Ron Paul Rally Offers Glimpse at Support
Much as his freedom-oriented, decentralized approach to governing would unleash the creative energy of the American people, Ron Paul's freedom-oriented, decentralized campaign is unleashing the creative energy of his supporters. The latest project of note is the "Ron Paul Rally", an on-line mural where supporters can post their photograph and a short summary of what they are doing to help him win the Republican presidential nomination.
The results are impressive. In the first eleven days, the rally already boasts 1,248 Ron Paul supporters, with pictures posted from all fifty states. The idea behind the rally is to show that Ron Paul's supporters are real people, contributing time and energy to the campaign in significant numbers. The pictures have already been used for some clever mosaics, including one of Ron Paul and another of a can of Spam.
The site is also collecting real-time stats on the Ron Paul supporters who join the rally, and these reveal some interesting facts about his support. While nearly everyone has done something tangible for the campaign, over half have donated money, with an average donation of $210 and a median of $100. The rally-goers are young, but not as young as might be expected, with a median age of 29.5 and an average of 32.6.
The biggest surprise to me (though perhaps it shouldn't have been) is that Libertarians make up only 22 percent of his support on the site. While Libertarians are overwhelmingly backing his bid for the Republican nomination, independents make up the biggest segment of his support. If the statistics of the rally approximate those of Ron Paul's entire base of support, scientific polls that exclude independents, or underestimate the likelihood that they will turn out to support him, could be missing more votes than the much-talked-about landline vs. cell phone issue.
The rally also lists membership by state, with the three most populous states of California, Texas, and Florida leading the way. By comparing the number of supporters per state to each state's population in millions, I made a rough calculation of where Ron Paul's popularity is the highest. Pro-freedom strongholds like New Hampshire, Idaho, Vermont, Wyoming, and Alaska are near the top of the list, but Maine, Tennessee, and Oklahoma lead the way:
Ron Paul Rally Members per Million Residents
All stats were taken from the rally site on July 31st.
Read more at Paul 4 Prez
The results are impressive. In the first eleven days, the rally already boasts 1,248 Ron Paul supporters, with pictures posted from all fifty states. The idea behind the rally is to show that Ron Paul's supporters are real people, contributing time and energy to the campaign in significant numbers. The pictures have already been used for some clever mosaics, including one of Ron Paul and another of a can of Spam.
The site is also collecting real-time stats on the Ron Paul supporters who join the rally, and these reveal some interesting facts about his support. While nearly everyone has done something tangible for the campaign, over half have donated money, with an average donation of $210 and a median of $100. The rally-goers are young, but not as young as might be expected, with a median age of 29.5 and an average of 32.6.
The biggest surprise to me (though perhaps it shouldn't have been) is that Libertarians make up only 22 percent of his support on the site. While Libertarians are overwhelmingly backing his bid for the Republican nomination, independents make up the biggest segment of his support. If the statistics of the rally approximate those of Ron Paul's entire base of support, scientific polls that exclude independents, or underestimate the likelihood that they will turn out to support him, could be missing more votes than the much-talked-about landline vs. cell phone issue.
Ron Paul Supporters by Political Party
35% -- Independent
27% -- Republican
22% -- Libertarian
12% -- Democratic
3% -- Constitution
1% -- Green
The rally also lists membership by state, with the three most populous states of California, Texas, and Florida leading the way. By comparing the number of supporters per state to each state's population in millions, I made a rough calculation of where Ron Paul's popularity is the highest. Pro-freedom strongholds like New Hampshire, Idaho, Vermont, Wyoming, and Alaska are near the top of the list, but Maine, Tennessee, and Oklahoma lead the way:
Ron Paul Rally Members per Million Residents
| Maine | 9.2 |
| Tennessee | 9.2 |
| Oklahoma | 8.9 |
| New Hampshire | 8.5 |
| Idaho | 7.3 |
| West Virginia | 7.2 |
| Vermont | 6.7 |
| Wyoming | 6.0 |
| Alaska | 5.7 |
| South Carolina | 5.6 |
| Virginia | 5.5 |
| Arizona | 5.5 |
| Alabama | 5.4 |
| Florida | 5.4 |
| Connecticut | 5.1 |
| Oregon | 5.1 |
| Texas | 5.0 |
| Utah | 5.0 |
| South Dakota | 5.0 |
| Maryland | 4.8 |
| Colorado | 4.8 |
| North Carolina | 4.7 |
| Missouri | 4.7 |
| Indiana | 4.6 |
| Rhode Island | 4.5 |
| Georgia | 4.5 |
| Illinois | 4.3 |
| Louisiana | 4.2 |
| Arkansas | 3.9 |
| Hawaii | 3.8 |
| Kentucky | 3.8 |
| California | 3.7 |
| Iowa | 3.7 |
| Washington | 3.6 |
| Minnesota | 3.5 |
| Montana | 3.3 |
| Kansas | 3.2 |
| New York | 3.0 |
| Ohio | 2.8 |
| Michigan | 2.8 |
| New Mexico | 2.5 |
| Wisconsin | 2.3 |
| New Jersey | 2.3 |
| Nebraska | 2.2 |
| Delaware | 2.2 |
| Massachusetts | 2.0 |
| North Dakota | 1.7 |
| DC | 1.7 |
| Nevada | 1.6 |
| Pennsylvania | 1.5 |
| Mississippi | 1.0 |
All stats were taken from the rally site on July 31st.
