On the 5th of November 2007 -- Guy Fawkes Day (remember, remember the fifth of November) -- Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) raised more than $4.2 million for his run for White House.
The irony of a dark horse candidate raising such an amazing sum on a day that honors an attempt to blow up the British Parliament was probably lost on his Republican counterparts. However, in this campaign, he has now trumped all Republican front-runners. Only Clinton and Obama have raised more money in a single day.
Paul, 72, says this sum sets a one-day online fundraising record. (It was $2.7 million in 16 hours.) What's also amazing is that this Pennsylvanian-turned-Texan physician isn't technologically (or popular culture) savvy. He is, however, dead-set against the war in Iraq (the only Republican candidate), wants to abolish the Federal Reserve (and return to the gold standard "only gold and silver should be legal tender"), and opposes abortion.
I hope that the enthusiasm for civic engagement that has been stimulated by his candidacy extends beyond next summer's convention, with its probable disappointment. Dark horse rabble-rousers usually get squashed; just ask the Howard Dean supporters.
See Anatomy of the Ron Paul Nation, Ron Paul, Scientific Polling, and His Support Base, Congressional Quarterly Profile.
Comments
Has anyone else noticed that every news article about this triumphant day in history always ends with, “you still can’t win.” Here is the headline I want to read, “Dark Horse Candidate Has Major Support, Proves Polls are a Joke”
The US political system is made in a way that tends to amplify differences rather than the opposite. In other words, if you don’t already have a fair chance from the beginning, you are out in the end. So Joel, the headline you are hoping for is more than unlikely to ever appear. It is also the reason which makes it practically impossible for anyone else than from the Reps and Dems to win any major election in the USA… The USA is a closed political system with auto-reproduction of the elites.
Ron Paul has huge support and if the major media would give him the attention he deserves he would be more popular amongst the ones who only get spoonfed from tv news….This article is one of the more positive news stories for Ron Paul!!!
Yeah, I’ve also noticed that these articles simply can not give credit where it’s due and leave it alone. They always have to take a swipe like “it was phenomenal … but he still can’t win.” Why because because the Media said so? Forget it. We are a society that can think for ourselves and we don’t need the Media to manipulate our opinions anymore.
He is not done surprizing the MSM YET!!!! Just wait till he wins NH. LOL This is to good… LMOA These guys just don’t get it. Ron Paul is the american dream.
Not positive, underlying feint of dismissal, and this from an uneducated writer. I’ll take the smart candidate and his smart supporters. They need to understand this is a Conservative Republican rennaisance.
What most pundits do not realize because they are too lazy to analyze what is happening: We are witnessing open warfare in the GOP between the Goldwater/Libertarian wing and the Rockefeller/Neocon wing who have been in ascendance since Reagan.
Please view this enlightning essay by
Bernie Quigly which examines the struggle that has been occuring since Jefferson and Hamilton.
http://lifebelowi10.blogspot.com/2007/10/quigley.html
He doesn’t want to get rid of the federal reserve in a moment.
He doesn’t want to turn the fiat currency into gold-backed currency. He wants to create a competitive currency that is backed by gold and silver.
And he opposes federal abortion laws. The ones that say one minute before birth is abortion and one minute after is murder. He wants to leave it up to the states.
I love how all these political respondents, just love to predict the future. I mean seriously they need to play the lotto I didn’t know they KNEW things before they happened with such sureness.
I think if Ron Paul proved anything on November 5th it was to EXPECT the UNEXPECTED. NO one thought that we’d raise over 4 million dollars in a single day. Boy, won’t they be surprised when we win the nomination.
And can we STOP comparing a respectable Physician, Veteran, and Politician, to the looney Howard Dean!
He is NOTHING like Howard Dean, nothing… I mean there is more in like with water and fire then there is with Howard Dean and Ron Paul…
I’m sure all those “front-runners” are crossing their fingers that Ron Paul screws up — the difference is, he won’t.
The media pushed Howard Dean, they attempt to Ignore Ron Paul.
There is no ignoring this…
We Will Surprise You Again Before this year is Out.
12 Million by December 31st!
I guess Ms Gill was tired of posting blogs where no one responded so she blogs Ron Paul?
So, people want to flush $4.7 million down the toilet eh? Seems like there are better places to waste ones money?
One question? Did ya’ll folks also vote and promote Ross Perot?
C
Hmm.. Ross Perot… actually, in that contest, I chose George Herber Walker Bush.
I’ve still got $2,200 left to give to Ron Paul, and no other candidate is worth a nickel when it comes to supporting our nation, America.
I would deeply appreciate less deceitful opinion and more fact. To take from (holds nose) the Fox News network: YOU report, WE decide. We don’t need any more “Deciders”. You’re creating the self-fulfilling prophecy of keeping candidates with lower name recognition from actually have name recognition by reporting them with a negative slant.
“this Pennsylvanian-turned-Texan physician isn’t technologically (or popular culture) savvy.”
His campaign is self-sustaining; and that’s why he has a real chance of winning.
The other faux-candidates must run micromanagerial campaigns against inertia and against nature.
Ron Paul, the next POTUS.
