He leads the second tier in cash-on-hand. He was able to get 1,200 people out to the Hy-Vee (has any candidate done something that big on their own, not at an RPI event?). His home base in Texas isn’t that far of a drive, and his people are motivated enough to come in from out of state for him. And he’s making a big push on his Web site, which for all intents and purposes, is his campaign.I was skeptical: Ruffini predicted that Paul's second quarter fundraising could top $4 million, then seemed awfully sanguine about Paul's "disappointing" $2.4 million haul. So I asked Paul's communications director Jesse Benton what the campaign would consider a victory at Ames.
"We expect to be in the top three," Benton said. "We've got four staffers organizing and we've got a lot of web site RSVPs from volunteers."
In 1999 George W. Bush won the straw poll after spending almost $1 million to buy the tickets attendees needed to cast their ballots. The Paul campaign won't buy blocks of $35 tickets: they're counting on a critical mass of Paul supporters who'll pay their own way.
"We're not trying to buy it like some people who will remain nameless," Benton said.