Ron Paul's 'money bomb,' records and lessons

Listen to Washington Journal any morning. People are fed up with the status quo and want change. They see that change in Ron Paul.

So it's "alienation" that so many like Ron Paul. The spin on this story is amusing....

The "same" people is not a limitation, since many gave for the first time in this money bomb. New people continue to enter the campaign; the funds will be there, because Ron Pual resonates with mainstream America. Mainstream America in not big corporations and Wall Street interests.

Over $4 Million dollars on the 5th, along with over 38,000 people.

Not over 3 million, and not only 25,000

Please quit referring to the total raised as 3 million or just over three million; fundraising total was 4.2 million, with over 37,000 donors! Please stop trying to make it sound smaller than it really was! RON PAUL 08'

"little apparent chance of winning speaks volumes in alienation from modern politics."

When are you people going to learn Ron Paul has a chance of winning? The main thing that is keeping him low in the 'legitimate' polls is lack of name recognition, which you, the media, are mostly to blame for.

By "alienation" from "modern American politics" I think you mean we're regurgitating the corrupt candidates that you insist on shoving down our throats.

Well, it's about time you learn that Ron Paul supporters are seriously committed to help make him our next president.

That's so stupid, "odds be damned". It's not a football game, you don't get to feel proud of yourself because you "picked the winner." It's the future of your country. If you vote for anyone besides Ron Paul then you really have thrown away your vote, because you could've voted for a good man and you didn't.

Mr. Silva was clueless a year ago, half a year ago, and is clueless now.

If we are to salvage what remains of our once-free republic, it is essential that Ron Paul is elected president in 2008.

I like the write up, but I'm kind of laughing here anyway. You guys in the the obsolete print media and generally you in the mainstream media still believe what you say is relevant. Such as, "That so many people have invested so much in someone who stands such little apparent chance of winning his party’s presidential nomination, let alone the White House, speaks volumes about alienation in modern American politics". Who are you anyway? Are you people fortune tellers? Soothsayers? Unless you know it's rigged (which it most assuredly is) why not keep the outmoded visions to yourselves? We are contributing to Dr. Paul to eradicate our status quo system that has run its course. It's quite apparent that you folks won't stop being paid for, as you keep installing the same people every election. So "We The People" are making a stand. The times are-a-changin' and we aim to prove to you that YOUR media is done. Sucks donut?

He favors the USA getting out of Iraq and he is considered "fringe" and "Odd" by the media. He wants to restore personal freedoms eroded by the states, cities and most of all, the Federal government. And yes, he would like us to Keep more money in OUR Pockets by not increasing taxes and spending. Tell me what is Bad or Wrong with this guy?
Answer= Nothing. He should be the Frontrunner and Winner

He favors the USA getting out of Iraq and he is considered "fringe" and "Odd" by the media. He wants to restore personal freedoms eroded by the states, cities and most of all, the Federal government. And yes, he would like us to Keep more money in OUR Pockets by not increasing taxes and spending. Tell me what is Bad or Wrong with this guy?
Answer= Nothing. He should be the Frontrunner and Winner

Well, I never gave him money, but now that I read about him, I will.

The writer of this article has a rude and pre-biased tone, however, I feel he is mistaken. I just read a lot about Paul today, and am convinced that he is different than all the corporate owned candidates.

We shall see what happens, but i think with the media ignoring this guy until today, we are about to see him get a lot more support from uncounted folks like me.

I can only speak from personal experience here, but I was introduced to Paul a month ago by a friend. I previously knew nothing about him, except for some vague impression that he was a kook. Now I am a supporter. Over the last two days, I introduced him to about dozen people. Most had never even heard of him, and these are people in the financial markets who are supposed to be on top of things. At least 5 of them contributed yesterday. His message resonates once people are actually introduced to it.

But you, the media, whose job presumably it is to introduce the candidates to the public, have completely botched the job. Nobody knows about Ron Paul, because you have not taken the time to do that, so your assumption that his reach is limited is ridiculous. In a mass media society, it's a fait accompli to say that a candidate has no support because you steadfastly refuse to discuss him.

35K new contributors yesterday. Key word, NEW. This is not the same people pushing the limits of their contributions, but new contributors who presumably have just learned of Paul in recent days. And if their passion in any way mirrors that of previous contributors, they in turn will educate other friends. It's just too bad the media has surrendered its responsibility in assisting that process.

