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Ever had one of those music-snob friends? You know, the kind who only likes bands that nobody’s ever heard of? Well, that’s what I’m like with presidential candidates. I’m a sucker for hopeless outsiders. I swooned for Bill Bradley when he went up against Al Gore. I voted for Ralph Nader before it was cool (1996) — but not when it was (2000). Paul Tsongas’ Kermit-like voice positively set my heart aflutter. So when I heard that maverick congressmember Ron Paul was entering the fray, I got a little excited. And I wasn’t alone. The Texas Republican has become the Web’s favorite dark horse, harnessing the power of the Internet to turn his long-shot candidacy into a powerful rallying cry for disaffected Netizens.

Pick any Web 2.0 phenomenon and you’ll find Paul’s supporters exploiting it. Digg? In just two months, a user-generated campaign video picked up more than 16,000 diggs, making it the sixth-most popular video of 2007. Flickr? A group photo pool offers a profusion of grassroots agitprop. (My favorite: a Star Wars-inspired logo declaring Paul “A New Hope.”) Facebook? 5,589 fans and counting, baby. For 24/7 Ron Paul, junkies can sign up for his Twitter feed or check out the campaign lifecast on Justin.tv. There are 10 Ron Paul Meetup groups within 20 miles of San Francisco alone; the biggest hosts near-daily events for its 432 members. (Sorry I missed the Irving Street Starbucks gathering, dudes.) The candidate has proven such a draw that pageview-starved webmasters publish lolRons — Paul-themed lolcats — as a cheap and easy way to boost their traffic. Paul’s people are so Web-savvy they’ve even achieved the impossible: a MySpace page that doesn’t induce seizures.

All that buzz might be easy to dismiss but for the fact that Paul — unlike most other Web 2.0 phenoms — has managed to convert eyeballs into dollars. On Guy Fawkes Day, he set a record for one-day fundraising by a Republican, pulling in $4.2 million in online contributions. He outdid himself just six weeks later, tapping the Internet for more than $6 million in a single day. Hey, if the presidential run doesn’t work out, maybe Paul could join Al Gore with the VCs on Sand Hill Road.

So the guy is wired. There’s just one problem with the Ron Paul story: Ron Paul. Sure, he seems like a decent guy, forthright and honest. Unfortunately, his paleo-libertarian policies make Ayn Rand look like Mother Teresa. I like the gold standard as much as the next guy, but I’m not sure we’re ready to overturn three decades of reasonably successful economic policy in order to reinstate it. I don’t agree that the minimum wage should be abolished. (Ever work in retail, Ron?) And while I like Paul’s stance on Iraq (let’s get the hell out), I’m not thrilled with his position on the United Nations (let’s get the hell out).

The Ron Paul candidacy is a lot like the first wave of Facebook apps: thrilling as a notion, disappointing as content. If this were a meta-election — an election on how to run an election — I’d happily throw my digg behind Paul. Unfortunately, it’s an election about how to run a country. So, much as I’m drawn to long shots, I’m afraid I’ll have to sit out the Paulapalooza. Kucinich, if you’re still around when this piece runs, call me. I’m available.

Jason Tanz (jptanz@gmail.com) is a senior editor at Wired.

One Candidate Mastered Online Campaigning. Too Bad It Was Ron Paul

Keep an eye out in the next few weeks for a review or commentary on the online apps mentioned in this article (Facebook, Digg, Twitter, MySpace).

In my first national election that I could vote in, I remember supporting Dean and then going Kerry. It seemed simple. I switched out my buttons and stickers, but I don’t remember the mess that is running around today. Even if you aren’t following the campaign trail closely you are probably still inhaling the exhaust. So much hot air, there is too much to choke on.

Different candidates winning each state’s primary/caucus, it can all be a bit dizzying…

Iowa:
D- Obama
R- Huckabee
New Hampshire:
D- Clinton
R- McCain
Michigan:
D- Clinton via “empty” ballot
R- Romney
Nevada:
D- Clinton, but Obama won more delegates for the Democratic National Convention. I don’t get it either.
R- Romney
South Carolina:
R- McCain
D- next week
Florida:
Upcoming, but Rudy Juliani has been camping out here for two weeks. It’s a good chance he has the power to pull an upset.

Finally, lets not forget Mayor Bloomburg, and how he “isn’t” going to enter the race as an independent.

Below are some quizzes to help you figure out which candidate’s issues most align to your own.
(I’m sorry for any ads and some of the quizzes warn they may have some inaccurate information)

1) Pick Your Candidate
2) Select A Candidate: President
3) SelectSmart.com 2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SELECTOR - this quiz includes Bloomburg

My results were similar within each quiz.

Hopefully this will help you breathe easier.

In the land of the free, the early election crap has reason for such an early start this year. Obama and Huckabee take the Iowa caucuses! If you put me to vote, Huckabee would probably be the last one I’d vote for out of all of them. As for Obama, he knows his politics, but does he know the White House? I’m actually a Clinton fan. Richardson second for me and then a tie for third with Obama and Edwards. To give the the Republicans out there a shout out, I’m actually feelin’ Rudy.

To get some great commentary on the Iowa action check these out:

Iowa Changes Everything

“After last night’s Iowa Caucus results, some are saying the GOP is now in total disarray, and others are expressing shock that the once seemingly unstoppable Clinton train has gone off the rails, with the New York Times calling her performance a ’startling setback.’”

Obama Takes Iowa in a Big Turnout as Clinton Falters; Huckabee Victor

“Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, a first-term Democratic senator trying to become the nation’s first African-American president, rolled to victory in the Iowa caucuses on Thursday night, lifted by a record turnout of voters who embraced his promise of change.”

The Daily Dish - This whole blog is doing a bunch of great personal commentary

A reader here wrote, “And the people won. I never thought I’d be so happy to see two people I completely disagree with win. This election transcends policy positions. It’s about who we are as a county. Can we be conned? Bought? Blinded by prejudice, fear or “inevitability”? The answer tonight was a resounding NO.”

Obama’s victory in Iowa sheds light on today’s workplace

“Millennials are fundamentally conservative…Baby boomers are being forced out, in a non-disruptive way…The gender divide is an antiquated view of the world…”

See you in New Hampshire and Super Tuesday