the site or post it to Digg. Every time a story about Ron Paul is written, his core supporters go berserk sharing it all over the internet. Ron Paul wins strawpoll, Ron Paul had two bowel movements today... Ron Paul Makes Bill O'Reilly Look Stupid (ok, you caught me, that one is fake, Bill O'Reilly doesn't need Ron Paul's help to look stupid).

The other side will pass over Ron Paul stories or go to another site. But this time, stick with us for a moment see what the fuss is all about.

Why is Ron Paul getting so much attention on the internet, and so little traditional media coverage? Is there anything to it, or is Ron Paul simply the first Ross Perot of the internet generation?

Does Paul have any legitimate chance of doing well in the upcoming primaries and forcing his way onto the scene? He has, after all, been stiffed over and over by the mainstream press when it comes to debates and inclusion as a serious candidate.

While we are on the subject, why hasn't Dennis Kucinich gotten more support on the internet? After all, Kucinich is similar to Ron Paul in that he is viewed as a Washington outsider, not a part of the mainstream political game, and his platform seems to reflect logical ideas, not the puppetry of lobbyists. Perhaps Kucinich's exclusion is for a couple of reasons. First, despite how advanced and mature we want to think our society is, and that we do not judge people on looks, Kucinich is slightly goofy looking. Whereas Ron Paul looks normal, Dennis Kucinich looks like the high school nerds we all remember, but all grown up with a killer job. Second, Kucinich is a Democrat, and no matter how much people hate George Bush, they still have to agree that the Democratic party is a complete shambles these days. The Dem's refuse to stand up to the most corrupt and ripe for picking politician in the history of human civilization. It's not surprising they can't organize a well run campaign, be it for Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, or Kucinich.

The difference between Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich is that the Ron Paul has been more vocal in condemning Bush and in presenting his own plans for what he would do as president. Ron Paul also is a Republican, and while the Republicans are much hated these days, they are still better organized than the mess that is the Democratic party. Ron Paul has seized the internet as an opportunity to reach the masses of people he can't reach with his very limited campaign budget. Using the internet to spread the word for any candidate is intelligent, not something to ridicule. The cost to reach millions of people on the internet is virtually pennies, or less, compared to hundreds of thousands of dollars to run a single TV commercial in prime time. If you were campaigning, which would you prefer?

But does he have a real chance?

Actually, yes, Ron Paul may have a chance in the primaries. Voters are obviously pissed at both George Bush and Congress. Their approval ratings have never been lower. The President's approval rating has dropped to 24%. Congress hangs at an even lower 11%. Both are easy to explain. Bush has taken the country and run it into the ground with an administration full of open corruption and daily brazen moves meant to fill the pockets of the elite at the cost of the rest of the world. Congress has stood by and allowed all of this to happen, and after the Democrats seized control last November they haven't done a single thing. Both parties seem to think that being a politician these days is the equivalent of being Paris Hilton - all sound bytes and smooth looks for the press, yet never accomplish a damn thing in real life.

For Ron Paul to make any headway in the 2008 primaries, he must make as much noise as possible now. Ron Paul needs attention. Unfortunately, speaking calmly about doing sensible things is not very sexy compared to sound bytes of politicians calling each other names. When Hillary Clinton pokes fun at Barack Obama she gets more coverage on NBC in a single hour than Ron Paul gets in a month. That's why publicity is crucial for Ron Paul. Whether it comes in internet form, mainstream press, or in person shaking hands and kissing babies, he needs to get the word out.

Where Ron Paul differs from the other candidates is that he doesn't have a hundred million dollars in the war chest, with more money available seemingly at will. Ron Paul's support comes from his message, that things are screwed and we need to go back to making logical decisions.

The single biggest plus in Ron Paul's favor is not that the Republican party is in disarray. Yes, there is confusion and finger pointing over who is the "top" Republican candidate among Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, John McCain, or Fred Thompson.

The biggest advantage for Ron Paul isn't that the other candidates aren't taking him seriously yet - they aren't looking for dirt on him or openly criticizing his platform because he's still a fringe candidate.

Nope, while those are both huge advantages for Ron Paul right now, his biggest advantage is how angry the voters are.

If you are over 20, you're old enough to remember when this country still stood for something, and when people had jobs and money in their pockets. Unless you are in the $200,000+ stratosphere, you know people who have been laid off, people who are serving in Iraq, maybe even know someone who was killed in Iraq serving this country for an illegal war. (Sidebar - that is the ultimate sin for a leader of any country - asking his citizens to die for a lie so he can personally get richer, is there anything more heinous?) George Bush's corrupt administration has negatively impacted the lives of 99% of this country. The only people Bush hasn't screwed are the other 1%, who conveniently are his friends.

That makes for angry voters. Angry voters are unpredictable voters. Angry voters vote with their conscious as much as their pocketbooks. While Hillary Clinton may appeal to some voters who wish she could blink and make the economy go back to Bill Clinton's era, that's not going to happen. The actions of the 8 years of the Bush administration will take decades to overcome. And I will add that Hillary Clinton, with as much goodwill and hope that she offers some people, is another Washington insider who hasn't done a damn thing. She voted for the war. She has repeatedly refused to go after Bush, she passes his bills, she does not support impeachment, etc., etc. Hillary may look like change, but it's not going to be the giant leap we need.

Like many American's, I'm a fed up voter. I want change. I demand change. I'm sick of where this country has fallen. But the system offers no hope, as long as the candidates are nothing but puppets for giant corporations. We need independent leadership who will not cow-tow to financial influences and who will instead do what is right for the country, not their friends.

Is Ron Paul that person? I don't know. I hope he is, as he is our best chance at this time to create change in Washington. We owe it to ourselves to find out more about him, and to support him if we agree with him, to help get the word out, to not turn our head and laugh every time we see a story about Ron Paul on Digg or other social sites. We need to know more about Ron Paul, not bury him. Tell me, if you laugh or get frustrated when you see a Ron Paul headline, are you really that happy with how the country is running right now?

The worst case scenario, after looking at his stance on the issues, listening to him speak, and look over his voting record, maybe we find out Ron Paul's not the right guy, but I can tell you right now, certifiably, that the other candidates are NOT the answer. Look at their records, they've done nothing but snuggle up to lobbyists, the entire lot of them. We owe it to our country to support independent leaders who are not afraid of big business. Let's hope Ron Paul is that person.

Learn More:
Ron Paul on Issues

Two websites help you pick a candidate based on your view on issues:

Pick Your Candidate

Select Smart

Finally, the website 2decide.com lists one giant chart of issues with every candidate's for or against stance. It's the quickest way to check who agrees with you. Bookmark that site, it will come in handy as we get closer to the primaries.