amonasro
07-20-2011, 11:43 AM
Here's something for the new folks to think about, and to put things in perspective from 2008 for those who are frustrated by the day-to-day grind of Presidential politics. I know, some days it seems like we are fighting an uphill battle where the goalposts are constantly shifted. But we have come so far and have much to look forward to, and we only need to look back a few years to see the distance we've covered. I've been along for the entire ride and remember it well.
Let's rewind to June 2007. Ron Paul was a political lightweight. Besides a few faithful supporters, nobody remembered his Libertarian run in 1988 and he was not taken seriously in Congress for his then "radical" ideas. He had announced his Presidential exploratory committee in May but had barely raised enough cash to build a competitive ground game in Iowa or New Hampshire. His online donation ticker was around $300K if I remember correctly, and his Q1 total was around $700K, of which he only spent $115K of it (less than anybody else). He was polling at TWO PERCENT nationally and never rose much higher than five. His popularity was increasing but his campaign was not the stuff of legends... yet.
Regardless, Ron Paul finished a respectable fifth at Ames in 2007 (just 300 votes in front of Tommy Thompson), propelling his grassroots support forward. His online donations started to pick up but he still struggled to gain a national audience outside of a dedicated group of internet supporters. His campaign was still very amateur: There was little to no advertising, and what there was resembled a life insurance commercial rather than an effective political ad. Campaign statements were few and far between and failed to attract the media's full attention. Mike Huckabee, fresh off his Ames win and with a horde of new Evangelical supporters, was catapulted forward as the new conservative "grassroots" candidate to beat, stealing much of Ron's thunder. Romney and Giuliani were coasting as the stalwart frontrunners who could poll well consistently. Meanwhile, the lesser GOP candidates were busy vetting themselves out of the race. Remember how the "Great White Hope" Fred Thompson put his audience to sleep (http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/64378/) in October? Thompson was polling at an impressive 24% (http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/fred_thompson_leads_rasmussen_poll/) in June thanks in part to FOX's generous coverage and talk radio popularity. By the time the leaves changed, he was finished.
The Fall of 2007 is when Ron's support started to take off exponentially. His fundraising skyrocketed from $5.2 million in Q3 to an amazing $20 million in Q4. Unfortunately Ames had already passed, the GOP field was already solidified and our new, passionate supporters were mostly young people with little to no political knowledge or experience. We were learning as we went with a campaign that was being dumped with truckloads of cash that they weren't prepared to use. The first successful moneybombs (November, $4 million, December, $6 million) were an amazing grassroots victory but they ultimately came too late. The Iowa and NH primaries were quickly approaching in January but the campaigned failed to catch the momentum. There was a palpable sense of disappointment here as the Iowa results rolled in: Ron's popularity wasn't as widespread as we thought and many supporters were uneducated about the voting/caucus process, not to mention the surprisingly low turnout for the young demographic.
Fast forward to today. Thanks to our early (albeit less exciting) fundraising, the campaign has over $4 million in the bank with effective organizations and an amazing ad playing in early primary states that Hollywood would be proud of. Ron's predictions about the economy have continued to unfold and he's redefining what fiscal conservatism actually means while inserting the Federal Reserve into the national debate. The Tea Party, originally imagined as a Ron Paul grassroots moneybomb, has become a media meme so popular that it was co-opted by the GOP to push their Establishment agenda. Did I mention Ron's son is a Senator in Kentucky, or the new group of Ron Paul-friendly Congressmen? We've created an unrivaled political movement that has indisputably shaken up Washington.
We are within striking distance to WIN Ames next month. Ron is polling at 9% nationally (http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/19/7113880-nbcwsj-poll-bachmann-surges-to-2nd-place-in-12-gop-field) ABOVE Pawlenty, Santorum, Cain and Huntsman who were ALL establishment-approved but subsequently vetted. Romney remains the intrepid frontrunner, but the GOP is desperately searching for a solid Number Two. Bachmann has many weaknesses and is fading fast. Perry looks to be their last, best hope. A strong Ames finish will be a catalyst for the next big step in the Ron Paul grassroots movement.
I hope this path down memory lane serves as an important reminder about how much the winds can change in this capricious and fickle political climate leading up to (and after) the Iowa Straw Poll. The next few months are critical but often passed over by the average voter who hasn't begun to pay attention yet. If you're reading this, you're one of the dedicated, passionate supporters who truly cares about what Ron Paul stands for and in what direction the future of our country is headed. Donate early and often, don't lose hope, and the support will come as our numbers rise. They are already rising and we have much to be excited about next month in Iowa.
For the first time in history we are positioned to take down the Washington Establishment and put our country back on a path to what the founders intended it to be. This is a time to be excited, not downtrodden. Remember, the United States is still a place of great wealth, goodness and infinite talent despite the nefarious interests that seek to bleed it dry. It has given us the tools to form the most powerful grassroots movement in history. With Liberty, Truth and Freedom at our side and represented in our actions, we are more powerful than we can ever realize. Onward to 2012!
