Ron Paul draws opposition in Tuesday primary

Politico:

Rep. Ron Paul, the libertarian-oriented Republican whose 2008 presidential run provided kindling for the Tea Party movement, suddenly finds himself dealing with the blowback: a handful of Tea Party-inspired candidates are seeking to dislodge him in Tuesday’s Texas Republican primary.

It’s an unusual turn of events for a veteran congressman who has reached stardom in conservative populist circles and who just last week emerged as the victor of the presidential straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Yet despite his solid anti-establishment credentials and non-conformist views, Paul finds himself under siege from three Republicans who are embracing many of the themes that have defined Paul’s career. At the heart of the resistance is the notion that the 10-term Paul has gone Washington, abandoning his constituents as he pursues his white whale—the presidency.

“To be honest, I was surprised when these guys started coming out of the woodwork,” said Fort Bend County GOP Chairman Rick Miller. “They’re trying to tap into the idea that it’s time for a new face. It’s a sign of the times. It’s what’s happening in our country.”

Paul remains the favorite in the race but the opposition clearly has him looking over his shoulder.

In a January email alert titled “They’ve Turned Their Attack Dogs Loose On Me!”, Paul warns that both parties are “doing everything they can to make sure I am defeated.”

“These candidates include three Republicans in my own primary on March 2,” he wrote, “and they will stop at nothing to tear down and destroy all we have worked for.”

Richard Murray, a University of Houston political scientist, said strong anti-incumbent winds are buffeting even members like Paul who have never been embraced by the political establishment.

“You’ve got this throw the bums out factor, and it doesn’t matter if they have an R, a D, or an L next to their name,” he said.

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I think that what is hurting Paul with the Tea Party voters is his pork barrel earmarks. While he is a pretty hardcore conservative on most issues, when it comes to earmarks he is not that different from John Murtha other than on a smaller scale. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is also finding that bringing home the bacon is not the vote getter it has been in the past.

In that regard I think voters are figuring out that they are the problem. If you are going to rein in spending, you need to rein it in on yourself. While Dr. Murray may see this as an anti incumbent mood, I think it is more accurate to say that it is an anti spending mood and unfortunately, most incumbents don't get ... yet.