Love or hate him (I personally respect him, but strongly disagree with his views on most issues), Ron Paul has inspired the most remarkable bottoms-up netroots campaign this cycle (Obama is the best on the Democratic side, mostly because of his popularity among net-savvy younger voters). Their latest project follows up on their $4 million online take on Guy Fawkes day with a $10 million dollar goal for December 16, the anniversary of the iconic Boston Tea Party.
On December 16th, 1773, American colonists dumped tea into the Boston Harbor to protest an oppressive tax. This December 16th, American citizens will dump millions of dollars into the Ron Paul presidential campaign to protest the oppressive and unconstitutional inflation tax - which has enabled a flawed foreign policy, a costly war and the sacrificing of our liberties here at home.
Please join us this December 16th 2007 for the largest one-day political donation event in history. Our goal is to bring together 100,000 people to donate $100 each, creating a one day donation total of $10,000,000.
What's so amazing here is that $10 million is actually a realistic goal. If you had suggested such a thing were possible only a year ago, you'd be fitted for a straightjacket and tinfoil hat. But now, in light of the Guy Fawkes success and the pitch-perfect use of the Boston Tea Party, I would put money on the Paulites not just reaching, but actually exceeding, that goal.
Put the Paul campaign in a test tube and study it. There are lessons here for insurgent netroots campaigns at all levels (not just Presidential). A $10 million one day take (which is nearly a third of Obama and Hillary's total fundraising in a single quarter), is perhaps the most remarkable online feat ever engineered in campaign history.