Rand Paul Senate campaign: Nationwide dollars working on a statewide scale
As rumors are circulating as to which politician may be able to lead the Tea Party movement into Washington D.C. many are talking but very few are working as hard as Kentucky US Senate candidate Rand Paul.
It has been an incredible two weeks for the Paul campaign. In a survey released by SurveyUSA Paul leads the GOP’s establishment candidate, Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson by 3 points, 35% to 32%. And a new poll out from Rasmussen shows that Rand Paul leads both potential Democrat opponents. He leads Attorney General Jack Conway by 10 points, 45% to 35%. And he also leads Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo 49% to 35%.
Paul also received two high profile endorsements. The first endorsement came from financial expert Steve Forbes. Forbes has long been well known and respected in the fiscally conservative wing of the political world. The Paul campaign is also now publicly backed by the Gun Owners of America, an important endorsement in the state of Kentucky where a majority of the citizens take their 2nd amendment rights seriously. Both of these endorsements demonstrate Paul’s appeal to the base of the conservative wing of the GOP.
But the most impressive achievement yet for the Rand Paul US Senate campaign has been their cash raising ability. Paul has already raised $1.7 million, and the general election is still over 10 months away.
The way that Rand Paul is raising money is somewhat unique. He has a built in nationwide fundraising system from the residual network from his father Ron Paul’s 2008 Presidential campaign. Having that broad base of financial support has helped fund the extensive traveling and campaigning Paul is now undertaking within the confides of Kentucky state borders.
While his Republican primary opponent enjoys the support of the GOP establishment, namely Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, it does not seem to be translating into votes. It will be interesting to see how extensively the RNC and the GOP establishment is willing spend resources on a campaign that is already looking desperate for Grayson. And if Grayson fails, will McConnell ever back Rand Paul?
While names such as Sarah Palin and Gary Johnson are thrown around as the potential leaders of the Tea Party movement, it is Rand Paul that is on the ground raising real dollars that look as though they will soon translate into real votes.
Comment by spinnikerca on 13 January 2010:
Go, Rand!
Comment by kenny on 13 January 2010:
Sarah Palin in no tea party leader. she is just a neo-con that is being run out of the gop by ron paul republicans and liberty minded folks. the neo-cons are in a panic,because they know we will not vote for them as republicans anymore,so they are trying to hi-jack the tea party. a neo-con is a neo-con.
Gary Johnson has credility, Sarah Palin has paris hilton.
In Colorado we already have ron paul republicans running as ron paul dems because the cogop is to corrupt. My wife will be running for town council as a dem and she is a ron paul supporter and we plan to remove the neo-con republicans from local/county and state and federally. the gop can ignore us but only by alienating themselves.
Our local gop thinks running opposing marijuana legalization will win for them. when our voters have voted several times to Legalize marijuana across the board with 70% plus of voters in my counties. if that is how they plan to win in Colorado. Then i bet they lose in 2010,2012,not to mention we are running a statewide campaign for marijuana legalization in 2012, that should pass with majority vote which the gop opposes and helped lie in the voter guide last time on this issue. my question is does the gop even have credibility left? i do not think so except for Ron Paul 2012, my dollars will speak for themselves if the gop wants to win or lose!! sincerely registered republican
Comment by kenny on 13 January 2010:
Gary Johnson has Credibility, typo sorry and of course Rand Paul 2010. this win should send a message to the failed gop leadership. of course we have been sending messages for 12 yrs now and they still do not get it???
Rand Paul must win if the gop wants a future. if the gop does not shape up soon. i expect they will be history along with the whigs…. fleeing to the tea party will not help the neo-cons, just means you will have 2 new unviable 3rd parties. the gop and the tea party. the gop is on notice!!
Comment by Darryl Schmitz on 13 January 2010:
I wish our own Senators were cut from the same cloth that Senate hopeful Rand Paul is. Sadly, they are not. I guess I can cheer the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky on and participate vicariously through their wisdom.
Comment by David on 13 January 2010:
Sarah Palin cannot lead the tea party movement or the GOP. Hopefully she sees the light and joins the Libert movement, but I am not holding my breath. Gary Johnson and Rand Paul are the real deal!
Hey, Kenny. Did I meet you and your wife in Colorado at my cousin’s wedding? Just wondering if you are the same guy. If so, good to hear from you. If not, good message anyway. Good luck!
Comment by Phil McKay on 13 January 2010:
I found this website dedicated to Trey and now I officially support Rand Paul: http://treygrayson.info
I really do not want the kind of guy that Trey is to represent me at the Senate.
Comment by ChrisCZ on 13 January 2010:
I also think Gary Johnson is the real deal. I’d vote for him without hesitation. And it’s fantastic to see Rand doing well in Kentucky.
The comment saying Sarah Palin has Paris Hilton was very funny, Kenny.
Comment by ron_paulite on 14 January 2010:
yes, sarah palin is neo-con and the moral-right. she’s definitely not libertarian.