On Tea Party Anniversary, Ron Paul Raises Millions
Rep. Ron Paul, whose rock star status on the Internet has singlehandedly fueled his campaign, is poised to break another online fundraising record.
His own.
On Nov. 5, which was Guy Fawkes Day, a symbol of rebellion in British history, Paul hauled in $4.3 million in 24 hours -- the most money raised online by a candidate in a single day. Today, the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, the day that helped spark the American Revolution, Paul's Web-savvy, intensely loyal supporters planned another "money-bomb." And by 6 p.m. EST, the "Paulites" had raised $4.1 million from more than 30,000 donors, bringing the Texas Republican's fundraising total this quarter to $15.8 million. And counting.
"We'll definitely pass the 4.3 million [mark]" by midnight Monday, Jim Forsythe, the former Air Force pilot (and Bush supporter) who leads Paul's New Hampshire MeetUp group, told The Trail.
His opposition to the Iraq war sets Paul apart from the rest of the GOP field, the Paulites say, and his fiscal conservativism and fiercely libertarian, live-and-let-live views, have attracted independents, Republicans and Democrats. Though he's yet to break into double-digits in various national and state polls, he recently placed fifth among Republicans in a survey by the Concord Monitor, polling ahead of former senator Fred Thompson and behind former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.
Paul's online popularity, to the surprise (and envy) of other Republican campaigns, proves to be one of the most fascinating fundraising stories of the year. He's the only candidate, Republican or Democrat, to increase his fundraising haul with every quarter, raising $640,000 in the first quarter, $2.4 million in the second, $5.1 million in the third. And more than two-thirds of the money, his aides say, has come from the Internet. In what was first seen as an overly ambitious goal, aides said they needed to raise $12 million by Dec. 31 to be able to stay competitive in the early primary states. With the money raised, campaign spokesman Jesse Benton said Paul bought television spots in Iowa and New Hampshire and radio ads in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and Florida. Benton added that the campaign has attracted 107,000 donors this quarter, with the median contribution of about $50.
"We're in a really good position, money-wise," Benton told The Trail.
-- Jose Antonio Vargas
Posted at 8:12 PM ET on Dec 16, 2007
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It's about time the only Candidate who reveres the U.S. Constitution gets some fairness from the Press.. if the Press tries to regulate our conscious, I say boycott then, protest them, arrange meet-up groups everywhere to emphasize the true need for organizations that relay news, not ideals. FOLKS: We3 together outnumber the CFR members, the AIP**, and the others that promote a former sovereign USA and they promote another Nation before they do OUR USA.
Let's protest unfairness in the Press! www theradioavenger com
Posted by: abroadventure | December 16, 2007 08:18 PM
Dr. Ron Paul for President 2008
Posted by: sseedragon | December 16, 2007 08:48 PM
Boycott AIPAC and say no more wars for Israel! Enough bias and entaglement in the Muslim Middle East on behalf of the Israel-first neocons is enough.
Support Dr. Ron Paul for America's independence, prosperity, and our children's future.
Posted by: rednova | December 16, 2007 08:53 PM
Rock On Ron Paul !!!
Ron Paul is the only presidential candidate that I would trust with my money and my family's safety.
I Vote For Virtue; I Vote For Ron Paul !!!
Posted by: PainfullyAware | December 16, 2007 08:54 PM
LoL the warmongering uber-neocon LIEberman just endorsed McCain.
You know the neocons are in panic, when they can't settle on one candidate, Giuliani, Romney, or McCain?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC6D6uiLrgQ&eurl=http://www.dailypaul.com/
Posted by: rednova | December 16, 2007 08:57 PM
Great reporting by Vargas! But he missed half the story:
While the rest of Boston was in an emergency standstill owing to a snowstorm (and with Boston's public transportation unable to accept credit cards) I along with 3-400 other Ron Paul supporters gathered at Boston's Historic Fanieul Hall, which teapartyrally.com simulcast on the web. The grassroots organization started from nothing- an interest group on meetup.com and eventually was organized into a PAC by Bob French and Bob Dwyer. A big thanks to those guys!
Posted by: mrdthree | December 16, 2007 09:00 PM
"Paul hauled in $4.3 million in 24 hours -- the most money raised online by a candidate in a single day."
Didn't Hillary raise over $6 million in a single day back in January?
