And How About those Independents?
Paul's preference by 44% of independents in the entrance poll exceeds Obama's share of independents in the 2008 Iowa Democratic caucus. In the CNN entrance poll for the January 3, 2008 primary, Obama took 41% of independents. We don't know if Paul's 2012 44% share of independents in representative of the 2008 Obama population of 41%. But there was only one place for Iowa's independents to vote this year, the Republican primary.
Iowa is not the nation but there are some trends worth watching. When a Libertarian who opposes foreign adventures, bloated defense budgets, and big government takes a near majority of the youth vote and 44% of independents, it's time to look at the president's vulnerabilities among youth, middle and low income voters, and independents.
The attacks will ramp up and the corporate media will, no doubt contribute. In 2008, the Paul campaign staged a national convention parallel to the Republican festivities in Minneapolis (with nearly as many in attendance). While the Democratic power structure in St. Paul was making up excuses to arrest those exercising their First Amendment rights to protest at the Republican convention, some Paul supporters were there with the antiwar demonstrators. The rest were at the Rally for the Republic supporting a candidate who opposed Middle East wars from the start.
If the Democratic National Committee brain trust wonders why Paul might appeal to some Democrats, the answer may be found in these questions.
How many Democrats running for national or statewide office ever ran an advertisement like this - Not a Penny for Empire? Of those who stood against endless war and the national security state, how many did the Democratic Party support?
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