Republican presidential candidate, Ron Paul is the oldest candidate running for the Republican nomination. Paul, who is a 12 term Congressman from Texas is 76 years old. 2012 makes the third time Paul, who is also a doctor is running for the White House. Dr. Paul has been constantly criticized for his views, which tend to lean more Libertarian than the typical Republican. Despite Paul’s age, he has a huge following among younger voters. He placed third in the Iowa caucuses, which was considered a victory by most since he received little coverage from the mainstream media. I believe one of the main reasons Dr. Paul has so much support from young people is the Internet. These are strictly my own opinions. Please read on…
It’s no secret that the world is run by technology. No matter where we go these days, we are bound to see people using various electronic gadgets. Whether it’s at home or on the go, it seems everyone these days have access to the Internet. Many different people from all ages and walks of life use the Internet. However, the Internet is extremely popular with young adults. It’s one of the main ways most young adults receive their news. The fast paced lifestyle of our society has many from ages 18-30 watching less television than previous generations. The biased views and coverage of the mainstream media has also played a role in alienating young adults from watching mainstream media. I believe this lies the method to the madness behind Ron Paul’s popularity with young voters.
Ron Paul’s messages of non-interventionism foreign policy and bringing home all United States troops doesn’t sit well with most in the Republican party, nor mainstream America in general. Because of his views, Dr. Paul has received limited media coverage compared to the other candidates. It appears to me that when he does receive mainstream coverage, he is constantly getting attacked or disrespected. If you go to sites like Google and YouTube and type in “Ron Paul”, you will see many articles and videos of everyday people discussing Ron Paul. Most of the people in these videos are young adults who have embraced Dr. Paul’s views. Most young adults these days don’t want government involved in every aspect of their lives. They like the ideas of; sound money, a balanced budget, auditing the Federal Reserve, and constitutional rights, which are all positions that Dr. Paul have taken, and helped bring to the forefront. The accessibility of the Internet has played a big part in helping bring attention to Ron Paul’s views.
Ron Paul is considered a long shot to receive the Republican nomination. However, I feel that whomever receives the nomination from the Republican party will have to find a way to appeal to Ron Paul supporters. He has a strong support base that I think the Republican party will need if they want to take back the White House in 2012. Otherwise, I see an easy path for Barack Obama to win re-election. Thanks for reading.