The Internet is alive on the issue of Ron Paul.
A little-known Republican congressman from Texas, Paul's popularity seemed to shoot up overnight -- last Tuesday night, to be exact -- after the CNBC Republican Debate in Dearborn, Mich.
A few weeks ago, I had only heard Paul's name mentioned rarely, at most.
I assumed he was just another low-level contender like Duncan Hunter or Tom Tancredo.
Today, however, a Google search of Paul's name tells a different story.
What sets the grandfatherly 71-year-old obstetrician apart from his GOP rivals is his strong anti-Iraq war and pro-personal liberties views -- and the extraordinary gumption with which he proclaims them. Democrats, Republicans and independents alike are turning their eyes to Paul -- mostly on the computer screen.
Paul's unorthodox Republican views are especially resonating with the young and wired. While he hardly shows up in the conventional polls at 2 to 3 percent, and the "mainstream media" still reports on him infrequently, his grassroots Internet presence is staggering.
Paul is currently the most-friended GOP candidate on MySpace and Facebook and second only to Barack Obama in number of YouTube views.
A search of "Republican debate" on YouTube yields countless results with the name "Ron Paul" in the title and few results for the other Republican candidates.
What's more, these titles are often coupled with phrases such as "A Republican of Reason," "Speaks the Truth," and "Upsets Controlled Media."
"Paul isn't using the Internet. The Internet is using him," said Jose Antonio Vargas of the Washington Post.
He then added that the politician's headquarters sits in a nondescript office building in Arlington.
According to Christopher Caldwell of the New York Times, Paul was invited onto The Daily Show Hosted by John Stewart, yet Paul had never heard of it before.
Men's magazine GQ wanted to profile him.
He had likewise never heard of it. His press secretary, Jesse Benton, had to explain both to him.
Yet, at least two-thirds of Paul's recent donations -- which exceed five million -- came from the Internet, his aides say.
In 1988, Paul ran as a Libertarian Party candidate for president against Bush and Dukakis, coming in third with half a million votes. Now, although running as a Republican, his Libertarian beliefs still plainly come through.
When the CNBC debate moderator asked whether Paul would promise to support and nominate the Republican Party next year, he responded, "Not right now, I don't. Not unless they're willing to end the war and bring our troops home, and not unless they are willing to look at their excessive spending."
Guitarist and singer-songwriter John Mayer recently pledged his support to "Dr. Paul," as many have begun to call him.
Mayer is the first celebrity to support Paul, but some bloggers are predicting many more will follow.
Paul possibly faces stiff resistance from southern voters, who may find his anti-war and anti-drug-enforcement-administration views off-track.
Most of his funding is coming from the mountainous western states like Nevada, Idaho and Utah, and Paul has considerable donations also flowing in from nearby California.
I see something in Paul I haven't seen in a presidential candidate for some time -- courage and genuineness.
Though he may have a slim chance in the upcoming election, his ideas have feeling -- they outshine bipartisan politics -- and Americans of all kinds are starting to be affected.
Dan Serpiello is a senior majoring in journalism and information sciences and technology and is the Web chief for The Daily Collegian. His e-mail address is dvs5041@psu.edu.
