Sen. Rand Paul seems to have perfectly captured the don’t-tread-on-me sentiments of many conservatives, particularly the young. Problem is that he also seems to be speaking kook. His father got away with it because he was an appealing old man. But with Rand, it is like he is tuned to a frequency that can only be picked up if you are wearing a tinfoil hat.

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee comes very, very close to speaking plain American and can be genuinely hysterical, especially when he is mocking other candidates. But he can’t help himself veering wildly into preacher mode, which is deadly for a politician.

Scott Walker and Bobby Jindal are both — God bless them! — governors and not politicians long steeped in the putrid excreta of Washington, D.C. But when they open their mouths, they both speak geek.