Ron Paul’s primary strength in this campaign has been fanatical grassroots supporters who have raised tens of millions for the long-shot campaign. But now that Congressman Paul has failed to break-out by winning in any state, that fundraising is drying up pretty fast.
The week of January 21st, the Paul campaign added over $2.2 million to their bank account. Last week the campaign raised $1.6 million. This week, all signs suggest that the Paul campaign will take in only about $250k in donations.
Yesterday, the campaign made an announcement that sounded a lot like a suspension of campaigning. Paul faces a serious primary challenge for his seat in Congress and has had put his resoruces into defending his day job. Later on, campaign officials tried to make it clear that Congressman Paul wasn’t actually suspending his campaign, just shifting things around and trimming his staff.
It will be interesting to learn how much, if any, of the more than $25 million he has raised is still in the bank at this point.
February 10th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Don’t worry: he’s flush with cash, his congressional seat is not “seriously” challenged…and besides, if Huckabee can do it without cash, so can Paul.
February 10th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Good luck, Ron Paul!
February 10th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
It appears as though Dr. Paul’s contributions are much more numerous than any other candidate. The contributors are giving small amounts and are not even close to the maximims that other candidates receive. His money machince can be revved up at a moments notice, likely after he handilty wins his congressional primary. I don’t think anyone has seen or heard the last of Dr. Paul and his core values. Liberty and Freedom are powerful messages to a nation that longs for a return to what made us great. War, special interest, and priviledge are not a powerful sale that the majority of people will buy! Ron Paul should be congratulated for his work….history will determine if the masses were ready for his message.
February 10th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
He may not have taken first in any state but you sure haven’t heard about some places that he’s come in 2nd or 3rd. Think there might be a reason why MSM doesn’t report on those? Thing about it again.
February 10th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
MSM picked their candidate a little too soon, and before the Republicans wieighed in. They got what they deserved…..
February 11th, 2008 at 12:01 am
Better edit this article. Ron Paul just received $500,000 more today, nearing $6 million for 2008.
http://www.ronpaul2008.com
February 11th, 2008 at 12:46 am
Today, Sunday, he is up over $500k for today alone.
February 11th, 2008 at 1:00 am
Yep, $600k added in off line donations. Close to $6M in 6 weeks…the staffers must be starving right now….
February 11th, 2008 at 1:38 am
Not even a player. We who vote fully realize the American economy is completely dependent on Federal dollars for our lives and livelihoods. Breaking down the feedback loop of taxes back into the economy at this point is unthinkable, hence we ignore that third candidate for the same reason the media does.
Luckily we have Huckabee to provide an answer. Unlike McCain, ss a Christian candidate he can represent the Socialist ideal as a necessary evil for the times. What “seals the deal” is a thorough study of his past actions, which prove Huckabee can be counted on to continue our government war contracts as well as do the right thing by increasing handout programs for illegal immigrants and provide support for the poor.
What the GOP didn’t realize the other day is that we have our “backroom” deal with our religion. A Huckabee presidency would result in real jobs in the private sector. Face it, religious tenets concerning peace mean nothing when there’s no food on the table. If we need to continue wars to have jobs here, then the people say so be it.
February 11th, 2008 at 2:10 am
You are writing about NOTHING at all. What you are witnessing is the phenomenon of the “money bomb”, where large numbers of us donate on one designated day. Fundraising is typically very low all around moneybombs, and it has been that way for the last 4 months that we have been doing it. He’s still raised $5.4M in the last 5 weeks. That would be more than McCain or Huckabee, the other two remaining Republican presidential candidates.
And as for the “scalinig back”, well, durr! Of course they are scaling back: they’ve just passed the Super Tuesday milestone, where they had previously scaled UP to be able to handle campaigning in 24 states at once. He can scale back staff, focus on upcoming primaries and caucuses, and then shuffle those same staff to further back campaigns, as each primary/caucus is held. That’s all perfectly logical, and fiscally responsible, yet, again, everybody wants to jump on board and make it look like Dr Paul is going away. Well, I’ve got news for you: Dr Paul and his r3V0Lution are here to STAY!
February 11th, 2008 at 2:14 am
Richard Verait, you scare the crap out of me.
February 11th, 2008 at 2:18 am
Oh should I donate again?
Done.
February 11th, 2008 at 3:23 am
lastnymleft…what is it that Richard said that was so scarey? What is scarey is when people like you leave little snide remarks and never back them up with any logical remarks.
February 11th, 2008 at 4:48 am
John McCain’s supporters are the fanatical ones. That man is a loose cannon. But thanks for sharing your drivel, Austin.
