The Blogosphere Buzzes about Ron Paul

Texas U.S. Congressman Ron Paul has hit a major milestone in his interesting political career. I pulled up Technorati.com tonight to find that the most searched-for term in the blogosphere is nothing other than "Ron Paul." For an obscure libertarian Republican known as "Dr. No" for his refusal to vote for legislation that is not specifically allowed by Congress's enumerated Constitutional powers, this is a tremendous achievement. He has also had stunning success in online polls following the Presidential Debate on MSNBC between the flooded field of GOP contenders.

I do not think that being #1 in Technorati's blog search is going to translate to electoral success in 2008, but my bet is that underfunded candidates with a genuine, no holds barred, honest campaign style will covet such a position in 2012, when the Web will slay the juggernaut of the Mainstream Media once and for all when it comes to influence over the political process.

There is little doubt that Congressman Paul is a different kind of politician. In a certain sense in which he is truly a "Web 2.0" kind of politician. He isn't interested in spin; he has definable positions that are relatively consistent over time, and he is not afraid to express the core tenets of his political philosophy without reservation. And yet, he's being completely genuine. He does not masquerade as a Conservative under the guise of the hot button, must-have issues of the day; he does not demagogue the divisive social issues that so many Republican hopefuls feel they need to slam their fists on the podium about. Instead, he talks about the very real economic and constitutional issues facing the country, and he does so without the drama of so many who are in his business.

I'm not sure what the future holds for him. Perhaps the Web's influence will improve his visibility and pull him into the mainstream. I'm afraid we aren't there yet, though.

The Web can have a major influence in the shorter term, both by leveling the playing field for candidates like Congressman Paul, who truly have something useful to contribute to the dialogue and who otherwise would never be heard, as well as by beginning nation-wide draft campaigns for the candidates who everybody wants to run, but aren't currently (Collin Powell, for example).

Politics 2.0 on the march...