Rand Paul, a Kentucky ophthalmologist and son of Texas Congressman Ron Paul, is running for US Senate and has received a political blessing from Redstate Editor, Erick Erickson. That’s a pretty big deal. You may or may not remember that in October of 2007, during the Republican primary process for the 2008 presidential campaign, Ron Paul’s zealous supporters were banned from the Redstate website.

The influential conservative blog Redstate.com placed a ban last night on all Paul commentary from readers who are recent arrivals to the blog.

The post on Redstate, “Attention, Ron Paul Supporters (Life is *REALLY* Not Fair),” begins, “Effective immediately, new users may *not* shill for Ron Paul in any way shape, form or fashion. Not in comments, not in diaries, nada. If your account is less than 6 months old, you can talk about something else, you can participate in the other threads and be your zany libertarian self all you want, but you cannot pimp Ron Paul. Those with accounts more than six months old may proceed as normal.”

Redstate founder Erick Erickson said he woke up this morning bombed with hundreds of e-mails, “the overwhelming majority very angry.” His own readers, though, loved the ban.

“It is the most recommended user diary in Redstate history,” he said.

In his carefully worded endorsement of Rand Paul, Erickson points out that there are distinct differences between Rand Paul and his father and that Rand Paul is simply a better choice than his competitors. He also points to Sarah Palin’s endorsement of Rand Paul and the obvious fact that Paul can pick up the Libertarian vote. Here are some excerpts from Erickson’s post earlier today.

We’ve taken a pretty hard line on all things “Paul” here at RedState, and even amongst the contributors I get unmitigated hell for saying I’d support Rand Paul.

But I would.

I have real reservations. No, I do not think he is a truther. No, I do not think he is a birther. No, I do not think he’d be soft on Iran. In fact, in all of the flagged statements about Rand Paul, viewing his statements in context, it is clear the reporters and others are trying to pin him down on his father’s views, not his.

SNIP.

…of the candidates running in the Republican Primary in Kentucky, I find him to be the best choice. He is really for limited government. He is really for not just the idea of freedom, but the idea of liberty — two words treated as synonyms, but with specific meanings. We often times put all our emphasis on freedom, but we should be putting our emphasis on liberty as the founders did and understood it — the right not just to be free, but to act in a moral way such that our freedoms do not encroach on the freedoms of others.

SNIP.

I have no doubt that a Senator Paul and I would but heads on issues, but no more so that I do with other Republicans. Rand Paul transcends GOP politics and picks up libertarians as well. He is not his father and I will not heap my issues with his father on his head.

I’ll join Sarah Palin and others and support Rand Paul for the United States Senate. He can win. And he’s the best of the lot in Kentucky. Your mileage may vary — I know I’m in the minority with even the other contributors — but I hope you’ll step back from your view of his father and give Rand Paul a look as his own man.

There’s been a lot of talk about the renewed alliance of Libertarians and Republicans lately, especially after the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) was held a couple weeks ago.

Erickson’s endorsement of Rand Paul seems to be a continuance that trend.

Many people are noticing a Libertarian shift in the GOP, especially since CPAC this past weekend. I seem to remember a certain blogger predicting a Libertarian shift in the GOP as far back as July, 2009. Let me see, who was that again? Oh yeah…

IT WAS ME.

Mike Huckabee doesn’t like this shift and went so far as to criticize CPAC this year for being too Libertarian but as Allahpundit points out at Hot Air, this just makes the Huckster look a bit out of touch…

What political benefit is there, in this year of all years, to knock CPAC for being “more libertarian” and “less Republican”? Libertarianism has never had more cachet within the GOP than it has right now; it’s not perfectly synonymous with the tea-party movement (of which Huckabee is predictably complimentary) but it’s close enough, especially with Beck in the role of TPers’ patron saint.

My feeling is that Mike Huckabee is just angry about Ron Paul winning the CPAC straw poll this year. If you remember the Republican primaries leading up to the 2008 election, you’ll recall that there was no love between Huck and Paul as they both slugged it out to the end, even when it was apparent that McCain was the nominee.

But forget about the Ron Paul win in the straw poll. It’s very doubtful that Ron Paul would run in 2012 and even if he did, the chances of him getting the nomination are slim to none. The significance of Paul’s libertarian leanings are the only matter of relevance. His young supporters from the Campaign for Liberty were out in force at CPAC. Even Ann Coulter acknowledged the libertarian contingency in the room.

