Will McCain reach out to Ron Paul supporters in the GOP?

Not likely—but like it or not, Ron Paul has real support in the GOP. 800,000 votes don't lie. The CNN poll on their politics page has Paul with 8% of Republicans behind him. For the first time in a hundred years monetary policy has become an issue in the minds of Americans voters (even if it's only a concern for a small minority of GOP voters).

Ron Paul, waiting to be wooed, defies concession to John McCain

He won more than 800,000 primary votes, more than far more famous, one-time, surefire front-runners Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson. He raised nearly $33 million, nearly three times the funds assembled by what's-his-name from Arkansas. And he's got a list of some 400,000 would-be Republican voters.

So Ron Paul's waiting to hear from the certain GOP nominee, Sen. John McCain, who's not calling Paul, according to a spokesman, because the Texas congressman has yet to inform the party's primary winner that he's giving up his presidential campaign.

In an interview with the Washington Times, Paul says he's still out campaigning here and there -- North Carolina, Pennsylvania, perhaps Idaho -- as long as he senses the support from his fervent followers, who created quite a ...

phenomenon during last fall's campaign, raising more money in the fourth quarter than any of the other party big shots who, Paulunteers feel, have hijacked the Republican Party from its conservative, small-government principles and opposition to foreign intervention.

And, as reported here earlier this week, Paul supporters have achieved some successes at the grassroots level this winter.

"We agree with the Old Right," Paul tells Ralph Hallow, "and they're the New Right, which is The Wrong."

According to voters polls, the Republican Party in 2008 could certainly use an extra 800,000 committed voters and dedicated donors. Oklahoma's Rep. Tom Cole told Paul he'd like to see them remain in the party.

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There is no way in hell I'd consider supporting McCain at this point.

Neo-McCain

Three years later, as debate broke out over whether to invade Iraq, McCain put himself squarely on the side of Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and the neoconservatives. Like them, McCain evinced a blithe optimism about America's ability to transform Iraq. Asked by Chris Matthews in March 2003 whether the Iraqis would treat Americans as liberators, McCain replied, "Absolutely, absolutely."

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Wrong then, wrong now.