One of the great strengths of the Ron Paul is the fact that he is pulling support from a very diverse group of potential voters. He is, in many respects, the candidate for those who are fed up with politics as usual, and want to vote for a man who is principled. As a candidate, he is the closest thing the libertarian movement will ever have to elect one of its own to the Presidency. That has not earned him any good will from the Republican establishment, many of whom would be no less comfortable in the ranks of the Democratic Party, than they are among the Republican Party.

We've seen Ron Paul subjected to many attacks from these sort of people. Many of them are ostensibly conservative, but beyond their facade of conservatism, they are nothing more than party apparatchiks. In fact, it is downright disturbing to see some of the criticism, some of which has bordered on pure slander and libel. Right-wing bloggers in particular have been guilty of this, accusing him of having ties to the "9-11 truthers" among others, even when Paul has openly distanced himself from them. You know who you are, I don't need to point fingers.

Given the nature of the Internet, it is impossible to know how many Ron Paul supporters are "9-11 truthers" and other such conspiracy theorists. It is equally impossible to know whether or not they are even Ron Paul supporters at all. For all we know, they may in fact be operatives from other candidates seeking to knock Ron Paul's candidacy out of the way, they may be establishment players or the deranged individuals who feel the constant need to slam Paul's candidacy at all costs, when they should be finding common ground with him.

We have been accused of spamming polls, we have been accused of many nefarious things. The accusers frequently get away with not publishing even rudimentary evidence, such as giving access to audit logs that would put to rest any fight over whether or not this is happening. This is the stakes that we, the majority of Ron Paul's supporters who are not unhinged lunatics, have right in front of us. There is a general consensus that Paul must be discredited at all costs among many in the "conservative" press, the right-wing blogosphere, and the Republican Party. It's not a conspiracy, as it is neither criminal nor secretive. Rather, they have openly, bluntly, made it clear that they will say anything and do anything, to keep him out of the running.

So, this is what I ask. Do not acknowledge the shrill, paranoid supporters as anything other than raving fools. The sort of people who believe that the federal government actually planned and executed 9-11, even if they are in fact correct (God forbid...) only fuel the effort to suppress Ron Paul's candidacy. Do not engage in questionable tactics, be above board. Be calm, extra calm, where possible, when talking about Ron Paul's candidacy and principles. Even be honest if you have had reservations. I even questioned him for a while due to his handling of the first debate he was in. Such honesty and I dare I say it, sanity, is needed, if he is to be able to stand toe-to-toe with bigger candidates. Otherwise, he will be dismissed on the basis of his supporters, not on his message.

OTB Beltway Traffic Jam.