Ron 3:16
Paleoconservative and Libertarian reaction to the (short-term) defeat of Amit Singh has been wide-ranging. Former Ron Paul 2008 blogger Daniel McCarthy:
I had a feeling of deja vu: the outcome reminded me all too much of the Ron Paul campaign, where youthful energy and principle, and strong fundraising (Singh didn't raise millions, but he did outraise Ellmore handily) did not translate into winning vote totals. Weigel notes the youthfulness of the victory party crowd — the candidate himself, at 33, may have been the oldest person in the room. I noticed the same thing at a Singh fundraiser two weeks ago. There's a silver lining in that: although young people don't vote in very large numbers, youthful activists who cut their teeth on campaigns like Paul's and Singh's will be around for a long time to come and will only become more skilled and effective. And the GOP right now needs new blood.
Richard Spencer:
I don't know what the Ellmore victory party was like, but I seriously doubt youth and talk of limiting government and getting out of Iraq were on display. Ron Paul Republicanism might be a bit quixotic at the moment, but it's the only aspect of the GOP that doesn't reek of terminal decline.
Lew Rockwell (via Minnesota Chris):
I do not join those mourning the loss of Amit Singh in Northern Virginia… this minor-league merchant of death, who brags of being a contractor for the NSA and the Pentagon, and of helping write the software for Total Information Awareness!
This is true: He was a developer for TIPS. And because of this, he was endorsed by that loathsome anti-Ron Paul crusader named… Ron Paul.
Why does Ron Paul hate freedom? More from LR:
Let's face it, folks. There is only one Ron Paul. Indeed, he is unique in the entire history of American politics.
Sigh. If the legacy of the rEVOLution is a cult of personality around Ron Paul, then it was a failure; Paul himself, ever self-deprecating about his oratorical skills, is fond of saying "I'm not the greatest messenger, but this is the greatest message." I've always interpreted that to mean that he's not the greatest messenger, but he thinks he has the greatest message. Paul's campaign catapulted guys like Singh and B.J. Lawson into politics, and readied the field for Libertarian convert Bob Barr. Why Paul supporters would ignore that and grumble about writing his name in at the November ballot box is a mystery to me.
