Breaking News: Ron Paul campaign donors set a record

Well, it looks like Ron Paul, the 10-term Republican congressman from Texas with the libertarian ideas, and his brave band of fervent followers have broken their own one-day online fundraising record.

Back in November, the Paul campaign reported raising $4.2 million online in one day with what they call a "money bomb," a fundraising gimmick devised by Trevor Lyman, a musician and self-appointed Paul fundraiser profiled by The Times' Dan Morain yesterday. Sunday's gimmick was to celebrate the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party on a website with a drawing of Paul that looks remarkably like that president on the penny.

As of shortly after midnight Sunday Pacific time, the Paul website was reporting more than $6 million raised on Sunday from more than 30,000 donors and an amazing fourth-quarter fundraising total surpassing $18.1 million. The little-known pro-life Texan, who favors abolishing much of the federal government and the Federal Reserve, could raise the most money of any Republican candidate this quarter. A spokesman said the average donation was $50.

If the reported number holds up when officially reported to the Federal Election Commission in early January, Paul will not only be the only Republican candidate to oppose the Iraq war, he'll be the only GOP candidate to increase fundraising totals each quarter this year -- from $640,000 to $2.4 million to $5.1 million to whatever this quarter's final total becomes above $18 million with two weeks to go.

Although Paul's poll numbers have only climbed from zero to the high single digits, the fundraising totals (he raised five times as much as Mike Huckabee in the third quarter) have brought "the Ron Paul Revolution" broader attention and credibility and the ability to advertise in the early voting states. With the funds his campaign has, among other things, produced a 30-minute TV biographical documentary to be broadcast across Iowa this coming weekend and available online here. Next Sunday morning a network TV audience will get a chance to see him grilled by Tim Russert for a full hour on "Meet the Press."

His legions of alert supporters scour the Internet for slights to right, frequently crudely, and any opportunities to promote their strict constructionist candidate. They dismiss the polls as slanted and the money-raising as the real indicator of the 72-year-old ob-gyn's growing national support among disaffected Republicans, Democrats and previous non-voters. The Times' James Rainey examined one Southern California meet-up group for Paul here.

We've written about these supporters here and examined hundreds of their comments here. No doubt there'll be some more to read down below here shortly.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Stephen G.]

Why can't the MSM be more like you guys?
Professional, informative, accurate reporting.

It's about time.

Thank you very much.

[Hank Xavier]

The truth is simply that Ron Paul has rebuilt and recreated the GOP. The traditional phone polls of Republicans who voted in the last election no longer represent the reality of the party on the ground. LOL. Get ready for some shockers in the earlies.

[Paul Aujla]

Thank you for this article. So rare to see one without any sort of distortion or early prediction of future voting trends. As Kerry's rise ahead of Dean and Huckabee's own recent boom demonstrate, sometimes voters change their minds.

[akak]

Wow, I get to be first!

While I hope that Ron Paul's latest "money bomb" ($6M+) will get the massive news coverage that it deserves, somehow by this point I'm assuming that the so-called "mainstream" media will manage to ignore, marginalize and dismiss it almost as thoroughly as they have almost everything else about this unique candidate of outstanding vision and integrity. Never have I been so cynical of our media, and our society that supports it, as I have during the last several months of seeing Ron Paul's campaign effectively censored and ignored, at times so blatantly (I would like to say criminally) that it would be laughable if it weren't so serious. Please, LA Times (and CNN, MSNBC, FOX, CBS, NBC, and others), prove me wrong!

(Actually, you're fourth, but still pretty quick. BTW, doesn't this latest item prove just what you seek, at least as far as LATimes.com is concerned?)

[Taylor Buchanan]

It's truly beyond belief, for me anyway, that we are witnessing a true GRASSROOTS revolution of change occurring before our very eyes.
Just to watch the YouTube videos and to see the hard work that REAL people are doing, much less the money aspect, to try and support this man is nothing short of astonishing.

If it were any of the "top tier" it would be called "a mandate". What we out here in consumer land are witnessing firsthand however, is the continued SLANT of poor coverage. What I mean by that is that it's always negative in tone, "he can 't win", "he'll never get the nomination", "darkhorse", "long shot" and "radical". The people are hearing his call and great MESSAGE.

Thanks for the article and following history in the making. Hopefully this latest "moneybomb" will propel him into the stratosphere. He deserves to be given a chance to stand toe to toe against any candidate and any party, anyone could throw against him. He's simply an American hero in my eyes.

[Nash]

Andrew I am a lot of things. Crude is not one of them (except when I'm hungry).

Question since you're a few scores older than myself you might have some more insight on this. Gene McCarthy, George McGovern, Barry Goldwater, Ron Paul. Can you contrast the perceived support of these candidates? I suppose the internet changes things but I'm wondering by how much. I think Paul surpasses all of them and I point to more of a Pat Buchanan effect at work here, though I feel Paul is bulletproof without all the Watergate baggage. Your thoughts?

(Clearly, the internet changes things radically. But the fan fervor is very familiar, except now it can spread quicker. And I wouldn't put Geo. McGovern on a list of insurgent candidates. Maybe you're thinking of Geo. Wallace.)

[Mark D]

Great that you reported on the successful fundraising of Ron Paul and the Ron Paul supporters. But you devote way too much time to the other side-- journalists tired of reading Ron Paul postings. These postings are often necessry to correct errors such as the claim that Lyman originated the idea of money bombs. He did not. He popularized it. I look forward to more positive articles in the future.

[Charles Higgins]

Wow, for a story about a Presidential candidate you you seem to spend a great deal of copy trash talking his supporters. Can't say as I have ever seen that done before, how come? Is this about the supports or the candidate?

(A lot of people make judgments about candidates by the supporters they attract. Many people would read the hundreds of comments by Ron Paul supporters here and elsewhere--plus the obscene and abusive ones we deleted--and make a negative judgment about Dr. Paul, fair or not. I understand a few political websites now refuse to publish any RP comments. Which is why there were also some RP supporter comments urging restraint by their pals. Thanks for reading.)

[John]

I used to think voting didn't do much. Now I see real, normal people actually making an impact for freedom. This is like a Revolution!

P.S. As a California voter I'm glad to see some Ron Paul News on the LA Times site. Thanks Andrew Malcolm.

[Daniel Kirsner]

With his astounding upward vector, and with Rudy, Huckabee, McCain and Romney all imploding, Ron Paul is now the clear frontrunner for the GOP nomination. This graph provides a dramatic contrast between what the MSM claim and what reality actually looks like:

http://www.ronpaulgraphs.com/huckabee_oct_total.html

[Dan Alba]

Thanks, Andrew, for this tepid account of what is a most exciting and encouraging time for us Ron Paul supporters.

[Lee]

We all thought you'd have posted something on this before now seeing as it ended 4 hours ago. You're slacking, Mr. Malcolm - you're slacking. If you want that Press Secretary position in the Paul Administration you better tighten up and get with it.

Seriously. Can you dig around and find out what the official 24 hour fundraising record is for all parties? There are mixed reports. One saying Kerry held it at 5.7 in 2004 and another 6.2 that Hillary holds from earlier this year. Hillary's has never been verified to my knowledge and it's thought to be that the 6.2 was a culmination of a weekend and just reported in a single day. Or something like that. The reason this is important is b/c we may now hold the ALL-TIME record in a 24 hour period.

Thank you, Sir.

Godspeed

(Imagine , I took a whole evening off. And here it is nearly 2 a.m. and I'm still posting messages. Glad you missed me and thanks for reading.)

[Lorenz]

You guys get an "A" rating - Great job - why can't more journalists write like this?

You got a good name with me - keep up the good work.

(Thank you. Hope you'll bookmark the blog and return often. And tell your friends.)

