Bad Night for Paul

Tonight the biggest loser was Paul unfortunately. He needed to finish at least second. He finished about 3,000 votes behind Santorum and Mittens who basically finished tied. It was definitely a strong third but still a third. There is no doubt the idea that Paul is a "racist" and a "kook" took hold at least to some extent. Also the idea that he could not beat Obama took hold as well. Many consider his ideas on domestic policy and foreign policy quaint and unworkable and "oh so 19th century." They believe that his emphasis on monetary policy and the federal reserve is strange because it is not an important issue. The idea that the Federal Reserve is not important would be quite amusing to its board members and to bond holders who are losing their asses because of fed policies.

In his speech he says "we are all Austrians now" in a reference to Ludwig Von Mises and Friedrich Hayek however to the more casual viewer wanting to "be Austrian" probably sounds like a reference to Hitler and Paul's supporters supposed "Nazi racism" or some rot. The exact opposite is true about the Austrian school of economics which is the antithesis of National Socialism but I doubt the "we are Austrian" battle cry will get him many votes in New Hampshire. And I am sure the silly, hyperbolic reference to Paul as "the new Thomas Jefferson" will be viewed as ironic by the chattering Left who view the author of the Declaration of Independence and the virtual inventor of religious Liberty as "a symbol of rape and racism." To really know the attitude in the Paul camp just view the expression on his son Rand's face for most of this speech. It tells all. He knows what needed to happen tonight and it didn't. That is the bottom line.

One other thing is that Paul needs to emphasize that he wants to keep from entering so many small wars so that the military can prepare and train for a larger one that may be thrust upon us in the coming years. It is only a matter of time before a larger enemy that is militarily capable throws a left hook to our blind side (and no, I do not mean Iran) Right now we are leading with our chin, so to speak, in our military policy. You won't hear this on the news but morale in the military is very low. The troops are committing suicide at record levels and they are coming home sickened from all the depleted uranium being used in the munitions. Nobody will speak for these guys. Nobody. Paul ought to start doing that. I think all of us ought to. Its the 1,000 pound story that no one seems to want to discuss.

But overall it was a bad night for Paul. If he can't win in an Iowa caucus it is hard to see where he can win. He will finish better than expected in some states but it is a long shot now that he will win any. In the end the reality is that Libertarian policies don't garner enough support to win elections. As the year goes on and the economy moves from the current phony "optimism" to the reality of an increasingly rapid decline the electorate will become more polarized but one of the poles will not be a return to a more gentle approach to government at home and abroad. It will be a choice between the phony "toughness" of the Republicans and the phony "Progressivism" of Obama.