coboman
01-05-2008, 11:37 PM
This is a recap of my experience as an internet Ron Paul supporter.
It is not supposed to encourage or demoralize anyone. Just to share what I have felt and what I have thought over these few months.
I hope you enjoy it.
I have been a proud Ron Paul supporters since September of last year.
My first impression of him was very good. It was a video on youTube with the compilation of his responses in the Republican debate.
My second impression was even better, with one of Aravoth's videos (I think it was "A New Hope"), and right there and then I knew this was something great. It was the first political figure ever to generate lots of enthusiasm for me.
Never had I been enthusiastic about a political candidate. I had never before donated one cent to any campaign (never even considered it). Never had I felt so much that I was part of something big, something that could really change our country and the world for the better.
I truly believed that we could win. I still do.
But something bothered me from the start. His campaign started to produce cheesy ads that had nothing to do with the videos that made me a passionate follower.
There was an amateurish ad with bad actors, that seemed to be a compilation of fake testimonials ending with a terrible line: "He's catching on, I tell ya".
People said it was part of a larger strategy. Frankly, I just thought it was lack of money. They just couldn't hire professionals to do the job.
But then came other ads, each with very low production values, and none of them emphasizing the points I found so important. Small government, the constitution, non-intervention. One ad for NH was completely dedicated to abortion. Being pro-choice myself, this was a big turn off. Cheap strategists, cheap publicists.
The official campaign asked for 12 million dollars to be able to win both Iowa and New Hampshire.
More money was the solution.
Then came November 5th. This was incredible. People united to break a record, and then the media response. Wolf Blitzer excited "Amazing, Amazing". Definitely on the right track, Ron Paul was again on TV answering the question, why do you have so many followers? He responded with what I considered the truth: "It is the message. Freedom is popular".
What are you going to do to improve your low poll numbers? They asked. Ron Paul said he was going to start spending those dollars, and get more supporters behind him.
Another moneybomb! This was the way to go. I was so pumped up, I visited the Teaparty site daily and watched the pledges soar for the first days. This was going to be epic.
Everyone had to know about this. I told every person I know about Ron Paul, and about the teaparty. It was going to be an historic event that would change the world forever.
In the meantime the ads were still bad. Many complained of the strategy of the Official Campaign in Iowa and NH. Ron Paul was not spending enough time in these states, he wasn't broadcasting good ads either. But a team had been assembled to canvass in NH. We would win both states. We would obliterate the 12 million goal.
The beginning of the teaparty was so exciting. Watching that graph shoot to the sky in the first second of the day. We were in good shape to reach 10 million. Later on it dropped, but it spiked in the last hour to give us a record braking 6 million. That was it ! We did it! Almost 18 million, and we needed only 12 to win Iowa and NH.
Both states were now in the pocket.
But the Official Campaign ads were still bad. More complains about Iowans explaining that Ron Paul had to spend more time there. That he had to visit the small counties, preferably twice. Complains that the radio ads were the same for months, and that people were tired of listening to the same stuff. That the direct mailing was too long, and bad.
There was a rumor that the campaign was going to do something spectacular. Something risky, but incredible and that could win the election on the spot. It turned out to be an unfounded rumor. Big disappointment for me, but not really a surprise.
We had been asking for an infomercial for months. They finally made a 30 minute special for Iowa. I was excited, finally a good way to spread Ron Paul's complex message.
When I watched the Iowa special, I was first disappointed, then very angry. This was not the message I had paid to spread. This was not why I was a Ron Paul supporter.
"It is targeted for Iowans" they said. OK, but I still believe that the original message of Freedom was good for everyone. Including Iowans.
The there was a video of Ron Paul saying he didn't believe in evolution. That unnerved me.
Then the official campaign asks for 23 more million. That made me a little angrier.
Then came an immigration ad that had the phrase "No student visas from terrorist countries", or something like that. That boiled my blood. How dare them use my money to spread this hate speech? I was so pissed, I thought I could quit right there.
But I went back to watch my favorite videos. "A new hope", "Stop dreaming", to read some of Ron Paul's policies in his site, and let it pass.
This revolution is far more important than a stupid phrase in a commercial. Let's move on.
We ended the year with another moneybomb that got us almost to 20 million. Much more money than they originally asked to win both IA and NH.
We were trailing badly in the polls, but the polls were skewed, biased, wrong or they were a propaganda tool to distract us. OK, let's wait for Iowa.
The last Zogby poll predicted 10% and 5th place. Ron Paul said on TV, "We will do much better than the polls say".
We ended up with 10% and 5th place. We had just lost Iowa.
To be continued...
UPDATE:
A few days later we lost New Hampshire. I pretty much had given up, and started to see the donations plummet. I thought everyone had left the movement.
The payday moneybomb, the Benjamin's for Paul moneybomb were complete failures. Then came the second place in Nevada.
Then came the MLK bomb.
That moneybomb, raising almost 2 million in a day gave me new hopes. I still have great respect for everyone involved.
Tomorrow is super Tuesday, and I think that we are going to be dead last. I refuse to believe this movement is over ( it isn't), but the search for the Republican candidacy is over.
We didn't fail, but the official campaign did.
If Ron Paul was younger, I would have great expectations for next election. Having 4 more years to spread the message, would certainly give us the edge we need.