[Nathanael Kraintz]

Bravo Dr. Paul! The momentum behind your campain continues to surprise, and I could not be more pleased. Keep it up!

The neo-cons are starting to warn eachother "Beware of the Ron Paul supporters, don't let them take over the party..." No no no, my war-mongering friends, we're not taking over the party. We're taking *back* the party. Wake up to the fact that the only way the Republicans will win the whitehouse is with Ron Paul leading the way. Not even the most soft-spoken war-monger will beat the Dems.

[Andrew]

Great Article,

Thank you very much!

There are many changes in the voting demographics that other candidates have not yet grasped. The presidential races of the future are forever changed.
Ron Paul is our vehicle.

[william henry childers]

"We've written about these supporters here and examined hundreds of their comments here. No doubt there'll be some more to read down below here shortly."

Isn't it exciting how Americans are re-investing themselves into the political process, so long abandoned to pundits and back-room power brokers? Isn't the American voters' apathy the very thing that the once honest media lamented on their opinion pages after record low voter turn-outs elected lesser-of-the-evil candidates to high office by ridiculously slim, suspect margins? Are these not the days that we have been dreaming about? A time when at least one man stands up and voices a philosophy that we were all taught to believe, that We the People are the Power in the United States of America? A time when the voice of one man is echoed at first by only a few, then by thousands of other American voices that cry out, Give Me My Country Back! While a jaded MSM fills the airwaves and lavishes ink on a Dem endorsing a has-been Rep, or a former Prez stumping for his might-have-been wife, front-runner crocodile tears, a dog-mutilating son of a prickly hickster, We the People use the means we can to generate and maintain our enthusiasm for an honest-to-God real man of the People by blogging, commenting, sharing and donating in record numbers that get no news coverage. I suppose that 234 years ago the Times of London or its sister edition in the American colonies had little to say about the Boston Tea Party, but you can be sure that is was the rage of conversation in the coffee houses in every village throughout the land. And today's BTP event? Can't find it on CNN, Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, NYT, WaPo, LAT, Heralds or Tribs? Just look for it, and Dr Paul's message, as it is spread via blogs and chatrooms, the 21st version of colonial era coffee houses. That's where the revolution started. That's where it's gaining momemtum. And that's where, We the People, are today. Our faces may be basking in the pixel glow of our computers, but at the same time, we're putting on our boots.

(Well, I can't speak for the others you mention, but you just found full coverage of the big money day on this blog, with links to our numerous past items. There is an AP story on this website's Campaign page and the same story will be in Monday's print editions. So I suggest you delete the LAT from your list above. Appreciate your reading. Hope you'll return often.)

[NATHAN]

Go ron paul!!!

[James P]

One thing I absolutely love about Dr. Paul (among many things) is that, unlike other politicians, when his lips are moving.... he's telling the truth! Honesty in government... what a novel concept!

[Okinawa]

Ron Paul deserves this attention with all of this grassroots support. You don't see Americans rallying around Hillary do you? I think Ron Paul cured many Americans apathy toward politics, and now we feel that we can make a difference, and also that there is someone worthy to believe in.

[Nevadan Footsoldiers for Ron Paul]

In nevada, we amassed a force of hundreds upon hundreds of volunteer footsoldiers and reinforced the money bomb with a march down Reno and Las Vegas.

The people responded with resounding cheers, horn honking, and even crying.

Give us first strike New Hampshire and Iowa, Nevada WILL back you up. This article proves the measure of our resolve.

Pray for snow, fog, and sleet on Caucus day. We know such weather will only deter our opposition.

[Mike]

I will try to explain why us Ron Paul supporters seem so frustrated with the media:

We see America seriously under-performing: entitlements for social security and medicare far higher than what the US government will ever be able to afford, median wages that have barely increased since 1971 (for the 25-34 demographic, median wages are actually LOWER today than they were in 1971!), and an average personal savings rate now in the negative.

We see big government social programs that are failing America (e.g. health care costs are 10X more per capita than what they were in 1960 before government got involved in a big), and candidates that keep promising more of them.

We see an Israeli lobby that has a huge negative influence on American foreign policy, an influence none of the candidates resist.

We believe that if any body looks at America's situation, and studies Ron Paul's proposals, it is OBVIOUS that he is the best thing for America. When we see political pundits not promoting him as the best candidate, we get frustrated that they're not doing more to help America. But that if it was just that, us Ron Paul supporters would understand, we could concede that political pundits must remain impartial and refrain from promoting one candidate over another, but when we perceive that the media is ACTIVELY under-reporting on him, we get very frustrated. It is not enough that the media is not touting Ron Paul as the best candidate when he so clearly is, but they also are keeping him out of the limelight and giving him less attention than the other candidates proportional to what his polling figures, fundraising numbers, and online presence.

[Brian Dean]

I feel that what this article fails to emphasize is that Ron Paul's supporters have independently helped him to achieve THE all-time, single-day fundraising record of any political candidate in history. If the MSM continues to describe him as "little known" now will surely further diminish their already dramatically reduced importance and relevance in "reporting" what is happening in politics and American society today, and more crucially, what is the Ron Paul REVOLUTION. It is now in full force and he's going to make the MSM look like the incompetent morons that they are when it's all said and done and takes office and saves this once great country that unfortunnately has been hijacked and neo-conned by crime and corruption.

[Chris]

A well-written article, and the first I've read on the Tea Party totals.
It's funny, I remember reading a slightly more negative article written about Ron Paul by you a month or two ago, Andrew, but this one seems much less biased and informative. I applaud you sir, for taking Ron Paul a little more seriously.

[Eric Maher]

the MSM will certainly credit the polls as evidence RP has no chance.
Well, would you rather have 9% in the polls with $18 million or 25% with $2 million.
the numbers will come when it matters

[Matt Karnes]

Something that I think is strange (not about this article though) is how many news reports try to describe paul supporters as wacko or conspiracy theorist. If anything, I'm the typical GOPer. I was even in the room when Reagan gave his Evil Empire speech to the NAE. Just because I love the Constitution I'm partof some fringe movement?

[Louie]

He didn't just break his OWN record, he broke EVERY record. Report the truth please and don't skew it.
What do you mean "if it holds up"? What makes you doubt it?

Grilled by Russert? My thought is that Russert will be schooled by Dr. Paul.

You also forgot to mention that while Dr. Pauls numbers have climbed, almost everyone elses numbers have declined. Only Huckabee has gained and he has no money. He has gained only because the MSM gives him airtime.

Funny how even though it seems fair and balanced....it isn't. The subliminal messaging is there...he can't win. Whatever. We know the truth.
The message grows and grows and grows...even against the tides of journalistic disbelief.

Let's see. LOTS more money than our competitors, Rising poll numbers, People standing in the streets, even in miserable weather, while the other candidates have NONE. Yard signs and banners everywhere, even when other candidates have almost NONE (I have never seen another candidates sign anywhere in MIssouri) Meetups, Videos, support from real PEOPLE, not just a few journalists and MSM companies.

I get "CRUDE" reactions from ALL candidates supporters when I post a message about Dr. Paul, so it isn't just limited to the the RP campaign. However, I see a lot of comments from Dr. Paul's people vs. very few from other's. The crude factor would be a much lower percentage in the RP groups in terms of comments

The polls ARE slanted and I think the Hillary/Obama case shows it quite well.

WE do not "scour" the internet looking for slights, we scour the internet to LEARN MORE about Dr. Paul and to interact.

What part of this do you not understand? You have my email address, i would LOVE to discuss tis with you. By the time I am done, I bet you would be a Paul-Head too

(ANYONE can announce they've raised ANY sum. These numbers aren't official until they are reported to the FEC. And truth is, a fair number of pledges are not lived up to. Hence, the phrase if it holds up.)

