Politics

Record-Setting Ron

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So the Ron Paul campaign raised $4.3 million on November 5th. The previous record for one day of fundraising on a GOP primary campaign: $2.5 million, set by Mitt Romney just 11 months ago. Paul's base has made the party tories realize for the first time that the guy they once wanted to keep out of the presidential debates* might win the fourth quarter. (Rudy Giuliani won the third quarter with only $11 million.) Also, check out Paul's numbers compared to what Democrats raised in the final months of 2003.

Reaction from the internets:

ABC News:

Mark it down: A landmark moment entered the annals of political fundraising Nov. 5, 2007.

Mother Jones:

This is getting to be one of the most bizarre phenomenons American politics has seen in decades.

Dean veteran gate-crasher Jerome Armstrong:

The way Paul's campaign has done it, by not setting up a social networking account on every new-fangled socnet site, but by targeting a few and then expanding, is also the way to go. The Paul campaign recognizes decentralized, organic signs of Paul community, and then officially sanctions the congregation through post links on their website-- start going here. The Paul campaign didn't directly create ThisNovember5th.com, but they did create embrace the environment where it could happen.

Alex Massie:

Sure, he's still not going to win the nomination, but this is going to be one hell of a ride. No-one's going to be able to kick Paul out of the debates now. And admit it, anything that throws a spanner into the works, upsetting all the careful plans laid out by the front-runners has got to be a good thing. Every underdog deserves his day.

General J.C. Christian:

You need another funding source. That's why I'm asking you to consider marching into the Sudetenland and invading Poland. With their treasuries in the Paul campaign coffers, Ron will be able to outspend all of his opponents combined. And let's not overlook the side benefit of having a captive campaign worker force numbering in the millions to lick all those envelopes.

Yeah, I don't get it either.**

If you're a churl you've got two reactions: Paulites fell short of their $10 million goal and they're not going to turn their money into primary votes. Those are shortsighted takes on this. Before this campaign, who thought there were tens of thousands of anti-war or isolationist or gold bug Republicans and independents who'd donate to a presidential campaign? Who thought Ron Paul would run TV ads before Rudy Giuliani? Who thought you'd see handmade Paul signs on overpasses basically everywhere? (Places I've seen them: Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California.)

Side note: Remember the pro-war Republicans trying to oust Paul by stealing his Texas congressional seat out from under him? There's local city councilman Chris Peden, who's got less than $1000 in his campaign fund, and there's NASA contractor Andy Mann, proprieter of the world's saddest blog. They got into this race thinking Paul would flame out and alienate his base back home, and they've watched him turn into a rock star and raise $80,000 just for his congressional race. They're that saddest breed of political animal: The opportunist who's lost his opportunity.

*Admittedly not many people wanted this, but it was chattered about after the Ron-versus-Rudy South Carolina debate.

**I'm aware that it's a parody blog, but the Hitlerism doesn't really hit.