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." - Gandhi

They campaign said that 21,000 of the donors were NEW DONORS so whats that tell you about your line about people can only donate so much and its running out? we had 21,000 new donors yesterday, thats 21,000 votes

RP08 He is the only choice for AMERICA. He is for the people!!!

as the rest are all the same.. Its time for a change America

I echo the above statements. Why does the media try so hard to convince us that he 'has no chance of winning'. Maybe if they treated him like a real candidate, the other guys would have 'no chance'. Obviously when you receive more donations in one day than any other candidate, you're not just a contender, you are a front runner.

It's like ya turn on a light and the roaches begin running. Same with the media and "republicans". Soon as a real conservative comes along, the spin and the lies just starts spewing. It WAS over 4 million. Get it right. The people ARE out here. And the people ARE mad!

VOTE RON PAUL!!!!

In addition to the over 30,000 donors, look at the meetup groups. Look at how any time there is any event connected to the election, Ron Paul supporters are there, regardless of which candidates are involved. Ask the Clinton, Obama, Guiliani, Thompson, etc campaigns how often they are greeted by Ron Paul supporters? This shows commitment and it is broad and deep across this country. I think Americans want their country back. We're tired of being told what to do and our Constitution being dissed.

The fact that this article is tucked away in the op/ed blog area of you Internet site, and not on the front page, at least for me, speaks volumes about the current state of the mainstream media.

What happened to real writers?

If so many people gave so much yesterday, why isn't this one of your top stories in your 'Nation' section.

The people are seeing through tracing-paper this attempt to keep this man's campaign silent.

This partisan Dem offers his congratulations to Ron Paul and his supporters. There are many, many issues that divide us, but this should be a strong lesson for all: When you stand up for principles, people will stand up with you. I hope he is not the Rep. nominee, because we'll easily beat all the other pygmies.

"Dean ran up record-breaking fundraising tallies in his upstart -- and also anti-war -- campaign for president. But his campaign was undone literally overnight by an under-performing turnout in the Iowa caucuses, and finished off with his own scream heard 'round the world."

I was not a Dean supporter but the media was at fault for overplaying that "scream." In addition, Dean did not beat the media's expectations of results in Iowa. I can assure you that Ron Paul will. He will have increased momentum after early primaries.

Let the spin begin!

A few points:

1. Paul's monetary support doubling every quarter, despite truly terrible media coverage. If 35,000 people donate 12M this quarter, it may be 70K and 20M+ next quarter. Does that sound insane? It's just a logical extension of his growth curve.

2. Paul's average donation is very small, so he probably has more individual donations than anyone but Hillary at this point.

3. As you are no doubt aware, Ron Paul's supporters are more motivated to donate, canvass, and VOTE than other candidates' supporters. One Ron Paul supporter may be worth several people who answer "Mitt Romney" in a phone poll. We'll see this when we hit the first primary and people have to get up, leave their home, and go vote.

It just dawned on me. Ron Paul is the 'Moses" of our day.

Consider...
-they both had humble beginnings.
-the both had prestigious careers.
-they both spent time in obscurity (Moses in the wilderness and Ron Paul in Congress).
-They both felt a higher calling to do something that they were somewhat reluctant to do.
-They both were not taken seriously by the powers of their day.
-They both had a tenacity and pit-bull attitude about getting the job done.
-Moses had his staff; Ron Paul the internet.

And both have the same theme:

"Let my people go".

Wake up America - the Red Sea awaits!

Individual voting is not about picking the winner...it is about supporting the candidate that best represents you. No one vote decides the winner, so the wasted vote is the one that goes to the candidate you think is most likely to win. You should vote for what you believe, otherwise the political establishment will never hear your voice. Even though I don't expect him to win, Ron Paul has my full support so that he can spread his message of freedom and justice.

Those Republican polls are gamed anyway — they only survey 2004 primary voters, i.e. hardcore Bush supporters. This kind of fundraising, as well as his domination in the straw polls, makes it clear that Dr. Paul's real-world support is much stronger than the media lets on.

Why do you and other sources continue to utilize incorrect figures? I don't mean to sound condescending, but that doesn't come across as responsible nor ethical journalism to me. Ron Paul raised $4.2 Million dollars yesterday. His supporters busted their ass to make this happen. Please give his campaign and his supporters the due they're deserved and report the correct figure. Thanks for your time.

I'd heard that Ron Paul's efforts yesterday also signed up 21,000 NEW contributors.

If that's the case & if the mainstream media continues to stress Ron Paul's Nov. 5 achievement, then why isn't it possible for Ron's campaign to continue to have many more $4+ million dollar single day fundraisers.

