Ron Paul raised a mere $123,523 in the entire month of March

[Phantom]

Ron Paul's fundraising fades as reality sinks into followers

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/./photos/uncategorized/2008/04/20/ronpaul3.jpg

The political fundraising of Rep. Ron Paul, which dominated the Republican presidential field as recently as December, is fading fast, apparently as his loyal followers' enthusiasm reflects the looming numerical reality of his longshot campaign.

Paul filed his campaign's required financial reports with the Federal Election Commission over the weekend and said he raised a mere $123,523 in the entire month of March.

Read the rest of the article here (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/04/ron-pauls-fundr.html)

[orlandoinfl]

That's better than I expected.

[SWATH]

Wow, I'm actually kind of surprised he got that much. People quit giving when they discovered that there was no return on their investment. We were all hoping for commercials and ads everywhere but we got very little of that. At some point people just say "man, I'm donating all this money and nothing is coming of it, maybe I'll stop donating to the blackhole campaign and use it more wisely or keep it", at least that's what I said to myself. There seems to be no way to get votes if the MSM HATES YOU, a different and cheaper strategy must be implemented. Would donating more have changed anything? I kind of doubt it.

[skyorbit]

Well, when he refuses to spend the money he does have, I don't blame them.

Support GrassRoots fundraising efforts like the High Tide, our South Dakota Billboard PRoject. Etc.

Tracy

[slacker921]

If I saw ads coming out I'd donate again.. . if he was actively educating the masses then I'd support it, but at this point the campaign is just sitting on the money and watching McCain grow his support base.

[soapmistress]

...apparently as his loyal followers' enthusiasm reflects the looming numerical reality of his longshot campaign.



Yep! The reality that sending a check isn't gonna cut it. It's gonna take work. And candidates across the spectrum of America's power band. Reality sucks. But we're the ones stepping up to the plate :)

Numerical is as numerical does. LOL

[NeoRayden]

VERY TRUE! Matter fact if he doesn't bring his butt to Indiana he won't have much support here either. Many people have said that if he does not show up they will not vote for him... PERIOD!

I can't blame them. I am starting to think the same thing.

It's time for an all or nothing shot. Take the money and either spend it to get votes or get off the pot.

The time is now for the campaign to wither quit or give it their all and from the looks of it I doubt they will do either and keep looking real stupid.

[NeoRayden]

Hell we paid ofr newspaper, radio, and billboard ads here. All we ask is that the campaign pick up the tab for some tv ads, give us some materials, and drop by for a chat or two.

[dirknb@hotmail.com]

I'm surprised he raised that much. I also think he's doing the right thing holding on to what he's got for now.

[Lovecraftian4Paul]

I'm surprised he raised that much. I also think he's doing the right thing holding on to what he's got for now.

The question is why. And, of course, when he's going to reveal why he's hanging onto it. I think it's left many of us scratching our heads. I just hope he has something better in mind than turning it over to a PAC or national organization of some sort led by the same good old boys who have stunted the campaign.

[kirkblitz]

no point in spending it to influence state conventions. Most peoples minds are already made up.

[VoteForRonPaul]

If I saw ads coming out I'd donate again.. . if he was actively educating the masses then I'd support it, but at this point the campaign is just sitting on the money and watching McCain grow his support base.
That sums it all, thanks!

[peters]

Are there any numbers on how much the grassroots raised on various projects? It's not just the official campaign that counts, you know?

[rockandrollsouls]

its kind of hard to raise money when you take the big donate button off the page.....

[spacehabitats]

I agree with most of the posters that there really is no point to donating money to a nonexistent campaign.

Dr. Paul needs to explain what it would take to get him to commit to more public appearances. That is what we need more than any radio or TV ads.
I have explained many times how a real push in any of the remaining primary states could have real benefit for the movement going forward, regardless of the outcome in September or November.
Congressman Paul just doesn't get it (I can't believe that he doesn't care) or he would be far more active right now.

[rockandrollsouls]

He clearly cares, otherwise he wouldn't be wasting time in a seemingly impossible presidential race. He hasn't given up, I'm not giving up, and I hope none of you give up.

