Yeah I've heard the theory that RP does too well on internet straw polls b/c his crowd is very active online, but I DO NOT BUY IT. -Sounds like a bunch of media bullshit to me... Here's why:
Think about Libertarians; are they hip youngsters who spend all day on facebook and dating sites, or are they older people, 40+ years old, who have had the time and experience to appreciate freedom?
Which is more likely to vote for Paul; the youngster or the 40+ year old freedom-loving libertarian?
There is NO WAY IN HELL a bunch of facebook kids are swaying these polls... NONE.
Please explain to me in detail how such a large bunch of "young party activists" understand liberty enough to like Paul?
Kids don't like Paul... He's the opposite of bleeding heart & blind patriotism. He's 100% experience. Only adults who understand how the world really works can appreciate Paul's record.
I find it kind of ironic that you say this stuff... do you remember circa '06-'07 and the first Ron Paul "R3volution?" I do, and believe it or not, I was a Ron Paul supporter back then. He was quite popular around Digg (a site I frequented at the time), whose core demographic was young, college-aged males. Amongst that crowd, he was quite popular.
It certainly felt, at the time, like he had some real momentum going that had a chance to upset the status quo. I liked him, initially, because he was obviously not just another establishment lackey. I liked Kucinich for the same reason. But ultimately, I realized that Paul's philosophy was very narrow and fixed; it seemed all I ever heard him talk about was monetary policy. His answers to most everything else were lacking in nuance and critical understanding, and his worldview seemed limited. That, and his rabid and robotic followers, were what eventually turned me off him.
The situation now seems to me not much different than in '07. He has a small, loyal base of mostly online supporters. He'll have some "money bombs," a bit of hype, and then he'll come in with single digits in the primary election. And that will be that. He's probably not going to run again in 2016.
You guys are free to believe what you want, of course. You can dream about Ron Paul miraculously coming from behind, the dark horse, somehow stealing the win. I mean, it won't happen. But, you know, enjoy your Koolaid, I guess.