Let Freedom Ring

Dave Weigel has a great report on the Philadelphia Ron Paul rally from this weekend.  Here was one section that caught my attention:

After that: Beatlemania. Paul only needed to walk about 10 yards to get from his set-up to his van, but a crush of supporters swarmed off, holding out replicas at the Constitution (available at a gift shop next door) for him to sign, asking him whatever quick questions they could muster (“Doctor Paul, what’s your stance on, uh, intellectual property rights?”) and begging his handlers for hugs. A redheaded undergrad gently asked park police to let her into Paul’s circle: “I really just want to shake his hand, I’ve been waiting for so long to meet him!” When she got to the congressman she wailed, hugged, basked for a photo, hurtled away screaming “Thankyouthankyouthankyou!”

It’s still a little hard to believe that these things are actually happening.  I have known about Ron Paul since I was a kid, my mother voted for him in 1988 and every December we receive one of the Christmas cards that he sends to his supporters around the country.  Even though he wasn’t our Congressman, he spoke for us and what we believed when our own representatives did not.  When the campaign started earlier this year I was pleased, but I never expected to see the day when he would draw this kind of exuberant, positive reaction from thousands and tens of thousands of people.  Whatever happens in January and afterwards, it has already been an amazing campaign.