[ronpaulhawaii]

Are there any numbers on how much the grassroots raised on various projects? It's not just the official campaign that counts, you know?

Good question. We always thought we could do a better job anyway:rolleyes::)

[NathanTurner]

Why on earth would anyone continue to donate money to a campaign that is sitting on the funds they already have? I'm in Missouri, and I haven't seen ANY ads, heard ANY radio mentions, or gotten ANY calls asking me to vote for Ron Paul. The only way most people around here has heard about him was through me talking non-stop about his sound policies. I'd like to know where exactly our money went; how it was used; and how any remainder will be used after the campaign. Are the "campaign organizers" simply going to put it in their pockets? Does Ron Paul even know he has a campaign with these funds, or have we all been severely had? LOL

Hell, for all the good our money has done, I might as well have made a website, put Ron Paul's picture on the front, and taken the money myself.

[Lovecraftian4Paul]

It is unfortunate the national campaign all but shut down in running ads and active Get out the Vote efforts after Super Tuesday. For February, it was somewhat understandable, since Ron Paul was focused on his Congressional primary--although unfortunately, in hindsight it's evident there never was a true threat in Texas to him. However, March just yielded that bungled message that led many to believe he dropped out, and zero efforts from any HQ staffers to show otherwise with advertisements and phone work.

[yongrel]

There are better uses for the money at this point.

[newyearsrevolution08]

Yeah! he better come and sit with my family here as well. Give me a break. Flip floppers everywhere. SO quick to turn coat.

I just think it is sad to watch 3 months ago the same posters in here amped up and now all I hear is "what do I get".

and I can't wait for the response.

Let me give it for me,

"The campaign should have spent the money wisely, bought ads and shown the money was being put to good use, we shouldn't donate anymore if they are not going to air any ads!"

ok I got it and another one also for those who really feel they deserve a return on their investment

" I spent $2k on advertising, flyers and ron paul gear and he hasn't even sat down with me and my family yet, I aint voting for him now!"

wake up people, there should not be some assumed "what do I get" and I see more and more of you on the forum asking the same questions.

Here is a thought, go and do actual campaigning locally and statewide towards something that matters and can help change things instead of complaining about what I guess "ron paul and the campaign" did to you


VERY TRUE! Matter fact if he doesn't bring his butt to Indiana he won't have much support here either. Many people have said that if he does not show up they will not vote for him... PERIOD!

I can't blame them. I am starting to think the same thing.

It's time for an all or nothing shot. Take the money and either spend it to get votes or get off the pot.

The time is now for the campaign to wither quit or give it their all and from the looks of it I doubt they will do either and keep looking real stupid.

[VoteForRonPaul]

Yeah! he better come and sit with my family here as well. Give me a break. Flip floppers everywhere. SO quick to turn coat
There are no flip floppers! NeoRayden did not say anything but the truth believe it or not. STOP covering up the mess of the national campaign!



VERY TRUE! Matter fact if he doesn't bring his butt to Indiana he won't have much support here either. Many people have said that if he does not show up they will not vote for him... PERIOD!

I can't blame them. I am starting to think the same thing.

It's time for an all or nothing shot. Take the money and either spend it to get votes or get off the pot.

The time is now for the campaign to wither quit or give it their all and from the looks of it I doubt they will do either and keep looking real stupid.

[NathanTurner]

Just because some of us are questioning the efficacy of Paul's campaign doesn't mean we've "turned coat." I'm even more zealous now with regard to my Anarcho-Capitalist views than I was when I voted for Ron Paul. It just means that we've seen how poorly handled this campaign has been; how any chances of his nomination went down the tubes through a lack of advertising and convincingly getting the message out. After what we saw before, during, and after Super Tuesday, why would we keep throwing money at a campaign after Ron Paul himself effectively said that he was going to focus on his congressional run? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing twice and expecting different results. Blind adherence and throwing money at a less than effective cause sounds more like the GOP than any libertarian-minded organization, and anyone trying to get you to not think and analyze for yourself before parting with your money is highly suspect, in my opinion.

