Ron Paul: Will Online Turn Into Offline?
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Iowa, Polls, Romney, Ron PaulI’ve written about this pretty extensively now.
Paul’s offline poll numbers remain low. Just 2 percent of Iowans surveyed at the end of July said they would vote for him in the 2008 Republican caucus among the field of current GOP presidential candidates, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released Sunday. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney still leads the pack with 26 percent of Iowans saying they would pick him.But political commentators and pundits are keeping an eye on Paul’s campaign, since his success Saturday could tip the balance for second-tier presidential candidates.
“I think that’s what’s the most fascinating … how Ron Paul will do,” says Julie Germany, deputy director of George Washington University’s Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet. “His supporters have overwhelmingly been on the internet,” where blog rankings, YouTube videos and enthusiastic forum participation make his support appear “two or three times what it really is.”
Again, I think this could either be a turning point for Paul or a sign that he may need to think about running on a 3rd party ticket. Somehow I think it’s going to be the latter, given how much Romney is spending…
One candidate, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, has assembled an unrivaled operation for the event: a statewide corps of 60 “super-volunteers,” who have been paid between $500 and $1,000 per month to talk him up; a fleet of buses; more than $2 million in television ads in Iowa; a sleek direct-mail campaign; and a consultant who has been paid nearly $200,000 to direct Romney’s straw poll production, which will include barbecue billed as the best in the state.
Whoa. I don’t want to be that consultant if Romney loses.
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August 10th, 2007 at 11:01 am
“a statewide corps of 60 “super-volunteers,†who have been paid between $500 and $1,000 per month to talk him up”
I’m sorry, but isn’t a ‘paid volunter’ an oxymoron?
Peace be with you.
August 10th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Remember, that was what killed Howard Dean’s campaign, that Romney-style spending.
God, I hope he loses. That would so SWEET… all that cash wasted to get 2nd or even 3rd and he still only polls at 6% nationally (basically within the margin of error of being beneath Ron Paul).
August 10th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
He won’t lose. But it’s unclear that winning will get him much for his money either. Personally I think spending so much in Iowa will prove to be a mistake for him.
August 10th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
super-volunteers . . . . That’s going in the NewSpeak dictionary!
August 10th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
This is interesting. I want to trust that the poll is conducted honestly; but this is certainly questionable:
http://vote-ron-paul-2008.blogspot.com/2007/08/romney-leadership-team-member.html
The Story County Auditor is Mary Mosiman; she is in charge of oversight of the Straw Poll voting procedure. She is also part of Romney’s “Presidential Leadership Team”.
August 10th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Glove Romney can get bent. I don’t know anyone who thinks he’s worth the time.
August 10th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
“I’m sorry, but isn’t a ‘paid volunter’ an oxymoron?”
Indeed my friend indeed.
Its funny how he has to pay people to promote for him.
How much has Ron Paul spent on his Meetup Groups?
Spend Spend Spend !
August 10th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Justin,
After writing all these blogs I am still amazed that you don’t get it yet. Ron Paul supporters are not quitters. We will plow forward regardless of some silly straw poll results. This is not about some straw poll, election, or even political candidate. This is about Freedom, Liberty, Constitution, and America. These ideals are eternal. I will be a supporter of these ideals every day of my life. It would be ridiculous to say I would give up on Freedom, Liberty, Constitution, and America because of some straw poll.
We will overcome in a similar way that Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and our Founding Fathers who faced tough odds and succeeded in bringing positive change to the world. This is not about one election. It is about a way of life.
August 10th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
[...] Ron Paul: Will Online Turn Into Offline? Donklephant – USA “I think that’s what’s the most fascinating … how Ron Paul will do,” says Julie Germany, deputy director of George Washington University’s Institute for … See all stories on this topic [...]
August 10th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
Ron Paul cannot lose in Iowa. Other candidates have great expectations and may well drop out if their expectations in Iowa are not met.
On the other hand, Ron Paul’s real world campaign is just getting started. Any showing in Iowa will be OK. If he finishes a point or two ahead of his standing in the “mainstream” polls, it will be a huge victory for him.
