Poll: Two-Thirds of Paul Backers Aren't Republican

Presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, has a Republican problem. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that of the 25 percent who view the presidential candidate favorably, two-thirds don’t identify themselves as Republicans, The Washington Post’s political blog The Fix reports.
 

The Post notes that Paul is “the most enigmatic figure in the Republican race for president,” with a loyal and large following.
 

“But, we’ve often wondered just how many Paul-ites are actually Republicans. New data from the Washington Post-ABC News poll suggests that it’s not all that many. Overall, 25 percent of the American public views the Texas Congressman favorably while 27 percent see him in an unfavorable light. Of the 25 percent of people who regard Paul favorably, roughly two-thirds don’t identify themselves as Republicans.”
 

Of Republicans identifying themselves as conservative, just 8 percent feel “strongly favorable” towards Paul compared to 22 percent who felt the same way about Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and Texas Gov. Rich Perry and 18 percent for  former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. The poll provides empirical evidence that Paul’s support base comes mostly from libertarians who have not traditionally been involved in party politics, according to the Post.
 

“What that means is that Paul’s support is the most stable among the Republican candidates because it’s the least likely to be shared with anyone else running. …  That Paul is a force unto himself can be a good thing but it’s also a major impediment to his ability to expand his support beyond those who are already with him. And, as the Post-ABC poll shows, not enough of Paul’s supporters are Republicans for him to make a major run at the party’s nomination,” the Post said.