i don't think there is anything wrong with embracing a sideshow such as Ron Paul or Ralph Nader. It allows you take an ideological high ground, and there is no chance you'll actually have to defend such a choice, as that candidate will never get elected. you can call that a failing of our country's chosen political apparatus, and perhaps that is what it is. the cool thing though is that by voting for one of those guys in the general election: no matter who wins you can just say you voted for Paul/Nader and you have a license to bitch. seems guaranteed that no matter WHO is elected (even if you opened the field to anyone in the world) that things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.