I think the author is correct in ascertaining that the leftist online movement found Dean (for his anti-war comments - remember the other candidates had already voted for the war) and not the other way around (Dean building an internet following).
Oddly, Bush isn't the hard right candidate (nobody adds new, unconstitutional entitlements and signs spending increases that go through the roof can be considered hard right to me). I'd expect something more akin to Barry Goldwater being a better representation of the average Freeper. But most Americans don't want that. Liberty and independence aren't what they want from government. Checks are what they want from government.
Oddly, Bush isn't the hard right candidate (nobody adds new, unconstitutional entitlements and signs spending increases that go through the roof can be considered hard right to me). I'd expect something more akin to Barry Goldwater being a better representation of the average Freeper. But most Americans don't want that. Liberty and independence aren't what they want from government. Checks are what they want from government.
You have described Kling's 'missing middle.' It is the present government of the middle, by the RNC and for the DNC.
Texas Straight Talk: An Interview With Ron Paul - Sierra Times. ...
Q. Sir, on May 6th, on the floor of the house you asked the question: "Are the American people determined they still wish to have a Constitutional Republic." How would you answer that question, Sir?
A. A growing number of Americans want it, but a minority, and that is why we are losing this fight in Washington at the moment. That isn't as discouraging as it sounds, because if you had asked me that in 1976 when I first came to Washington, I would have said there were a lot fewer who wanted it then. We have drifted along and, although we have still enjoyed a lot of prosperity in the last twenty-five years, we have further undermined the principles of the Constitution and private property market economy. Therefore, I think we have to continue to do what we are doing to get a larger number. But if we took a vote in this country and told them what it meant to live in a Constitutional Republic and what it would mean if you had a Congress dedicated to the Constitution they would probably reject it. It reminds me of a statement by Walter Williams when he said that if you had two candidates for office, one running on the programs of Stalin and the other running on the programs of Jefferson the American people would probably vote for the candidate who represented the programs of Stalin. If you didn't put the name on it and just looked at the programs, they would say, Oh yeah, we believe in national health care and we believe in free education for everybody and we believe we should have gun control. Therefore, the majority of the people would probably reject Thomas Jefferson. So that describes the difficulty, but then again, we have to look at some of the positive things which means that we just need more people dedicated to the rule of law. Otherwise, there will be nothing left here within a short time.