The rEVOLution Versus That Old Guy Who Hates Celebrities
The AP notices that Ron Paul supporters and other libertarian types are making John McCain's life painful in the West.
Even if the numbers of such dissenters are small, in tight contests in key Western states they could spoil McCain's chances, experts say.
"In Nevada, there's absolutely enough to have an effect on the election," said Chuck Muth, a leading conservative activist in a state in which early polls show McCain and Democratic candidate Barack Obama in a statistical tie.
"I think that you will see not just Libertarians who always vote for the Libertarian candidate but conservative Republicans saying we've had it, we've had enough and they're going to go ahead and vote Libertarian," Muth said.
I want to see what Ryan Sager has to say about this. Paul voters aren't just angry about McCain for the boutique libertarian reasons, like the war in Iraq or the war on drugs. The conservative base that turns out the vote in the Reno burbs and Esmerelda County includes a lot of people furious at McCain on immigration. Hence Bob Barr's careful rhetoric about the border. Hence worrying about the "none of the above" vote in Nevada (it's an option on the ballot).
A side note about that McCain "Celebrity" ad. Didn't his new campaign manager help elect Arnold Schwarzenegger?