Going from raising $.26 million in the 1st quarter of 2007 to raising $7 million in the midst of the 4th quarter suggests really Big Mo - not flukiness or an ebbing tide.

I don't get it. Ron Paul proves time and again that he's in this for the long haul and yet no one takes him seriously. It's not about alienation, it's about truth, and this man speaks it in volumes. But please, don't take my word for it, check him out yourself. www.ronpaul2008.com

Mark, you don't get it. We are not voting against him, we are very much voting for him. We are voting for Ron Paul (and I am a brand new donor).

I would love to see the Ron Paul momentum continue. I have never seen this country so crippled and disfunctional and yet government officials are worried sick about not having pretty numbers or speeches to show to the public... The Ron Paul is really the needed change.

7.2 Million for the QTR. His goal is 12. Not bad for just over a months into the QTR! Please attend the Philly event at Liberty Park Nov 10th!

Why is it that every media outlet won't take Paul's fund raising numbers at face value? They all must use language like, "If we believe the Paul Campaign." They never do this for other candidates.

Why don't they question their polling data which doesn't seem to line up with straw polls, fund raising or the post-debate polls? Clearly, given the fact that some polls don't list all the candidates and many people (particularly libertarian, modern, hi-tech, Ron Paul types) don't have land lines and don't answer unknown numbers if they do, these polls are less likely to be believed than they used to be.

These are real people donating real money and they will keep donating. Not to mention, for every dollar they donate, they do 3 dollars worth of volunteer work that the other campaigns have to pay people to do. Unfortunately, the main-stream media gives the other candidates 50 dollars worth of free media attention that Paul has to pay for.

People are not contributing because they are "alienated" by the others. They are contributing because this guy is honest, brilliant, and actually believes in the Constitution. That, and he has the voting record.

It's not just because the others are so awful, it's because Ron Paul is so wonderful.

"There’s one problem with this financial calculation. There are only so many times that the same 35,000 people can contribute – an equation which Democrat Howard Dean encountered..."

There's one problem with your reasoning - Jesse Benton from the Ron Paul Campaign said that 21,000 of those donors are brandnew and have never donated before.

Also, the average donation was $40. An individual can contribute $2300 this year and $2300 next year. Seems like plenty of room to grow even in the extremely unlikely event that Paul doesn't attract any new donors in the coming months.

It is the most fatiguing thing about supporting Dr. Paul.

The constant marginalizing in the press. He's either a protest candidate, a fringe candidate or a 3rd party candidate.

Many articles refer to him as a Libertarian candidate, which correctly should be Republican, as he is now serving his 10th term in Congress as a Republican.

He's got a solid family life, a clean background, Christian underpinnings, he's voted with integrity, he introduces as much useful legislation as the next House member, and he's running on a platform of Liberty and the Constitution.

Last time I checked, this was a model American President, and yet even today, this journalist refers to these core American values and issues as some retreat from the mainstream.

A man recently wrote me to say that he respected Dr. Paul as a man of integrity but was voting for another Republican who was more electable, in an attempt to block Hillary Clinton.

Now voting for someone who is electable, over a man of principle, seems like something a person alienated might do. It's certainly not choosing the best candidate, or voting with a conscience.

It's the same old lesser of two evils, that killed 500,000 Iraqi children during Food for Oil, has killed 600,000 Iraqis in the last 6 years, made over 5 million refugees, and cost the lives of millions of Americans.

Dr. Paul is a referendum not a protest vote. What does American stand for? Corrupt, vacuous leaders, or someone who does what he says, and understands that the Republic comes before personal gain.

Ron Paul 2008. Patriot.

If he doesnt win we sure will not vote republican in November

Who's John Galt?

Silva...you are quite the corporate media prostitute, how much is Romney paying you????

1st you (the media) said show us the support, so we rocked your online polls. You said it was a fluke. So we rocked them time and time again. You called it a Fraud.
Then you said show us the money, so we raised $5 Million for Dr. Paul in the 2nd quarter, Topping John McCain and taking 3rd only to Rudy and Mitt. You gave us a foot note and then continued to ignore us. You chose to sing the praises of Huckabee who raise $1 Million and waited for the entry of Thompson instead.
So yesterday we broke records in support of Dr. Paul by raising $4.2 Million in 24 hours and you still think Dr. Paul has "Little Chance". When will you wake up and treat Dr. Paul as the choice of the people ? WE ARE SCREAMING AT YOU ! It seems fairly obvious to the rest. The real race in the GOP is Dr. Paul and Rudy Guilani, it seems you miss this as well. You will hear us LOUD AND CLEAR when the primaries come and then act like you had no clue. Shame on you, even the blind can see this!
Ron Paul, Hope for America!

