Michael Doughterty seems rather confident that Paul will shock the world in Iowa. Among his reasons are the loyal Paul supporters who do not change. Once they come into the Paul camp, they do not leave. Whereas Iowans some Iowans have shifted from candidate to candidate, Paul supporters in Iowa are loyal to the end. Doughterty writes:
And why wouldn’t they be loyal? Ron Paul is offering something distinctive in this race – a return to a non-interventionist foreign policy, sound money, and Constitutional principles. And he has the ability to expand his support beyond his loyal fans, Iowa Republicans rate him the “most honest and trustworthy” among all candidates. It’s his consistency, even when he is at odds with the average Republican voter, that has impressed Texas voters for years.
Even if Paul fails to win the nomination, his campaign ,like Goldwater’s in 1964, can help leading libertarians identify their supporters and build long-term political institutions that can draw on their fund-raising power and activist energy for decades.
