If you excite .1% (which I think you'll agree is a tiny fraction) of the eligible voters in the United States, you've tapped into the resources of 220,000 people. If a significant fraction of those are technologically sophisticated (forget their ability to function in society otherwise) you get a mighty strong presence in this intertube thingy. Hence the perpetually skewed internet polls.
What you don't get is much in the way of traction with the 99.9% who, when confronted by some really odoriferous statements and views, tend to tune the loon out.
Ron Paul has gotten attention from old media because he's this cycle's Republican Freak. (Remember Pat Robertson? How about Pat Buchanan?) The fact that he's also drawn the support of members of the population who each know at least four words of Klingon and aren't afraid to use them, just adds spice to the dish.
(Or sauce for the goose, as Spock might say.)
Note: I left the original version of this post as a comment on Roger L. Simon's blog. I've edited it a bit, but not much.