normal.ronpaul.hitpiece

Thank you for the coverage and thoughtful analysis, Mark.
I think the polls are "damning" themselves. Their sampling techniques have not kept up with the rapid shift in technology that has led many "likely voters" on the polling organizations' calling lists to discontinue their land line telephone use in lieu of their cell phones.
Similarly, a paradigm shift has passed by the major media. A lot of these same voters have been bypassing the inadequate coverage of the Paul campaign to research him online, and like what they see.
The enthusiasm of his supporters is fueled by the same natural energy that drives any of us who feel passionate about what we see as a good thing and want to let others know about it.

The 4 million plus dollars we donated is to break the silence in the mainstream media about the message of freedom. When people hear it, the comment is usually "the only one from either side that makes sense". Ever more people are educating themselves about our constitution. It IS the law of the land, you know.

"There are only so many times that the same 35,000 people can contribute" What kind of logic is this? I know people who couldn't donate yesterday, because they already made the maximum contribution in prior quarters. I am amazed how the media continually underestimates Ron Paul's amazing accomplishment.

This article is biased and misrepresents Ron Paul and what he wants to achieve.

It also assumes that we are already defeated by the "establishment" from which we feel alienated--that democracy cannot bring about true change. But the truth is, if enough of us are "alienated" and a worthy alternative exists (and he does exist), he can and will be elected.

Okay, enough of these "Bush's Nader assisted victory" comments. Take the Nader votes out in 2000 and Bush still wins. Anything else is speculation and nothing more.

Since when do we measure fundraising, or anything else, in 19 hour periods?
In the 24 hours that comprised November 5th (EST) 38000, Americans apparently donated $4.2 mil to the Paul campaign, without any help from the mainstram media. No doubt this money came out of the pockets of the same spam bots who create the illusion of large enthusiastic crowds wherever Ron Paul appears in person.

I won't jump on this pile of similar comments. I was at a meetup meeting last night in New Orleans -20 people there, 4 people officially donated but it was 20 who gave. You have no idea how big Ron Paul's support is and only the primaries will prove our first point. Ron Paul is not only electible, he will be nominated.

What a disappointing article. It could have been an uplifting, inspiration piece about how Ron Paul is bringing people back to participate in the political process in this country. Instead, we get the same old comparisons to losing candidates and pontificating about how much of a shame it is that people are supporting this guy who has no chance.

Thanks for inspiring me to try even harder to get Ron Paul elected.

Ron Paul IS the front runner.He has won all the televised debates .He has won ten of the last dozen Straw Polls.But who needs the mainstream media to recognize that.We The People now have Youtube.

I am a 48 year old male who is a Reagan Republican & a Bush Democrat.

Yesterday, I gave my first ever political donation. Don't get me wrong -- I've always voted. I've just never "gotten involved". My wife and I have already decided to give an additional $100 per month to Ron Paul's campaign.

You do yourselves, your grandchildren and this country a large disservice by your continued "pooh-pooing" of Ron Paul's chances. We are his supporters -- we are here -- and WE ARE ACTIVE.

At least report "3 million dollars at this writing". When all is said and done, it's over four million dollars raised yesterday! All the Ron Paul supporters ask is that you report without bias, and provide equal time to our candidate. We'll take care of the rest. Thanks.

1-888-369-4762

Please call FOX NEWS
to tell them you want coverage of Ron Paul's campaign donations, $4.2 million dollar record breaking day etc.

Fair and balanced?

Let's make them hear us!

FOX NEWS 1-888-369-4762

Your confidence in precluding that Paul has "little apparent chance of winning," and that he is below even "third-tier candidates" (as if anyone knows thus far who is third-tier!), says less about Paul than about your desire to control perception regarding candidates' viability. Paul sets a record, and all you can write, over and over, is: "Paul has NO chance--just look at every other instance I can find where records didn't yield results." Yet the point, of course, isn't whether or not Dean (or whoever) ultimately triumphed, but that a strong showing of public support is, in civic life, the regular means of establishing the seriousness of a constituency. About which you said little to nothing--or little that was not surrounded and hounded on both sides by thin opinion-eering. Nice "reporting." And yes, your piece is *that* obvious--I'm not even a Paul supporter!

did you do any research to find out how many of those 35,000 were first-time donors who didn't have anything to do with the 3rd quarter. the fact is, the campaign is growing and yesterday showed it - in the days to continue you can bet a lot of money will be coming from even more NEW donors. Ron Paul's message is REAL hope for america: peace, freedom & economic growth.