Posted by: charleswt_tx | December 16, 2007 09:01 PM
I like Obama because his presidency looks for me (I can't be sure, of course)like
the possibility to discover many talents in ghettos, and to change the course of USA politics to the better. Maybe, the order should be different. However, if Ron Paul would be nominated on the other side, it might be the fair competition. Other GOP candidates do not even look competitive currently after what really happened on 9/11. And people actually know what it was. However, they knew before the election of 2004 also. So, go figure!
Posted by: aepelbaum | December 16, 2007 09:01 PM
Oh. Right. online :}
Posted by: charleswt_tx | December 16, 2007 09:03 PM
I think it is time to question whether the national polling data is an accurate measure of Paul's support. I have a strong hunch that Paul's supporters do not have listed land line telephone numbers, which are used in most of the standard "polls". In fact, I'd be surprised if there were more than 500 people who had land lines among his 98,000 + MySpace friends, let alone among the micro-targeting savvy tea party folks.
Posted by: greenredwing | December 16, 2007 09:12 PM
Mr. Vargas,
I would like to thank you for reporting the news on our next GOP nominee and Presidential hopeful Ron Paul. The Washington Post has been very fair regarding Dr. Paul. His supporters did a great job today even though the weather was harsh, they still rallied for Liberty, Freedom, our Country, and for the most honest man in the race, RON PAUL.
Super job Ron Paul supporters, now lets all make sure we vote in the primaries and get this man in the White House.
http://ronpaul2008.com
Posted by: tess101 | December 16, 2007 09:24 PM
Can a man with no last name get elected president in this day and age?
Posted by: waylandadmin | December 16, 2007 09:27 PM
What if it gets to be Obama vs Paul in the general? I guess I'll have to switch and go with the good doctor.
Posted by: qualquan | December 16, 2007 09:30 PM
BTW, Ron has handily broken his old record by crossing 5 mill and is chasing 6!! And all this from a whole bunch of hyper enthusiastic small donors highlighting his incredible grass roots support. 'Mazin!
Posted by: qualquan | December 16, 2007 09:36 PM
Kyrgyzstan supports Ron Paul!
Posted by: usmanov.seyitbek | December 16, 2007 09:51 PM
The polls are a farce, they count ONLY republicans who voted for Bush in the 2004 presidential primary, i.e. when there was no contest and no reason for challengers to get out the vote. Here in New Hampshire, I see Ron Paul supporters everywhere, while PajamasMedia and RedStateBlog have blacklisted his supporters and his name from their polls because he keeps winning. They couldn't prove any hacking so they invented the term 'swarming' to describe online support for Paul, as if its wrong to be the most popular candidate online.
The MSM is going to get the shock of its life when Paul comes in 1st or 2nd in NH. He has the grassroots support, he has the money to promote his candidacy, and thats really all you need.
Posted by: mlorrey | December 16, 2007 09:52 PM
A person who actually says 'no more wars' for the middle east. A person who is an 'actual' liberal - not a pretend one.
Ron Paul - finally a candidate we can vote FOR and not AGAINST!
Posted by: eloiselanum | December 16, 2007 10:03 PM
Boston Tea Party 2007 is NOW!! Give NOW to Ron Paul 2008!!!
Google: "Ron Paul 2008 Donate"
Posted by: jeff111 | December 16, 2007 10:04 PM
Ron Paul President 2008!
Posted by: jeff111 | December 16, 2007 10:07 PM
Regarding your poll,
The Republican primary is a horse race - and you don't want to be first until the end.
In this game they shoot at the front runner - See Huck duck.
I think Ron Paul is just where we want him:
He's in first place with the majority (Us) - and in fifth place with the minority (The people who get polled).
Posted by: resono1 | December 16, 2007 10:16 PM
Ron Paul graduated from Gettysburg College, in Gettysburg, PA.
I wonder how often he visited the Gettysburg Battlefield, contemplated Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and asked himself if he could be as heroic as the soldiers who died there to save a great experiment in government of, by, and for We the People.
The historical similarity between Paul's and Lincoln's statemanship cannot be denied.
Imagine a blockbuster campaign video of Paul walking across the Gettysburg Battlefield reciting the last lines of Lincoln's address after he talks briefly of his college days there:
"from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." - A.Lincoln
"As an OB-GYN doctor I am an expert at birth. As president I will deliver a "new birth of freedom" with the same resolve as the men who died here."
Such an ad would be an excellent use of the money from our Tea Party.
A fundraiser could be set up for July 1-3, the Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.
Posted by: Scrooge | December 16, 2007 10:28 PM
I tell ya, the only Repub who can beat Obama in the general is the good doctor. The rest are chopped liver.
Posted by: qualquan | December 16, 2007 10:34 PM

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