Considering that the alternatives at the moment are Lowell Weicker, a thoughtful former governor of Connecticut and the epitome of the east-coast establishment, or Donald Trump, Mr Buchanan might well be right.
The party is also engaged in a desperate search for a flamboyant standard-bearer, from Jesse Ventura to Pat Buchanan to Donald Trump: for little parties need big names if they are to draw enough signatures (and votes) to keep their official standing.