But there was definitely a sense of being weirdly personally fixated on Obama, though that came mostly from the speakers. I think because it’s a weird time for this kind of demonstration. By far most Americans are willing to give Obama the benefit of the doubt (as I believe is fair enough)—they aren’t at all ripe for turning on him, and frankly I think the Republicans are doing just as good a job at repelling from them as from Obama.

That said, this is very very early. The opposition can afford for their opponents have a few laughs at their expense. But what is happening is, ironically, almost a theatrical acceptance-back-into-the-fold of the diehard fiscal conservative activists, which is where I might be getting a little converted. Think of it as the last dress rehearsal where the cast can bond, the kinks can get worked out, there’s an audience but even they know this isn’t the real show yet. This can easily be outdone, I think, by the Republican choosing a different wedge in addition—say, foreign policy muscularity. But given Obama doesn’t seem very receptive to those kinds of attacks and the GOP don’t seem to be trying anyway, that seems unlikely. Marginally more likely is social conservatism, but even then, I’m not so sure the GOP is going to go for that for 2010 and 2012.

Weirdly, this may be a culmination of one of the themes that began this site. Namely, Rojas Adam and I wishing that the GOP would learn how to be a principled opposition to big government again, to get back to their core values. The tea parties represent a halting, ugly, ungainly step in that direction, and nobody said it was going to be pretty. But it is a step.

When I ran into the rally I got really infused with a good feeling. As I wandered some more and lingered awhile, that gave way to a lot of unease. But now that I’m reflecting more, the unease is beginning to dissipate again. Like Rojas, I think I’m starting to lean on the side of getting less cynical about it.

And, weirdly, now that I think about it that’s a lot like the general drift of my feelings regarding the Ron Paul Revolution.

I can, of course, only speak to what I saw personally, and maybe somewhat more broadly to what people driving on Quivira Street in Overland Park Kansas saw. But for those who saw what I saw: we saw a lot of peaceful, civil, engaged Americans, and a whole lot of them were very publicly flogging a libertarian message.

I walked away from this a lot less cynical than I walked into it. And that’s a rare experience for me where Republicans are concerned.

Watch me be conflicted in real time!

But maybe I ought to just start seeing this as a bizarro teaching moment wherein the Republican party writ large gets out their notebooks and start taking cues from the Paulites on what a principled opposition actually looks like. And they’re not going to get it all, or even most if it, but it’s better that they’re taking instruction than giving it for a change.

If we’re now the face of the Republican Party, that’s a hell of a lot better than being its ass.

Upon closer examination, it became pretty clear who was running the show, and that’s what made me feel an undercurrent of unease about it. But that might have just been me and the sampling of people I talked to. Still, I couldn’t get over the impression that it was nearly exactly a Ron Paul rally—same people same tenor same vibe—just under new management. And I guess what I’m saying is I don’t quite trust the new management, and checking under the veneer here and there didn’t make me feel any better.

But, who knows, maybe it’s just a fear of success and a certain possessiveness.

And frankly…judging by what was visible, it was very libertarian in its sentiment. Lots of Gadsden flags and sentiment directed specifically at debt and the size of government. I was quite cheered by it, really. Maybe I had these people wrong.