With people like Stephanopoulos smugly saying that there is no way Ron Paul can win, it's easy to get discouraged. But here are some things to keep in mind (taken from lewrockewell.com):

Writes Justin Ptak: "At this point in the cycle, national polls are entirely a reflection of name identification, not voters' views of the candidates.

• "In early 1975, Carter was polling at 1% (he went on to win the Presidency).


• "In early 1987, Dukakis was polling at 1% (he went on to win the Democratic nomination).


• "In early 1991, Clinton was at 2% (he went on to win the Presidency).


• "In the spring of 1999, John McCain was polling at 3% (he went on to win the NH primary).


• "In early 2003, Joe Lieberman was leading the field for the Democratic presidential nomination (he failed to win any primary)."

Wisely, about 200 people showed up to vote in the CNHT Straw poll, giving Ron Paul 65% of the vote. Rumor is that this strong showing was influential in getting Dr Paul on Morning with Joe, with a great interview. They did a nice job calling out Stephanopoulos for his arrogance. You can hear Joe at the beginning say "we have the next President on the phone!" Make sure to say thanks (joe@msnbc.com), and keep in mind that this early on, a small group of motivated supporters can make a BIG difference.