[newyearsrevolution08]

There are no flip floppers! NeoRayden did not say anything but the truth believe it or not. STOP covering up the mess of the national campaign!


yup its a cover up LOL,

no I am just stating a simple fact of

what does donation even mean to you?

what you get in return?


If you are just NOW wondering what was wrong with the official campaign then you are way behind the times. The official campaign tanked Ron Paul a long time ago and actually even before the beginning of this year.

I just read the same dribble on this forum complaining, GO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT THEN


stop crying to each other over it,

Yes the official campaign had as much skill as mccain, obama or clinton in the white house BUT we happily threw money at them no problem didn't we. Who dropped the ball on that one? We did, we should have realized that funding $400k balloons and chucking too much money at ONE effort was a bad idea BUT nope, TOO MUCH excitement and now it seems that some are MAD over it.

Donated time, money and effort is just that. Overall we did something that is LARGER then just one man but it seems that hostility is VERY misdirected. We messed up not ron paul or his campaign. We elected all these idiots into office so WE get the blame no matter how many times people on here try and say " the official campaign did this and that".

Wake up and look around at what has happened SINCE the start of the new year all together.

the campaign was gone long before feb 5th.

[qh4dotcom]

I regret now that I sent money to the campaign in January AND got nothing in return...what I should have done in January is what I am doing now...sending money to the campaign AND getting something in return...making purchases at the RonPaul2008 store.

I bought several T-shirts from RonPaul2008 store, I am wearing them almost every day and it's a good way to spread the message since people I don't know notice me wearing them and ask me about Ron Paul.

Anyway, a lot of people now will be sending money to Ron Paul AND getting something in return....his new book "The Revolution - A Manifesto"

[ronpaulhawaii]

I regret now that I sent money to the campaign in January AND got nothing in return...what I should have done in January is what I am doing now...sending money to the campaign AND getting something in return...making purchases at the RonPaul2008 store.

I bought several T-shirts from RonPaul2008 store, I am wearing them every day and it's a good way to spread the message since people I don't know notice me wearing them and ask me about Ron Paul.

:)

[acptulsa]

Anyway, a lot of people now will be sending money to Ron Paul AND getting something in return....his new book "The Revolution - A Manifesto"

Captialism at work, mixes official and grassroots campaigning and doesn't count against the personal maximum!

[NathanTurner]

I am doing something about it: my first order of business is to worry about my own "campaign" to maintain my rights of liberty and personal sovereignty while living under a corrupt federal government. If we are supposed to be libertarian-minded, then surely we should put ourselves, our future and the security of our family above abstract "collectives," such as failed campaigns and people accusing us of not being faithful, loyal drones that will continue to be a source of easy income for future endeavors.

My second order of business is to try to spread the message of limited government, the practical dangers of our current monetary policies, the hypocrisy of dual-citizenship and our excessively Zionist-led foreign policy; and so forth.

My third order of business is to find those individuals running for positions in government or public service that would best exemplify those Jeffersonian, Constitutionalist ideals that I admire in Dr. Paul, and contributing to their campaigns. He is just one man; he should not be the focus of an entire movement. Instead, those ideals for which he stands, and upon which America was founded should be the essential foundation on which all of our efforts should be based.

That is certainly more productive than complaining about how we are "whining" that a Constitutionally-minded patriot failed to rise in the government hierarchy due to a less than stellar campaign.

[VoteForRonPaul]

If you are just NOW wondering what was wrong with the official campaign then you are way behind the times. The official campaign tanked Ron Paul a long time ago and actually even before the beginning of this year.
And why the official campaign tanked Ron Paul?




I just read the same dribble on this forum complaining, GO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT THEN
What you suggest that we should do about it? We still have many states left.

Are you suggesting that we should ask Ron Paul to replace Kent Snyder(Chairman) and Lew Moore(Campaign Manager) with other people?

What forces Ron Paul to work with such people if they tanked him long time ago?



Yes the official campaign had as much skill as mccain, obama or clinton in the white house BUT we happily threw money at them no problem didn't we. Who dropped the ball on that one? We did, we should have realized that funding $400k balloons and chucking too much money at ONE effort was a bad idea BUT nope, TOO MUCH excitement and now it seems that some are MAD over it.
I have to agree with you, it was a big mistake donating for such a terrible campaign specially when the grassroots started to feel doubt in what is being done by their own money!