[John]

Why is your so-called news reporting so downright biased? Do you sleep well at night. You probably don't believe in a God. You probably don't have a conscience. Thats ok, your day of reckoning is coming. If Ron Paul doesn't win, you will see what I'm saying. I want him to lose so that people like you will see what the world is like under a totalitarian New World Order. Enjoy your bleak future, remember you had a BIG part in creating it. I'll spit on you in Hell.

(Ah, another well-spoken temperate supporter of Dr. Paul. And you think coming on to people like this will help spread support for your guy?)

[John]

I told you I hope he loses. Don't worry the future is right around the corner.

[Shohadaku]

Paul Supporters are everyone and anyone. We are the majority! It's time the media admits this! Scientific polls? Obsolete scam. Stop the mentality of betting on the puppet your told has the "best chance to win". Vote the right man for the job of turning ths Country into something people can respect again. We have one chance to restore America, and that is electing Ron Paul. 6 million in 1 day from people. Not big buisness. People.

[curtis lee]

So.... from $640,000 in the first quarter to $18,000,000 in the 4th, yet his poll numbers are still the same.

He Must have some rich supporters !!!

(No, his poll numbers went from 0 to the 8-9% range.)

[Charles Martel]

Hi --

Quick correction -- The average donation was about $100. $50 was the median, not the average.

For more interesting donation stats, have a look here:

http://paulcash.slact.net/December-16th/

Thanks.

[man from over the pong]

We are watching from over the pond in the United Kingdom and all i and allot of people over here is think Bravo Ron Paul and well done those who support him , it's now time to take a stand against all the bureaucracy thats out there and start to show there are real people with there own minds who live in America.

After the likes of Bush with his fake and illegal war's on country's that had no Weapons of Mass Destruction causing thousand's of poor families both here and in the us and many other country's to have Christmas upon Christmas wthought loved ones just for the power of some liquid gold i.e OIL i say well done we hope things go well and maybe someone like this can turn your country around and make it prosper like it should.

History will show those who stand up to evil and Bush will be classed as those who did not, he is a coward in most of the United kingdom's eye just like his father was before him.

Vote Ron Paul get back some Freedom you all deserve to hear the truth and stop this media from hiding behind smoke screens.

[susan in michigan]

Okay, I've bookmarked this blog :) Thanks for the nice article.

I am one who uses the term "lame stream media". I'm thrilled when anyone proves me wrong. Keep it up! Now, please, do some writing Diebold and help us turn this ship around.

This is an honest to god paradigm shift. Not a campaign, but a genuine We the People movement.

[Branden]

Crude? Really? The vast majority of comments that I have seen by Ron Paul supporters have been perfectly acceptable in terms of language and civility. Paulites may be rather zealous, but most are polite. I would request that you refrain from using hasty generalizations in the future. Thank you.

(You can request all you want. I've read every single one of the hundreds that have come in. Crude is a generous description. You haven't seen the worst ones because we just delete them. But there are plenty of other folks we're delighted to hear from and have dialogue with--like you. Thanks for reading.)

[Andrew S]

Thank you very much for the article. Overall a great job.

[TX Patriot]

MALCOLM writes: "(ANYONE can announce they've raised ANY sum. These numbers aren't official until they are reported to the FEC. And truth is, a fair number of pledges are not lived up to. Hence, the phrase if it holds up.)"

I believe you are misinformed or haven't conducted your journalistic due diligence. The counter on the RonPaul2008 website is not one of pledges but of direct, immediate credit card payments from both website and phone contributions.

Please refer to the following address for website confirmation:
https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate/

Please refer to the following official contribution number for phone method confirmation:
1-877-RON-2008

You will find - along with a simple phone call the RP headquarters - the counter number does not consist of pledges.

Although I appreciate the article, I really dislike journalists misleading the public regardless of the reason: intentional or due to an preventable 'oversight'.

(Sorry, patriot. We're reporting that they're reporting that number, same as we do with every campaign. We have no way of independently verifying it. Sorry again, a campaign counter is not verification. Congrats. It's a lot of money and will draw a lot of attention.)

[Ken]

Good morning. Thanks for keeping an open mind about Dr. Paul. The more people are exposed to his message, the more I'm sure they will like. One question though. When one is deciding to vote for President, what should the voter be looking at as far as "parameters?" For example, should the voter be looking at the candidates charisma, shoe size, hair color, or personality? Should the voter be looking for what the candidate has done in the past or what they are promising for the future? More importantly, should the voter use as their guide what the candidate is promising to GIVE you and have someone else pay for it (most of American voters). I believe that votes SHOULD look at what a candidate is aiming to do within the set of estblished rules for His/Her job. Those "rules" are established within the Constitution. Like the rules of baseball, play as hard as you can, but don't break the rules or you SHOULD be disqualified. We don't disqualify enough of our politicians because we don't know what is in the Constitution, it's purpose, and that it should be the main consideration when voting. Give us 20 candidates that will follow the Constitution and essentially there would be no bad choices. Now that would be fun! There is really only one choice if we believe the Costitution is the main set of rules for the federal government. Ron Paul gets my vote. Thanks.

[Juris Purins]

Thanks for your reporting Andrew.

What I feel is most interesting and perhaps most important here is the fervor and dedication of Ron Paul's supporters (I happen to be one of them too.) If one of the 'mainstream' candidates had this kind of support the press would laud this as a 'mandate from the people' and not a 'fringe movement'.

Thanks again for your blogging and answers to some of the posted comments.

[L. A. Dietz]

60,000 individuals donated well over $6m yesterday, Q4 now reads 200,000+ donors and $18m+ donations, so it looks like closing at about 220,000+ donors and $20m+. Cool. Juan de Mariana would approve.

[Rebecca]

The Ron Paul supporters I know are polite, sensible people who would be unlikely to finance a campaign for a "little-known Texan" because of a fundraising "gimmick". They are, however, people who are fighting for a noble candidate who has been called"the most honorable man in Congress" and for a cause called "freedom".

[Christy W]

To my fellow Paulines - Please remember that the best news sources are unbiased, objective ones that disperse the facts of the situation as it is in order that the people may form their own opinions. This article was extremely objective! In comparison to some bloggers that are now so pro-Ron Paul that they can't be taken seriously by anyone who isn't already a fan like myself this may seem negative, but we must remember that sometimes the truth hurts.

The truth is that Ron Paul does have low poll numbers. I agree that there are flaws in the polling system, but that doesn't change the painful truth of the low polling numbers within the flawed system.

Fortunately a wise book (the Bible) also says that "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." We know that Ron Paul's message is the truth, and that if the American people can just hear it they will know the TRUTH and that will guarantee our freedom!

So why are we attacking a news source that included links to Dr. Paul's videos, his message and never once said that "He can't win because blah blah blah" like almost all other reports on him? We should be endorsing this kind of reporting that helps spread the message without a negative smear!

To Andrew Malcolm and the LA Times Staff -

Thank you SO much for the unbiased and informative reporting on what is really going on in the race towards president.

Keep up the good work!

[Charles Dugan]

Elected Representatives don’t run the government; Bureaucrats (federal, state and local government unions) run government. Representatives rely on these union representatives to get them elected and to keep them in office. Unions control the media, military industrial complex, educational industry, and all essential services in the country. (electric, fuel oil, water, garbage, transportation) Well, you get the picture, I hope.
And as you have seen in the writers strike, all these unions support one another, faithfully. That being the case, those union bosses who will stand to lose the most if Ron Paul is elected President seem to be putting the pressure on the other bosses to make sure Ron Paul is made to disappear from the popular media or to be made out as a spoiler, a radical, a wimp.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
He as been steadfast in his undying support for the U. S. Constitution. By limiting the power of the federal government, providing for a NATIONAL defense, giving people the power of self-government and most importantly – supporting the idea that “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” He is a true Republican.
Who, in their right mind, can vote against that?