The revolution is not being televised. What a shock. More shocking is that basic american governance is now considered revolutionary, only two hundred and thirty-two years after the founding. It didn't take long to prove the Founders right.

Ron Paul is a winner with a winning message. We want our Constitution respected. We want our liberty back. And, we want Ron Paul.

To those who believe, no explaination is necessary. To those who do not believe, no explaination will suffice.

It's amazing to me how journalists can turn such an incredibly positive event into something ho-hum at best. You should be ashamed.

Ron Paul cares about the welfare of America. All the other candidates care more about winning than anything else. How about getting someone who knows things like economics (he has a degree in it) in the oval office for a change.

Ron Paul is a 10 term congressman and on the house Finance committee and House committee of Foreign affairs. He actually is the only candidate that knows what he's talking about. People that have a clue what is going on around the world are going to realize very soon the necessity for someone with his true american integrity?

The only time you mention that he's running as a Republican is in the first sentence, when you list Republican AFTER libertarian.

You then compare him to third-party candidates like Ralph Nader and Ross Perot.

You then compare his one day total with "Republican Mitt Romney," as though Ron Paul is not a Republican himself.

This is a mockery of journalism.

It's funny how the mainstream media views it as alienation when people don't follow what they are expected to follow. Instead, they'd rather we follow a candidate who is immoral or unfaithful to his wife, rather than a candidate who has integrity. It's funny how the media tries to influence you with negative articles against the lower candidates. It's obvious who they want you to vote for, ad they get mad when we don't comply. Ain't that America?

"At the end of the day, Paul’s contributors will be satisfied with their statement about an electoral system that does not, for the most part, speak to their interests."

This has nothing to do with my decision to support Ron Paul. The electoral system is a democratic process, NOT a democracy. It's not the process that is the problem. The Corporate/Banking/Media Cartels disuading voters and writing misleading stories like this one are to blame.

I wish these pseudo-journalist would cease marginalizing Ron Paul's efforts and just print the story. Just the facts ma'am, just the facts!

Congratualtions to ALL of the Ron Paul supporters out there for an AMAZING day that will go down in history.

Ron Paul is the only politician I trust.

It is articles like this one that perpetuate alienation in modern politics.

All Ron Paul wants is a government that obeys the law, namely the Constitution. But, statists like the author of this article want none of that.

JOIN THE R3VOLUTION !!! IT WILL BE TELEVISED.

By the way, take a look at what the "dollar," gold and silver are doing. The latter two are dramatically increasing in value, while the former is sinking like a stone.

Hmmmm, what would be happening to the value of the "dollar" if it were still backed by gold and silver?

Because of the many problems facing our country, the upcoming ’08 presidential election could be the most important one in our nation’s history.

Please take the time to think about the upcoming presidential election.
Please take the time to thoroughly investigate all the candidates.
Please take the time to imagine what each candidate would do when in office.
Please take the time to imagine in what direction each candidate would take our country.
And after reading Ron Paul's political philosophy, imagine what the world would be like with him as president.
Join the revolution and vote for Ron Paul.

"...other politicians try to make that dime...

RON PAUL 2008 DOT COM !!!!"

"So it's "alienation" that so many like Ron Paul. The spin on this story is amusing..."

I was wondering about this remark as well. Living in Germany, my observation is quite the contrary: The rich, boring Candidates and the undemocratic election-system are the reasons for "alienating the nation" - and therefore: the voters ...

First time donor to any political campaign yesterday. There are a lot of us out here.

More proof that the old media (a.k.a. 'mainstream' media) is in denial. No matter how positive the news, no matter how impressive the numbers, no matter how many times he wins, there's no end to the nay-saying. Anyone with a grip on reality tuned those cynical voices out long ago. In any real evaluation of campaign support--money raised, number of donors, straw poll results, number of volunteers--Ron Paul is either winning or in the top-tier. The only place where he is falling behind is in old media coverage, and old media polls. Of course, those polls are taken only from republicans who voted in the last primary election (read: Hard Core Bushies), so they are not 'scientific' in the least, but in fact more biased than say, an 'unscientific' online poll which is open to all. This author even implies that the only people who would vote for Ron Paul are the people that donated him--yesterday! Yet another example of the twisted logic required for writers like this to convince themselves and the ruling elites they write for that there is no threat to their power. Well let me tell you, there is. And it's a lot bigger than Ron Paul. Discontent and consciousness are so high in this country it'll explode into revolution if we don't elect a people's ticket next november. Those of you in the old media, your time is up. We see right through your lies and we're not going to take it anymore. Goodbye.

