Huge RP Rally Planned for Chicago!

We're talking about $1000. I live on a modest income, and even I could afford this (I guess saving money does that to you). Almost any middle class person who isn't financially retarded could afford this. This fundraiser is open to anyone and everyone that has the money until they run out of room. It's not like they are specifically saying only business owners and the like can come in. I also predict that the speech will be available online to watch.

We have to realize that he's becoming very popular, and he needs to cash in on this. There aren't any venues big enough to hold everyone that wants to see him. Now if there are "secret" meetings with people or other funny business, then yes, that should be investigated, but I don't really see a problem with this. (No, I do not plan on attending this, though I plan on donating)

You said: Wealthy Donors Want One-on-One Another aspect of this, I think, is the fact that individuals willing to donate large lump sums of $$ may want and expect a less frenzied atmosphere at which to bend the candidate's ear on issues important to him or her.

Exactly, and as such it smacks of "pay to play" and that such ilk. Especially the "private briefing" title... which implies a "smoke filled back room" where the "adults" will go to talk, while the "kiddies" are left to shout and play outside without "bothering" the adults. Will the "private briefing" be videotaped and youtubed like other events? If NOT then why not?

The goal can NOT be simply raising money, since small $ from 10,000's of donors can (and has -- witness the MeetUp competition) generate MORE money than $1k donations from a small number of people (Ironically, I will call as witness the income tax -- it steals relatively "small" {to rich people} amounts of money from the large volume of the populace -- and raises more in that way than heavily taxing the relatively few of the "elite").

As to raising Millions and Millions, he's been doing pretty well at spontaneous giving, sans the coercive and pander tatics of standard politicos. To me walking down that "traditional" path at all is poisonous to the soul, and becomes inherently corrupting to the campaign at multiple levels (i.e the influence isn't merely or even most significantly on RP himself, but rather what effect it has in co-opting and "re-educating" his main campaign people).

It could also have a NEGATIVE effect on RP's existing donor base. I was an early supporter, and made a $500 donation in March (RP donor #7 from my state), another in July, and I **WAS** planning to continue with another in October & December/January to "top out" at $2300.

Now the campaign is essentially "demanding" my October money "now" (sorry I don't go in for pressure tactics) -- and if they are seeking lots of SmokeFilled room donations (which I could technically afford, but reject "on principle" as corrupt and corrupting) then the campaign is in many ways "rejecting" my TYPE of donation as no longer critical -- and as a result is risking insulting me (and my "type" of donor) and will *potentially* go bereft of all of the remaining donations I was planning on making (much less my work locally).

In addition, I have been making significant efforts and time donations locally and am [was?] funding, preparing, and on the very cusp of rolling out a really cool idea for grassroots campaigning that everyone could do, and which has significant "potential" for a large impact nationwide. (Of course maybe I'm deluded on the value of that idea... but the potential is there, and if I abandon it, that potential will be lost--like a winning lottery ticket never purchased).

Now -- because of several things I'm seeing in the "HQ" campaign -- and surprisingly to even myself, I am beginning to question whether it would be wiser to wait or set aside all of that, and see whether this campaign IS being co-opted or not. (Sorry just speaking my TRUE thoughts and doubts directly out loud here.)

Guess it's just that I have always had a "cat-like" ability to sense the presence of a rat in the room -- normally long before anyone else has a clue...most often the rat HAS subsequently been exposed (BTW, I *never* supported GWB as I smelled the *rat* right away and knew the entire campaign platform was a smoke screen; and that his "christianity" was a sucker's bet to get the ReligRight onto his team. Was I not correct?). Now true, I have also been wrong sometimes, and no rat has become visible, but as I have been right substantially more often than wrong... (at least as far as I know -- again maybe I'm deluding myself and am way offbase).

So, I'm just getting really concerned here... and while not solid in my change of attitude, am growing very bothered by what I'm seeing.

(BTW, the irony is that absolutely NO ATTACK on RP from the outside would worry me anywhere near as much as the liklihood of this inside-team co-opting does. Reagan's whole campaign was infiltrated and co-opted by the Bush league, which effectively negated nearly the entire value of Reagan's original ideals and team -- and eventually led us to the NWO of GHWB and the neocons into positions of importance.)

...in being bothered by the $1000 per seat type events?

Or the "Campaign Fundraising Update" letter that was sent, which provide no "update" of information TO me... merely somewhat insisting that if I was planning on donating more, it needed to be done "now"... in exact words it said:

If you've been planning to make a donation to our efforts, we can't stress enough how essential it is to do so before the September 30th quarter deadline.

Some how that (in combination with $1000 per head appearances) strikes me as strange. Can't say exactly why... just a gut feel that there is a subtle "standard politico dishonesty element" creeping in...

By that I mean something as subtle as the title of that email... it COULD have been titled "Urgent Funding Request" or "3rd Qtr Fundraising coming to close...Request for final donations" both of which would have honestly reflected the content of the letter. Which contained absolutely no "update" information whatsoever.

Nothing wrong with the email's title, nor with it's content... just that the two did NOT belong together... i.e. the cover did NOT match the content.

That is NOT Ron Paul... but it *is* standard politico operative work. Same with having $1K per person events. With RP's enthusiastic following, you could raise the same TOTAL dollar amount (or more) by having a $100 per person event and allowing in 10 or 20 times the number of people. Raising the bar to $1K is a specific "exclusionary" tactic, again, not RP (at least not in my experience) -- but definitely standard politico work.

There is a significant danger here... a line that is being crossed...(into politics as usual?). I suppose it was (is) inevitable. Somehow it strikes me as a change in direction, and in the end, a mistake; perhaps a fatal one.

Sorry for thinking & saying that out loud... but can't help the feeling that I've been "here" before, and seen this happen before, and my gut says it doesn't feel right. Am I just having a bad day or ???

Co-opted... that's the word.

God I really, truly, sincerely hope that I'm wrong about all the above.