Hey, GOP: Listen to Ron

Kimberley Strassel, one of the Wall Street Journal's editorial board member/columnists, has an awfully sympathic take on Paul and a pointed attackon his foes.

Former Bush speechwriter Michael's Gerson's new book, "Heroic Conservatism," calls on Republicans to give in to big government and co-opt the tools of state for their own purposes. "If Republicans run in future elections with a simplistic, anti-government message, ignoring the poor, the addicted, and children at risk, they will lose, and they will deserve to lose," he writes. Then again, Republicans have already been losing, and losing big, in no small part because they've taken Mr. Gerson's advice.

Strassel assumes that Paul will lose the primary because of his "kooky views and violent antiwar talk." Indeed, you can't breeze past this. Paul has some of the highest negative approval numbers among GOP voters, above 40 percent (much higher than the number who approve of him), and only half or less as many Republicans say they like him. That's all about the war. Still…

If Mr. Paul has shown anything, it's that many conservative voters continue to doubt there's anything "heroic" or "compassionate" in a ballooning government that sucks up their dollars to aid a dysfunctional state. When Mr. Paul gracefully exits this race, his followers will be looking for an alternative to take up that cause. Any takers?

The latest CNN poll shows Paul jumping to his first double-digit poll result: 11 percent in South Carolina. That state had been less of a priority for Paul than New Hampshire (where he's polling a solid fifth and aiming for at least third) and Iowa, but there's been a lot of under-the-radar grassroots organizing in SC. Matter of fact, the Paul blimp just took off from there.