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

[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