[ronpaulhawaii]

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb19/mkauai/Debate/Endless-Debate-Print-C10032402.jpg

[jcarcinogen]

Fox News had a story about some online fundraising goal for Obama today when they wouldn't report on Paul until after the fundraising records were broken.

I know it's off topic but I found it upsetting when I saw it today. I don't want the Government to provide universal health care, save the world from global warming, or to provide more jobs in "green tech".

[Tarzan]

What is so disappointing to me is the lost opportunity. Instead of getting some real leadership to get some real results, the official campaign has left the field.

We should have accurate information about the delegate process, help in taking control of the GOP, help in identifying and grooming leaders, help raising funds and awareness for other congressional candidates... instead we get no useful information and near silence.

Where is the "next phase" of this movement RP announced so many weeks ago? It has been left to a very few "diehards" and the resources have been stripped away. The leadership of the official campaign (and that includes Ron Paul) really don't seem to "get it"... as another poster put it.

All the lost opportunity... what a waste... what a disappointment!
Based on the actions and results of the official campaign... I too am surprise they got that much.

[kigol]

:)

[Akus]

Wow, I'm actually kind of surprised he got that much. People quit giving when they discovered that there was no return on their investment. We were all hoping for commercials and ads everywhere but we got very little of that. At some point people just say "man, I'm donating all this money and nothing is coming of it, maybe I'll stop donating to the blackhole campaign and use it more wisely or keep it", at least that's what I said to myself. There seems to be no way to get votes if the MSM HATES YOU, a different and cheaper strategy must be implemented. Would donating more have changed anything? I kind of doubt it.

I'm sure this is where Jonathan Bydlak steps in and blames you and I for not stomping our feet and huffing and puffing loud enough hoping that people will take seriously a person who is hardly even on TV.

[SWATH]

If they want more they are going to have to man up and ask for it, but I don't think they want more.

[VoteForRonPaul]

If they want more they are going to have to man up and ask for it, but I don't think they want more. That is because they are getting bigger checks from the GOP!

[NeoRayden]

I am not asking for much.

I believe that if he cares enough for his campaign and is serious he will take the time to visit. I am not asking that he sit down with my family and everyone elses. I simply ask that he come to Indiana and campaign like any other candidate does.

I also ask that he spend money on tv ads. We took care of the rest. Thats not to much to ask and if it is then every other state that got all this need to pay it all back.

Indiana can give Ron a win but only if Ron wants it. Obvously he doesn't.

No matter how the primary turns out I will vote for principles in the general election. If that means I vote Libertarian like I useually do then so be it.

[AJ Antimony]

He still has $5 million on hand, so he doesn't need any more money right now. If he was running out and asked his supporters for more money, they'd probably be able to raise a million or two within 24 hours.

[Midnight77]

I have to agree that this is better than I expected. Almost what Gravel got his entire campaign.

[SaratogaForRonPaul]

If you are looking for ROI on your donations, I am in a competitive race in the NY 21st district, where McNulty, the incumbent announced his retirement late in the season, opening up the biggest opportunity in 20 years to gain this seat. While the district leans Democrat, the district overwhelmingly voted for Pataki for Governor in his race. There are 170K registered Democrats, 120K Republicans, and 130K Independents/Undeclared, which allows for a wide swing. In neighboring NY 20th district, Democrat Gillibrand won the district, even though the Republican majority is a greater ratio than the Democrat majority in the 21st. There are 8 democrats fighting it out tooth and nail for their primary, which will be bloody and cause a split among Democrats. The other Republican loaned himself $100K and said he will not put anymore money in. If I can prove to raise $200K in the next few months, he may even choose to let me take the nomination without needing to primary.

Follow these 4 steps towards freedom:

1. Visit http://www.steven2008.com and donate either $100, $21, or $10.


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Hope does not only come from those seeking an office in government. True hope can only be created from you, your friends, your family, me.. We, the people.