Posted on 11/30/2007 9:07:21 AM PST by traviskicks
Ron Paul may not win his party’s primary, but he is on track to capture another big title: Top Republican fundraiser for the final quarter of the money-obsessed 2008 presidential primary.
In the first two months of the quarter that began Oct. 1, Paul already has raised more than $9.75 million, putting him easily within range to best the amount rival Mitt Romney received from donors during the entire third quarter.
The Texas congressman has set a goal of raising $12 million before the fourth quarter’s Dec. 31st deadline, a sum New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani couldn’t achieve in the third quarter when fundraising events still dominated his schedule.
Paul’s chief e-bundler, music promoter Trevor Lyman, hopes to raise $2.5 million by day’s end with the campaign’s second online money bomb.
Of course, Romney can still buy the fourth quarter title by making a multi-million dollar donation to himself, which is widely expected.
And it could be that Paul’s striking, eleventh-hour surge may have come too late to dramatically change the campaign dynamics.
Nevertheless, Paul’s staff is racing to put up more advertisements before the Christmas season shuts down campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire, where Paul threatens to peel away libertarian-minded Independent voters sought by now less well-funded rival John McCain.
And Republicans find themselves asking an unexpected question: Could Ron Paul have a real impact on who the party nominates?
Paul’s last stand provides fresh evidence of how the Internet can transform a dark horse candidate and make him harder to knock off.
“It’s highly improbable that he will get into the first tier. But he’s colorful,” says David Gergen, a former White House adviser.
He’s certainly not the Republican Party’s first renegade. Indeed, there is a certain familiarity to the rebellious rank-and-file pushback inside the Paul insurgency.
Think Pat Buchanan circa 1992 and his launch of the “cultural wars” against gays and feminists; and Buchanan again circa 1996 when he upset Bob Dole in New Hampshire with the cry: “All the peasants are coming with pitchforks. We're going to take this over the top."
Think John McCain circa 2000 and his Straight Talk Express and upset victory in New Hampshire over Bush that prompted the first-recorded gusher of online giving.
Given the right candidate or call to action, populist Republicans have a colorful history of shaking off the party yoke and reveling in a wild-and-crazy moment.
That helps explain why a quirky Texas congressman who opposes the Iraq war got into the race in the first place.
Same goes for Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, who had hoped to use immigration as the launching pad for an insurgent campaign.
What makes the Paul phenomenon unique this cycle is that there is no clear front-runner who can simply ride out the rowdy rabble until the party’s top-down instincts silence them.
That is creating an intriguing choice for the 72-year-old doctor: plow ahead on what still seems a quixotic quest for the White House or play spoiler by using his millions to help take out one of the front-runners.
Thus far, Paul is playing it safe, still absorbing what seems to be his dumb luck.
His financial windfalls have come from spontaneous Internet giving or big, online donation days organized by supporters outside his campaign.
Earlier this month, those outsiders orchestrated a one-day $4 million donation dump, now nicknamed a “money bomb.”
Another is scheduled to take place today and a third later this month.
“It’s a tremendous burden put on us and a responsibility,” Paul told MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough recently.
“We have all this money now. We didn’t plan to have this much money. Our obligation is to figure out how to spend it. We are doing our best.”
Before the first infusion of cash, Paul had begun a modest $1.1 million television ad drive, mostly in New Hampshire.
Since then, the ad campaign has been expanded in Iowa. Pre-money-bomb, Paul was airing three radio ads; now he has more than ten running.
His television messages are mostly biographical, noting his career as a doctor, his record of never voting for a tax increase, and his opposition to the Iraq war.
The radio ads have a slightly tougher edge, accusing his opponents of supporting amnesty for illegal aliens (a shot at McCain) and flip-flopping on issues (a dart at Romney).
But some Paul supporters grumble that the advertisements lack punch and they are pressuring the campaign to take on an edgier tone.
His first television commercial showed supporters, some sitting around a diner table, talking up his candidacy. “Look, the man’s a doctor; he understand the health care mess,” says one woman.
“OMG! Common Guys! This is a terrible ad! My goodness. The Ron Paul revolution means a lot more than this,” bemoaned one supporter in a blog posting.
“I got nothin’ but love for Ron Paul, but this is pretty bad,” responded another.
As Paul climbed to fourth place in some New Hampshire polls, his rivals have sensed the new threat.
McCain has stepped up his attacks on his less-known rival and more incoming is sure to follow.
And, of course, there are inherent hazards in having money when you haven’t really planned for it.
Howard Dean raised $41 million in 2003 in the first campaign to fully employ the Internet.
By year’s end, his early advertising campaigns and rapidly expanding operation had eaten all but about $9 million of that cash.
Among his expenditures: Stacks of cell phones for Iowa volunteers that wound up stored in an office unused.
I live in Ron Paul’s congressional district. There is no evidence of any support for his presidential campaign here that I can see.
I’ve seen a couple of bumper stickers for him on cars in the Montrose section of town. (Think San Francisco).
He stands no chance of even carrying his district, much less the state of Texas.
So, ask yourself. Why is he running?
He's no "Doctor". He hasn't touched a person for 40 years, probably since the obsolete dinosaur medical school training he had. Just because he keeps paying association dues, doesn't mean he's a doctor, nor does it mean he understands health care issues, even his own.
But, Paulbots, desperate to pump up his image any way they can, call him "Dr. Paul". HAHAHAHA! I have to laugh every time I hear that.
