Maverick Paul sets one-day, GOP fundraising record
By BENNETT ROTH
Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Maverick GOP presidential contender Ron Paul of Lake Jackson continued his fundraising juggernaut, raking in $4.3 million in one day over the Internet.
The 24-hour fundraising drive on Monday brought Paul's contributions to $7.3 million so far for the final quarter of this year, eclipsing the $5.4 million he raised in the third quarter.
Paul received 38,000 donations during the drive, which was spearheaded by the candidate's supporters in honor of Guy Fawkes Day, which commemorates Fawkes, a British mercenary who unsuccessfully sought to kill King James I on Nov. 5, 1605. Fawkes was also the inspiration for the novel and movie V for Vendetta, in which the lead character takes on a fascist government in Britain.
The Libertarian-leaning Paul is a strong opponent of many government programs and is the only Republican candidate for the White House advocating troop withdrawal from Iraq.
On Paul's Web site, his fundraising director, Jonathan Bydlak, called the cash haul "Earth-shattering, jaw-dropping ... No matter which way you phrase it, Ron Paul is for real."
Paul now holds the record among Republican White House candidates for fundraising on a single day, according to the Associated Press. Democratic presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton has raised the most, $6.2 million, on a single day during the current campaign.
While he has built a fervent fan base over the Internet, Paul still remains mired in the low single digits in most national polls.
Paul's spokesman Jesse Benton said the influx of funds will allow the candidate to increase his name recognition. Paul is already airing television and radio commercials in New Hampshire and radio spots in Iowa, South Carolina and Nevada.
Benton said the campaign has already increased its staff to 70 people.
bennett.roth@chron.com
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TheOddball81 wrote:
Good point, _NH. We may appear to have a two-party system, but there's really only one party. The goal of the media is to get the majority of Americans to support a pair of CFR candidates. Hillary, Obama, Romney, and Giuliani are not front-runners because they are loved by the most people or because they have the best positions on issues. They are front-runners because the mainstream media says so. This way, all media attention is devoted to these front-runners, and the public sees these candidates as "rational" choices, and they vote for them in the primaries. We are all programmed to accept the choices given to us, and have been for many years. Finally, someone like Ron Paul has come along who is not a pre-packaged puppet and actually stands for something and loves his country.
11/7/2007 2:16:24 AM
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jmunjr wrote:
"Libertarians (such as Paul) don't believe in social security, medicaid, AFDC, health insurance for poor children and many other programs not specified by the constitution."
So what is your point? All of those things are responsibilities of the STATES!!! Period. Paul would not eliminate Social Security either, but he would give the people who stand to gain absolutely nothing from it(younger people) a choice to opt-out while still taking care of those who put into all their lives.
My only fear about Paul is this country has gotten so used to getting handouts from the government that they won't vote for the guy because the handouts will stop. But guess what? You'll get far more after the federal income tax is eliminated. Granted the states will try to get more of it but you'll still end up with a heck of a lot more than you'll get from the federal government, and you'll get to choose how you'll spend it. This country if led by Paul would be more productive, richer, and freer than we've ever seen. Don't be a sheep and fall for the same old rouse put on by the Democrats and neo-conservatives.
Even if you don't like Paul, nobody from the Democrats or the rest of the Republicans has any qualities worth admiring. Most are nearly all pro-war, including Hillary, ALL want to spend out of control, and none of them genuinely want to protect our liberty, and that folks is the #1 role of our federal government.
The leaders of this nation have failed us. It is time for someone new to restore our Republic and make America the great country it once was.
11/7/2007 2:11:26 AM
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_NH wrote:
Trouble is, Hillary and Mitt's numbers are for PLEDGES not actual donations so Paul bested them too!
Look it up.
RON PAUL IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN BEAT HILLARY. They know it and probably won't care because either Rudy or Hillary is acceptable as they are one and the same.
11/7/2007 1:44:11 AM
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antiwardoc wrote:
Oops, I meant Romney and Clinton, sorry. As State of Brain says, the FEC filings showed that Romney only raised 3.1 MIL, and the Clinton total was collected over the course of 1 week, not in a single day.
11/6/2007 11:55:59 PM
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antiwardoc wrote:
See the press conference today by Jonathan Bydlak, Ron Paul's press secretary. They investigated the Kerry and Clinton claims of having raised about 5-6 million dollars in a single day, and both were false. The press conference is posted at ronpaul2008.com
11/6/2007 11:54:19 PM
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