Long, optimistic piece in the Washington Post today by reason honcho Nick Gillepsie and thenow-back-at-reason Matt Welch on libertarianism and the Ron Paul phenomenon.

I’m still not quite sure what to make of Paul’s remarkable run. I certainly don’t think all the people backing him right now are libertarians. Of course, they’re not mostly kooks and racists either, which is what the establishment right and left would have you believe. I think they’re mostly left-leaning college students and younger political neophytes. Paul’s got them with his bullshitless criticism of Washington, and with his position on the war. What’s remarkable is how many of them continue to support him despite disagreeing with his personal views on issues like abortion or gay rights. Of course, that’s one of the attractive things about libertarianism. There’s room for a wide range of views, so long as you aren’t interested in forcing everyone else to adopt your values.

The trick is to show the Paul supporters how it all fits together, how the same flaws that caused government failure in rebuilding Iraq are also at play when it comes to, for example, distributing welfare, or protecting the environment. Sites like Digg and Reddit buzz with libertarian sentiment. It’s just a matter of convincing them that the same bad incentives and bureaucratic behavior that gave us the violent, corrupt, futile drug war will be in play when, for example, Hillary begins implementing her plan for universal health care.

Paul has repeatedly said that the growing support for his candidacy has very little to do with him–that it’s mostly about to the ideas (in stark contrast to guys like Giuliani or McCain, who subscribe to the creepy and dangerous “great man” theory of the presidency, where ideas and policy aren’t nearly important as personalities).

No offense to Paul, but I hope he’s right.

MORE: The Washington Times weighs in too, calling libertarianism the “it” faction. It’s a little weird to see libertarianism being called hip by a righty newspaper.

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