Who is Ron Paul taking votes away from?

[MoonRiver]

Poll question: Who is Ron Paul taking votes away from?

Although very popular, he can't win, at least according to polls. He's got to be hurting one or more of the Republics who have a shot.

[AlCzervik]

1. he might not be taking votes away from anyone, he may have brand new voters.

[MoonRiver]

3. You mean independents?

If so it seems that would detract from McCain.

[AlCzervik]

7. no, a brand new voter doesn't mean they're independent, it could be someone

who has never voted before and likes Ron Paul's message.

[Occam Bandage]

2. He's the human None Of The Above. Since Huckabee is their "change" candidate, that's my pick.

[Egnever]

4. I dont think he is taking votes from anyone

I think he is getting votes from people that dont like any of the others.

[Renew Deal]

5. None of the above? He's unique

I think he could take from McCain, but I doubt people are deciding between Paul and anybody.

[rucky]

6. There's no middle ground with Ron Paul supporters.

If he doesn't win the nomination, they'll storm the FOX building.

[ProudDad]

27. You've got that right

They're a cult...

A Clueless Cult...

Very strange...


Especially the college kids around here with their big signs holding up traffic on the main drag...

I keep wanting to walk up to them and ask them if they know that he'll take away many their rights for the fundamentalist theocracy and won't oppose the next war...

[rucky]

28. Somebody around here must be selling Ron Paul Car Wallpaper.

mostly pickup trucks. I have to admit they do cover the primer quite well, though.

[Uncle Sinister]

8. In NH, he's siphoning from Edwards, the REAL populist in the race.

Open primary there, people. Paul's libertarian mssg (he's realy not a repub) connects with people's anger and dissatisfaction, just like Edwards. I'd say he hurts John at least as much as sHuckabee.

[MoonRiver]

9. So abortion rights is not a factor for those possible Edwards supporters? eom

[Uncle Sinister]

14. NH is overwhelmingly pro-choice

whether Dem or Repub, think that issue is a wash when it comes to Paul.

[MoonRiver]

17. Ron Paul is adamantly anti-abortion.

He's fanatic about it. Just like Huckabee.

[Uncle Sinister]

23. Right, but the fanatic anti-choice voters, I think,

go to Huckabee overwhelmingly. Whereas a lot of folk go to Paul because of his anti-war, non-interventionist, pro-bill of rights stance. i.e. the Edwards crowd.

This is actually a tricky question, must caffinate sufficiently to cogitate

[MoonRiver]

30. Lol,

and God said "let there be coffee." :silly:

[MadBadger]

10. Barack Obama

[MoonRiver]

11. How so?

They are incredibly different on issues highly important to Dems.

[MadBadger]

22. Indys who are against the war, but may lean republican

Take Ron Paul out, I think they go to Obama. I also dont think people are aware how cray Ron Paul really is.

[RoadRage]

21. I somewhat agree with this!

Obama is being viewed as the big Agent of Change..the guy who is marching into Washington with a plan to change the way everything is done.

On a gut level - this is what Paul supporters want too - and many of them are young like Obama supporters.

I think if a Ron Paul supporter really wants change, and see's that Obama has a much better shot of actually getting into the white house - they may vote for him.

[youthere]

12. The Villsack and Tancredo voters got together to back Paul...all nine of them.

[sniffa]

13. Kucinich

They share a few positions, and the big one on some voters' minds is the Iraq war. Someone voting on that issue alone could go to him.

[MoonRiver]

15. They don't share enough positions, imho, for a Kucinich supporter to cross over.

[sniffa]

20. True, but they're possible DK voters

who would end up not voting for him, because Paul has a better shot (however remote).

[demnan]

16. McCain

I would think McCain is the most libertarian of the bunch. But these voters probably hate McCain's stance on the war.

I like that Paul is in the race, it brings a grain of truth to their bullshit debates.

[YOY]

18. I dunno...who has the most "Jews control the media/GAWD hates fagz" crap

I've seen a lot of f***ed up bigotry from the Ron Paul crowd...

[DrFunkenstein]

19. The Lyndon Larouche Vote

[silverback]

24. I'm an Obama supporter...

And I like Paul quite a bit, enough that I'll most likely cross over in the primary.

I think he's also pulling Thompson votes and probably a few that would otherwise go to Huckabee or Romney.

Giuliani wouldn't get any of the Paul vote.

[unc70]

31. Since you have self-identified, I am curious how you arrived

to this combination of candidates. I have noticed that a lot of voters calling C-SPAN and such who are deciding between combinations of candidates that are surprising to me. A standard theme describing the NH contests is that Obama and McCain are competing for Independent voters.

You are the first I've seen at DU who is considering such a choice, so I'm curious what attracts you to each candidate and how you handle those topics where their positions are completely opposite from each other. Also curious who you might have supported in the past. Thanks.

Since there seem more people considering these kinds of choices this year, I suspect that it might be reflecting a major realignment and redefinition of the electorate.

[crawfish]

25. All four. Plus,

he's taking centrist Democrats and independents.

[readmoreoften]

26. In Texas: Democrats.

In Texas, people who would vote for Edwards or Kucinich if they were more educated are all voting for Paul. This town is PAUL-MANIA central. Most people here are antiwar and anti-Bush. They have absolutely no idea that Paul has a racist following or that Paul is anti-choice or anti-gay. Growing up in a right-to-work state, they learned little to nothing about working class issues.

In Texas you have gay people, women, and immigrants excited about Paul. Why? He's anti-war and he believes 9-11 was an inside job. With the right candidate and a good campaign we could have 75% of these voters.

[Eurobabe]

29. All of the cons, IMHO

I think Ron Paul will come in 3rd, but then again, I am really bad with projections. :crazy: