One of the key things that shows me how impotent the movement really is is the fact that the one candidate closest to their views (Ron Paul) gets little traction. Meanwhile the dudes with lots of money and mouthfuls of platitudes get all the attention.
However, I think Maddow is right, Paul does represent the youth demographic in the Republican party and it may not be this election, but it is a significant movement. I think it will eventually be the dominant Republican view. Perhaps Rand Paul in 2020 pulls it off.
I personally am not sure how I feel about that. I'm not sure trading social conservatism for far more radical fiscal conservatism is a good trade. Social conservatism is mostly a bunch of hot air. It isn't tht threatening to the way most of us live our daily lives and it rarely results in policy changes. However we kind of need things like schools, infratructure investment, and social safety nets like social security and Medicare.
I am more comfortable with social conservatives screaming about abortion, gay marriage, god and country etc, because I can comfortably tune it out. It's mostly just grandstanding that the GOP has perfected. I respect Paul even though I think a lot of his ideas are crazy and irrsesponsible. He is the only Republican candidate that represents any real change from the status quo.