Ron Paul Morning Roundup

Some Ron Paul tidbits to start off your week (amended to eliminate some repetition from past Hit and Running):

*A great complilation of ABC News clips of late showing that Ron Paul's Iowa ground game is primo and leading:

*Who understoood ahead of time what was going on with Fannie and Freddie and the housing bubble better: Newt Gingrich or Ron Paul?

*For those who only want the good parts of the weekend debate, The Debate Tape of Only Ron Paul:

*Dan Balz in the Washington Post, after the usual face-saving blah de blah about of course he can't actually win the nomination and ridiculous editorializing that speaking important truths that no other candidate will about drug legalization is "embarassing," says some interesting things:

on fiscal and economic issues, the tea-party-infused Republican Party has moved in his direction. His advisers say his views on debt, deficits and the destruction of the dollar are shared by the overwhelming percentage of people who call themselves Republicans. The other candidates have joined him this time around in his attacks on the Federal Reserve and its chairman, Ben Bernanke.

The Texas congressman is making himself a force to be reckoned with, particularly in this state. Ask Iowa Republicans which campaigns are well organized for the Jan. 3 caucuses, and there is widespread agreement that Paul may have the best operation going….

In the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll of Iowa Republicans, Paul was at 18 percent among the likeliest caucus attendees, tied with Romney and trailing Gingrich, who was at 33 percent. But his supporters appear to be more committed than either Romney's or Gingrich's. He may have a lower ceiling in terms of his potential support, but committed followers count for a lot when it comes to getting people out on a cold winter night.

Gingrich is leading among tea party supporters, but Paul is roughly tied with Romney for second among them. Among voters 39 and younger, he is the leader. He leads on the question of which candidate is the most honest….In a campaign of surprises, count Ron Paul as one of them.

Only a big surprise if you are part of a media and political world dedicated to ignoring and discounting Ron Paul prejudicially for years, but since that's a pretty big world, I'll give Balz that one.