This has gone so many different directions I can't possible expect to have something that fits in nicely.
Ron Paul is on point for guns. That's what we're here (TFL) for, good on him. He's got a lot of other redeeming points as well, mostly on the economic front. But you asked "what's wrong?"
While there are perfectly cool gun owners of all stripes here, the
general current, if I may dare aggregate, is one of
general conservativism. In that respect, Ron is missing some marks. Like foreign policy. Drug policy. Death penalty. "Moral" legislation. Some of the wacky conspiracy theories that his camp tends to posit (9/11 etc). I am not implying these issues should matter to anyone on here. We are here for our love of the Second Amendment. However, these issues are standard bread and butter for mainstream conservatives.
Why do we care? Because he has put off the mainstream conservatives. We are, for better or worse, a democracy. I often think worse and would opt for a pure republic if it was an option. But, this is what we have, and you need to carry that middle ground to win in a democracy. Paul never stood a chance, because he never wanted that middle ground. His appeal isn't broad enough to unite the disenfranchised of both parties, but he chose not to "pick a side" in honest to carry a majority in either. There's no "media blackout," any more than there is for Alan Keyes - good guys, but why cover someone who's not a legitimate contender?
So what's Ron left with? Precisely what TheBluesMan said: "over-zealous, attack-supporters." Whereas some of the other candidates who spent very little money were able to capitalize on their grassroots popularity (see 2 joeybolz posts ago), Paul is one of those whose own grassroots brigade has estranged him further from the general public.
No mystery, no conspiracy, he is just not able to play the democracy game. He's the right's Nader, and though I'll get scourged for this, I hope some of Paul's supporters can decock their principles momentarily next fall to have some hope. Not a great deal of hope, just some semblance, rather than abandoning it altogether with a vote on principle that completely disregards what democracy amounts to. Lord knows I am not going to be happy to vote for McCain, but acknowledging the democratic design we operate under, compromise is often the best we can wish for.
And I've now taken that ten steps farther than the original question asked. Sorry