Ron Paul, New England powerhouse

You wouldn't think a Texas Republican congressman could get traction in New England, but consider Ron Paul's performance in the region Tuesday and over the course of the primary season.

He finished second in every state except Massachusetts, nearly won Maine and won about a quarter of the vote in New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island.

In the two states where he has lagged — Connecticut and Massachusetts — he still grew his vote dramatically over four years ago and won double digits.

All of this has come in a GOP field that features a former Massachusetts governor and in a section of the country where the majority of states hold primaries, not the caucuses where Paul tends to thrive.

What explains the unusual regional appeal?

Probably a number of factors, beginning with the fact that Paul isn't perceived as a Southern candidate but rather a national one. The numerous universities and small liberal arts colleges that dot the landscape probably help his cause, given his appeal to the youth vote. So does the fact that New England isn't as hawkish as other parts of the country. Then there is small town and rural New England — ancestrally Republican, with distinct libertarian coloring and vestiges of skin-flint fiscal conservatism.