[J. Stephen Conn]

Thanks for an excellent article about the Ron Paul revolution. My wife and I, ages 62 and 54, are proud to have been a part of the record breaking day. Dr. Paul is the first candidate in our lifetimes we've felt passionately about and the only one we have supported with our hard earned money. Dr. Ron Paul is the most principled candidate in the field and America's best hope for a return to Constitutional government.

[Grizzle]

NOT TRUE ANYMORE ABOUT THE POLLS.

He's leading in Alaska. That's one state more than Thompson or McCain

http://www.ronpaul2008.com/

[Liz]

(Sorry, patriot. We're reporting that they're reporting that number, same as we do with every campaign. We have no way of independently verifying it. Sorry again, a campaign counter is not verification. Congrats. It's a lot of money and will draw a lot of attention.)

Andrew:

Come on, get with the program- that's soooo 20th century! Ron Paul's campaign has also led the way in campaign finance reform- complete transparency in real time. As donations come in, real money on credit card donations, the campaign lists donor name and location, and the counter goes up by that amount. Easily verifiable, and completely transparent. Aother innovation from the only honest politican out there, who doesn't just talk about reforms- he implements them, even when he is the only one.

You are misleading readers when you pretend they are pledges. They are not pledges. Your colleague, Dan, also employed the same language. This is not prudent- it is misleading. You need to understand that that the old rules don't apply when a candidate is employing totally new methods.

BTW, wouldn't his one candidate's effort to make campaign donations totally transparent and available in real time warrant an admiring in-depth story from MSM who have been touting campaign finance reform for years? Now that he's actually doing it (no special interest money, no federal funds, no lobby money, either), it is being ignored.

[Ron]

If this were great news for Huckabee he'd be on the front page of every newspaper in the land. He would be shining. A halo mgiht get photoshopped in above his head. Cherubs would be harping beside him.
The media is a joke. My seventy-year old parents donated yesterday. They never gave a single dime to any candiate in their combined 143 years. My Uncle who is a fierce Reaganite says Ron Paul makes Reagan look like a Guliani.
Get out there, Paul supporters, and network. Of course The Times of London didn't report on the actual Tea Party like Paul Revere would want them to. It's up to the people.
We have bragging rights.
Let's brag!

[Robert K]

I'm just happy that this candidate is finally getting the attention he deserves. I'm left without words as it's late. But i definitely do look more forward to reading the LA Times if they start actually covering this man.

[Robin Dicken]

This has all the makings of a great screenplay. When I watch journalist (on CNN for one) talk in muted admiration about what a straight talker and courageous statesman Dr. Paul is-it's downright inspiring! I'm about to lose my shirt in a bad business venture but this story is beyond great. Long live freedom and the people brave enough to embrace it.

[paul moshay]

enough with the 'neo' conservative, we want a RETRO conservative (real one that is) !

[collin28]

This is a great article and shows how the Ron Paul campaign is winning and growing. Thanks for the honest report.
At 7:30 Monday morning according to the official Ron Paul website he has raised $18,158,349 in donations and according to the official Mike Huckabee website Mike has raised $1,190,431 in 4th quarter donations. Also here are the numbers of unique visitors for each of the presidential Web sites, according to NetRatings Inc. projections. So the question is how can Mike Huckabee be at the top of the list and Dr. Paul be at the bottom. Something is just not right here. Go Dr. Paul….. we will see what happens in 17 days. Here comes the FREEDOM train.
REPUBLICANS
Ron Paul: 673,000
Mike Huckabee: 337,000
Mitt Romney: 229,000
Fred Thompson: 217,000
Rudy Giuliani: 106,000
John McCain: 94,000
DEMOCRATS
Barack Obama: 821,000
John Edwards: 487,000
Hillary Clinton: 355,000

[Jason]

The article seriously brings tears to my eyes. It has been such a struggle to swim uphill, to believe so strongly in a candidate who will not be acknowledged by the mainstream publications. Your article, on the heels of our biggest success, gives me hope, that America is still the democracy we proclaim it to be.

I understand Ron Paul may or may not win. I just want him to have the freedom to play the game. Your article is a part of that. Thank you.

[craig seganti]

Even as other Paul supporters applaud you, I think you give a lesson here in the subtle ways the press bias readers while reporting 'objectively'. Words such as 'gimmick' with it's cheap, negative connotation, making your primary description of the candidate as 'pro-life' as if that is the basis of his platform when you are known as a liberally-biased paper, saying his fans 'dismiss' polls without giving reason when you are well aware of the fact that most readers (including myself before investigating) will find that flighty and 'wacko', and 'frequently crudely' to characterize supporters when 'frequently with great articulation and substance' would also be true. Abolishing much of the Federal Government and Federal Reserve, while true, are also concepts that flippantly mentioned without explanation are meant to appear off base, and you are well aware of how you spin things.

(This is a blog, not your Ron Paul bible. (Nor a newspaper.) That's why we include what are called links so you can go elsewhere for more info if you choose. You're not happy when folks ignore you. You're not happy when folks pay attention. So be it.)

[Bob]

This is the only news story I have seen so far about last nights fund raising that isn't slanted. The other publications downplay the campaign and supporters so far. Then again in the beginning our Forefathers were also thought to be crazy. I have no problem being compared to those great men and yesterday we remembered while the others shopped.

[myran]

I have never voted because I have felt that the current system is set up so it is always a choice between one bad politician and another. Ron Paul is the first person running for office that seems like a genuine person. Ron Paul is running for office because of the issues affecting our lives, not because of his ego. He may not be the most charismatic but I know where he stands on issues and he has 20 years as a member of congress that back up his consistent record. I agree with just about everything he stands for but more importantly, what he opposes. Although I am not a god fearing christen and many of his personal values are definitely not mine, it doesn’t matter, that’s the beauty. Ron Paul and I could be polar opposites politically and morally but we still get along just fine because we both believe in the sovereignty of the individual. We believe in leaving each other alone to live our own lives.

I am seriously considering voting for the first time.

[ML]

L.A. Times - Thank you for you for providing fair press coverage of Ron Paul's record breaking day.

[Brian]

This is a nice article, but since it is in a blog, does it show up in the paper?

(The blog is not in the newspaper, except some excerpts on Sundays. But the newspaper and website did publish an article on the event, though the blog is much better, of course.)

[Ed Croker]

Good column! I enjoyed it and thanks for being understanding. Freedom can be chaotic, but it sure feels good to be a part of it.

[zenpiper]

What is becoming increasingly apparent is that this campaigning process boils down to Ron Paul vs. the Darkside.

Paul represents: No more wars, no taxes, more personal freedom, the Constitution.

The Darkside: More war, more taxes, fewer freedoms, continued shredding of the Constitution.

That's what's happening, and why millions of people are waking up to Ron Paul's message. This may be our last chance to get our country back!

[Mel D.]

I was a registered Democrat, but with a guy like Ron Paul and the direction this country has been headed. How can you not like him.

I'll be cating my vote in the Iowa Caucus for Dr. Ron Paul. I hope others will too.

[Donar Reinblut]

Ron Paul is a man of integrity. Do you know that he is the only man in congress who refuses a paycheck? He is the only one running for president who even mentions the constitution. This is a man who respects the principals this country was founded on. The principals on which I was raised, the ones which my ancestors fought and died to put into effect.
For the media or any thinking person to dismiss the obvious will of the people is an outright disgrace. Our government has been hijacked by unamerican robber barons and "We the People" aren't going to sit by any longer.
While I think it is interesting that you are reporting on this, it is not a surprise. I am sure one of your editors called you up and said "Hey this Ron Paul clown pulled in 6 million last night, we better cover it someway." And here you are, dragging your feet thought this report. The tone of your post shows your arrogance and just how far out of touch with the American public you and the media in general are.
I also have to take issue with your reporting without really finding out any of the information. I find it hard to believe that any scholar or journalist would not even have the information given on the MAIN WEB PAGE of Ron Paul's site. You are a prime example of what has turned our country into this tyrannical nightmare, lazy minds.

