If a coalition of GOP voters revolted During Election 2008 from big-government spending, who would they be? According to Cato Institute’s Michael D. Tanner it wouldn’t be the “white evangelicals or so-called values voter,” because in 2006 about 70 percent of them voted Republican. Instead, the “suburbanites, independents,” those “fed up with the war and corruption,” and “the Republican drift toward big-government stayed home, or even voted Democratic.” The small-government conservatives jumped ship in the 2006 midterm elections and it was devastating for the GOP. For the first time in a dozen years, the Democrats gained control of both the House and the Senate. And it is likely fiscal conservatives would jump ship again in 2008.
This is great news for Republican candidate Ron Paul who is running on a small-government platform. And fiscal conservatives are probably the reason his campaign coffers and poll numbers continue to skyrocket. In the long run his rising popularity should provide greater bargaining power in the GOP because the Republican Party’s chances to win in the general election are greatly diminished if fiscal conservatives walk away from the polling booth. And it could be devistating for Republicans if, as senor editorial writer Alan Bock mentioned in a previous blog, Paul bolts and runs third party after the primaries.
The rising of a truly small government candidate is a bright spot in this election. However, if the GOP ignores the small-government conservatives, as it historically has and escalates its trend toward big government, the party may get even bigger government than it planned on next fall - a Democrat trifecta - the president and both houses of Congress in Democrat hands. GOP beware.
Welcome to the Presidential Election blog, populated by editorial writers and editors of the Orange County Register and Freedom Communications, Inc. 
Ron Paul can win because the media pundits, who are pretty much jaded themselves, did not factor in a lot of people coming back into the political process. They especially did not count on the numbers of young people who now have a reason to get involved. The last few studies or surveys done with the teenagers and 20-somethings reflected their skepticism about such things as social security. Ninety percent of them don’t think it will exist by the time they hit retirement age. They resent that money being taken out of their paychecks only to have it squandered by big government. They would gladly opt-out of the failed program if they could, and Ron Paul has already stated the opt-out choice as part of his platform.
So, let the media talking heads and the paid consultants keep saying that Ron Paul’s support is all imaginary people or spam-bots. They just don’t get it. They’ve been in the business so long they are incredibly lazy. They rely on the same old methods for ferreting out information - not taking into account the college students who live on their cell phones and are unreachable by the pollsters. They are in for a rude awakening.