Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
You would think --and you'd be wrong-- that someone with the ability to raise so much cash in so little time would have a much stronger position in the polls. Because you'd think --and you'd be wrong again -- that the most popular candidates, those candidates whom voters view as the best hope their side's got, would attract the most cash. But all this, as Ron Paul demonstrates, is seriously flawed thinking.
Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) raised $1.8 million in 24 hours between Saturday and Sunday, a major online “money bomb” timed to coincide with his 76th birthday. This is the fourth time Paul has raised more than $1 million in a day this campaign cycle, and a signal that he will have the money to compete as long as he wishes for the Republican presidential nomination.
How do you explain this? To me, it seems insane and absurd.
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Oct '10
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
Very strong commitment from a very small base. A lot of entrepreneurs who know how to make money and are willing to part with it for causes deemed worthy.
Jun '11
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
Ron Paul has a high intensity factor. The people that are for him are really for him and are willing to put their money where their mouth is. Some of the most popular candidates in the polls are most popular because of name recognition/appearance/etc. The folks that vote for them in a poll are not the kind of folks that are really engaged in the political process to the point where they would actually part with some of their cash.
Apr '11
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
Contributing money at this stage is often done as a vote for which candidate most closely aligns with what is on the voter's mind. Ron Paul's platform scares the pants off the status quo in Washington. There are a lot of smart people with disposable income who get that.
Dec '10
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
I think Jack has made an important point, although I wouldn't say people, like me, who don't contribute money aren't politically engaged. We're just not committed to a candidate at this point. If Ryan gets in, I'll be sending money to a candidate for the first time since the 2010 congressional races. This is both a function of the economy and holding back limited resources until the primary shakes out a little or my ideological champion enters the race.
I haven't had the inclination to contribute even to the RNC, the NRCC, or the NRSC since my last investment in McCain/Palin failed to pay off. I made small contributions to Bachmann and Col. West in 2010 after having been burned in 2008. People who aren't hard core Pauliacs are waiting.
Jan '11
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
Diane,
Perhaps you wouldn't be puzzled if you looked at Bloomberg today and read their report on the Federal Reserve's secret lending policy of $1.2 trillion dollars to US and foreign banks and lending institutions, a policy that stretched from early 2008 to 2010 and beyond.
The recipients and the timeline are both specified in Keoun and Kuntz's report, which took a FOIA request, months of litigation and an act of Congress to pry loose from "your" government.
This policy dwarfed the TARP program; but at least our legislators had the chance to vote on TARP. And TARP did not lend money with junk bonds as collateral to foreign banks and corporations.
The Fed is unaccountable and not elected, but they put the full faith and credit of this country more at risk - now documented - than anyone else in history.
And only one person has dared to point at this shadow government, label it for what it is and call it out - Ron Paul. He ain't perfect, but I don't let the perfect be the enemy of the uniquely good.
That's why he got my money. He should get yours, too.
Sep '10
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
Paul is the only antiestablishment candidate. The primaries are just a warm up. In the general election Obama will run against Bush and the Republican nominee, the Republican candidate will run against the liberal establishment and Obama, Paul will run against the Bush/Obama economy, the FED and the establishment. He will not raise the most money, but may get the most votes. Polls at this point in time mean vary little.
Jul '11
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
I gave him money too. I do not think he is electable but I love the man and what he has fought for with his career. The more he speaks about the criminal enterprise known as the Fed, the more people will wake up to the greatest scam in the history of all mankind.
Jan '11
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
PS: I think Rick Perry was too easy on Bernanke.
Anyone who will undermine the integrity and soundness and purchasing power of the US dollar, with all that means for the health and welfare of tens of millions of Americans, needs to be fitted for an orange jumpsuit.
Democrats had no trouble wishing for Scooter Libby and Karl Rove to get perp-walks; they shouldn't complain about Perry putting the finger on "Helicopter Ben."
If they can't take it, they shouldn't dish it out.
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
Western Chauvinist:
I haven't had the inclination to contribute even to the RNC, the NRCC, or the NRSC since my last investment in McCain/Palin failed to pay off. I made small contributions to Bachmann and Col. West in 2010 after having been burned in 2008. People who aren't hard core Pauliacs are waiting. · Aug 22 at 11:56am
Is there such a field as "campaign contribution psychology"? I wonder if anyone's ever tried to classify all of the reasons a voter (or even non-voter) might contribute to a political campaign.
Oct '10
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
Ron Paul stands on principle, and has never varied from his beliefs since he reluctantly entered politics.
There are many people who admire this, and are willing to put their money where their beliefs lie, regardless of how improbable it will result in electoral success.
Diane Ellis: “How do you explain this? To me, it seems insane and absurd.”
To me, it seems quintessentially American.
Feb '11
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
liberal jim: but may get the most votes.
Not in this time/space continuum.
If Dr Paul wishes to ensure Obama's reelection he should most definitely run on a third party ticket. That he would even consider doing so renders him beneath contempt.
Dec '10
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Western Chauvinist:
I haven't had the inclination to contribute even to the RNC, the NRCC, or the NRSC since my last investment in McCain/Palin failed to pay off. I made small contributions to Bachmann and Col. West in 2010 after having been burned in 2008. People who aren't hard core Pauliacs are waiting.
Is there such a field as "campaign contribution psychology"? I wonder if anyone's ever tried to classify all of the reasons a voter (or even non-voter) might contribute to a political campaign.
