How is Ron Paul an extremist?
Very few of the policies Ron Paul would implement as the President have mainstream support. These include:
1) Going back to the gold standard
2) Distestablishing the Federal Reserve
3) Closing all overseas military bases
4) U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations
5) U.S. withdrawal from NATO
6) The dissoultions of the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Internal Revenue Service
7) Repeal of the 17th Amendment
8) Repeal of the 16th Amendment
Those positions aren't very mainstream. If Ron Paul were to be elected, he could only enact 6 of those 8 policies, and doing so would be such a shock that it'll throw this country, and many other countries, into chaos for a time.
That's why I don't think he'd be a good President. I think he's a decent Congressman, however, and have no problem with him continuing in that role.