By David Magee: Subscribe to David's RSS feed
September 10, 2011 11:09 AM EDT
Why do liberals love Ron Paul? That's the pressing question of the moment, since everywhere I turn lately a liberal is praising the Republican presidential candidate, obviously a conservative.
There's the well-known affection that liberal commentator Jon Stewart has for Paul, a Texas House member trending in high-single digits according to the latest polls on the Republican presidential race. Stewart first began talking of Paul more than one month ago, after the Texan finished second to Michele Bachmann in the Iowa straw poll yet the mainstream media virtually ignored the accomplishment.
Texas Governor Rick Perry Rick didn't participate in the Ir owa caucus. Instead, he was announcing his official bid for the Republican party's presidential nomination that same day in South Carolina, and the media focus went there instead -- something Stewart was quick to note.
"How did libertarian Ron Paul become the 13th floor in a hotel?" said Stewart, on the "Daily Show" after the media snub.
Now, Stewart is at it again, offering affection for Paul on his "Daily Show" after this week's Republican candidate presidential debate. While Stewart didn't go as far as endorsing Paul, for obvious reasons, he did give the Texas Congressman a significant tip of the hat for ideas Paul brought out during the debate.
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"I don't know if he should be president or have any kind of power but I like him as our idea guy," said Stewart, discussing the debate.
Stewart continued: "He generates a lot of ideas. He could be like America's Kramer," said Stewart, referring to the "Seinfeld" character Cosmo Kramer, known on the show for common sense ideas including a coffee table book about coffee tables and beach-scented cologne.
But it's not just Stewart or high-profile self-professed liberals who like Paul. In a New York office this week, a man who sits near me is a life-long Democrat, who I don't think has ever cast a single national vote for a conservative. Typically, he's carrying on with displeasure about Rick Perry's comments and antics, professing loud disdain for the Texas Governor's politics.
Yet when discussion turned to Paul this week, the gentleman rose from his chair, waving his arms, while saying how much he liked Ron Paul. He wasn't planning to vote for Paul, of course, but the affection was obvious. "He's a bit crazy," the man said, referring to Paul, "but he's quite interesting. I really like him."
Crazy, of course, means "Republican."
The sentiment was similar to what Stewart has professed on his show, which is perhaps the ultimate compliment to Paul. They aren't willing to go as far as saying Paul should be a winner, but they do like his political ideas, on subjects ranging from the Fed to immigration.
In politics, it's the ideas that have long been missing in Washington. Paul is apparently landing something in that regard in America -- and some is landing in the strangest of places.
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