(Trust me, pal, no editor called me up at midnight to order up an item on Ron Paul's record breaking fundraising. I stayed up to blog on it because it's our job. And we've been writing about this for weeks. Thanks for reading.)

[Paul]

Thanks for the story, Andrew.

"His legions of alert supporters scour the internet for slights to right, frequently crudely, and any opportunities to promote their strict constructionist candidate"

It is true. There are many Ron Paul supporters who have the people skills of a rock. However, we're the only visible supporters of any candidate online. (Sorry, the 100 or so Fredheads don't count.) If there was an online mass of Giuliani supporters, I bet they'd be jerks too. So I don't think we should be known as the supporters who have the monopoly on alienating.

[Don Hannaford]

Go Ron Paul!!! The only honest grass roots candidate out there!!!

[Jeff]

"Little known"? He raised 6 million in one day, nuff said

[Jon Powell]

Out here it's hard to describe the joy and sense of empowerment. It feels like I hear the American army coming to open the gates of the extermination camp camp where We The People have been held for so long by corrupt politicians, foreign interests. Sir, the biggest investment in this country to date has been the investment in our stupidiy. Thank you MSM. Now there is a new investment fund, The Ron Paul Revolution. We have set the political brothel on fire, the smoke is rising and the rats are squealing in great anguish. Bring a stick and marshmallows and enjoy the flames of freedom. Oh, and have a cup of tea.

[Nancy]

Just a simple "thanks" for recognizing our efforts!

(You're welcome. But it's our job to tell interesting stories and this sure is one. Maybe someone should Digg this blog item to broaden the exposure to the RP story.)

Thanks for a non-slanted article, I also really appreciate that you guys appear to read your site's comments and respond (unlike most MSM sites I've seen).

Some supporters have never been involved in politics before and don't do such a good job at convincing others to join their cause... Unfortunately, because Dr. Paul has such wide support, there's not much the rest of us can do to corral this (other than try to teach them when they've went off the ranting deep end). The biggest thing that shows is just how much passion those few supporters have, the rest of us just have to redirect it to something constructive. A lot of people are really angry with where the country is headed these days.

I don't believe many of Ron Paul's supporters voted in the previous primaries... There are many young people, many apathetic Republicans, and many people switching from other parties to vote for Paul; these people are never counted in a "likely Republican primary voter" poll, and don't discount the huge number of people with no land-line these days; The majority of the 18-35yr age block of people appear to have cell phones anymore. Out of the 200+ people from our meetup group, I'd say 90% are truly dedicated to participate in the primaries this year, and I know of only a small handful that have ever participated in a primary before.

This election season is the "perfect storm": civil liberties are being loss at a faster rate than ever before, the country is bankrupt, the people are taxed more than ever before, we're in endless wars against ideas, we give up freedoms for security, we have prohibition all over again (the drug war) except when it's part of the medical-government conglomerate, and the rest of the world sees us as self-righteous, bible-thumping, mercantilistic, bullies.

This election isn't completely about Ron Paul, it's about Freedom, Liberty, and the Constitution that makes it possible. The America we all learned about in school was lost before I was born, a great experiment that we must resurrect. Ron Paul just happens to be at the right place, at the right time, has more INTEGRITY than any politician I've ever known, and researches/understands the issues instead of just constantly pandering (name another candidate who can truly explain how our monetary system works in the US).

The fact that he's showing 8-9% among the hard-core Republicans who voted in the previous primaries (the same ones who nominated Bush) gives me hope that even they are not all lost :-). Our biggest problem is convincing people to look at the situation with their brain objectively and not with their emotions... Many people don't like to admit they were wrong, so they can't admit that George Bush was wrong. If we raise $18,000,000 in one quarter with so little name recognition (remember, poll numbers equal media coverage, it's a catch-22, though some lucky people are top tier from day one, ah well, that's "democracy"); imagine what would happen if we actually got a decent amount of coverage.

Ron Paul's support won't transfer to another candidate if he doesn't get the nomination, no one else stands for anything less than the status-quo. We are sick and tired of the status-quo.

Only one nit-pick about the article, it was an estimated almost 60,000 donors, not 30,000, it's an estimated 25,000 new first time donors though. Of course the specifics don't matter as much until the FEC filings (even then, certain incorrect numbers stick around forever, like Hillary Clinton's 6.2M number).

[Mike]

What you call a gimmick, others call strategy.

[Pumaz]

Thanks for the coverage and for not using the words "quixotic", "long-shot", "dark-horse", "kooky", or anything like "has no chance of actually winning". I'm glad your AP/Rueters overlord finally gave you permission to write a decent story.

(Correction: I don't want to destroy your conspiracy theories because I know how important they can be in forming a bad guy for a movement to push against, but no one tells us what to write or not write here.)

[TJF]

Thanks for the article. I've been saying for a few weeks that the tide is turning. Looking forward to Tim Russert next week. Cramer's mad momey appearance was very nice. This is not a foregone conclusion by any means, but the more people exposed to the message the more that will hear the call of freedom.

I don't mind if people support someone else, but I do mind when they do so because they are blindly following the MSM and have not done their homework.

[Steve Martin]

The truth is Ron Paul just broke the all-time record set by John Kerry for single-day fund raising ($5.7 million) and these were not PLEDGES but actual cash receipts. He raised anywhere from $6.3 to $6.5 million when the numbers settle, and is now most likely the highest-rated Republican in donations for the entire half-year, starting 7-1-07.

And what is the mainstream media's (CNN, MSNBC, etc.) headliner this morning? Neocon globalist warhawk Joe Lieberman endorses his good buddy, fellow neocon globalist warhawk, John McCain.

You need look no further than that fact to see the incredible media bias which they still try to desperately excuse by the "professional poll" numbers that they pay for, showing that the 6% of Republicans who bothered to vote for Bush in 2004--the most diehard, neocon-like Republicans--only give RP 6-10% in most polls. Big deal!

The fix is DEFINITELY in here, and all Americans will soon know it. CNN gives the Lieberman endorsement top billing and 10 minutes of coverage in their daily news cycle today, and Ron Paul setting the most breath-taking record in U.S. political history gets about a minute.

You don't have to take it anymore. Google "A petition for fair and equal treatment..." Sign it, and spread it far and wide!

[Tess]

Andrew,
Thank you Andrew, you are doing a great job of reporting on Ron Paul.
He will get more press down the road, and we supporters need to realize that. I would like to suggest to Ron Paul supporters to rally with your meetup groups or form one in your home town. Go out and wave signs for Ron Paul. All the money in the world won't get his name and message out, it helps, but to actively speak about Ron Paul with other people in your home town is what really counts, and will get him the votes. I have the opportunity to get his name out to roughly 25 people a day at our small family business, and I make sure I give them a flyer/slimjim with all of Ron Paul's information. Over the course of several months, I have reached thousands by doing this. There are more supporters for Ron Paul than people realize. I am ex-military as well and I have received many thanks from active duty and former military for sharing the message of Ron Paul. Ron Paul has my vote and support here in Central California. Thanks again Andrew, and I look forward to reading more from you on Dr. Paul.

http://RonPaul2008.com

[Rob]

On many an RV there is a Bumber Sticker which reads "We are Spending Our Kids Inheritance" The truth is that not only are we spending our kids, but in America we are spending our Grandkids and our Great grandkids inheritance. Many of us Paulites realize this. The Social Security Trust fund has been depleated not by hard-working retirees but by Big Gov politicians funding other programs out of it. RP's message is so attractive because young our old we realize that things cannot continue like they have been. There is a day of Reckoning Coming.. So young and old we have joined together in one-last-ditch-effort to save something of this country (our eroding freedoms for one, our National sovereignty for another) for future generations.