Then your beef is with Jim Rob, who has not carried out your lovely “purge,” not with “Paul’s “traitorous supporters.” The Paulists merely advocate the same views that characterized freepers when they opposed Clinton’s war in Kosovo.
Question to All:
Is Ron Paul accepting donations in the form of US Treasury Notes or in Gold and other hard currency? I really hope he isn’t fueling the great Federal Reserve Hoax or Credit Hoax by participating, I would hope his supporters would be giving him donations in the form of Gold, Pelts or Beads...
Flame away, but you KNOW I am right!!! Go Fred!
Yep.
I’ll put it another way.
Ron Paul uses contrarism as others use creativity.
Bottom line is he votes against things, then when questioned about it cites ‘its not in the Constitution’ as if thats a viable explanation.
Its not, its a dodge.
Especially if you’ve glanced at the Constitution, and noted there is no mention of shrimp subsidies....
Soros and his Dim buddies love TehRon.
DIAF... Have you noticed that most of the RP supporters on this site have been FReepers MUCH longer than you...
I could almost understand your sentiment if it was a bunch of Trolling Newbs... but we are not...
many of us still truly believe in the concept of a Free Republic...
not the Socialist Conservative Nanny State of which you appear to desire...
I am so very sorry that you are so fearful of the Ideas of Freedom and Personal Responsibility the we espouse that you must resort to name calling and whining for a purge...
Is that the best you can do on his voting record? Just keep hammering on shrimp?
The polls are excluding Paul's name & they are polling the same small pool of registered Republicans who voted in 2004. Go to the website thecaseforronpaul.com that completely demolishes the polls and other BS about Paul.
What is he spending all his money on?
Basically, nothing. He doesn't need to spend money, except on traditional print and TV ads. All of his support is generated from the grassroots who spend their OWN money and their OWN time supporting Paul. Such support is worth millions, that other campaigns would die for.
Is the money even real?
With the way the dollar is free-falling...
Does he get to use what he doesn’t spend on a nice retirement?
He has his military pension and money from investments from his Congressional salary. He has a nice retirement setup, and even if he does use the campaign money for himself, who cares? The money is HIS, it was freely given to him.
Shows that "dr." Paul, (HAHAHAHA) is an idiot that doesn't have a clue what's going on in the world, and why our troops are stationed in these places.
"get the US out of the WTO, etc.
And seal the borders, live in a closed communist style economy. This shows "Dr." paul" (HAHAHAHAHA!) hasn't a clue how America makes it's money, and would devastate our economy in a very short time trying to be the good little communist(like Kim Jong il) he is. Of course Paulbots haven't a clue how america makes it's money (capitolism) and why it is the wealthy nation that it is. It's because we do business beyond our borders. Sealing them would be the kiss of death to America.
You’re comparing apples to oranges.
Shhh.....
don't you realize that the sheep only look at the letter following (R or D) the name of the "leader" not the actual policy ...
I can understand, that happens with people who put "Loyalty to Party" over their own convictions, assuming they have any that aren't dictated to them by the Party...
Which -- including the large number of lefties who are registered as Democrats -- is one of the main reasons why he has no chance to get the nomination. In states with closed primaries, a great number of his so-called supporters can't even vote for him. Of course, with college kids and lefties, it's unsure they even would. A yard sign or $50 is one thing. Actually going to the polls? Nah, even if they could get a ballot with his name on it in the few states with open primaries, most in that group can't be bothered.
Of course, his Congressional constituents in Texas can and do vote, and they aren't happy with him right now. So it would seem that while walking the razor's edge between common conservative values and the lunatic fringe, he slipped, fell, and cut his own throat.
Resorting to totalitarian left-wing tactics when you're getting your butts kicked in discussion, how pathetic.
Paul has stated millions of times that he's not going to run 3rd partyI don't believe him. His newfound wealth, and newfound gaggle'o'whackos, is going to go to his head. This guy's going 3rd party, I'm sure of it, and he'll probably have zero effect on the election, since the whacko's who actually vote for him probably won't be people who would vote for either of the two major parties anyway.
‘Is that the best you can do on his voting record?’
Didn’t know I was required to do anything to his voting record.
I just noted Congresscritter Paul hides behind ‘its not in the Constitution’ when some of his more bizzare votes are questioned, but earmarks shrimp subsidies, and I have yet to find THAT in the Constitution.
If he can play that game, tell the forum...why can’t I?
Or is it he’s ‘way up there’ and I’m just a little peon?
(chuckle)
The dollar isn't 'free falling" in fact it isn't even falling, it's going the other way. keep up with the markets instead of repeating leftist doom and gloom. As i said, Paulbots haven't a clue how normal everyday markets work, and that periodic gains and losses of the dollar are just part of the normal financial marketplace, manipulated for short periods of time by super wealthy Dr.paul(HAHAHAHA!) supporters like Soro's mind you.
Paul is a great espouser of free trade. Just because we won’t pay the defense budgets of foreign countries so they can spend more on social programs doesn’t mean we want to wall ourselves off. How bizzare to arrive at such a conclusion...
Unfortunately, the entire Democratic party is against free trade, due to their unions, and even republicans are getting all hot and bothered about ‘red china’ and obsessed with manufacturing ‘losses’, ‘buy American’ and all this. Paul is not in favor of government managed trade, where political donations must be given to ensure you are included a ‘trade quota’ in the next gubermint thousand page trade agreement. He believes free trade can occur without government, that private individuals from around the world can trade with each other freely.
So, I think you may be a bit uninformed on Paul’s positions.
It's easy when he lives in a riding full of nit wits, which happens to be a democrat riding, so obviously he's a RINO.
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