If he happens to finish ahead of any one of the “leaders,” it will be a revolution.
Of course Romney has to pay his “volunteers.”
Other candidates HIRE support. Ron Paul INSPIRES it.
August 10th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Mitt who?
August 10th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Only two or three times? Come on Ron Paul guys, you can do better than that!!
August 10th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Exactly…Mitt who? I agree Tom J. that Ron Paul’s support is different because it is his message that is powerful. It is a message that is not easily stopped.
August 10th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Stop quoting old statistics as far as polling data please. I’ve seen the same stats for two months now.
I’m not 20 something, a kook, a traitor or someone who follows blindly. I’m respected in my community and I promote Ron Paul because if you listen, read, learn and look at what’s really going on in gov’t you’ll see no other choice. It’s something that takes “guts” to implement and many people are afraid of change. We either do it now though, or we will lose our sovereignty and what little privacy we have left. Just Google Patriot Act 2 and read. It’ll scare the **** out of you.
It’s sad if a politician gets voted in based on his budget and how much “glitz” his campaign can create. I trust Americans have not reduced themselves to that.
I’m not a “paid volunteer”. I promote Ron Paul actively because it’s our countries only choice if we want to stay the USA that our founders intended.
August 10th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
I would rather give $$$ TO Ron Paul (which by the way I already have and so should you [again]) for the absolute PRIVILIDGE of supporting him and his message than take 5 years at my current salary in $$$ to support ANYONE that is a member of the CFR.
To whomever blogged under the pen name Thomas Jefferson: Thank you, reading your post truly gives meaning to what is REALLY going on in this rEVOLution and inspires me to keep up the work. I am proud to be your brother in this very real revolution.
We will not falter… The Revolution is NOW! Be a part of it!
August 10th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
“Ron Paul supporters are not quitters.”
Very good post, Tom Jefferson. We are not quitters because we want to save our lives. America is up against the wall, and if Ron Paul loses, we know this may be the last election. Ron paul supports the second amendment. So should you.
August 11th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
I am a unpaid Super Volunteer for RON PAUL. My wife and I stayed up till 2AM last night making Ron Paul signs and today we went out on the highway to show the signs. Oh it is also our 12th anniversary as well. We topped the day with some great political discussions and organizing at our Woodlands Tx Meetup group.
PS
We got many thumbs up from the people on the road viewing our signs. IT is building we are going to WIN.
GO RON GO
August 12th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
To whomever mentioned the council on foreign relations, thank you. All they do is decide how much Americans should be fleeced for the world elite causes. Imagine John Edwards thinks we should educate Africans, as taxpayers, while our own schools are falling apart and the department of education sinks into the black hole of beauracracy. We would not miss the dept of education 1 bit. As a matter of fact schools have headed south every year since its inception.
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:37 pm
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Read and sign the Ron Paul Is Right – Abolish the Federal Reserve Petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/fed/petition.html
Please link to the petition and forward this message to your friends and help the general public wake up during the current financial panic conditions to the problems we face from the Federal Reserve and Ron Paul’s solution.
Also read comments from hundreds of signers who aren’t shy in saying what they think of the FED.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:24 am
I just blogged in response to this: Graphictruth: Ron Paul – the strength of ten, for his support is pure.
“For myself, I tend to analyze things like this from a different perspective; I figure for everyone motivated enough to go out and stand in the cold waving a sign, there are probably ten that will be motivated enough to vote for Ron Paul in a nice warm voting booth- if only as a seeming “none of the above” vote.
Hell, it’s about the only choice for Republicans that want to be able to sleep at night – and he’s attractive to Conservative Democrats as well. The accusations of racism haven’t hurt him at ALL in that quarter. Sadly, it’s quite possibly a very significant quarter.”
But if you were to twist my arm and predict a winner – my bet would be that whatever the results, nobody currently in the field of political prognostication will be anywhere close. I think the most important factor in this election is the HUGE gaps between MSM, the political “smart money” and the actual voters. I also think that RP is about the only campaign addressing people other than their “usual suspects,” Kucinich being a possible exception.