Analysis: One Year Before the 2008 Presidential Election

Ron Paul, once a beyond-the fringe GOP presidential candidate, is now suddenly chic.

On Nov. 5, the Texas libertarian stirred interest when his fundraising campaign netted around $4 million in a day. It topped Mitt Romney's $3.1 million raised back in January and, as a daily online record, is only second to John Kerry's robust $5.8 million in 2004.

What does this mean, if anything?

Will Paul gain traction in the early states, force the heavy hitters to re-evaluate their strategies and perhaps even vault himself to Mike Huckabee-like status as a second-tier candidate? Or is Paul's Nov. 5 performance merely an indication that a presidential campaign, in a very fractured and niche media world, is skittish at best?

Of course, this election isn't about Ron Paul. It is, however, about candidates like him. They may not win, but they're causing enough commotion for pundits to comprehend this: The GOP race isn't as have-and-have-not as first believed.

If frontrunners pegged Paul merely as an afterthought, an amusing side circus or -- even less innocuous -- as insignificant, they might reconsider. While Paul certainly won't win the nomination, he gives pause to campaigns that believe their strategies are top-notch. At the very least, he shows Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson that they might be taking their top-heavy status for granted a full year before ballots are cast.

With Ron Paul in mind, here are some questions to ponder at the one-year-away mark:

Is Hillary in trouble in New Hampshire?

Hillary Clinton's lead in New Hampshire is diminishing, and according to this piece, is at its lowest level in some time. Nevertheless, she still holds a somewhat comfortable 10-point lead over Barack Obama. And, she's still leading in New York, Minnesota and with women (but not Democratic men).

What's the most bizarre story recently?

* Obama raised some eyebrows when he allegedly forgot to place his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance. An AC Content Producer wrote about it. He wrote her back. Read Obama's letter here.

* Dennis Kucinich (the left's version of Ron Paul) is still issuing press releases that he's still against the war in Iraq. He also has reportedly seen a UFO. That being said, we're really more interested in what he thinks of the Klingons' war against the Romulans.

* Even more shocking -- as this headline suggests -- is that Kucinich heads a national poll. The poll, conducted by Democracy for America, says he received more votes than Obama and former Sen. John Edwards combined, with 32 percent. Al Gore came in second nationally with 25 percent. Reports are filtering in that aliens stuffed the ballot box.

* Allegedly, God has endorsed Giuliani. Or, at the very least, that's the perspective from this Content Producer. God could not be reached for verification.

* And Stephen Colbert is running for president. Sort of. And only in South Carolina. It's been suggested that Peyton Manning should be his vice presidential candidate.

What's the best soundbite so far?

Frankly, the Republicans are a bit boring. But Joe Biden, a Democrat desperately trying to gain any visibility, is upping the ante by taking on a GOP frontrunner.

This article details his latest quip:

"Rudy Giuliani, the most under-qualified man to seek the presidency since George W. Bush," Biden said when asked about Hillary's qualifications. "[He] shouldn't be questioning the experience of anyone on this stage... There's only three things he says in a sentence: a noun, a verb, and 9/11."

Zing.

Who hearts Huckabee, and will they matter? That's a good question. In late October, the Family Research Council, says this AC article, conducted an online and offline straw poll that had Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney running neck-and-neck among anti-abortion Christians with 27 percent each. (Ron Paul -- remember him? -- received 15 percent.) But factoring in only the online polling, Huckabee ran away with it, with 51 percent to Romney's 10. Given Romney's skittish past on the abortion issue, it's suggested that there was a grassroots effort to stuff the online ballot box with as many Huckabee votes as possible. So, that begs the question: Can Huckabee play to a conservative base and secure anti-abortion votes in Iowa? Maybe so, but Romney still has a commanding lead, according to this article.