I'd like to re-construct how the Ron Paul campaign raised $4.3M in 24 hours.
All signs point to this being an "independent" effort driven by the Paul community, and it probably started that way, but then I saw this nugget in today's Associated Press:
Paul spokesman Jesse Benton said the effort began independently about two months ago at the hands of Paul's backers. He said Paul picked up on the movement, mentioning in it speeches and interviews.
"It's been kind of building up virally," Benton said.
For those who have read Joe Trippi's, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," he notes an important turning point on the campaign was when Howard Dean, the candidate, linked his online presence with his personal campaign appearances by carrying the "bat" up on stage with him.
The "bat" was significant because it symbolized a fundraising goal that the community/campaign used on Dean's blog to show the community the progress of funds raised. Most people use a thermometer for a similar symbol and tick up the mercury as funds are raised.
Based on the nugget above provided by the Paul campaign, it appears that Ron Paul may have personally helped inspire/spread the importance of "November 5th." In other words, he was in on it from the moment he heard about it.
I like that.
What do you think? Are there more facts out there to help us piece together Ron Paul's personal involvement?
Comments
The first time Ron Paul
The first time Ron Paul mentioned the Nov 5 campaign was just before his Leno appearance last Saturday. He mentioned it again in a speech in South Carolina last week. He thought it was "neat." The campaign (probably Justine Lam, but I'm guessing) knew about it earlier because they were consulted when people worried that the site would crash under the onslaught of donations.
RP certainly never said anything negative about it from the time he mentioned it publicly that we ever heard, so in that sense, I guess you could say he was "in on it."
It was already a runaway train by the time he heard about it, though.
Thanks Tex
Very helpful. Do you know of any video footage which has Paul discussing it on the traile before November 5th?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0v3PpoivGA
That's one. I think there was one around the Leno interview, but I couldn't find it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT4GjkeTjuo
Thx again
Feel free to use HTML tags in your comments BTW
Take your tin-foil hat off.
Take your tin-foil hat off. There was no conspiracy.
This was purely grassroots. Yes, it is hard for the establishment types to grasp….
He mentioned it about a week beforehand, that's it
Dr. Paul mentioned it only in his campaign stops in South Carolina starting about a week before the drop. I was at one of the rallies and he said a total of one sentence about it: "Now my colleagues in Congress are coming up to me and asking how I raise all that money, because the media talks about it when I raise money. I've heard there's going to be a big fundraising day coming up, Remember, Remember the 5th of November." Everyone clapped and cheered and that was it. Most people had been planning to donate for a few weeks anyway.
Also, it was not in the works for two months, it was three weeks prior to the day that the person in charge put the thisnovember5th website up.
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