Ron Paul: THE Libertarian?

Bear in mind, these political thoughts from me, on my blog, are coming from a woman who doesn’t even know if she is a Libertarian, or really what one is at all.

That said, my thoughts for today, which may not surprise anyone, are again, questions.   Main question, is Ron Paul THE Libertarian?  Is he the standard bearer?  Is he the one I should go to if I truly want to know what one is?  And, if so, should he be under a Republican mantle?  Is Libertarian now, not so much a party as a philosophy, be it mostly social or political depending on whether one leans toward Democrat or Republican?

And, if the answers to these questions are: yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, will there ever be a chance for these two groups to unite in any meaningful way (the Democratic leaning Libertarians and the Republican leaning Libertarians)?

A surprising thing happened last week which makes one wonder what the future bodes–Representative Ron Paul, in the annual CPAC straw poll of presidential contenders, won 31% of the votes.  The two typical Republican faves, Romney and Palin, won 22% and 7%, respectively.  Apparently, only 24% of the 10,000 attendees voted, and nearly half the delegates were under the age of 25.  So, what does that mean for the future of Libertarianism?  Are the under 25’s the ones who could unite with the Libertarian Democrats?

Ron Paul isn’t getting any younger, though, so it’s doubtful whether his minions will be well-rallied enough to lift him into the Oval Office in his lifetime.  However, there is a young prince on the horizon, a son, more presidential looking than his dad, but with the same philosophy–enter Rand Paul to the sound of trumpets.  Will he be the next, THE Libertarian?  Does he have a more realistic chance of being president than his father? And, since they are both disguised in the day clothes of a Republican, will they, one day, like Superman, shed those duds, reveal a large “L” on their chest, and save the day as true Libertarian super-heroes?

He certainly looks the part.  Compare below:

Oddly enough, he too, is running as a Republican.   He was even endorsed by none other than Sarah Palin.  Which makes me wonder, who does this endorsement say more about–him or her?  Does it say he favors the kind of foreign policy Palin espouses?  Or, does it say, she favors the kind of economy Rand Paul espouses?

I think the latter.  I believe every Republican hopeful out there wants to be associated with less government and more fiscal responsibility, and put as much distance between the political leaders, on both sides, of the last ten years as is practically possible or believable.

For a novice, I seem to have a lot of epinions, or rather, equestions. I welcome all eanswers in the comments below.