An environmentalist, Thomson said the economy and the environment were two of the most important issues on his mind, but he did not have a lot of optimism regarding current government leadership. He is concerned about the nation that his children, aged 7, 4 and 1, will inherit.
"I am worried about the future of this country," Thomson said. "I don’t like politics; I’m doing this for my kids."
Though most supporters readily voiced their concerns over what is going wrong in the United States today, enthusiasm and confidence in Ron Paul still seemed strong in the Sundome.
"Yes to Ron Paul and liberty," said Walter Block, an Austrian School economist who spoke on the complications facing the U.S. economy today. "This book is my love letter to Ron Paul."
While waiting the nearly five hours for Paul to speak, a common topic was the importance of the next generation.
"Why do young people love Ron Paul? Why does the Internet love Ron Paul?" Rand Paul, Ron Paul’s son and Kentucky senator, asked the crowd. "Because liberty is cool."
Youth was noticeably absent at the rally, though, with the exception of some college student volunteers. Brie White and Noah Matz, both USF students, were volunteering to show their support of Ron Paul’s cause.
"Ron Paul goes back to the Constitution," White said. White, who graduates with a philosophy degree in a year, is most worried about the state of the economy that awaits her. "The job market is decimated, there are just no jobs. I’m staying [in school] as long as possible."
Ron Paul noted a purposeful effort in his campaign this year to work for the youth vote. The Ron Paul campaign visited 33 college campuses and talked to over 150,000 students.
"It’s the enthusiasm that energizes the campaign," Paul said. "There will not truly be a revolution without the college campuses being on board with our ideas."
Yet, enthusiasm for Ron Paul did not seem to carry over to other candidates or parties. When asked who they would vote for since Ron Paul would not be on the ballot, many supporters said they would not vote at all.
"I’m not voting," said Matthew Eastman, who attended the rally to be around like-minded people. "f I did I would vote for a fascist or communist candidate, not Obama or Romney."
Lucas Wolf, an independent actor and producer from Oregon, also said he probably would not vote for either Mitt Romney or Barack Obama. "Maybe I’ll write Ron Paul in," Wolf said. "But there’s no point in voting, not like my vote can count."
Wolf was at the rally to promote his film, The Smoking Gun, "a modern-day western about the war of drugs and its detrimental effects on society," according to its website www.BucktheSystem.TV.
Support for Rand Paul, unlike the unyielding support for his father, also varied. Many supporters did not feel they knew enough about Rand Paul to come to definite conclusions on whether they supported him or not. However, when he took the stage shouts of "Rand 2016, Rand 2016" were heard from the crowd.
The only thing not in question was the crowd’s support for the man himself. When Ron Paul took the stage, the crowd roared with chants and cheers for over a minute. Paul thanked his fans and the delegates for their work and support throughout his campaign.
"We are here to promote the cause of liberty in a revolutionary way," Paul said before speaking about the Federal Reserve, government intrusion, drugs and the idea of personal liberties. The message he left with supporters, though, was a grateful one.
"Guess what, for every vote we got in the primary," Paul said, "the support out there is much, much greater."
Paul’s comments and the enthusiasm of the crowd lead one to believe that Paul’s message and Libertarian views have staying power.
"Liberty brings people together," Thomson said. For "Paulites" at least, liberty and the man himself certainly do.