Even Ann Coulter, who drew a huge crowd herself, felt compelled to give a shout out to Paul-mania, saying she agreed with everything he stands for outside of foreign policy — a statement met with cheers.

The younger, Libertarian Republicans in the room were largely responsible for booing one speaker offstage when he singled out a gay Republican group which had co-sponsored the event. Whether the establishment GOP realizes it or not, this was a defining moment which wasn’t lost on the conservative gay blog, Gay Patriot…

Folks, I’m relegated to writing this from my iPhone. But it is big news and a huge topic tonight at CPAC.Earlier today, during a student activist session on the CPAC main stage, one brave young man thanked the group for including GOProud as a sponsor this year. A few minutes later, another student launched into an anti-gay tirade from the same podium. The CPAC attendees turned on him and booed him off-stage.

You see, when libertarians and conservatives can focus on fiscal conservatism, smaller government and increased personal liberty, amazing things can happen. It also scares the living hell out of rank and file Democrat voters. Even the liberal gay blog Americablog sat up and took notice…

When conservatives are standing up for gays, and Democrats treat us like we are an embarrassment, there’s a problem. And when the Republicans increasingly say the right things, like repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell now, and even supporting marriage, and all the Democrats show is political homophobia, gays get the message. To the White House, the DNC, and our leadership in Congress: You are messing with people’s lives, and we know it. And the day that an anti-gay bigot gets booed at CPAC, you all better start being very afraid.

If libertarians feel as welcome in the Republican Party as social conservatives, and they should, America’s independent voters will follow in even greater numbers.

If that alliance can hold together in 2010 and 2012, it will be an unstoppable force.

Young Libertarian style Republicans care about fiscal conservatism, defense, liberty, love of country, and many more of the same things that motivate conservatives. What they don’t care about is if their friends and neighbors are gay or straight, what people choose to eat drink and smoke, and which religion a person does or does not practice.

If the GOP really wants to attract more young voters, they will embrace this young Libertarian Republican faction. With their enthusiasm and activism the sky would be the limit.

Just remember, I said “if.”

Update: Welcome Instapundit readers!

As the Tea Party movement continues and many Americans grow more concerned by government expansion, the interest and support for Libertarian style Republicanism is knocking loudly at the front door of conservatism. The GOP would be wise to answer.

Consider this report from The New Ledger:

“Part of what is harming the Republican party these days is the disillusionment of the Republican base, and many of the members of the base are small-government activists who feel as if the party has abandoned their pet issue. Getting those people back would help tremendously in the revival of the Republican party, and a more libertarian turn to Republican politics would serve to re-energize the small-government base.”

I know what you’re thinking. That’s just an isolated incident, right? What about the poll from Right Wing News today that says a majority of conservatives would vote for an atheist president?

6) Would you vote for an atheist for President?

Yes: 67.2% (41 votes)
No: 32.8% (20 votes

That doesn’t mean there isn’t room under the tent for conservative Christians, it means the opposite actually. Atheists, Agnostics and religious conservatives can co-exist under the same tent because they’re united by conservatism, not their religious views.

Eric Dondero, the editor of Libertarian Republican, has reported booming traffic at his website and was recently mentioned by Jonah Goldberg at National Review.

There are other signs too. Ron Paul (ever the Libertarian) still has many supporters who are happy that Dr. Paul’s “Audit The Federal Reserve” bill is gaining steam.

“Paul, as of Tuesday, has won 245 co-sponsors to a bill that would require a full-fledged audit of the Federal Reserve by the end of 2010.”

“Paul attracted just 18 co-sponsors when he authored a similar bill, which died, in 1983. While the impact Fed policies have on inflation is once again a concern, fears about loose monetary policy and excessive federal spending appear even more widespread in 2009.”

Finally if there’s any doubt left in your mind, Greg Gutfeld host of the FOX News program Red Eye, was recently interviewed by the ultimate authority on Libertarianism, Reason Magazine.

The money quote? 2:51

“I became a Conservative by being around Liberals and I became a Libertarian by being around Conservatives.”

Click the image below to watch the video:

Dr. No is (obviously) against any and all bailouts and offers his ongoing prediction of the collapse of the American dollar.

Bonus: At the very end, Beck asks Ron Paul for his thoughts on the appointment of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.

Paul’s response: No change in American foreign policy.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8EHMl-loaA&hl=en&fs=1]