The Republicans have failed to establish a true front-runner in the race for the White House, and things just got more complicated. Presidential candidate Ron Paul, a generally disregarded candidate with a Libertarian slant, has started to generate a momentous wave of enthusiasm among some conservatives, and he’s showing no signs of fading.

Paul made headlines for outperforming expectations and raising $5 million during the third quarter, but it was the fundraising of this past Monday that really created a stir. Nov. 5 was a massive Internet fundraising day, and the end result was $4.2 million raised over 24 hours. This is the largest single day total from any of the Republican candidates.

Paul’s platform is based on his defense of the Constitution, and he speaks of restoring the United States to the way the founding fathers intended it. He wants our borders to be closed, taxes to be low, a smaller federal government and more power focused in the states. These are traditional conservative talking points that form the foundation of his campaign, and supporters are starting to flock to his side.

The current front-runners for the Republicans have failed to excite conservatives in the same way that Paul has. Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney have been accused of changing their positions on basic conservative principles such as abortion, and it turns out that Fred Thompson was a more potent candidate when he wasn’t running. That leaves a couple months until the Iowa Caucuses with Ron Paul’s grassroots support swelling.

While Paul’s chances of winning the nomination are still slim, he has certainly legitimized himself with this recent outpouring of cash from supporters. The other Republicans might want to start looking seriously at some of Paul’s ideas because he has shown that his thoughts are resonating with a variety of voters. As Paul’s army grows, the Republican front-runners cannot continue to ignore the fact that Paul’s message is far more exciting than theirs.