Shotgun Minister, wishing Ron Paul will win will not make it so. Wishing that Hillary Clinton will be defeated (as I fervently wish) will not make it so. I'm looking at this objectively; the Ron Paul junkies are looking through rose colored glasses.
Ron Paul doesn't have the money. He doesn't have the name recognition. He doesn't have the poll numbers. Yes, he has some buzz on the internet. The reality is that the wired internet "masses" who are supporting Ron Paul are a very small part of the electorate. In 2000, the wired internet masses (Moveon.org) were in favor of John Kerry. They didn't push him over the top then either.
I trust you are familiar with the electoral college. Most states in our nation are winner-take-all for the electoral college votes (I believe that Maine and one other state are the exceptions in that they pro-rate their electoral college votes based on the popular vote). That is, whoever wins that state wins all of the state's electoral college votes. And whoever wins the electoral college wins the presidency.
So whoever wins the Massachusetts popular vote in November 2008 wins all the MA electoral college votes -- the loser gets no electoral college votes.
Now some states, like OH and PA, are swing states. That is, in some presidential elections they go Republican and in others they go Democratic. Some other states are solidly in one camp or the other. I'm a registered Republican. But I live in Massachusetts. The entire MA congressional delegation is Democratic and has been for many years. Yes, I've not only voted for the challengers, I've also donated my time and money to them. I will continue to do so. But I also do not delude myself that night is day or black is white or that the Republican challengers in MA have a chance. They don't. I wish they did. I vote for them. I volunteer for them. I give them money. But they don't have a chance. The sad reality is that Teddy Kennedy will continue to win re-election until he either decides to step down or dies in office. That's not being defeatist. That is just reality.
Similarly, in the presidential election, MA will vote for the Democratic candidate, whoever that is. Since 1960, MA has only twice been won by a Republican presidential candidate (Reagan). And in recent years, MA has moved far to the left. MA voters are very much against Bush and against the war and they showed it in the most recent midterm election. That's just reality.
In 2008, MA will be won by the Democratic candidate, whoever that is. I wish that was not the case, but the reality is that the Democratic candidate will carry MA. I will still vote, as I always do. But it won't affect the outcome. That's just reality.
I'm not bashing Ron Paul. Nor am I praising Hillary Clinton, whom I despise but think is likely to win. I'm just giving my predictions. If you can't separate who you want to win versus who you think will win, then you need to get a grip on reality.
This attitude of only voting for who is likely to win is exactly how the US ended up where it is.
Do me a favor -- please criticize me for what I write and don't assign to me views that I don't have. I think Hillary is going to win. I'm not voting for her. I don't think Ron Paul is going to win, but that's not why I'm not voting for him. I'm voting against Ron Paul because I don't agree with some of his positions.
And btw, when you say:
except for the unverifiable bashing of Ron Paul.
that means that you can not verify that someone is bashing Ron Paul. I suspect that is not what you meant.