Hollywood has always been a tough nut to crack for any politician without liberal-leaning credentials. Of course, there always have been the Ronald Reagans, Chuck Norris’s and Arnold Swartzeneggers; but, in general, tinsel town has traditionally been dominated by lefties.

That seems to have shifted a tad this election cycle as several high-profile celebrities have shown open and public affinity for Texas-based doctor, 12-term Congressman and perennial presidential candidate, Ron Paul. Perhaps it’s the poor economy, or the general disenchantment with the government apparatus, but there seems to be something about Paul that is resonating more with A-list stars this time around.

A number of stars including Drew Carey, Barry Manilow and television news host John Stossel have all professed admiration for Paul’s views. NBA team owner Mark Cuban has also noted a liking for Ron Paul’s individualistic ideology.

Even comedy-journalist John Stewart has remarked in the past about his admiration for Ron Paul’s consistency in maintaining platform positions.

One of the biggest names to come out with an endorsement of Ron Paul is Vince Vaughn – of “Old School” and “Wedding Crashers” fame – although we’ve yet to see him sporting a Ron Paul 2012 t-shirt. Instead, Vaughn has taken the more traditional route – such as introducing the Congressman at the Liberty Political Action Conference and writing an endorsement of Paul’s 2009 book “End the Fed.”

Earlier this year, some supporters launched a “Twitter bomb” campaign to attempt to get more celebrity voices in Ron Paul’s corner. But it is yet to be seen whether these and other grass roots efforts will pay substantial dividends in the long run.

Ron Paul definitely has a populist appeal that is resonating with some potential voters, from movie stars and high profile movers and shakers to the average Joe down the street. But with polling statistics currently garnering only about 1 percent of potential primary votes, Ron Paul is at the bottom end of the range of contenders currently at play.

Even with some high profile celebrities in his corner, it would seem that Ron Paul has a long road ahead if he is to claim the Republican nomination to challenge Barack Obama for the presidency in 2012.