Monday, Apr. 04, 2011
Ron Paul
Age: 75
Occupation: Texas Congressman in the House of Representatives
Previous TIME 100 appearances: 0
Twelve-term Republican Congressman Ron Paul is a libertarian icon, an anti-war gadfly, a master of the online money bomb and a perpetual front runner in CPAC straw polls. But despite his ability to excite the conservative base, in his two bids for the presidency, he never emerged as a credible contender. This year, with a thin Republican field, the Tea Party favorite may opt to try again — and he could find that the third time's the charm.