AUGUSTA, GA- Running for president is pretty expensive. For a candidate who does not get the levels of press that the front-runners get, it can be tricky when you follow traditional means.

That is a big reason why Ron Paul, a Republican congressman (who is more accurately described as a Libertarian than a Republican) from Texas who is running for president, is doing everything from Internet campaigns to barbecues at Bobby’s in Aiken County.
Most of his fundraising is being done at the grassroots level, which has almost become a cliché in politics these days. However, it’s quite apt for Paul’s performance.

Last week, on Nov. 6, Paul’s campaign announced $4.2 million in contributions from donors via the Internet — in one day. That’s why we decided to drop in at his event at Bobby’s BBQ.

Paul is gaining traction so far, largely because of his unconventional attitude. He does not follow in lockstep with the GOP party line. He’s not a supporter of the Iraq War and is opposed to large government. He is still not considered a “top tier” candidate, though.

So who are these supporters who are willing to give money to a candidate that you may not have heard very much about? Based on what we saw at Bobby’s, it is an oddly broad coalition of people who usually have a few general things in common: disillusionment with the two mainstream political parties, dissatisfaction with the way that their taxes are being collected and spent (not to mention the amount), concern over illegal immigration and disappointment with the erosion of our national reputation.
David Vine is the Meetup organizer for Paul in Aiken. Vine exemplifies this style of support.

“People have recognized that, between Democrats and Republicans, there’s no difference,” Vine explained. He went on to say that Paul “is the junction between liberal and Libertarian,” confirming the different sort of attention that this candidate is garnering.

He is completely a volunteer, unaffiliated with the campaign. He arranged for a fundraiser using Meetup, which is an online social networking site, to be held at Bobby’s BBQ on Saturday, Nov. 10. This is the first campaign in which Vine has participated, which is not unique among Paul supporters.

Joe Verant, a military reservist, traveled from Columbia with his wife, Beth, to participate in the fundraiser. He has been a Libertarian, and thus was familiar with Paul before his presidential bid. Paul is the first politician Verant has offered financial support to. The most important issue in this election for him was simply “taxes.”

Republicans and Libertarians are not the only ones getting behind Paul. Dr. Mike Vasovski, a general practitioner in Aiken, describes himself as “a Democrat who votes Democrat.” He turned to Paul after the Republican presidential debate in Columbia where Paul had a strong showing, particularly on his opinions concerning national reputation.

Even though he may not be your typical Republican, Paul is still running as one and some of his views will reflect that. He is pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, anti-illegal immigration and anti-big government. Paul’s opinions on small government are strong enough to bear mentioning twice. These traditional conservative values appealed to Mel Minitor, an assistant organizer with Vine, who said, “The more I read [about Paul], the more I liked.”

For more information on the Aiken Ron Paul Meetup group, visit http://ronpaul.meetup.com/653/ or ronpaul2008.com.