[Scot]

Great post...please excuse some of our hardcores for poor manners. They're a long-tortured bunch. Their early successes made it possible for us to have days like this, but after each one of those successes, their enthusiasm was met mostly by ignorance and disdain.

This post is all we can ask for - a fair shake. I agree that it's important to note the single-day fundraising records, but it's completely out of order for anyone to suggest that reporters should now jump on the bandwagon.

[Dr. Grassam]

Good Morning Mr. Malcolm. I think it would be helpful if you take a look at our (Dr.Pauls supporters) side of things for a minute. A recent news program compared the number of times McCains name was mentioned to Dr.Pauls over a period of time. McCain 95,000 Dr.Paul 5,000. Dr. Pauls supporters clearly see this for what it is, a MSM bias. What seems apparent to me is that a large base of disenfranchised republicans are leaning towards smaller government and ending this war in Iraq. I am a doctor and a republican who voted for Mr. Bush in 2000. I did not make that mistake twice. I don't buy the polls. I am 37 and no republican I know has ever been polled. It is time the people take back Washington from the special interests. One last thing, if you really want a good story( if you are truly open to fair and balanced reporting) look at Romney buying the straw poll in Florida. Ron Paul supporters out numbered every other candidate from 25 to 1 and up. Yet Romney supporters were voting for there candidate 20 times or more. You can find video evidence on youtube so it should not be hard to find. I look forward to your stellar reporting on this. Send me a copy of your article when it hits the frontpage of the LA Times.

(Well, as I said above this is a blog, not the newspaper. But as a matter of fact this item and your comments are on the "front page" (homepage) of this website and havve been since posting at midnight. Feel free to spread the link around, Digg it or whatever. We're running behind on posting comment due to the volume. Keep it up.)

[TX Patriot]

MALCOLM writes: "(Sorry, patriot. We're reporting that they're reporting that number, same as we do with every campaign. We have no way of independently verifying it. Sorry again, a campaign counter is not verification. Congrats. It's a lot of money and will draw a lot of attention.)"

You appear to be obfuscating the points I raised with your above response.

1. You stated, "And truth is, a fair number of PLEDGES are not lived up to. Hence, the phrase if it holds up." (cap emphasis mine) The definition of "pledge" is not the same as "contribution / contribute".

and

2. I discussed verifying the contribution methods, not the campaign counter numbers.

Come on, Andrew, you are a journalist.

Thanks for the recognition, though; your article was more accurate than most.

[lnardozi]

VERY nice article, sir. Don't let some of the more excitable supporters get to you - we really DO appreciate the coverage. We're a little disappointed in the level of coverage we receive, but by no means is that your fault.
Have you ever wondered about Ron Paul's positions? Wondered if they are financially supportable and responsible? I am working on fact-checking his positions using mathematics and government statistics. I invite you (and Dr. Paul's supporters) to drop by and fact check my fact checking.

[maxwell105]

Ron Paul is a good and honorable man. He has a true vision of change for our country. He has a vision of returning power to the people and taking power away from the powerful corporate interests. He wants to restore respect for the constitution and the principles on which the great nation was founded. He inspires greatness in ordinary individuals. God Bless Ron Paul! I pray he wins it all!

[Jacob Thielman]

Not a bad article - not as biased as the above make it out to be, certainly. It's still not quite the truth, though, because Bill O'Reilly hasn't coined a not-catchy put-down for your paper yet. I do wish we could get away from the weird currents of media opinion that seem to govern conversations with topics unrelated to the issues. Mike Huckabee wants to get rid of the IRS too. It's not unrealistic. It's certainly possible to say reasonable things with raised eyebrows, though - especially if most people have never thought about it before. Let's please stop diverting discussion instead of promoting it. Just once, I want a news outlet to admit that when they say "Kill the federal reserve? Really?" they are tacitly saying, "Let's get back to the real issues, like whether Obama should wear a flag pendant, or whether Mitt Romney is Christian enough, or which Presidential candidate is the most patriotic."

Ron Paul supporters may be overzealous (kind of like Mac owners), but at least we come in legions.

(THAT'S an understatement!)

[Nick]

This is the first time I have read about RP supporters being "crude" from a credible source. It's funny because as a middle-aged business person and Meetup organizer for Paul, I have not met a single RP supporter who used profanity "off-line." Not that they're incapable of it, just that they tend to be a very polite, if passionate group. So in the past, I've given the reports of crude language the same credibility I've given to MSM reports that the campaign was just a bunch of too-young-to-vote internet spammers (in my Meetup group the average age is above 30--actually it could be as high as 40, but I'm too polite to ask anyone's age!). I am sorry to hear your experience contradicts my experience--and I hope the messy-ness of our supporters can be seen as a consequence of our extreme diversity united by a love of freedom. Thanks for the excellent writing, again.

[James]

I never really considered myself a conspiracy theorist but this election has made me a true believer. I enjoy watching the media down play our man. I love when they roll their eyes and call Ron Paul supporters terrorist or fringe groups. The media must want Ron Paul to win because everytime they do that I am more resolute and I do pull my wallet out. I am now sitting on a vessel in the gulf of mexico with 60+ men. Guess what the only things these guys care about is the foot ball scores so who do you think is going to vote. I will walk through the snow and the rain 20+ miles if I have to to vote. Oh btw people hear about Ron Paul every day on this vessel and guess what the only other front runners can't be mentioned by these football fans without cursing envolved. The Ron Paul campaign is gaining strength every day and guess what I am not even close to my limit because I just started donating and will donate each month till He is in the office. Well if He doesn't win the office I think its time to take my tax money to canada and let someone else choke on the burden of taxes.

(Thanks for the comment, but a little tip. Taxes are higher in Canada.)

[AfricanAmericans4Paul]

"ANYONE can announce they've raised ANY sum. These numbers aren't official until they are reported to the FEC. And truth is, a fair number of pledges are not lived up to. Hence, the phrase if it holds up."

If you visited the RonPaul2008.com website, you'd notice that there's a "donate" button, not a "pledge" button. If you click the "donate" button (and I suggest that you do, and that you give genorously), you'll notice that you'll have to actually process a DONATION (i.e., give your credit card info), in order to be counted toward the total. In fact, there is no option of making a "pledge" to the Ron Paul campaign (perhaps you're thinking of PBS). Have you even visited the campaign website, or did you just pick up the story from AP? Perhaps your confusion stems from the fact that some of the other campaign "records" reported by the MSM include pledges (Romney, Obama, Clinton, Kerry). Ron Paul does not include pledges in his numbers. In fact, I don't even believe that it's possible to make a pledge to his campaign. If the campaign reported the numbers, the dollars have already been collected.

[Josehp Hill]

It appears that no matter the outlet, the LSM still has to find ways to try and marginalize the efforts of Ron Paul and his supporters.

"Sunday's gimmick was to celebrate the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party on a website with a drawing of Paul that looks remarkably like that president on the penny."

Referring to our efforts as a gimmick! How about the gimmick that Lieberman and McCain came up with to try and steal the thunder of our success. Coincidence I'm sure.. NOT!

As for your obligatory statement of what you must believe to be obvious as it relates to poll numbers

"Although Paul's poll numbers have only climbed from zero to the high single digits..."

you might want to dig a little deeper and you might wind up with an even bigger story to tell. Try listening to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPpCvF7N3Vg

All in all it wasn't all that bad.
Thanks for trying!

