The genius that is ThisNovember5th.com

Sorry, dearly devoted readers, for the dramatic pause between posts. I've been keeping up with what's been going on in the Republican Primary Race but didn't feel an unquenchable desire to contribute anything for awhile.. 'til now that is. See, I firmly believe that Ron Paul, and true conservatives like him, actually have a chance to win elections... over the last six months I had become quite frustrated with the lack of accurate information surrounding these truly conservative issues, which meant that the chances for successful candidates on a conservative platform were unlikely. Hence this blog... my own little way of spreading a little information around so that I can feel like I had done something. Well, as the months progressed, it seemed like accurate information was starting to get disseminated more frequently and from multiple sources, so the need for this series of posts was, I thought, diminished. But a funny thing happened. The Ron Paul campaign blew up.

See, about a month ago, Ron Paul announced they had raised a huge chunk of change (5.3 million or so) in the third quarter. And what was even better, they still had over 5 million in the bank to spend on advertising and running their campaign well into the primaries. This put him in line with the big boys. For someone who has "such low polling numbers", this was big news. This contradiction of low awareness and high fund raising caused quite the stir, and the subsequent backlash of repeated interviews in the mainstream media has been quite entertaining to watch. They all were asking why this guy was getting so much support all of a sudden. I mean, it didn't make any sense (to them). So why did this cause me to have to pick up the blog again? If he's still getting mainstream media attention a full month after his fund-raising figures were announced?

The problem is that the mainstream media are still asking the same stupid questions, over and over again... and in the classic definition of insanity... expecting a different answer. "Why are you getting so much support?" "Because the message of liberty is popular!" "Who will you vote for if you don't get the nomation?" "Anyone who can honestly say they will support a non-interventionist foreign policy and personal liberties here at home." What the mainstream media fails to recognize is that none of the other candidates are actually offering a platform based on individual liberties (at the cost of government largess). So, it's not just the candidate (one we can actually trust to deliver on the message), but the message itself that appeals to people. Funny how that works, isn't it? Well, it's time the media (and the nation blindly looking to the media to tell it what's going on) to listen to the answers and move on. Start asking why the other candidates can't find any constitutional authority for their initiatives for example. Start asking about the failed "managed care" system we have or the criminal devaluing of the currency currently underway by the "Federal" Reserve. Start asking why "they" hate us and "who are these islamo-fascists" we are supposed to hate back... to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars worth of tax payer money spent in this unending religious war.

But they won't. They still think the campaign is a gimmick... one that can be covered only for it's oddity and then back to the regular programming. Okay, so that covers why I'm writing again. Now you're asking what's this got to do about ThisNovember5th.com?

It's simple really. Someone, somewhere thought that it would be cool to create a money bomb - a single day campaign contribution total that would knock everyone's socks off. Millions of dollars raised in a single day by tens of thousands of people who wanted to be heard. But they needed a day that would be a rallying cry of the masses... and what better day then a day that has become a fashionable nerd culture classic - "Remember, Remember the Fifth of November!" It's a actually a real live holiday (from the UK) that was made popular in today's "youth" culture through a graphic novel and recent movie adaptation based around the fictional bombing of Parliament on Guy Fawkes day - called "V for Vendetta". This is a graphic novel my brother introduced to me many years ago and it was profoundly moving... essentially a comic book that struck many political chords with me in a way I hadn't experienced before. In the end, it's about a massive popular revolt against an oppressive and evil government. Very fitting indeed that the grassroots effort that has organized this money bomb chose this particular day, for this particular candidate with this particular message. The genius is that while many people see the day as a great opportunity, others find it too controversial given the uptight nature of people when it comes to "terrorism". What no one seems to realize is that if a marketing campaign isn't controversial, someone didn't do something right :) The more the subject of the November 5th campaign is discussed, the bigger the November 5th campaign will be. Let the controversy go on!

I was immediately hooked and started thinking of ways I could help reach the goal of $10,000,000.00 raised in a single day. The site - ThisNovember5th.com - is just collecting those who want to make it clear that they are intending to donate. I've signed up and I'm now trying to get as many people to sign up as I can. Even if you don't sign up, please consider donating this Monday, November 5th. Even if you don't know if you are going to vote for Ron Paul or not, help get the message heard. All donations must go through RonPaul2008.com

And tell a friend or sixteen to Remember, Remember the Fifth of November.
-Andrew Douglas