I recommend Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Prof. Robert Cialdini. Not specifically about campaign contributions, but one of the chapters on the power of consistency mentions an experiment in which researchers asked homeowners to let them put up a lawn sign for a particular cause. They then polled support for hypothetical legislation for that cause, and people who were uncommitted before became supporters just because they'd agreed to let a sign be placed on their property.
Campaign contributions reinforce the donor's belief that he is right to support that candidate. They also reflect magical thinking that the donation will cause their guy to win.
Dec '10
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
Snow Bird
Not in this time/space continuum.
If Dr Paul wishes to ensure Obama's reelection he should most definitely run on a third party ticket. That he would even consider doing so renders him beneath contempt. · Aug 22 at 1:28pm
The funny thing is that I see PLENTY of people on the Left who love Paul's anti-war isolationism and sympathy for 9/11 Trutherism. I bet he'd pull at least as many votes from Obama as from the Republican nominee.
Feb '11
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
Stuart Creque
The funny thing is that I see PLENTY of people on the Left who love Paul's anti-war isolationism and sympathy for 9/11 Trutherism. I bet he'd pull at least as many votes from Obama as from the Republican nominee.
Those two issue alone will not pull that many voters from the Democrat column. His concept of fiscal sobriety is anathema to leftists hoping to transform the country into a European model socialist utopia.
Third parties are the proverbial third rail of American presidential politics. Nader may have cost Democrats elections, Roosevelt got us Wilson ( a pox on his memory for that one) and Perot certainly didn't help the Republicans. Our constitutional system, thankfully, mitigates against them. Otherwise, we'd probably look like Italy.
Jan '11
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
You have now raised the major problem I have with Representative Paul, which no one at either debate has seen fit to bring up - It is his lack of fidelity to the Republican Party.
It has so far gone unremarked that in 2008 Congressman Paul did NOT endorse the McCain-Palin ticket. Instead he endorsed a series of third party alternatives, including at one point Cynthia McKinney(!).
In spite of that recent history the Republican Party in 2011 has treated Ron Paul fairly, respectfully and as a candidate deserving of a full and fair hearing. (Whether the media has is another story.) But I believe it is important that he be asked - and asked soon - if he does not win enough votes to be the party's nominee, that he will support the choice of HIS party.
If he says something other than yes, then he should be shown the door.
And I say that as an August, 2011 Paul contributor.
Because I also say
Elect no Democrat anywhere, ever.
Dec '10
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
Ron Paul has never said anything to imply he would run as a third party candidate.
And a lack of fidelity to the Republican Party as an institution does not reflect poorly on him.
Finally, I am disappointed to hear Ms. Ellis think people donating to his candidacy is absurd. By what metric? There is an undertone in comments like that that says "Look, it is a waste of time to support that candidate with your votes or your money. We have a preselected group of perfectly fine people right over here. They aren't perfect, either, but they are mainstream. This election is for show."
I can assure you that attitude will not effect anything close to the significant reform necessary to preserve the experiment we call American democratic republicanism.
Oct '10
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
Whether you're intending to say that Paul is not a serious candidate or not, I will.
I wonder if it has to do with his success advertising his views through social media and books. I believe this is an advertising campaign, not a Presidential one, and he's been doing it since the last cycle.
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
Stuart Creque
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Western Chauvinist:
I haven't had the inclination to contribute even to the RNC, the NRCC, or the NRSC since my last investment in McCain/Palin failed to pay off. I made small contributions to Bachmann and Col. West in 2010 after having been burned in 2008. People who aren't hard core Pauliacs are waiting.
Is there such a field as "campaign contribution psychology"? I wonder if anyone's ever tried to classify all of the reasons a voter (or even non-voter) might contribute to a political campaign.
I recommend Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Prof. Robert Cialdini.
I appreciate the recommendation, Stuart.
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
KarlUB:
Finally, I am disappointed to hear Ms. Ellis think people donating to his candidacy is absurd. By what metric? There is an undertone in comments like that that says "Look, it is a waste of time to support that candidate with your votes or your money. We have a preselected group of perfectly fine people right over here. They aren't perfect, either, but they are mainstream. This election is for show."
I can assure you that attitude will not effect anything close to the significant reform necessary to preserve the experiment we call American democratic republicanism. · Aug 22 at 4:13pm
To clarify, what I find insane and absurd is that someone who I believe cannot seriously contend for the nomination is able to vastly out earn his competition. (Romney of course has more money than Paul, but has had nothing nearly as successful as Paul's money bombs.) And someone like Perry could win the whole race, but you don't see him raising nearly $2 million in 24 hours from a bunch of small donors.
This phenomenon is remarkable, but also crazy...and ultimately no, not incredibly productive.
Re: Ron Paul Is a Money Magnet
Snow Bird
Stuart Creque
The funny thing is that I see PLENTY of people on the Left who love Paul's anti-war isolationism and sympathy for 9/11 Trutherism. I bet he'd pull at least as many votes from Obama as from the Republican nominee.
Those two issue alone will not pull that many voters from the Democrat column. His concept of fiscal sobriety is anathema to leftists hoping to transform the country into a European model socialist utopia.
I agree. When asked, Bill Maher said that Ron Paul was his favorite GOP candidate. But you'd never in a million years see Bill Maher vote for Paul over whomever the Dems offer up.