(Ah, but McCain doesn't have a blimp.)

[Connie in Southwest FL]

I'm a Democrat who recently changed my party affiliation to Republican so I could vote for Ron Paul in the upcoming primary.

Like many other Ron Paul supporters, I have paid for handbills, yard signs and bumper stickers to hand out at Ron Paul sign-waving events.

You should see the thumbs-ups and hear the honking of horns in appreciation as we wave our signs roadside!

The Revolution has begun! i could not be a more proud particiipant in taking our government back to the people where it belongs.

[Nick]

By the way, I don't buy that John, above is a supporter. The internet does have its children and some of them write comments like John and then go to Digg and are part of the bury-brigade there. I think some of the crduity may also be attributed to similar sources. If not, you may need to consider the sanity of purported supporters who follow such a decent human being as Ron Paul.

(Interesting point. One of the most recent Ron Paul items we wrote went to No. 1 on Digg overall about 2 weeks ago. Good way to get the message out. Thanks for reading.)

[Dale Pettit]

The supposedly major media is digging them selves into a hole of irrelevance. There desire to ignore and skew the results has demonstrated the loss of power and impact since the last Presidential election. Suddenly, they find themselves fighting for their lives for the diminishing numbers of viewers and readers.

Two simultaneous revolutions are occurring. The populace is solidifying their position of strength through the growth and numbers demonstrated by the enthusiasm, excitement and backing of the Ron Paul Revolution through the internet. At the same time the major media outlets are riding a dead horse, trying to stay relevant to a shrinking number of subscribers.

Major media is heavily invested in the status quo, and can not shift strategies or positions rapidly as the internet has demonstrated. Lack of major news coverage, awakens us all to the fact that “major media is no longer major”! Paid news casters and bureaucratic news teams can no longer compete with non paid individual reporters at the scene and on the ground with the tool of you tube and instant feedback.

Ron Paul supporters are proof positive, what it is really like to have an exciting candidacy for the White house. The Ron Paul Revolution is awakening a sleeping giant and a monumental change of power around the world. Let the bell of freedom and liberty ring.

[Pat Clements]

There were actually almost 60,000 donors and the total was about 6.4 million when you include offline donations. That beats Kerry's 5.7 million and Hillary's disputed claim of 6.2 million (there was question whether it was a two or three day total reported as one day).

[Hdys]

Hi Andrew! I've read several of your articles and have enjoyed them as well as the dialogue they initiate! I'm sorry to hear that fellow RP supporters submit comments that you have to delete. Please trust that most of us (which include many who are not posting comments) are level-headed well-educated Americans. I wish that others would realize that by sinking to the level of name-calling and crudeness will only hurt our efforts. But also realize the sense of desperation felt by some who see where our country is headed if we don't change the course-and fast.
Anyhow, Andrew, since following your articles, I get the sense that you are starting to come around! You may be in the denial phase, but we know you want to join us. Its ok. :) I am impressed that you read and respond to many of the commenters here. You don't find many journalists who that. Thanks for the good reading.

[Jeffrey Bubb]

In defense of Patriots' post:

Malcolm: "...a fair number of pledges are not lived up to..."

The first thing that entered my mind, and I'm sure the minds of others, was that this statement conjours up the idea that people are making promises of money donated and that some of those promises might not come to fuition. Patriot is right: the donations are direct deposits; there is no promise other than from the credit cards (where default is not likely).

So, the only thing the Paul campaign has to "live up to" are the FEC filings, not the pledges committed.

[Brandon Clark]

Mr. Malcome,

I appreciate the article and the increased visibility for Ron Paul; however, I would hope that a Pulitzer award finalist with over forty years in this business would be more capable of writing and reporting objectively, and without the bias that I perceive in this article.

Does Ron Paul have many supporters who are rude and obnoxious? Absolutely. But I would venture to guess that there are just as many offensive, rude people who support other candidates. I believe what you are seeing is a combination of the level of conviction and passion that exists within the Paul camp, combined with the always-less-formal Internet medium as the primary method of communication. As someone who supports Ron Paul fervently, I understand that these people can detract from the real message this campaign is trying to promote. On the other hand, if I had a dime for every uninformed, rude comment I have heard from an adamant Bush supporter over the past 8 years through forums and chain emails (though not so much any more) I would have been able to single-handedly push the Tea Party totals up another few million dollars.

In an earlier reply you gave to a blog response, you stated "A lot of people make judgments about candidates by the supporters they attract." My hope is that you yourself would never make this mistake, as someone who has worked in this field for so long. At this point, I have a pretty good understanding of how you feel about Ron Paul's supporters, but you have done a pretty good job of avoiding any discussion on how you feel about the man himself, or his stances on the issues. I would be interested to hear how a former Press Secretary for Laura Bush views Dr. Paul, not by a few rude blog posters, but as a Congressman and a Presidential Candidate.

Kind Regards,

Brandon Clark

(Good points. One would assume all campaigns attract some crude people. Strangely, we don't seem to get abusive comments from other candidates' supporters. Angry, yes, but not abusive. Still, the vast majority of commenters are just fine, as you can see from the volume we're trying to keep up with here. Thanks for reading.)

[Jeff]

You know, LA Times, maybe YOU GUYS should start teaching your national counterparts how to "report the news." And I'm only slightly kidding.

For any casual observer of the debates or press Ron Paul has received (or rather NOT received) the bias is obvious. They ostracize Ron and his supporters every chance they get, but unfortunately for them, they are also dealing with an honest, intellectual, principled man-- probably one of the most-so in congress. So what do they do? They "try" to attack his supporters touting us as "fringe." I'm about as middle-America as you can get, as are most of the Ron Paul supporters I know, so the day we are considered "fringe" in America, something has gone terribly wrong WITH America! But that's OK, because we have every intent to set it straight and take our country back. And the door is wide open for those who care to join us.

Thanks for a fair, unbiased article. Yes, we occasionally show our "wrath," but you've also felt our "appreciation" from other fair and balanced articles you have written, so don't forget that side of us when you report...lol.

[Bob Kelly]

A question to Andrew (and, of course, to any of the good people posting here): Do you believe, as many of the RP supporters seem to believe, that a directed effort exists in the MSM to marginalize RP?
Is at least one alternative explanation to be found in the fact that the media corporations are profit oriented- businesses first and foremost and therefore pursue the stories which attract the attention of their readership?
The irony of this would be, assuming the latter to be cause of RP's apparent exclusion, that they may be missing out on the most important story of the entire election.
I would really appreciate your thoughts on this subject which appears to be of great importance to RP supporters.

(Attributing past minimum coverage of RP to a vast corporate conspiracy gives way too much credit to corporations. Few people knew of him. As his campaign progressed and his dollars and poll numbers increased, so did the coverage. To us, it's a fascinating story. Can't speak for other blogs. Appreciate your reading and taking the time to comment. Why not DIGG this story to spread this coverage?)

[Jacqueline Singh]

Please, God. Please, let RP win.

I donated and stood by and watched the charts from my temporary duty area in Kuwait - I'll be spending the holidays here and am flying back up to Baghdad soon after the New Year.

The only hope for America stands with Ron Paul.

[Mark Leclerc]

Thank you very much for the coverage, and I am impressed highly by your immediate responses to comments in the middle of the night!