Kick this President and this horrible congress, both the lowest rated in US history OUT and put in some fresh blood and restore the republic
It is refreshing to see my fellow Americans finally waking up to the circumstances they are in. Even if 1 billion dollars is raised for truth and freedom, even if every thinking non-robotic person wakes up and supports Dr. Paul, even if every MSM media scumbag article is challenged on the facts by hundreds of people who see the facts, IT WILL ALL BE FOR NOTHING if we do not take back the voting system to open transparent fairness.
Electronic voting machines are a part of the foundation of the establishment’s control. The tyrants can safely sit behind phony poll results as a screen for the fraud they will pull on election day. The establishment foresaw that a certain percentage of Americans would start to awaken as the tyranny became more obvious. Unless you want all your work to go down the drain you MUST do something about the electronic voting machines. The system can crank in any result they want.
50 lawsuits in the 50 sates are in the process of being filed that demand the decertification of electronic, paperless voting machines like the Diebold system. Please check out the votefraud org also VoteInSunshine and the National Clean Elections Lawsuit: “N-CEL” for more details about this vital subject. Time is short. I pray it is not too late for all of us!
“I care not who votes, I care only about those who count the votes”.-
quote attributed to the dictator Josef Stalin
Hi, Joel:
I simply don’t see the Republican party nominating Ron Paul. However, I hope his support helps shape the platform. [Not holding my breath.]
And I don’t think America is ready for a 3rd party candidate — I’d love to be wrong on this one as I see too little difference between Ds and Rs on foreign entanglements.
Thanks, Gina — I admire Dr. Paul. I don’t agree with all of his views, but I don’t agree with all of any politicians views.
I think he, like many of my libertarians friends, is idealistic re their goal to shrink the federal government. I don’t think it’s going to happen in my lifetime — unless it comes by force (ie, civil war/revolution), which is quite possible should the house of cards that is our deficit-funded-government comes tumbling down.
Hi, Bill:
My comments have nothing to do with the MSM. Do I quote the MSMS? No. I point to polling data.
And I remind y’all of the story of Howard Dean. Deans’ supporters were every bit as impassioned as Ron Paul’s — and came from the same core group (folks online, lots of people donating small amounts of money).
Keith, I don’t know how you can call this a “Conservative Republican rennaisance.”
Paul is a Libertarian who aligns himself with the Republican party because it’s the closest of the two majors to reflect his worldview.
Hi, David:
I agree that Paul represents a fiscally conservative wing of the G.O.P. And I would not argue with your assessment that this wing has achieved greater voice with Paul.
However, the leading candidates (Paul is trailing at 5th or so in most national polls) are of the post-Reagan GOP.
Hi, Chuck — you never cease to amaze me.
It would be lovely if you put as much effort into posting reasoned opinion as you seem to put into posting ad hominems.
Hello, No Vote Fraud.
Agreed.
KG,
I find it humorous that so many people think that if they close their eyes click their heels together and wish real hard an impossibility will come true.
c
Hi, Chuck — and that’s a telling difference in our world views.
I find their optimism refreshing, if (probably) naive. The only way to change the system is to support people who want to change the system — it won’t happen overnight.
Once upon a time this was not a nation with only two parties. It could happen again.
That should have read “only two major parties.” We have other parties, at least in name, but they have no impact at the national level.
Why change the system? It’s the best in the world? It’s not perfect but it’s better by far than anything else.
Once upon a time this was not a nation of entitlements but the left has led the way in that direction. We’re becoming socialized by your party and I don’t think that’s a change for the good.
C
No Paul does not want to return to the gold standard. Stop spreading this rumour. What he wants to do is simply make gold and silver legal tender.
Hi Chuck,
You seriously believe that the American Republic is the best government system in the world? I beg to disagree… It is not a system which fairly represents the opinions of its electoral body, it is not a system where the people can directly elect the executive power. And it is also a system where the judicial power is so politicized that people seeking justice can rightly be afraid of being condemned not because of breaking the law but because they are prosecuted by a magistrate looking for being reelected…
By the way, it is great fun to read you all (no pun intended). So I put here a trackback link to another blog which just mentioned your favorite candidate: Hmmm. My bad, here is the link:
http://wahdah.blogspot.com/2007/11/candidates.html
Please, Kathy, feel free to erase my previous post…
Chuck, I warned you that if you continued to post personal attacks that I would delete your comments. You have, and, thus, so have I. You are free to argue with anyone’s ideas or evidence but you are not free to attack their persons nor imply that you are privvy to their thoughts. Perhaps it would be wise to count to ten before typing the word “you” followed by a disparagement.
Alphast, one more item? I disclosed who I believe to be the best. Name one better please?
C
Bernanke vs Ron Paul,
Anyone see this today? Bernanke made Paul look like a fool, not that Paul needed any help.
Hard to believe this guy even has 4%+ in the polls? Might as well be voting for Terrell Owens.
C
Very good question Chuck. I am not sure if it is an easy one to answer though, because you can find a flaw to most existing systems if you look long enough. I don’t like the French system for similar reasons to the US one (except the judiciary). Also, it gives too much power to the executive and particularly the President. I hate the UK system because it has no written Constitution and because it suffers from the same lack of representativity than the US one. I do like the Dutch one, except for its excessive instability. The Danish one is, I think, near to perfection, though federalists would argue that the Spanish, German and Swiss ones are better, because they give more powers to local communities. All in all, I guess I would argue that the current German system is the best if you exclude their twisted law about freedom of expression.