Emily Ekins and David Kirby on Ron, Rand, and Ryan

Ron Paul may be libertarians' and the Tea Partiers' past, Rand Paul the future, and Paul Ryan—well, he may be the best the Republican Party can do at the moment.

The three Pauls represent a dawning realization among strategists and pollsters that libertarians are among the most important slices of the electorate, up and down the ticket—from the presidency to key Senate races to key House races. The data, write Emily Ekins and David Kirby, show why.