Let’s Launch the Ron Paul Blimp!

The Ron Paul Revolution is about to get some air support. Trevor Lyman of ThisNovember5th.com fame and Elijah Lynn of Colorado have formed Liberty Political Advertising, LLC, which is planning to lease the 190-foot Skyship 600 for at least one month, beginning on December 10th in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The blimp will display slogans including "Who is Ron Paul?", "Google Ron Paul", and "Ron Paul Revolution", and be visible up to three miles away.

The initial flight plan includes stops in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston (to coincide with the TeaParty07 money bomb), before spending three weeks patrolling the skies of New Hampshire, keeping a watchful eye on the Ron Paul ground troops below. This flight path will travel the densely-populated Eastern seaboard, and spend the most time where it can help the most, in New Hampshire where the mainstream media will be covering the first primary of the campaign.

If the blimp proves to be an effective publicity generator, the second month of operation will begin with a launch toward another key early primary state, Florida.

Judging from initial reactions in the blogosphere and the mainstream media, the Ron Paul blimp will generate many times the direct costs of operation and promotion in free publicity. Even before getting airborne, the blimp has already been mentioned in The Wall Street Journal, The San Diego Union Tribune, and The Los Angeles Times.

Plans for the blimp have also generated some controversy. Ron Paul supporters had pledged over $500,000 toward the blimp by late last week, with the initial idea of forming a Political Action Committee to allow pooled donations capped at $5,000 per individual to go toward the independent expenditure of leasing the blimp.

When those most committed to carrying the plan to fruition emerged from their consultations with top legal counsel, however, they had formed a for-profit entity, selling advertising timeshares with no upper limit. This generated complaints from many supporters, but Lyman and Lynn responded admirably to those concerns.

Expenses for the project are listed in extensive detail on the blimp website, planned salaries were cut in half, and a reasonable refund policy (net of expenses already incurred) was established in case the blimp effort is under-subscribed. The company will allow an independent audit committee full access to ensure financial integrity.

If you want the blimp to fly, and Ron Paul to receive the benefit of the blimp's advertising and the media attention it will generate, this is the only way to achieve that now. There is no one standing by with another blimp, or with a different organizational structure. If the blimp project falls short of the amounts pledged and never flies, critics of the movement will surely point to that result with their customary derision.

If you've already pledged to support the blimp, I urge you to follow through on that pledge. I pledged last week to help put the Ron Paul blimp in the air, and I have paid up on that pledge today. I hope you will join me in putting Ron Paul's name in the skies over New Hampshire prior to its crucial early primary.

Let's launch the Ron Paul Blimp!