3. Outlast, Outwit, Outplay
Already this cycle, we’ve seen candidates go up and down in the polls. One-time “likely nominee” Scott Walker is now sinking to the bottom along with Jeb Bush, while former “also-rans” like Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina are near the top. This fluctuation should continue for months before the nominee is finally chosen. Meanwhile, Chris Christie, Rick Santorum, Lindsey Graham, George Pataki, Bobby Jindal and Jim Gilmore seem closer and closer to joining Rick Perry as a withdrawn candidate. It is for this reason that Paul must simply play the “invisible primary” in the background, racking up endorsements and donors while building coalitions. Other candidates may rely on poll numbers as their sole evidence of viability, but Paul’s campaign consists of significantly more than that.
