Just a minor correction. Dr. Paul first served in congress in 1976. Took off the mid eighties to mid nineties to return to his medical practice along with being the Libertarian presidential candidate in 1988. He returned to congress in 1996 despite then House speaker Newt Gingrich's coercing 50 congressman to support Paul's congressional primary opponent.
He's written six books on economics and only entered politics because he knew our economic policies were a ticking time bomb. He's called the result of every government misstep for 35 years. He represents the American people and is a defender of the Constitution. All the other candidates including Obama represent the elite interests who are intentionally bankrupting us and destroying our Constitution as they sleepwalk us into their global government.
I never believe the polling or election results. Ron Paul appearances outdraw the other candidates 10 to 1 in every state. There's too much at stake for the globalists to risk a fair election process with a true patriot in the mix. The subtlety in which the controlled media shapes elections was intended initially to soften Paul's campaign. Irregularities in every caucus state and then the historically rigged electronic primaries, where Paul doesn't even get half the percentages he gets in the corrupt caucuses, are all that was needed to render Paul a non factor to the unwitting masses. He still the hottest ticket on the campaign circuit though.