Is Ron Paul a new breed of "internet candidates"?

[rumborak]

I was just reading an article about Paul, and that thought popped into my mind, considering that Paul, due to this base of young internet-literate people, is gaining traction way more through the internet than any of the other candidates.
What's your thought on this? The internet, while being a mecca of information, is also a mecca of misinformation. Will the emergence of "internet candidate" help the political process, or will it flood the elections with ever-more extreme and fractioned viewpoints? Paul, I would argue, is almost an archetype of the aforementioned.

rumborak

[emindead]

It is true that the Internet may help a lot of candidates to gain exposure and popularity, but I'm still doubtful if we have seen the internet endorsement to its maximum exponential.

[rumborak]

Oh no, don't get me wrong, I don't think Paul is the apex of what can be done in terms of internet support for candidates. If anything, it's only going to get stronger, with more volatility due to the nature of internet.
I am wondering whether this will help the democratic process in the sense of helping people to identify the candidate they support most, or whether it overwhelm the whole thing with a slew of extreme one-day candidates.
Look at the turnaround time of memes these days on the internet, and now look at the turnaround time of the candidates recently. This year every candidate had a "peak time" of one month. One month!!

rumborak

[emindead]

Yeah, I can see where you are getting at.
I have to be honest, I shot my fist to the air in great euphoria when I noticed that Ron Paul got this turn to be the "hype of the month".

On a more substantial level, the misinformation has been applied more aggressively by the regular media (Newspapers, Radio, TV) trying to fulfill an agenda for the past, what, sixty years? It is true that the Internet may lack reliable sources most of the times and that news agencies are finally getting on top of this specific media, but I think it has finally given the opportunity to other candidates with other ideas so they can finally shine. "Internet candidates" is still a too premature notion, they will come- I'm sure, yet we're still on the "let's mobilize and show our dissatisfaction for the current way things are working" stage. But yeah, in sum I think it's still too premature, maybe on next elections?

[William Wallace]

I was just reading an article about Paul, and that thought popped into my mind, considering that Paul, due to this base of young internet-literate people, is gaining traction way more through the internet than any of the other candidates.
What's your thought on this? The internet, while being a mecca of information, is also a mecca of misinformation. Will the emergence of "internet candidate" help the political process, or will it flood the elections with ever-more extreme and fractioned viewpoints? Paul, I would argue, is almost an archetype of the aforementioned.

rumborak

I wouldn't be surprised if more internet conscious candidates start popping up, whatever their ideology. Especially if Paul Stays in the race a while, it'll be a powerful testimony to how useful a campaign tool the internet is.  But I imagine more "extreme" candidates will enter the mainstream debate as they use the online world to connect more supporters. You're probably right in that regard.

[Perpetual Change]

Libertarians have always had a strong presence on the internet for some reason. I think it has something to do with how libertarianism sorta boils stances on every big issue down to statements that are very simple, but quantifiable and even logical to a degree, which is very complementary to a medium that still rewards brevity and emphasizes the written word. Maybe that will change as the nature of the internet changes; I'm not so sure. Right now, it's easy to see why people like RP have an edge online, because the footwork has already been done voluntarily.

[kirksnosehair]

Ron Paul's internet stature is probably directly proportional to the younger voters he attracts.

[rumborak]

Ron Paul's internet stature is probably directly proportional to the younger voters he attracts.

Yeah, I think that's a major factor. He is decisively antiestablishment and that has a big allure for young people. Kinda like the punk movement in the UK, or the Communist one in mainland Europe back in the day.

rumborak

[kirksnosehair]

Precisely

[Nick]

I think Ron Paul's internet popularity is largely a reaction to the fact that he has so little exposure in the mainstream. Despite strong polling throughout this election cycle so far he has received less time in debates than candidates polling lower than him and far less attention from media outlets. He's obviously got supporters and their voices have to be heard somewhere, so you notice it mainly on the internet.