The Love Revolution Continues--Paul is in

75-year old Ron Paul decided to announce on Friday the 13th. The Texas congressman is making his third bid for the Presidency because his ideas are more popular than ever, he says. In 1988 he ran on the Libertarian ticket but running as a Third Party candidate in a general election is almost impossible the way our system is organized. Paul has an enthusiastic college constituency, which approves of his anti-war and drug legalization stances. For the past two election cycles he usually wins the sraw polls at conservative meetings because of the influx of Paultards. When he doesn't, it's usually because the Romney folks have greased a few palms.

Ron Paul is the real Godfather of the Teaparty movement before it was co-opted by the Koch Brothers and the Religious Right. He,along with Howard Dean, pioneered the use of the internet for political fund-raising and organizing. He invented the Money Bomb, which still serves him well. After the first GOP debate in South Carolina, he brought in $1 million in small contributions over night.

His appeal is that he is like someone's grandfather speaking without a filter. Even with push back from the media, he doesn't backtrack or mince words. He's at the stage on life that he doesn't care how it comes out. Take for instance his appearance on CNN and MSNBC where he was pressed on whether he would have voted for the 1964 Civil Rights Act. He didn't flinch. He went on about how government put in the laws on slavery, segregation and Jim Crow. He was all for taking away the government laws for discrimination but those should not interfer with laws on private property. In other words, everyone has the right to discriminate on their own.

The implications of this thinking came out more clearly on his statements on the Diane Reihm show where he talked about the devastation of the Alabama tornedoes. FEMA shouldn't provide assistance and the government should not provide insurance for these areas. This is a man from Galveston, Texas, which experiences hurricanes and devastating floods. He said that this was your responsibility. If you wanted to live near water or in a Tornedo alley, that was your choice and you should get private insurance. But if disaster happens, you are on your own. Project that onto New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. In your guts, you know he's nuts.

Ron Paul will provide some great comic relief during the Republican primaries because, in a way, he is right the Republicans privately think alot like him these days. Eliminate the IRS and the FED. Go Back on the Gold standard. He may even agree with his son Rand Paul that health care as a right is a form of slavery for doctors. At least, we'll hear someone refreshingly blunt--sometimes on the mark and sometimes nutty as a fruitcake.

In a darkened room, before a small audience at the University of Michigan,another candidate--Mitt Romney--tried to cope with his single policy achievement--his health care plan in Massachusetts--and tried to contrast it with the Affordable Health Care Act. Even before the speech, the Wall Street Journal had an 1,800 word editorial blasting him and his credibility. Some Republicans even think that editorial doomed Romney's chances. After Romney made his Powerpoint presentation, the entire Fox News echochamber blasted him from show to show. The Obama Administration gave him the veritable hug of death by praising his speech and his ideas.

Jennifer Rubin in the Washington Post said that the only idea dumber than is speech was the time Romney strapped his Irish setter to the top of his car when his family went on vacation. Greg Sargeant said that Romney had to deal with this Albatross now ad hope that it fades as the election year proceeds. I think that was the general idea. But the reaction from Republicans was universally negative.

Jay Cost may have put his finger on Romney's real problem. Romney comes from the Northeastern Republicans,who are more moderate and haven't got a contender since 1960. He goes on to say that a Northeastern Republican could not be counted on for winning their own states, while Westerners and Southerners can and this accounts for their strength. So far, Romney is way ahead in the polls in new Hampshire, his recently adopted state, but no where else.

Conservatives, who control the Party, simply do not trust him. They said that he had to defend his health reform plan because he had run out of flip-flop room. Their grave reservations on Romney began with his reversal of his pro-choice positions as Governor of Massachusetts, his stance on stem cell research and on gay rights. They even note that his faint dog whistle about Obama not understanding America in his speech fell flat. And, despite spending an enormous amount of time in the last few years cultivating the Christian Right, Romney is still seen as being a member of a cult--Mormonism.

Throw in the mix Jon Huntsman, the recipient of a fawning piece in this edition of Time magazine. Both Romney and Huntsman are from prestigious and wealthy Mormon families. But apparently the two families have a feud dating back years. Recall that Huntsman backed John McCain over Romney when he was the governor of Utah. I always felt that Huntsman was the future presidential candidate for the Republicans. While he explained his service in the Obama Administration as one of national duty, I don't think that's enough this coming year to persuade a party which has gone further and further to the Right. It's clear, however, he's seriously thinking of running when he is cultivating Republican strategist Mike Weaver.

The temporary dissatisfaction of the Republicans for their candidates has shown up in the recent AP/Roper poll, which says that 45% of Republicans are dissatisfied with the present field. One man nail it,"They are a bunch of cold fish." There is no one right now that fires up the crowd. Peggy Noonan expressed surprise that the media were taken aback by Newt Gingrich's entry into the race. She added she has yet to meet anyone in the Republican Party that backs him.

The dissatisfaction seems to spread among the moneymen, who have refrained from getting heavily involved as yet. So it's no surprise that Laura Bush called Mitch Daniels' wife to persuade her to OK his run. While I simply do not understand the enthusiasm over Mitch Daniels, it has become clear that his family is the obstacle to a run. The fear is that Mitch Daniels' wife will have to explain the episode when she abandoned her family and ran off with a married doctor to California. Then she returned and re-married Daniels. It's so confusing, I doubt whether anyone will care.

As we wait for Mike Huckabee's announcement, the Newt has gotten off several salvos at President Obama, calling his the "greatest Food Stamp President in our history." Newt says this election is the most important since before the civil war. One of the interesting things I found out about Newt is that he had a seperate religion for each of his wives--Lutheran, Southern Baptist and Catholic. While you may not notice it, his entire election campaign will be waged by the most extreme of the Religious Right, whom he has cultivated for years.

As of last night, I thought Huckabee would bow out of the race. Ed Rollins, who is usually reliable about these things, suggested it to the Wall Street Journal yesterday. But by this morning, Huckabee was giving off very different vibes--saying that the fireworks will begin shooting when he makes his announcement and things will get crazy very fast. But I'm not so sure you can announce on your own show. And I'm not so sure even Fox would allow it. So stay tuned.

For those Republicans in the hinterland wanting New Jersey's Gov. Chris Chrissie to run, the latest approval polls in that state show he's in the toilet at 38% and people believing President Obama would be better than the Governor are at 2-1.

Christianist Michelle Bachmann is polling her supporters whether she should run. Her claim to fame in her e-mail is that she was the first to introduce a bill to repeal Obamacare.

Fellow Christer "Frothy Mix" Santorum seems to have an interesting problem on his hand. The Senate Report on the Ensign sex scandal notes that the betrayed husband turned to Santorum for help and Santorum tipped Ensign off that his affair was going to be made public. Ah, the problems of Family Values.

The Veepstakes have started as well. Virginia's Bob McDonnell, South Carolina's Nikki Haley and New Mexico's Susana Martinez are already names in the mix. Nikki Haley, the Sikh-turned-Christian, says she is the "flavor the day". Martinez would put an Hispanic on the ticket for a party desparate to shore up the the GOP's diminished base among minorities.

Rachel Maddow bet the former communications director of the RNC about the republicans chances in Wisconsin. He said that in 2012 the GOP has a good chance at Wisconsin, Indiana, Virginia and North Carolina, which Obama won last time. While he tried to make out that the thousands of protestors in Wisconsin were bussed in to protest against Scott Walker,his real optimism couldn't be shared with a general audience. The Republicans are going full-tilt in national efforts to suppress the vote in 2012. That's why the lackluster field doesn't concern people like him. The road to victory is being paved another quieter way.