Specifically, on all the metrics that a year ago everyone accepted as useful indicators of political standing, Ron Paul is not just a front-runner but a strong one.

First, and most directly, he does extremely well in polls. The organization of his grassroots support is not just excellent; it is remarkable, by historic and global measures. His ability to raise money from actual voters is second to none. His appeal to independents and swing voters is an order of magnitude greater than that of his competitors. Secondarily, he has more support from military personnel than all other candidates put together, if measured by donations; he has the most consistent voting record; he has the magical quality of not coming off as a politician; he oozes integrity and authenticity, and, as far as we know, he has a personal life and marriage that reflects deep stability and commitment.

..

If Paul wins, it won't be because he is the kind of candidate Americans have always gone for. It will be precisely because Americans have collectively decided on a dramatically new way of doing business -- a new political and economic paradigm -- and then he'll not only have ceased to be a long shot; he'll be the only shot.

“To a devout Catholic, or any person of faith, the fact that Ron Paul’s political positions are unwavering is appealing and admirable,” said Matt DeVries, who serves on the “Catholics for Ron Paul” national advisory board.

Story County GOP Chairman Cory Adams, who endorsed Ron Paul for the Republican nomination earlier in the week, also serves on the “Catholics for Ron Paul” national advisory board.

“Ron Paul has committed to vetoing any spending bill that funds Planned Parenthood, facilities that perform abortion or family planning schemes. This is exactly what Catholics expect from our next president. America needs Ron Paul in the White House,” said A.J. Spiker, a “Catholics for Ron Paul” national advisory board member, a Republican Party of Iowa Central Committee member, and Vice Chairman of the Ron Paul presidential campaign in Iowa.

Albert Einstein once quipped that "insanity was doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result." Barack Obama and all of the new serious GOP presidential candidates offer only more of the same, proving that our drug policy is indeed insane. That is, all presidential candidates except for one. The one exception is Ron Paul, who would decriminalize drugs.

This was one of the big reasons I was late to sign up for the Ron Paul revolution. I liked what he said about a return to constitutional government, about stopping the endless wars, about balancing the budget, about reigning in America's Empire and paying its bills at home. But what was with this idea of decriminalizing drugs? Wouldn't that make it worse?

"What Boehner's proposing is going to be $1 trillion [more spending] next year than it was last year. Why don't we just freeze everything? Everybody get what they got last year. Why shouldn't they be happy? We're in a crisis," Rep. Ron Paul said on Fox News today.