Paul's Online Support Put to Offline Test

Washington Post ^ | Aug 11, 2007 | Jose Antonio Vargas

[indcons]

Today's Iowa straw poll isn't merely a test for Mitt Romney, who leads in Iowa in the latest Washington Post/ABC news poll and has easily outspent the rest of the GOP field.

It's also a test for the Paulites -- the undeniably loyal and undeniably Internet-savvy followers of Rep. Ron Paul.

His YouTube videos are the most viewed of any presidential candidate -- yes, more than Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. He has more MySpace friends than Romney, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and former senator Fred Thompson combined. His online followers, many of them live-and-let-live libertarians, were essential to his second quarter fundraising haul of $2.37 million, which easily surpassed former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback.

And the big question on many a online political operative mind is: Can Paul translate all that online enthusiasm into offline results?

Five months before the Iowa caucuses, the straw poll is a non-binding test of a candidate's organizational mettle. Voters are scheduled to pack Iowa State University's Hilton Coliseum, in summer heat, to show their support. Paul's Iowa operation lags behind Romney's, no doubt. Paul just opened his headquarters in Iowa on Thursday, and his aides said the 400 or so members of his Iowa Meetup groups have been working the phones, passing out campaign literature and stuffing mailers in recent days. "We don't have any lofty expectations," Jesse Benton, Paul's spokesman, said. "We just want to prove that we can run with the pack."

[indcons]

"Paul's Online Support Put to Offline Test"

Indeed

[Red Badger]

Can Paul translate all that online enthusiasm into offline results?

not at $35 a pop........

[trisham]

We shall see. This year is unlike any other in so many ways, yet I don’t see Paul moving forward after Iowa. I just don’t think he’s going to get enough across the board support.

On the other hand, it's not as if I've never been wrong before.

[Martins kid]

Paul supporters are already trying to blame his poor showing on bad voting equipment and a conspiracy - before the voting!!!!

[bikerMD]

Can Paul translate all that online enthusiasm into offline results?

I didn't realize Paul was running for office. He's a great musician. I hope he wins. (:^D)

[dighton]

Yep.

Preemptive “we wuz robbed.”

[indcons]

LOL

[Artemis Webb]

Paul supporters are going to exit poll outside the arena to check for voter fraud. They think there is a conspiracy (why am I not surprised?) to steal votes from RP.

I have zero doubt in my mind that they will ballot stuff their own results so that they can claim fraud.

Ron Paul supporters are often exactly like Democrats in the sense that they believe they are morally right, therefore any fraud they commit is for “the greater good”.

[indcons]

“They think there is a conspiracy to steal votes from RP.”

Didn’t know there were enough RP votes to steal from.

[FreeRadical]

Paul supporters are already trying to blame his poor showing on bad voting equipment and a conspiracy - before the voting!!!!

I loved Ron Paul before Ron Paul was cool (with dumbasses). Ha and oh well. Maybe some day there will be more than 685 people in the US that actually want to live free of ham handed feds.

[Dog Gone]

His online followers, many of them live-and-let-live libertarians, were essential to his second quarter fundraising haul of $2.37 million, which easily surpassed former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback.

"I got more money than a couple of guaranteed losers!!!"

[bnelson44]

For those who don’t know, to vote in the Iowa Caucasus all you need is a Iowa drivers license and $35. Then you can vote for whomever you want.

[Artemis Webb]

There is a very good blog on the straw poll here:

http://cycloneconservatives.blogspot.com/

[elizabetty]

Ron Paul supporters are often exactly like Democrats...

MOST of Ron Paul's supporters ARE Democrats.

[elizabetty]

Maybe some day there will be more than 685 people in the US that actually want to live free of ham handed feds.

Just because you want to be free of "ham handed Feds" does not mean you want to vote for a demented isolationist who would get us all killed.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I love how you denigrate Paul but have the nerve to vote for a liberal POS like Romney.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Remember when Ron Paul was the shizznit on FR?

On one-half of the foreign policy issue, FReepers froth at the mouth at him, disregarding all of Paul's other conservative views, voting record, and biography. If you told me in 1999 when I signed up at FR that Ron Paul would be the most loathed Republican here 8 years later, I'd have zotted myself.

[elizabetty]

Ron Paul used to just amuse me but now that he sympathizes with the terrorists trying to kill us he is my enemy.

Who I decide to vote for will never change the level of disgust I now have for Ron Paul.

[ejonesie22]

Heh heh...

[ejonesie22]

Damn SOBs, with their rigged voting machines, CFR brainwashing and fluoride in the water.

America is doomed....