Since Ron Paul arrived in Washington more than 30 years ago, he has been spreading the same message of personal freedom and limited government, based on the Constitution and Austrian economics. Sound familiar? It should—Paul’s philosophy shares the same foundation that the Tea Party is built from.
Much of Paul’s platform aligns with the populist Tea Party movement, which has made a big difference for him this time around. At this point in 2007, the Gallup poll showed 3 percent for Paul, placing him seventh. This past Tuesday’s USA TODAY/Gallup poll reported Paul garnering 13 percent of support, putting him in a strong third-place position and making him the only candidate outside the two front runners in double digits. But Paul is still a long way from enjoying the level of support that the first tier candidates have. The question is whether 13 percent is as high as he can go.
