"The presence of the obscure Republican congressman from Texas on a list that includes terms such as "Sopranos," "Paris Hilton" and "iPhone" is a sign of the online buzz building up around the longshot Republican presidential hopeful -- even as mainstream political pundits have written him off."
That paper points out that Rep. Ron Paul is more popular on Facebook than Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. He's got more friends on MySpace than former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. His MeetUp groups, with 11,924 members in 279 cities, are the biggest in the Republican field. And his official YouTube videos, including clips of his three debate appearances, have been viewed nearly 1.1 million times -- more than those of any other candidate, Republican or Democrat, except Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
According to the website Ron Paul 2008, Congressman Paul's consistent voting record prompted one of his congressional colleagues to say, "Ron Paul personifies the Founding Fathers' ideal of the citizen-statesman. He makes it clear that his principles will never be compromised, and they never are." Another colleague observed, "There are few people in public life who, through thick and thin, rain or shine, stick to their principles. Ron Paul is one of those few."
"That is still some great value when you look at everything else including the Technorati results," points out Gambling911.com Senior Editor, Payton O'Brien. "A $1500 payout for every $100 bet is a great return."
Carrie Stroup writes exclusively representing the Sportsbook.com brand for
the Gambling911.com website. Her political reporting for Gambling911.com
has resulted in an extended one year contract with the Sportsbook.com Group.
A heavy focus in recent weeks has been on Ron Paul. Ms. Stroup is bi-partisan
Admittedly, the folks from Sportsbook.com were caught off guard with the flood of bets placed on Ron Paul at 200 to 1 and later 100 to 1 odds with a potential payout of up to $20,000 on a $100 bet if he were to ultimately win.
"There will be a few people walking off with more than $20,000 if Ron Paul becomes the next US President," according to Sportsbook.com spokesperson and actress, Nikki Cox.
Not to worry, as the company processes more than $2 billion USD in wagers on an annual basis.
"To tell you the truth, I hadn't heard about this YouTube and all the other Internet sites until supporters started gathering in them," said Paul, 71, who said that he raised about $100,000 after each of the three debates; his campaign had less than $10,000 when his exploratory committee was formed in mid-February. "I tell you I've never raised money as efficiently as that, in all my years in Congress, and all I'm doing is speaking my mind."
By The Numbers...
Most Sought After Politicians Featured on the Gambling911 Website....
1. Ron Paul
2. Jon Kyl
3. Barney Frank
4. Barack Obama
5. Hillary Clinton
Ron Paul has garnered more inquiries than the remaining top 5 put together.
Paul is familiar with Sportsbook.com, however, though it is doubtful he will be placing a bet on his winning the US Presidency. Ron Paul has expressed disgust over the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act), which is a thinly disguised means of policing the Internet and, more specifically, online gambling. The UIGEA legislation was attached to an unrelated port security bill in an effort to ensure its passage. Paul is one of the few who voted against the bill.
Though public opinion polls and the media in general rarely mention Ron Paul, the San Francisco Chronicle explains that libertarians, who make up a small but vocal portion of the Republican base, intrinsically gravitate toward the Web's anything-goes, leave-me-alone nature.
"They also say that Paul's Web presence proves that the Internet can be a great equalizer in the race, giving a much-needed boost to a fringe candidate with little money and only a shadow of the campaign staffs marshaled by Romney, McCain and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani."
Paul, an obstetrician and gynecologist, is known as "Dr. No" in the House of Representatives. No to big government. No to the Internal Revenue Service. No to the federal ban on same-sex marriage.
"I'm for the individual," Paul said. "I'm not for the government."
"Ron Paul" The Second Most Searched Term After YouTube
By The Numbers...