The Ron Paul presidential campaign has turned into a grassroots fueled juggernaut, unseen before in American politics. That being said, there is one thing it has consistently lacked and continues to want for: a cohesive, consistent long-term strategy.

For all the dislike for centralized planning, a nationwide campaign simply cannot function without some amount of top-down planning. That being said, here is my proposal for a new strategy for the Ron Paul campaign. If they call tomorrow and put me in charge, this will be my blueprint.

First, a big decision needs to be made if it has not already. They need to decide if this campaign will end in May or November. Personally I think the case is good for an independent or third-party run. The country is ready for it. The support is there. The fundraising is possible. Additionally I think the newly birthed Ron Paul Nation will suffer a disappointment of biblical proportions if the candidate fails to keep running after the bell sounds on the Republican nomination.

They say American politics has no second acts. Ron Paul is already in his third of three acts, and it’s a real whopper. Does he really want to go back to giving speeches to an empty House chamber at 9:30 pm for the benefit of C-Span? I don’t think so. This is the chance, and he should grab it. Very quietly one person from the campaign needs to take a suitcase and an Amex expense card and travel to the larger groups of supporters and fundraisers around the country and let them know “we need you to be prepared and plan for a campaign that lasts until November.” No commitments other than that. Write that phrase on an index card and stick to it verbatim.

Secondly, the campaign needs to signal that they are in it for the long haul and their real intention is not to give some speeches but to win the White House. They need to name a running mate as soon as possible. This not only gets tons of free media attention, but it shows the rest of the field and the country that this is a long term, serious campaign.

That being said, who are the choices? Well you generally select a running mate to augment qualities the top of the ticket lacks. Sometimes those are geographical, or ideological. In this case, Dr. Paul lacks widespread positive name recognition. Here are some of the ideal running mates, and a short synopsis of each ticket, in descending order of viability:

Newt Gingrich

Newt has the name recognition, but not the positive association. Too many people remember him negatively from the government shutdown under the Clinton years. And his constant vaccilating over a political future has left too many people cold. This choice risks alienating the fervent Paul Nation and eroding the existing support base.

Alan Greenspan

The dream ticket except for two things: Dr. Paul’s stated desire to eliminate the agency Greenspan headed, and Alan Greenspan’s age. You can’t have a running mate that makes the 72 year old Dr. Paul look like the spry one.

Brett Favre

Well think about it. The Green Bay Packers quarterback might well retire after this MVP caliber season. The ticket would be almost certain to carry Wisconsin at least. And with Favre’s passing accuracy and Paul’s favor of a sound currency the slogan writes itself: “Paul / Favre `08: Right On The Money!”

Michael Bloomberg

I know, it looks like a dream ticket for independents. But I doubt Bloomberg would run at the bottom of a ticket, and again you risk alienating much of the Paul Nation. I do imagine that Bloomberg is watching what Ron Paul does very closely before considering his own independent run, though

Steve Forbes

This is the one. He has great name recognition. He should have run in 2000, except George Bush sucked all the big money out of the market and prevented a successful exploration. His fiscal policies are very much in line with Paul’s. He’s an engaging and dynamic speaker. (I once met Mr. Forbes when he came to my workplace in Milwaukee. He is much taller than you would think.) Ron Paul supporters would accept him as one of their own. This choice is the perfect blend of old establishment politics and the quixotic nature of third party politics to make a good run at November.

So there it is. A bold new strategy for the campaign. One that gives the best chance of victory now, and lingering success in the years to come. If the campaign is interested, I’ll keep my phone charged.