Ron Paul?

Apparently Ron Paul won the straw-poll at CPAC.

Vox likes it.

...this straw poll win won't be trumpeted by the NY/DC Axis Republicans the way it would have if Romney or Jindal had won. It is astonishing how they continue to argue that a liberal Mormon from Massachusetts or an Indian from Louisiana is going to have more national appeal than the libertarian Texan who everyone now knows was correct about the failed World Democratic Revolution, correct about the financial crisis, and correct about TARP and the banking bailouts.

Oh, there's more.

Romney is a liberal Mormon; he's about as electable as an Aztec priest. Palin is a political rock star, but she's a lightweight and won't be running if she has any sense at all because she'd be throwing away a very lucrative career in what passes for political commentary these days. Jindal is a lightweight who looks and talks funny. Pawlenty is an unprincipled snake, which is probably why the neocons are talking him up. I don't like Huckabee, but he's probably the only other serious candidate in the bunch.

From what I've seen of Pawlenty, Vox nails it. I'll agree with him on the other names above, except to quibble over Huckabee, who is personally likeable, but politically skanky.

Paul does have a huge obstacle to overcome: The Party of War--which is spokes-fronted by Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin, Sykes, and Belling.

“There is nothing wrong with being a conservative and having a conservative belief in foreign policy where we have a strong national defense and don’t go to war so carelessly,” Paul said. That line was met with a lot of silence, some nods, but, based on my conservations with activists afterward, strong respect from many for not simply pandering."

It is very useful to remember that Statism is furthered best by war. See both Woodrow Wilson and FDR--not to mention GWB, the BigGummintPubbie (and heir to GHWBush...)