"I think the internet is now a genuine place to get a real feel for who is popular and who is not." lance

So do I.
But there's a difference between that, and public opinion polling.

Like minded persons can find a way to meet.
But we ought not confuse their disproportionate concentration among posters as proportional to their concentration among voters.

Gallup, Marist, and other reputable public opinion polling organizations have somewhat complicated protocols for discerning public attitude. Sometimes their polls can earn a margin of error of ~4%, or less. Pretty good, considering the sample size.

I'd like a good long 8 year stretch of fiscal conservatism and social prosperity under President Dr. Ron Paul too.
But according to the ABC / Washington Post poll data used by Stephanopoulos to introduce them; Dr. Paul was at ~2%.
That's not good. It's not even good enough to qualify for matching funds, if he ran as an independent. I think the cut off for that is 5%.

I'm not trying to rain on our parade lance.
I just don't want anyone to suffer needless disappointment. "Disappointment is a function of expectation." Dr. Joy Browne

btw
I believe Dr. Paul ran for U.S. President before, in 1988, on the Libertarian ticket.
As you might imagine, he didn't do very well there either.
"Im an optimistic pesssimist at heart." lance

"We have no option other then to be bitterly optimistic." Schroeder