This week I had the opportunity to ride in the Ron Paul Blimp with some of the supporters who have made financial contributions to maintain it. I hoped this would offer me the opportunity to discover why they were such strong supporters of his campaign. Days later, I’m still scratching my head on this one. Paul is a registered republican running as an independent (libertarian) in the upcoming elections. Something you may not know… this isn’t Paul’s first run for the White House. Back in 1988 he ran for president as the Libertarian nominee. The Texas Representative distinctively differs from Republican candidates in method and from Democratic competitors with his stance on healthcare. Paul is strongly opposed to universal healthcare. In fact he’s opposed to all government subsidies, including federal student aid. I called three schools in South Carolina. At the College of Charleston 68 percent of enrolled students receive some kind of aid, at Clemson University 72 percent of students receive some form of aid (40 percent alone in federal aid), and at Coastal Carolina University75 percent of students receive federal financial aid. So why again might young people (especially college students) be attracted to a candidate like Paul?

That’s a great question, one I’m still not sure I can answer. I can tell you what supporters do like about him. According to supporters of the Ron Paul blimp young voters are his stance on immigration, his opposition to the war in Iraq, and his staunch belief in following the constitution. Frankly, I don’t get it. Going into the Michigan and South Carolina primaries, Paul’s chances for success are equal to that of a snowball in the lowcountry… outlook not so good. This isn’t to downplay Paul’s significance; grassroots efforts by his supporters are certainly noteworthy. Unfortunately for him, the ability of grassroots communities to rally so successfully behind a candidate is what matters most about his campaign. It won’t happen this time, but it will be interesting to see how future elections are pushed along by increasing grassroots efforts (especially with the internet as a tool). Ron Paul the man, not the blimp, returns to South Carolina on Friday (1/17/2008) for a “Stronger America Rally with Veterans.”