I don't disparage Ron Paul like some do because a) I agree with him on more issues than not, b) he votes the right way almost all the time, and c) it's quite obvious that his heart and mind were captivated by the constitution long ago. My problem is with his firebreathing worshipers.
But for whatever reason, this guy who - if blessed with a different persona - would likely be a hailed as a conservative dynamo, wears the "kook" mantle for the GOP. It was driven home directly last evening, when I saw him standing side by side in solidarity with... Dennis Kucinich... in opposition to our involvement in Libya.
Both men are deep believers in their respective ideologies. Both men believe in their principles and live them out to the best of their ability. Both men assert themselves forcefully as representatives of their constituents. And both men are just a little bit... off... quirky... hard to take seriously. They juxtapose one another politically, ideologically, and philosophically, but at the very same time, they are two peas in a pod.
Whether we take them seriously or not, they take their roles seriously. But neither of them will ever translate their persona into national electoral victory. It was as obvious as ever watching them working together last night.