Which brings me back to the question you still have not addressed. If Ron Paul is not to be taken seriously, what does this say, if anything, about the Republican Party's supposed commitment to limited government?
If Paul does well in the primaries it means his messages resonates well with the voters.
If he doesn't it means that the Republicans primary voters priorities are different than his.
Granted finance might not present a level playing field but Paul is no slouch at fundraising and his is already accepting donations online ala Dean.