I know its almost impossible for you guys to believe, but some people are actually interested more in monetary policy than what X-Canidates dog is named, or what the government is going to give us for "free". Do you know that 100% of our income tax goes to pay the national debt? If we dropped to the FY-2000 budget, we could completely eliminate the IRS which would put BILLIONS of dollars back into our economy.

The spin on this article is hilarous. 4.2 million was raised yesterday, not 3 million. Alienation? Is that what it is? I'm honestly sick and tired of the media trying to overlook Ron Paul. He has a legitimate chance of winning. Period.

Mark Silva - you are a hack.

Ron Paul will win the Presidency. And there is not a DAM thing you can do about it!

"It is the same alienation that handed Ralph Nader just enough of the vote to deny Democrat Al Gore an Electoral College victory to accompany his popular-vote majority."

Really? News that is fit to print ought to be factually correct. It is a historical fact that Al gore did win, both the popular vote and the Electoral College vote, and was denied his legal right to a recount by a Supreme Court that essentially appointed GWB as President.
That, my friends is a recorded part of our American History that revisionists, like Mark Silva, work hard to deny.

This was quite possibly the least objective article I have ever read. This is an embarrasment to journalism.

To compare Dr. Paul with Ross , Dean, or any other candidate before him is a disservice to truth. All before him just like the ones who now crowd the stage of public opinion before the American people lie... The American people have heard lies from politicians and the Mass media, we have awoke from the lies...And we are not in a good mood. We understand you will loose you lackey writes job if you do not comply with you owners version of the truth and the news. Like Madame LaFarge you make your own a record of who are for freedom and those who are not.

Don't you worry about NH we supporters are getting the word out! And once people actually hear Dr. Paul they say "Yes" to Doctor "No". Who are we? We are sick of Illegal Immigrants (not Legal Immigrants). We are sick of our troops being in Iraq, South Korea, and Germany - We would gladly help natural disaster victims (BUT not with our tax money) we want to choice to send them the check ourselves. We want the Federal government gutted. We want OUR STATES rights back. That's who we are. WE ARE AMERICANS! The Lou Dobbs' watching, Pat Buchanan, Reagan Democrats, Anti War, 2nd Amendment Rights Advocates and Constitutionalist. AMERICANS! There's a LOT of us out there. You can't spam money!

No kidding. How can Ron Paul get votes when every article that is written undermines his popularity. When people read drivel like this they think they won't vote for someone b/c they don't have a chance. Try emphasizing the fact that he got around 30,000 NEW donors in ond day! These aren't folks that were already on board we are talking NEW DONORS !!!

It's easy to see how someone from the "swamp" can not see the Ron Paul big picture, time to crawl out of the quagmire and realize the truth, Ron Paul and his loyal supporters are a Force to be reckoned with! Paul4Prez!

Its astonishing, that people still deny what is going on here. The more people hear about Ron Paul, the more money he will raise, if he's message would be allowed to get across by the media, then he wouldn't be a so called "second tier" candidate. Money equals power in the media, but we as supporters are demonstrating that there are ways around that.

Actually, the alienation many feel is from the "main stream media".

Consider the words the MSM uses on those rare occasions when they deign to even report on Ron Paul -- "long shot" or "fringe".

Look at yesterday's CNN clip and watch Wolf Blitzer's face as he uses the "l" word twice in the same sentence, as if it renders Paul a quack. News to Wolf, there are many who do not view patriotism or the constitution as "extreme".

The use of the term "revolution" is apt. Perhaps it is not only about the tyranny of government, but also of the fourth estate.

Who is Ron Paul?

John Galt

Howard Dean' largest day of fund raising was $700,000. How you could still say he has no chance is amazing. I guess you won't believe it till he wins New Hampshire.

Yes, and 21,000 of those were NEW donors. The purpose of the fundraiser is to run advertisements in NH and IA, so it doesn't really matter where the support money is coming from. The ads will take care of the early primaries.

Also, it's likely that most if not all of these new donors have lots of room to give more to the campaign, that is, they're not maxed out.

With the magic of advertising, the room for growth, and the powerful message, Ron Paul is a force to be reckoned with.

Don't make me say I told you so...

How do you know that the same 35,000 people are giving? That is called conjecture. You have no proof of that. I am a recent Ron Paul convert from Michigan.