February 11th, 2008 at 5:21 am
This got me: “Not even a player. We who vote fully realize the American economy is completely dependent on Federal dollars for our lives and livelihoods. Breaking down the feedback loop of taxes back into the economy at this point is unthinkable, hence we ignore that third candidate for the same reason the media does.”
Note to “we who vote”: The FDIC reports that 65 mega-banks are in trouble, Gold is above $900/ounce. The dollar is severely weakened. Mortgages are being lost apace. The endless war on Iraq, Afghanistan, and everything else imaginable, is draining the economy, and delivering little if anything. The U.S. is over 9 trillion in debt. The trade imbalance is getting worse. So, please advise “we who vote” on the following: PLEASE, DON’T VOTE. “We who vote” has been the problem; let “we who don’t vote” deliver us out of the mess.
February 11th, 2008 at 5:31 am
Ron Paul won Washington State with twice the delegates of any other candidate.
February 11th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Well, let’s dissect Mr. Varait’s first paragraph, shall we?
“We who vote fully realize the American economy is completely dependent on Federal dollars for our lives and livelihoods.”
This nonsensical statement is evidence of a fundamental confusion about wealth. Real wealth is created by the combination of capital and labor to produce goods and services demanded by buyers. Wealth cannot be created on a printing press - money can, but it’s not the same thing.
“by Breaking down the feedback loop of taxes back into the economy at this point is unthinkable,”
This statement ignores opportunity cost. The government cannot create wealth, all it can do is redistribute it. So whether the wealth is gathered from taxpayers and spent by the government is largely irrelevant. Left in place, those dollars will be spent as surely as if government controlled it and certainly more efficiently.
“hence we ignore that third candidate for the same reason the media does.”
I agree you ignore Ron Paul for the same reason the media does. That reason is ignorance of basic economics. I suggest you pick up a copy of Hazlett’s “Economics in One Lesson.” Pay particular attention to the short chapter on the fallacy of the broken window. In short: Although someone is employed to repair the window, and that money will be respent over and over again, the wealth of the economy is diminished by one window and the householder would have spent that money on something else had the window not been broken.
I don’t find this feller scary, just mainstream. Ron Paul has problems communicating his ideas to the public, partly because the public does not have the necessary education to understand his position. And, there isn’t time to educate them past their misguided beliefs. Sad. I never thought I’d see a philosophical Libertarian get this far. Maybe there’s hope …
February 11th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Senator John Sidney McCain III (AZ)
Current Office: U.S. Senate
Current District: Senior Seat
Office Seeking: President (Announced, General)
First Elected: 11/04/1986
Last Elected: 11/02/2004
Next Election: 2010
Party: Republican
Background Information Additional Information
Gender: Male
Family: Wife: Cindy Lou Hensley
7 Children: Doug, Sidney, Andy, Meghan, Jack, Jimmy, Bridget.
Birth Date: 08/29/1936
Birthplace: Panama Canal Zone, Panama
Home City: Phoenix, AZ
Religion: Episcopalian
So why is John McCain running for President if he is not a us born citizen?
February 11th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Scott Harmon
+1776
My thoughts added - Do “we who vote” realize that Federal dollars are not even “Federal” and that the “the feedback loop of taxes back into the economy” don’t pay jack squat but the interest that the “FEDERAL” Reserve is charging us on money they don’t even “lend”?
No SOUP for you moron - back to Econ 101!
February 11th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Ron Paul spoke at the FreedomFest conference last year and he has been invited again this year to join our 100 plus speakers and 1,000 plus attendees in Las Vegas on July 10 -12. We must do what we can to get the message of liberty, a return to limited constitutional government and free markets out to the American public. See http://www.freedomfest.com
February 12th, 2008 at 6:04 am
Steve Brooks SLAM! People like you are the reason people like Varait don’t argue the basics of RPs policy and instead use remarks like kooky or goofy. Nice work!
February 12th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
He’s on track to raise approximately 15 million this quarter.
The reason problem is that most “Conservatives” are just lip service conservatives. The vast majority of them are happy to engage in nation building, deficit spending, and increasing the national debt while pushing the country to fiscal insolvency. There are barely any conservatives in this nation today, the people that call themselves Conservatives are nothing more than Liberals with a Jesus streak with no political convictions.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Paul’s campaign is the only one who is NOT IN DEBT.
All of the other campaigns have spent more money than they have. Sounds just like Bush’s economic policy and the economic policy you will get if you elect ANY OTHER CANDIDATE.
Paul runs a tight ship, just the kind of man we need in the White House.