# Ron Paul levells the playing field ? Wow ! **URL:** \ **Category:** Lounge\ **Created:** [November 6, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/ron-paul-levells-the-playing-field-wow/6446 "2007-11-06T17:39:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tacitus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@tacitus](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/tacitus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/ron-paul-levells-the-playing-field-wow/6446/1 "2007-11-06T17:39:16Z")
Is this the ultimate protest vote unfolding ? Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, aided by an extraordinary outpouring of Internet support Monday, hauled in more than $4.2 million in nearly 24 hours. Paul, the Texas congressman with a libertarian tilt and an out-of-Iraq pitch, entered heady fundraising territory with a surge of Web-based giving tied to the commemoration of Guy Fawkes Day. Fawkes was a British mercenary who failed in his attempt to kill King James I on Nov. 5, 1605. He also was the model for the protagonist in the movie “V for Vendetta.” Paul backers motivated donors on the Internet with mashed-up clips of the film on the online video site [YouTube](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21646939/#) as well as the Guy Fawkes Day refrain: “Remember, remember the 5th of November.” Paul’s total deposed Mitt Romney as the single-day fundraising record holder in the Republican presidential field. When it comes to sums amassed in one day, Paul now ranks only behind Democrats [Hillary Rodham Clinton](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21646939/#), who raised nearly $6.2 million on June 30, and Barack Obama. 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 it in speeches and interviews. “It’s been kind of building up virally,” Benton said. The $4.2 million represented online contributions from more than 37,000 donors, fundraising director Jonathan Bydlak said Monday night. Paul has been lagging in the polls behind Republican front-runners. But he captured national attention at the end of September when he reported raising $5.2 million in three months, putting him fourth among Republican [presidential candidates](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21646939/#) in fundraising for the quarter. ---
**Author:** ![tacitus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@tacitus](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/tacitus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/ron-paul-levells-the-playing-field-wow/6446/2 "2007-11-06T17:46:18Z")
"In the [1988 presidential election](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election%2C_1988), Paul defeated American Indian activist [Russell Means](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Means) and musician [Frank Zappa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Zappa) to win the [Libertarian Party](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Party_%28United_States%29) nomination for ([President of the United States - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._president)).[10] ([Ron Paul - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul#_note-nytimesmagazine)) Although he had been an early supporter of [Ronald Reagan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan), Paul was critical of the unprecedented [deficits](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deficit) incurred by Reagan’s administration, for which Paul’s opponent [George H. W. Bush](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush) had been [vice-president](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_President_of_the_United_States).[35] ([Ron Paul - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul#_note-campaign1996)) On the ballot in 46 states and the [District of Columbia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington%2C_D.C.),[40] ([Ron Paul - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul#_note-1988nytimes)) he placed third in the [popular vote](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_vote) with 431,750 votes (0.47%), behind Republican Bush and Democrat [Michael Dukakis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Dukakis).[41] ([Ron Paul - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul#_note-16)) Paul was kept off the ballot in [Missouri](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri) and received votes there only when [written in](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Write-in_candidate), due to what the _[St. Louis Post-Dispatch](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_Post-Dispatch)_ called a “technicality.” ([Ron Paul - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul#_note-17)) ---
**Author:** ![smoothplayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@smoothplayer](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/smoothplayer)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 8:38am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/ron-paul-levells-the-playing-field-wow/6446/3 "2007-11-08T08:38:32Z")
WOW! $4.2 million in 24hrs is amazing! I’m very happy that he’s gaining momentum!