I'm saying that Ron Paul is more popular now because he ran for president as a Republican and not as a loser Libertarian. I'm also saying that the Republican Party is the vessel through which the liberty movement will continue to grow, and that a loser 3rd party is where the movement will die.
Gain some exposure? What are you talking about? Ron Paul and his ideas have been exposed. This isn't 2007 where he's a no-name.
Go 3rd party after Tampa? You make it sound so easy, almost as if you know nothing about getting on a ballot. And you also make it sound like just willy nilly going 3rd party will have zero disadvantages and only advantages. If Ron Paul wants to screw over all his supporters as well as Rand, then he should run third party. If he wants to continue building the liberty movement by successfully rebuilding and reforming the GOP, then he should stay in the GOP. He's going to stay in the GOP.
You still don't understand my point about elections and fake politicians. If a voter hears a candidate state a principle, then that candidate gets elected, then that person votes against his stated principle, then it's up to the voter to get pissed off and vote him out of office. It's also up to the voter to do 5 minutes of homework and not vote for the fake candidate in the first place. Flip flopping politicians are the fault of dumb voters, not entire movements.
If you're really so gung-ho about 3rd parties, you should probably go read about how impossible it is to even get on the ballot and how they spend all their money getting on ballots and then fighting in court to stay on the ballots. It's almost like the only way to make ballot access easier is to reform a major party and elect major-party candidates that will reform ballot access laws.
I agree that Dr. Paul wouldn't have been as well known had he not run for President as a Republican both in 2007 and this year. At the same time, I feel that using the GOP as a tool to promote liberty has served it's purpose. He is effectively retiring from politics this year and he should use his popularity to promote a 3rd party. How many times in the last 50 years have we had a candidate with a solid 5-10 percent base that would vote for him NO MATTER what party he's in? Hell there is a lot of people on this VERY forum that will vote for him even if he's NOT on the ballot? What do you say to those people? That they are throwing away their vote?
As for exposure, you are wrong. The MSM has done a brilliant job in shutting Ron Paul out. I bet you could walk out on your street or go to your library and find people who don't know who Ron Paul is. I'm sure if you asked them who Romney or Obama is, they would know.
To address your point about getting on the ballot. He doesn't have to start from scratch, there are parties out there that I'm sure would be willing to have him on their ticket just for his base. But you are right, I should look more into this so that I don't look like I'm talking out my ass and I definitely will.
As for the career of Rand Paul, I believe his career is safe now in the ample bosom of one Willard Mitt Romney. It is going to be hard to for people to blame Rand for his dad's actions. I'm sure they will try though. All Rand Paul has to say is "look I publicly supported Mitt Romney and I caught hell for it." Besides it's not like the establishment GOP helped him get elected anyways.
I will get back to you about the getting on the ballot stuff, I've heard Dr. Paul speak on how hard it is to get on every state but I never really looked up the requirements. Now that you mention it though, I'll probably look up which party managed to get on the ballots in all 50 states, it can't be that much seeing how hard it is. Either way, I hope one of these parties extend an invitation to Dr. Paul and find a way to get him on the ticket.
And finally to address your voter comments. I'm sure the voters would vote the frauds out IF THEY KNEW! People have lives and families, they trust what they see on the evening news after a long hard day at work. The media doesn't show them what is really going on. Why would they vote someone out when they don't even know what he's done wrong? NDAA was barely reported on by the media as well as all those countless other crap that Congress and the President has pulled off. You blame the voters for something media and establishment has been responsible for. I'm sure you were one of the "enlightened" ones who saw through this crap way back in the 70's with Dr. Paul right? But for the rest of us, we have been manipulated by the media. Hell up till about 8 months ago, I didn't know the Federal Reserve was a private company.
In any case, the disagreement remains. The Barry Goldwater movement couldn't change the GOP "from within." The Pat Roberson evangelical movement couldn't do it. The Tea Party couldn't do it.
It's time to stop trying the same thing over and over and try a new approach. This opportunity goes away when Dr. Paul does. There has been NO candidate with his appeal and he is the ONLY one that could be the anchor for a legitimate 3rd party run. If it doesn't work, well the GOP will still be here in 2016 no? It still wouldn't be to late to rebuild that corrupt party from within.