I think that the neoconservative pundits underestimated the Ron Paul Revolution's staying power.

Over the weekend, while I was working at a retreat, I walked in front of a tv screen and was pleasantly surprised to see that Dr. Paul won the CPAC straw poll.

Immediately, the neocons in the Hannity and Limbaugh circles started claiming that this was only because a bunch of college kids showed up.

Anytime Ron Paul has a good showing in any poll, etc., it's always because "hackers gamed the system" and other nonsense, see the YouTube below for more examples. Any poll victory is the result of mobilizing your supporters.

This is the result of new blood getting into the mix in the party. Last time around, they were fooled by the dirty tricks from Fox News, GOP party leaders, etc. I think this is the first in a series of steps to show that the Ron Paul Revolution has learned from the mistakes of the past. They are going to be far better organized this time around.

I won't be naive. There will be more dirty tricks, and they will be dirtier than before. During the last campaign, there was a concerted effort to keep Paul supporters from attending debates. Fox News even made sure Dr. Paul wasn't invited to participate in one of their debates.

Since then, he's appeared on the network over 60 times and countless times on the other cable news stations. Now, however, expect dirty tricks. They'll pull out old debunked newsletters that paint him as racist, or they'll try and link him to the most extreme right-wing supporter they can find. The neocons who have controlled the Republican party for so long won't go down without a fight.

He's pretty much the only one in the bunch that has any credibility at all when it comes to the mantra of shrinking the government. Republicans talk about these things, and then don't do them when they get the chance. They don't call Ron Paul Dr. No in Congress for nothing. He votes it down if it is not in the constitution.

If things stay as they are economically, (or get worse, as I am predicting) the only way Obama wins again is to have Palin to run against. Look for the media to really push to get Palin credibility, at least until the primaries are over, and then watch them tear her back down again.

Given Dr. Paul's age, It will be key for him to have a running mate named before the primaries even start. There are some folks out there who could run with him who have gotten enough name recognition and trust built up to be an asset. I'm hoping for Paul/Napolitano.

It's going to be an interesting fight the next few years...