Opinion: Revolution in Minneapolis

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The candidate asked for ‘Universal Soldier’ and the singer obliged. ‘Brothers can’t you see/This is not the way we put an end to war.’ As delegates gather to support John McCain across the river, this candidate is lambasting the Patriot Act. Wiretapping. Government oppression. The war on drugs.

Who is this guy? Some ‘60s throwback? Some liberal leftover? Didn’t Ralph Nader say his piece in Denver and then move on?

But no, this isn’t Nader. This is U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, Republican candidate for president, and thousands of cheering followers at Paul’s Rally for the Republic.

Around the Target Center, Barry Goldwater Jr. -- a former congressman from Los Angeles County and the son of the conservative icon -- sells books. The John Birch Society distributes free videos. Activists warn about the dangers of paper money.

Inside, several hours before Paul speaks, former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura seems a little confused about who the throng came to see.

Debates should be opened, he says (sounding a bit like Nader) ‘so that a candidate like Jesse Ventura can win.’ He closes with ... you decide, a promise or a veiled threat. ‘If I start to see it rise up, and this country shows me that it’s worth it for me to do it, then maybe in 2012.’