REMEMBER DAVE WOTTLE!

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PAUL is Doing POORLY

At least that's what we keep hearing. But how and what are they measuring?

In fundraising the Paul campaign is at the top. He has raised over $25 million over the past six months, plus another half million for the blimp, plus all the other private endeavors. Not only that, the contributions have come from the largest amount of individual donors. He's not connected to the political and business machines of Hillary and Julie-Annie. He doesn't have the Hollywood connections of Fred Thompson, or the military connections of John McCain (yet he has raised more money from active military personnel than McCain, or anybody else). He doesn't have the personal wealth of Mitt Romney. Money cannot be spammed on the internet (except maybe by the Federal Reserve).

Paul's contributions come in amounts of less than $100 per donor. That means he has a LOT more individual donors than any other candidate. People who donate money to a candidate are likely to also vote for him. If the phrases "money talks" or "put your money where your mouth is" have any meaning, Rep Paul has much more support than the media polls are indicating.

In the mainstream media polls, he is just now breaking the double-digit mark. They obviously are not polling those who contribute to his campaign. Actually, they usually poll only GOP voters who have voted in the past and are likely to vote in the next election. But Rep. Paul also gets much support from independents, Libertarians, new voters, young voters, and even Democrats. Enough support from them to match the support from standard Republicans. That pushes him over 20%, easily enough to compete, even win, in a race with four or five opponents. Remember, those poll numbers are from the mainstream media, who is more hostile to Dr. Paul than they are to any other candidate.

The recent AOL "hack proof" poll (if anyone can make a hack proof poll, it would be the world's largest internet provider) pegs Paul at 25-30% and leading most States.

What about situations where people actually cast votes - the straw polls? There have been 52 straw polls across the 50 States. Dr. Paul has won 29 of them. He placed 2nd in seven, 3rd in another seven, and out of the top three in just nine (five of them in 4th). Head-to-head, Dr. Paul has more than double the victories of any GOP opponent.

When people actually vote, Ron Paul handily breezes past the rest of the field like he did in his younger days as a State Champion track star. Don't be surprised to see that trend continue. Like a savvy harrier, Paul has timed his kick perfectly. He already lapped Brownback, Gilmore, and Tancredo. Keyes is nowhere in sight. Thompson is running backwards. Romney is getting leg cramps. Julie-Annie is fading fast. Huckabee is fading almost as fast as he spiked. Paul is kicking up the pace just in time for the primaries.

Some of you may remember Dave Wottle's exciting victory in the 1972 Olympics, surging past the favorites at the finish line. I've experienced this myself. I was a distance runner in school. Because I was small and scrawny, I couldn't keep up with the bigger, stronger guys at the start. I fell back to dead last place in every single race. But I ended up winning half of my races, and finished in the top three in all but one race (in which ironically, I ran my best time). That's very similar to Dr. Paul's finishes in the straw polls. We're about to see deja vu all over again.