The rise of Ron Paul -- freedom is coming again!

"The freedom Ron Paul stands for is coming again. Sooner or later, it’s going to happen. What Ron Paul started is not going to go away. Republicans are in the midst of deciding what the GOP really is. He’s the only one standing on principles. And those principles are going to outlive Ron Paul. We’re going to make sure of it."

So said Leah Wolczko, 45, an unemployed schoolteacher from Manchester NH, quoted in the lamestream press this weekend. And that, according to the Washington Post's Charles Krauthammer, is Ron Paul's great achievement. "After a quarter-century in the wilderness, he’s within reach of putting his cherished cause on the map. Libertarianism will have gone from the fringes — those hopeless, pathetic third-party runs — to a position of prominence in a major party." [My emphasis. Walt]

"Mormon Mitt" Romney may have won New Hampshire, but (with the votes of Leah Wolczko and others) Congressman Paul was a good second, better than any of the so-called conservative, candidates. Why? The media portray him as radical, dangerous, crazy, beneath the notice of Washington insiders. But ordinary people like him. A lot!

That's because Ron Paul is the only presidential wannabe talking sense rather than the same old platitudes. Shrink the bloated federal government. End America's self-proclaimed role as the world’s policeman -- neither helpful nor affordable.

Add in Paul’s unbending opposition to the Police State Act [Patriot Act, surely! Ed.] and the war on drugs, all in the name of individual liberty, and you've got a big bowlful of electoral appeal.

Now, much to the consternation of pundits on the left and on the right, Mr. Paul’s world view is being welcomed into the conversation. Charles Krauthammer calls Paul’s undeniable momentum "a signal achievement, the biggest story yet of this presidential campaign."

Congressman Paul will never enter "the promised land" of the Oval Office, writes Krauthammer. But there can be no doubting that he has already done something which others (hello, Ross Perot!) found impossible. He has won mainstream recognition -- albeit grudging -- for his cherished libertarian ideals.

Quoting Krauthammer again: "I find him a principled, somewhat wacky, highly engaging eccentric. But regardless of my feelings or yours, the plain fact is that Paul is nurturing his movement toward visibility and legitimacy."

And conservative commentator Mark Steyn observes (in "Ron Paul beckons GOP to Fortress America") that the Texan’s clout is no longer in doubt. His foreign policy prescription may amount to "delusional" isolationism, Steyn writes, yet it is a view that is finding "more and more takers after a decade of expensive but inconclusive war.

"Too many of my friends on the right are demanding business as usual — the Pentagon’s way of doing things must continue in perpetuity. It cannot." [My emphasis, again. Walt]

Walt advises the GOP to take Ron Paul and his millions of supporters seriously. The libertarian voice must be heard. Mr. Paul should be a featured speaker at the Republican platform debate in August. He may be quirky and "out there" but he’s real! He's the little guy -- literally and figuratively -- the real guy in an otherwise fake roster of runners.