Let's rewind to June 2007. Ron Paul was a political lightweight. Besides a few faithful supporters, nobody remembered his Libertarian run in 1988 and he was not taken seriously in Congress for his then "radical" ideas. He had announced his Presidential exploratory committee in May but had barely raised enough cash to build a competitive ground game in Iowa or New Hampshire. His online donation ticker was around $300K if I remember correctly, and his Q1 total was around $700K, of which he only spent $115K of it (less than anybody else). He was polling at TWO PERCENT nationally and never rose much higher than five. His popularity was increasing but his campaign was not the stuff of legends... yet.
Regardless, Ron Paul finished a respectable fifth at Ames in 2007 (just 300 votes in front of Tommy Thompson), propelling his grassroots support forward. His online donations started to pick up but he still struggled to gain a national audience outside of a dedicated group of internet supporters. His campaign was still very amateur: There was little to no advertising, and what there was resembled a life insurance commercial rather than an effective political ad. Campaign statements were few and far between and failed to attract the media's full attention. Mike Huckabee, fresh off his Ames win and with a horde of new Evangelical supporters, was catapulted forward as the new conservative "grassroots" candidate to beat, stealing much of Ron's thunder. Romney and Giuliani were coasting as the stalwart frontrunners who could poll well consistently. Meanwhile, the lesser GOP candidates were busy vetting themselves out of the race. Remember how the "Great White Hope" Fred Thompson put his audience to sleep (http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/64378/) in October? Thompson was polling at an impressive 24% (http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/fred_thompson_leads_rasmussen_poll/) in June thanks in part to FOX's generous coverage and talk radio popularity. By the time the leaves changed, he was finished.
The Fall of 2007 is when Ron's support started to take off exponentially. His fundraising skyrocketed from $5.2 million in Q3 to an amazing $20 million in Q4. Unfortunately Ames had already passed, the GOP field was already solidified and our new, passionate supporters were mostly young people with little to no political knowledge or experience. We were learning as we went with a campaign that was being dumped with truckloads of cash that they weren't prepared to use. The first successful moneybombs (November, $4 million, December, $6 million) were an amazing grassroots victory but they ultimately came too late. The Iowa and NH primaries were quickly approaching in January but the campaigned failed to catch the momentum. There was a palpable sense of disappointment here as the Iowa results rolled in: Ron's popularity wasn't as widespread as we thought and many supporters were uneducated about the voting/caucus process, not to mention the surprisingly low turnout for the young demographic.
Fast forward to today. Thanks to our early (albeit less exciting) fundraising, the campaign has over $4 million in the bank with effective organizations and an amazing ad playing in early primary states that Hollywood would be proud of. Ron's predictions about the economy have continued to unfold and he's redefining what fiscal conservatism actually means while inserting the Federal Reserve into the national debate. The Tea Party, originally imagined as a Ron Paul grassroots moneybomb, has become a media meme so popular that it was co-opted by the GOP to push their Establishment agenda. Did I mention Ron's son is a Senator in Kentucky, or the new group of Ron Paul-friendly Congressmen? We've created an unrivaled political movement that has indisputably shaken up Washington.
We are within striking distance to WIN Ames next month. Ron is polling at 9% nationally (http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/19/7113880-nbcwsj-poll-bachmann-surges-to-2nd-place-in-12-gop-field) ABOVE Pawlenty, Santorum, Cain and Huntsman who were ALL establishment-approved but subsequently vetted. Romney remains the intrepid frontrunner, but the GOP is desperately searching for a solid Number Two. Bachmann has many weaknesses and is fading fast. Perry looks to be their last, best hope. A strong Ames finish will be a catalyst for the next big step in the Ron Paul grassroots movement.
I hope this path down memory lane serves as an important reminder about how much the winds can change in this capricious and fickle political climate leading up to (and after) the Iowa Straw Poll. The next few months are critical but often passed over by the average voter who hasn't begun to pay attention yet. If you're reading this, you're one of the dedicated, passionate supporters who truly cares about what Ron Paul stands for and in what direction the future of our country is headed. Donate early and often, don't lose hope, and the support will come as our numbers rise. They are already rising and we have much to be excited about next month in Iowa.
For the first time in history we are positioned to take down the Washington Establishment and put our country back on a path to what the founders intended it to be. This is a time to be excited, not downtrodden. Remember, the United States is still a place of great wealth, goodness and infinite talent despite the nefarious interests that seek to bleed it dry. It has given us the tools to form the most powerful grassroots movement in history. With Liberty, Truth and Freedom at our side and represented in our actions, we are more powerful than we can ever realize. Onward to 2012!