I do have a few questions though:
Why characterize these money raising events as "gimmicks"? Are you aware that thousands of people reenacted the Tea Party on the Santa Monica Pier yesterday or that a group rallied in front of the EU Parliment building in Strausburg France waiving (Ron Paul banners!)as a show of support?
"Gimmicks" don't inspire people to participate in reenactments of historical significance... perhaps you could follow up with the Meet Up group in CA and report what inspired them, as I would guess a rally of this nature has not occured in your state in quite some time...
Also, why the "liitle known" slant when referring to Ron Paul? Again, I must assume that you hope to get alot of agitated resposes that you can point to as "fringe wacko" supporters...
That's ok. The doctors, teachers, retirees, vetrans, line workers, truck drivers, or engineers such as myself don't mind seeing brash overzealous support from many of our youth... While we realize it may reflect poorly when characterized by the MSM, the fact is that they are finally awake and involved....Now the only question that remains; "are they registered to vote, and how could a 72 year old "fringe" candidate whip such a frenzy into these folks anyway?"
Would you consider printing a blog answering that question? (Hint): The answer can be found written on the crates thrown off the Santa Monica Pier yesterday....

(Called them gimmicks because they are. All candidates use them. A visit to a school to show the candidate bending down to talk to a little guy. Gimmick. Great TV. Throwing boxes off the pier. Gimmick. Buying a blimp? Gimmick. Standing on a bridge waving a sign. Gimmick. It's an act designed to attract attention. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don't. Judging by the money brought in, I'd say this one worked.)

[Kevin C.]

... one nation under God, with liberty and justice: Ron Paul.

[Humberto]

Ron Paul and who he represents is not getting equitable coverage in the MSM. Even if you consider his poll numbers, the percentage of coverage he gets is far below the percentage of his poll numbers. The front page of the NY Times today has Hilary and Huckabee all over the place. Ron Paul is not even mentioned in the front page article “Candidates Scrambling to Cope With Rise of Huckabee. The NY Times website Politics page Election Guide 2008 does not even feature Ron Paul as a candidate! He only shows up when you click on the More Candidates link. How can any honest journalist argue that the coverage is balanced when the only reporting of the record largest one day fundraising event which just happened to occur on the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party is relegated to the blogs? The LA Times has been better than others in its reporting, however, I would think that reporting on the driving force behind 200,648 donors that have kind of just organically self organized and given an average of $89 each since Oct 1 without much direction from any fundraising campaign would be a story worthy of front page coverage. Not as important as the story about how the Island tax havens factor into Romney’s business success but perhaps more news worthy than article on the how the Christmas goose is starting to cook.

(The LATimes newspaper and LATimes.com also carried news stories on the fundraising success. Just Googling Ron Paul produces hundreds of other similar stories.)

[Ronald Holland]

The money raised and growing public support for the Ron Paul Campaign means Ron Paul can win the GOP nomination.

Read, President Ron Paul – Could He Really Win?

Learn how outside economic and foreign policy events just might elect Ron Paul. http://www.ronaldholland.com/presidentronpaul.htm is a two part article on how current events outside the political process could elect Ron Paul as President.

[Uranga]

You have commented repeatedly about how “crude is a generous description” for many Ron Paul fans. I thank you for allowing us to see the token nut job posting above from “another well-spoken temperate supporter of Dr. Paul” but for the sake of openness how about giving some stats on how many of the “worst ones you just delete”. Why not just post them all with objectionable language redacted just like the government does? That way we'd know that what you are saying is not just hyperbole. I find it rather odd yet reassuring that here, as on other newspaper blogs, the comments are mostly positive, pro Paul whereas on other candidates’ blogs there is a mix of supporters and detractors. Why do you think that is the case? As much as I like Ron Paul, I would no sooner believe that his critics are all nut jobs that you have to censor than the other candidates don’t also have crazies you have to cut.

(By no means all. The vast vast majority are printed here. But why give nutjobs the satisfaction of seeing their words in print? We want an honest open civil dialogue and I think that's what we're getting.)

[Noreen Cullen]

Dear Mr Malcolm;

Two brief comments. The first is that I find it amazing to witness the flap it causes to have a candidate say that we ought to follow the United States Constitution that our country was founded on. It is sad that this is not the norm.

Secondly, I think the polls at some juncture will be off by the fact that growing numbers of people eschew landline phones for cell phones, the latter of which are not called for polling purposes.

Thank you,
Noreen Cullen

[Martha Barley]

Thank you for one of the fairest articles I have seen. I do agree that some of the Ron Paul supporters are crude, but I've witnessed the same from other political camps. Sadly, many American's behavior is crude in today's society and we have truly forgotten the idea of Volatire and others. We used to believe that "I may not agree with a word you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" concept. Sadly, today most feel it is perfectly find to shout down their oppositon rather than have a dialog.

I do ask you to think about the fact that if any of the "top tier" candidates had raised this much money and had this many events around the country, it would have been covered around the clock on all the TV news shows. The few times I looked yesterday at them, I saw nothing reported.

Thanks again for the fair article. May God bless us with a Ron Paul Presidency.

(Well, to be fair to the others, you didn't see much coverage during the day because it was going on during the day. You had to stay up past midnight to see the real scope of the record. We did.)

[Elaine McLellan]

Thank you for your article. . . .and thanks to ALL the Ron Paul supporters. We are part of something so big and so exciting that MSM doesn't know what on earth to do about it. Don't the words ignore and ignorance come from the same root? MSM has spent way too much time shaping our thoughts and minds. What ever happened to plain old reporting...must have gone out of style when we quit using our own brains. Well, that has changed, WE THE PEOPLE are speaking. Listen to us! Can't you feel it, don't you sense it?.....listen....

[Todd Tipton]

We will vote for Ron Paul no matter what. Ron Paul cured my apathy. No matter what happens, this is the beginning of something big and we are determined to make the USA great and respected again.

[John Howard]

Ron Paul cannot win and this I really know. It's true and can't be doubted, 'cause the TV tells me so.

If Ron Paul wins a poll, its spam as we now know. And if he loses, it is science. TV tells us so.

[David Keith Whitney]

Thank You Ron Paul for standing for sense and the Constitution. I've almost
given up hope for our sovereign Republic and its future until now. Thank you
LA Times for your more unbiased reporting. Keep up the good work.

[Rakesh]

Hi,
As a non-citizen watching from the sidelines, this gets better and better everyday. Congrats to the RP2008 supporters. One question that is not being addressed adequately:
with the internet becoming as common as electricity, how will the television media compete for its survival?? maybe that is the reason mainstream TV does not give Ron Paul more airtime?? somehow his supporters have figured out to generate cash($6-million??) and more supporters(24000 new supporters??) online without the help of TV. Do they realize how threatening that is to TV?? Equivalent to how the newspapers reacted when google stole the advertisers from them.!!
TV is after all , only 100 years old. Textual medium on the other hand is much older(thousands of years). Hence, text whether in books, newspaper, blogs will survive a lot longer(also, since it is such a deliberate medium, ie. you have to use your mind to read/write, it distinctively favors evolution:)!).

Is it possible that, in their fervor to convince the MS TV of their/ their candidate's legitimacy, the supporters have indicated at the obsolescence of MS TV as a medium for information(I guess TV is still the king of entertainment)??

[number9]

"They dismiss the polls as slanted..."

perhaps the times can suggest a proper way to describe polls that exclude your name as a choice?

[Keith]

"Band of fervent followers?" Where in the heck has this author been? Dr. Paul just got donations from 24,000 NEW doners. That is a tremendous "band."

[Stephen Burgio]

I just have to say that at 48 years of age, and being a Federal Employee who might lose his 26 year job if Dr. Paul gets elected, I'm still very gung-ho about him and have even changed my affiliation to Republican party in order to vote for him in the preliminaries. What a breath of fresh, honest air.

[Michael Oliva]

If it holds up? The numbers RP reports are real-time processed credit card reciepts :)

[Craig Combs]

I can't believe the LA Times isn't running photos of the thousands of Ron Paul supporters who marched down the Third St. Promenade in Santa Monica to the Santa Monica pier where we had our own Tea Party. It was a revolutionary moment.

[A-Shizzle]

Ron Pizzle 4shizzle