The idea of revolution is on of change. We the people are sick of our government becoming our boss. Fear mongering everyday. Invadinding nations in our name. And saying sorry for nothing.
See, revolutions are powerful because the people realize that they are the ones with the power. You may cut us down individually. But you will never stop us. Our passions are addictive. Our message is freedom. Our ideas are bulletproof.

It is amusing to watch mainstream political hacks try to dismiss a groundswell of grassroots discontent. They always want to remind us of our powerlessness to elect someone other than "their" choices, Tweedledum or Tweedledee.

Well, Sean Hannity, how is that for spam? I notice how Ron Paul is now a hyphenated "Libertarian-Republican" by the Zionist Trotskyite, "New World Order" NEOCON media. What is it about the CONSTITUTION you do not understand? Well standby. Things are about to get interesting.

"There’s one problem with this financial calculation. There are only so many times that the same 35,000 people can contribute..."

I'm not so sure you know what you're trying to say here... did you even try to figure this out? Or are you just bad at math?

The average donation was just over $100. Theoretically we could be donate like this 20 more times before we hit the $2300 limit. 84 Million for Ron Paul? That amount would easily be enough.

Seriously, I have no idea why you couldn't figure that out.

I doubled my normal contribution, from $50 to $100. I'm pretty sure I can contribute more. And I will, too.

After decades of an inept government AT ALL LEVELS, both executive branch and congress, Ron Paul's supporters find in him the opportunity to voice their disgust with the current state of our government.
The 2 party system needs to be upended and converted to open source much like Linux is doing to MS

People dispise inept monopolies and duopolies and we have one in the current US government.

"There's only so much money 35,000 people can contribute..."

Get over yourself! Give the man his due. There are stats on how many unique donations this was... how many were new contributors and how many have given before,

I find it SO ironic that the MSM is presented with FACTS only to have them poo-poo it away.

Since 1913, greed has destroyed the US economy, and the corporate US of DC has positioned itself to delude many that it's laws are the law of the states.
Ron Paul is awakening the legacy of our ancestors which resides in each heart who loves freedom.
You can embrace it and learn to produce, or you WILL be forgotten in our nation. We are taking it back.

Freedom. Live for it, or die.

Ron Paul cannot be meaningfully compared with either Nader or Dean. His message is infinitely more resonant with commonly held American values than that of the former, and his character shines with infinitely more sincerity and insight than the latter. This is a true brushfire revolution - one which anyone who values the Bill of Rights should jump into with both feet - this very much includes journalists, who as a profession, tend to have some affection for free speech. Mark, reading your article, I'm not sure you realize yet what is really at stake here; the stage has been systematically set for decades - by far most virulently by GWB et al.- to undo everything our first revolution accomplished, and usher in a lasting, worldwide, elitist hegemony. Ron Paul honors the limitations of the office of president and the separation and decentralization of powers enshrined in our federal Constitution - this very much in contrast to the rest of the the current field and past "great" presidents like FDR. You cite abortion - perfect example. True to form, Dr. Paul is open about his personal view, and what it is based on, but does not wish to foist that on the country in defiance of the Constitution, but, true to form, merely to function within its express boundaries. Whatever one's perspective on abortion, this is something anyone should get behind. My Mother, Sister and Wife all have and they are fervent supporters of abortion rights. But even beyond this, if you want to begin to really understand why Dr. Paul is so immeasurably, uniquely important, invest 47 minutes and watch "Money As Debt" at Google video. Then, if you'd have the courage, it would be fantastic to see you write a follow-up article reflective of the insight you'd gain.

Thanks to Ron Paul, there is now a light at the end of the tunnel that was missing from the Uunited States politics prior to his entering this race.
Wake up America, We can become the sovereign nation that we once were with the right leadership, get Onboard America, it is now time for you,time for you to help us win this war.
Stop sending your children to foreign countries to lose their lives un-necessarily, but stand up for your family, stand up for America, raise your head up once more,Proudly raise your voice and lets make "Old Glory" the Proud and Beautiful Matriarch she once was, not a piece of cloth for all of the world (including some in our own country) to burn and scorn, because of their hatred for us or because of our corrupt Politicians..
With RON PAUL, "Lets unite the world-"Not Fight the World" as we are doing today, and not what the other candidates will have us doing"""If You Do the same thing today you did yesterday"" Expect the same results tomorrow""
STAND UP FOR AMERICA, Lets elect Ron PAUL ...RON PAUL FOR PRESIDENT OF THE USA

""GOD BLESS AMERICA

I understand that 20,000 were NEW contributors.
These people must also have unlimited money to travel as his rallies throughout the country are better attended than all of the other republican candidates.