But he will be 76 by then.
We'll see...
It is not supposed to encourage or demoralize anyone. Just to share what I have felt and what I have thought over these few months.
I hope you enjoy it.
I have been a proud Ron Paul supporters since September of last year.
My first impression of him was very good. It was a video on youTube with the compilation of his responses in the Republican debate.
My second impression was even better, with one of Aravoth's videos (I think it was "A New Hope"), and right there and then I knew this was something great. It was the first political figure ever to generate lots of enthusiasm for me.
Never had I been enthusiastic about a political candidate. I had never before donated one cent to any campaign (never even considered it). Never had I felt so much that I was part of something big, something that could really change our country and the world for the better.
I truly believed that we could win. I still do.
But something bothered me from the start. His campaign started to produce cheesy ads that had nothing to do with the videos that made me a passionate follower.
There was an amateurish ad with bad actors, that seemed to be a compilation of fake testimonials ending with a terrible line: "He's catching on, I tell ya".
People said it was part of a larger strategy. Frankly, I just thought it was lack of money. They just couldn't hire professionals to do the job.
But then came other ads, each with very low production values, and none of them emphasizing the points I found so important. Small government, the constitution, non-intervention. One ad for NH was completely dedicated to abortion. Being pro-choice myself, this was a big turn off. Cheap strategists, cheap publicists.
The official campaign asked for 12 million dollars to be able to win both Iowa and New Hampshire.
More money was the solution.
Then came November 5th. This was incredible. People united to break a record, and then the media response. Wolf Blitzer excited "Amazing, Amazing". Definitely on the right track, Ron Paul was again on TV answering the question, why do you have so many followers? He responded with what I considered the truth: "It is the message. Freedom is popular".
What are you going to do to improve your low poll numbers? They asked. Ron Paul said he was going to start spending those dollars, and get more supporters behind him.
Another moneybomb! This was the way to go. I was so pumped up, I visited the Teaparty site daily and watched the pledges soar for the first days. This was going to be epic.
Everyone had to know about this. I told every person I know about Ron Paul, and about the teaparty. It was going to be an historic event that would change the world forever.
In the meantime the ads were still bad. Many complained of the strategy of the Official Campaign in Iowa and NH. Ron Paul was not spending enough time in these states, he wasn't broadcasting good ads either. But a team had been assembled to canvass in NH. We would win both states. We would obliterate the 12 million goal.
The beginning of the teaparty was so exciting. Watching that graph shoot to the sky in the first second of the day. We were in good shape to reach 10 million. Later on it dropped, but it spiked in the last hour to give us a record braking 6 million. That was it ! We did it! Almost 18 million, and we needed only 12 to win Iowa and NH.
Both states were now in the pocket.
But the Official Campaign ads were still bad. More complains about Iowans explaining that Ron Paul had to spend more time there. That he had to visit the small counties, preferably twice. Complains that the radio ads were the same for months, and that people were tired of listening to the same stuff. That the direct mailing was too long, and bad.
There was a rumor that the campaign was going to do something spectacular. Something risky, but incredible and that could win the election on the spot. It turned out to be an unfounded rumor. Big disappointment for me, but not really a surprise.
We had been asking for an infomercial for months. They finally made a 30 minute special for Iowa. I was excited, finally a good way to spread Ron Paul's complex message.
When I watched the Iowa special, I was first disappointed, then very angry. This was not the message I had paid to spread. This was not why I was a Ron Paul supporter.
"It is targeted for Iowans" they said. OK, but I still believe that the original message of Freedom was good for everyone. Including Iowans.
The there was a video of Ron Paul saying he didn't believe in evolution. That unnerved me.
Then the official campaign asks for 23 more million. That made me a little angrier.
Then came an immigration ad that had the phrase "No student visas from terrorist countries", or something like that. That boiled my blood. How dare them use my money to spread this hate speech? I was so pissed, I thought I could quit right there.
But I went back to watch my favorite videos. "A new hope", "Stop dreaming", to read some of Ron Paul's policies in his site, and let it pass.
This revolution is far more important than a stupid phrase in a commercial. Let's move on.
We ended the year with another moneybomb that got us almost to 20 million. Much more money than they originally asked to win both IA and NH.
We were trailing badly in the polls, but the polls were skewed, biased, wrong or they were a propaganda tool to distract us. OK, let's wait for Iowa.
The last Zogby poll predicted 10% and 5th place. Ron Paul said on TV, "We will do much better than the polls say".
We ended up with 10% and 5th place. We had just lost Iowa.
To be continued...
UPDATE:
A few days later we lost New Hampshire. I pretty much had given up, and started to see the donations plummet. I thought everyone had left the movement.
The payday moneybomb, the Benjamin's for Paul moneybomb were complete failures. Then came the second place in Nevada.
Then came the MLK bomb.
That moneybomb, raising almost 2 million in a day gave me new hopes. I still have great respect for everyone involved.
Tomorrow is super Tuesday, and I think that we are going to be dead last. I refuse to believe this movement is over ( it isn't), but the search for the Republican candidacy is over.
We didn't fail, but the official campaign did.
If Ron Paul was younger, I would have great expectations for next election. Having 4 more years to spread the message, would certainly give us the edge we need.
But he will be 76 by then.
We'll see...