<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[The Dish]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[http://dish.andrewsullivan.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Andrew Sullivan]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://dish.andrewsullivan.com/author/sullydish/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Is Ron Paul A Protest Candidate?&nbsp;Ctd]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[A reader writes: I think <a href="http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/12/is-ron-paul-a-protest-vote.html" target="_self">Massie's argument</a> is crap.  The reason people are ignoring the 30 year old newsletters written by other people is because they are 30 year old newsletters written by other people. People don't care about these things, because they hear Ron Paul talk and they get the message.  They get the idea, and they even get that the guy is "just" the carrier of the idea, and not a Newt-aggrandizing ego-maniac.  These are very attractive qualities.  And his positions - particularly his dedicated anti-war position, in the context of the Obama betrayals - are extremely appealing to huge swathes of the country. The newsletters aren't relevant, because they're so obviously not what Ron Paul is about.  That's why <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3EADdr-5AY&amp;feature=player_embedded#!" target="_self">this video</a> is so effective.  The title is "Busted! Ron Paul racist rant caught on tape! OMG! OMG!"  Folks looking to get a thrill by seeing the Congressman crash and burn are instead met with a series of his boilerplate remarks, which are anything but racist.  It's the kind of thing that would make people, like Terence Smith, scratch their heads and say, "Gee, I  kinda agree with this guy." I wouldn't allow myself to actually think he was a contender until recently.  But look at the field.]]></html></oembed>