Its not just alienation. Paul's campaign is about stirring people out of political apathy and reminding them of their rights and how far we as a country have strayed from them.

My understanding of Ron Paul's position on abortion is that he wants to end it as a federal issue, meaning that it would be a matter for state governments to decide.
Even people who are for keeping abortion legal have to agree that this federalist approach may be in their best interest as opposed to the heightened irreconcilable debate on abortion as it is now.

You brainwashed MSM pundits. Of course your puppet masters hired you just to say what they want. Well hold on to your seat, this ain't nothing. Most all these people donating have a long way to go till maxed out at $2300. $100 million here we come.

Wake up America. It only takes listening to Dr. Ron Paul speak for himself for a very short time befor you hear the bells of truth and want more. This campaign is growing daily with every new ear that has thus far only heard the same old tired political wash. People deserve to hear Dr. Paul's message of Liberty and Prosperity. Once they do hear it, they join in. Ron Paul 2008!

All I can say for those up in their insulated, media Ivory Towers is; you should see what we see down here on the street: Ron Paul signs being held up on busy streets, Ron Paul hats and shirts and flyers and buttons and bumper stickers and "slim jims" all over the place. "Have you Googled Ron Paul yet?" on Unviversity sidewalks in chalk, and an Internet literally aflame with "Ron Paul" for president. When I see that, and then how much the mainstream media tries so desperately hard to ignore Dr. Paul, I know someone is just not getting the message--but it's not all of us "Average Americans."

The appeal of Ron Paul lies not so much in his stance on abortion, or gun rights. It is his stand on the Iraq war and monetary policy that are key. The American people are beginning to wake up to the manipulative and malevolent forces that control their lives. With the dollar devaluing and oil, food, healthcare, and education rising much faster than the phony 2% inflation rate, one can only hope that the power of the purse awakes many more people. God bless Ron Paul.

Thanks for the coverage.

You MSM-types are having a hard time grokking this whole Ron Paul Revolution gig.

While the current spike in enthusiasm will undoubtedly die down (a little bit), the thing that this campaign has that all of the others did not have is a valid message.

All that Perot had to say was 'We have big problems, and I'm the man to fix things.' McCain just asserted that he was a war hero (true), but after that, there was no 'there' there. Nader... don't get me started.

Ron Paul's message (for those who chose to listen) is the same message of our founding fathers. It is the message of the Declaration of Independence. Freedom is popular; and oh, by the way, it works.

Today's pundits and politicians actually believe the words that come out of their mouths (at least some of the time). Hillary actually believes that she has a solution to health care; so does Romney (to take a couple of examples). When these grandious plans fail, instead of questioning their premises, they seek even larger, more grandious plans. They're mystified when their grandious plans fail (they always fail).

I realize that you're a journalist, on deadline, but you and your colleagues really need to educate yourselves before you can begin to understand what Ron is talking about. Maybe then, you'll 'get it'.

In the meantime, I don't want or need some power-hungry politician (or a beholden MSM) telling me how to run my life, or deciding how to spend my money.

BTW, there's a rally in Philly next Saturday... at Independence Hall. The Ron Paul Revolution is just getting started.

9 trillion in debt ($175,000 for every man, woman and child), that Iraq is only kept alive because contractors are making BILLIONS, and that my grandmother will be "chipped" with an ID card that carries a RFI chip.

It's a complete, corrupt "free for all", as the politicians continue to pillage every last nickel from the people, and the press pushes "their boy" Juliani. The fix is in, Diebold has already set the machines for Juliani, and nobody cares to have a paper receipt...is everybody THAT drugged up?

For my children, for my country, and for YOU...I am voting for Ron Paul.

Again, you guys almost get it right. Ron Paul's support has nothing to do with him being "none of the above." We supporters have chosen him because of what he stands for, not because he's a middle finger to D.C. You're also completely discounting the fact that this kind of support and coverage only generates more support. It might be "only" 35,000 donations now, but Ron Paul's campaign has nowhere to go but up. This has nothing to do with alienation for god's sake. It has to do with Liberty, and that is what we want and have been wanting for a long long time.

"It is people voting for someone other than the establisment, odds be damned."

It is people voting for a principled leader, who believes in the power of the people that the government serves, not the power of the government and the people be damned.

Dr. Ron Paul represents a choice for all US citizens who want a real new direction for our country in all areas,