For all I loathe about Jimmy Carter, he had a few decent ideas about what he wanted to do in '76....and Tip Oneill and Congress told him to STFU, and THEY were his own party...How would Ron Paul do any better?
From a practical sense, for a Ron Paul to succeed after an election he/she would have to be very charismatic, for starters (strike 1 against Paul
). Note up front in the inaugural (or before, actually) that the next two years will not see a lot accomplished as efforts will be resisted by the establishment in both parties. Have regular (at least weekly) press conferences showing how your efforts are being resisted. Keep a Web list of those in Congress who support your platform (like the NRA rating system) of change and those who don't. Push this through the midterm election cycle. Support those working towards a smaller government regardless of party. Let the American people know that change is up to them, etc.
Hopefully, at the midterms a great many incumbents/resisters will be voted out. That might free up some actual policy action in the next two years... but... keep pushing the same approach for the next election cycle. You have to get in new members of Congress on board that support the policy or show the incumbents that they will lose without their support of your efforts.
Not easy, by any means. Uphill, and long odds. Most importantly, the American people have to understand and buy into the concept of small government (be they conservative or liberal). Unfortunately, hard to see that today.
Charon
