ANALIZANDO los resultados de Ron Paul:

A look at exit polling from New Hampshire suggests that Paul has a significant — and steady — following that exists almost entirely apart from the Republican party and is, in many ways, based on a disgust with the GOP.

Two numbers from the exit polls jump out.

1) Almost seven in ten people who voted for Paul on Tuesday in New Hampshire said they would be “dissatisfied” if former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney was the Republican nominee.

2) Fully 78 percent of Paul’s New Hampshire support came from those who are dissatisfied or angry with the Obama administration — not surprising given the low regard in which the current president is held by Republicans. But, consider this: 77 percent of Paul’s Granite State supporters in 2008 were similarly upset with the Bush administration. In fact, half of all Paul’s votes four years ago came from voters downright “angry” with Republican president.

Combine those two data points with the fact that Paul’s vote total more than tripled between 2008 (18,308 votes) and 2012 (56,000 votes and counting) and it’s clear that the Texas Republican’s support is not only primed and ready to follow him wherever he leads but it is also growing.

Con estos datos en la mano es inevitable especular con la posibilidad de que Paul se acabe presentando a las presidenciales, no como candidato del partido Republicano (es absolutamente impensable que consiga ganar las primarias) sino como independiente. No sería la primera vez: en 1988 ya fue el candidato del partido Libertario y no le salió demasiado bien, pero ahora las cosas son muy, pero que muy distintas y podría dar la campanada. No para ganar (es tan impensable como lo de ganar las primarias del GOP), pero sí para "hacerle un Perot" al candidato republicano, sea éste el que sea: detraer a éste de los suficientes votos como para dar la victoria en bandeja a los demócratas, como hizo Ross Perot a George Bush padre contra Bill Clinton en 1992 (mis elecciones estadounidenses favoritas, son las primeras que viví en directo, y a raíz de ellas me enganché sin remedio a la política del país).