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On November 5, 2007, Ron Paul’s presidential campaign raised $4.3 million and broke the record for the most amount of money collected online by a political candidate in a 24 hour period. This past weekend, Ron Paul just broke his own record by raising $6 million. What has this meant for the candidate hoping to receive the Republican nomination? The only candidate to increase his fundraising haul every quarter, Paul’s aids have claimed that over 2/3 of this money came from online. More importantly, they suggests that this is a sign that a diverse mass of voters are looking to the unconventional candidate to make a difference. Truth be told, the donations could make a major difference for Paul as they allow him to gain more access to the media. Will he actually pick up more political support because of this exposure? That remains to be seen.

Discussion Questions:

1. Has the internet strengthened the democratic process of electing a political candidate?

2. Who gives to Paul’s campaign? Are they representative of the mainstream follower of politics?

3. Why is it that some candidates have better luck raising money online than others?