Exclusive: Paul Tops $5 Mil For Quarter
Texas Congressman Ron Paul, an anti-war libertarian making his second run at the White House, will report having raised $5.08 million in the third quarter. The number, which rivals those of John McCain and Bill Richardson, was boosted thanks to last-minute online fundraising that brought in more than $1.2 million in the last week of the quarter alone.
Paul has drawn himself in sharp contrast with the rest of the field, often engaging in loud exchanges with fellow candidates over his vehement opposition to the war in Iraq. His campaign has been marked by frugal spending and a surprisingly strong online fan base; he routinely wins online straw polls after debates.
Reid Wilson
Dr. Paul will likely have at least $12M going into the early primary season. That's more than enough to compete in the first three primaries. The article says they plan to start airing TV commercials soon. I expect a sharp spike in his fund-raising after that as well.
The media, Democrats, and mainstream Republicans all continue to ignore Paul. There is a huge disparity between online and conventional polling results. Many continue to explain this away as a dedicated group of Paul supporters who flood online polls with their numbers. It is much more difficult to explain away his successful fund raising. It is also worth noting that Dr. Paul doesn't have a single Fortune 500 donor. His is truly a grassroots campaign.
Paul has drawn himself in sharp contrast with the rest of the field, often engaging in loud exchanges with fellow candidates over his vehement opposition to the war in Iraq. His campaign has been marked by frugal spending and a surprisingly strong online fan base; he routinely wins online straw polls after debates.
Reid Wilson
Dr. Paul will likely have at least $12M going into the early primary season. That's more than enough to compete in the first three primaries. The article says they plan to start airing TV commercials soon. I expect a sharp spike in his fund-raising after that as well.
The media, Democrats, and mainstream Republicans all continue to ignore Paul. There is a huge disparity between online and conventional polling results. Many continue to explain this away as a dedicated group of Paul supporters who flood online polls with their numbers. It is much more difficult to explain away his successful fund raising. It is also worth noting that Dr. Paul doesn't have a single Fortune 500 donor. His is truly a grassroots campaign.
posted by Anonymous | 3:05 PM
4 Comments:
I'm impressed with Dr. Paul's totals, but I see his fate the same as that of Dr. Dean, who also had impressive totals in '04, but when it came time to vote, they didn't show up.
You could be right, but a big difference is that Democrats never come out to vote. Remember, there are 72 million registered Democrats to only 55 million registered Republicans. If the Democrats came out to vote, there wouldn't be a single Republican holding office anywhere. Conversely, independents, libertarians, and even Republicans, those most likely to vote for Dr. Paul, do come out to vote, the first two groups in droves.
Steve: It is also worth noting that Dr. Paul doesn't have a single Fortune 500 donor. His is truly a grassroots campaign.
In comparison to the average D or R primary candidate, exactly how notable is that? A corporate-less campaign does sound quite impressive, I must admit.
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