The Ron Paul phenomenon

(Updated below – Update II – Update III – Update IV – Update V – Update VI – Update VII)

By far the most significant and interesting political story of the past 24 hours is the extraordinary, record-breaking outpouring of support for Ron Paul’s presidential campaign. Therefore, it is being ignored by much of our establishment press — not a single article about it in The New York Times or The Washington Post (though it is discussed on a couple of their blogs), nor even a mention of it on the websites of CNN or CBS News (which found space to report on Stephen Colbert’s non-candidacy). But MSNBC and Fox News did at least both post the AP article on the Paul story.

Regardless of how much attention the media pays, the explosion of support for the Paul campaign yesterday is much more than a one-time event. The Paul campaign is now a bona fide phenomenon of real significance, and it is difficult to see this as anything other than a very positive development.”

More by Glenn Greenwald at Salon.

All this is only because of the mainstream recognition being accorded to him.

But here’s my thought. Why not recognize smart, consistent views for their own sake? Why not support Paul, even if the mainstream won’t touch him, even if he hasn’t enough money, even if he walks and talks differently from a beltway insider? Why not support him because you like his ideas and think they might work? Why not follow what you think rather than wait, cautiously for the wind to shift, for the water to warm up, for the hour to be right, for your neighbor to agree….

Isn’t that exactly the problem?

That no one will simply trust their own judgment and good sense? If we can’t think for ourselves, then why should we blame the New York Times or the liberal establishment for telling us how to?