Official Poll - 1/9/08 Should Ron Paul Accept Matching Funds?

[santopia]

If matching funds is the difference between victory and defeat, TAKE THE MONEY AND WIN.

 

[Zym]

Don't the matching funds come from the "check this box if you want $1 of your taxes to go toward the presidential campaign" box on our income tax forms? If so I would consider it a voluntary tax, and not out of line with Dr. Pauls beliefs.

 

[ladyliberty]

I want him to take back the money that was stolen from me and other taxpayers and use it for something GOOD! I can think of no better way to do that than to use it to win this election!

 

[FreeTraveler]

THIS IS NOT UP TO THE GRASSROOTS!

DR. PAUL DID NOT ASK!!

GO DO SOME GRASSROOTS STUFF!!!​

 

[freedominnumbers]

To the 108 who said yes in some form so far. I'm disappointed to know you'd sacrifice principles when it suits you.

Principles need to be maintained when they help you and when they hurt you. It is NEVER ok for the government to seize my money and give it to Hillary, Romney or even Ron Paul. This money is no more set aside and prepaid than social security.

 

[jp5065]

Hell yea. 20 Mil from "The Man" to help destroy them... How can we NOT take it? I understand not wanting to on principle, and I GUESS it could hurt him in the long run... But I'm still in favor I think.

Except it's not "from the man" it's from the taxpayers... aka me and you

 

[Vizacar]

To the 108 who said yes in some form so far. I'm disappointed to know you'd sacrifice principles when it suits you.

Principles need to be maintained when they help you and when they hurt you. It is NEVER ok for the government to seize my money and give it to Hillary, Romney or even Ron Paul. This money is no more set aside and prepaid than social security.

??? I voluntarily checked that box when I filled out my taxes for the past couple of decades and there is no better reason to spend MY donation then to help the good Dr. get elected.

 

[Wyurm]

Matching funds come with restrictions. The campaign is already not doing enough, why would you want to limit it even more? Matching funds are usually accepted by failing campaigns such as McCain's.

Oh, and this poll is pointless since there are not enough members on the FEC board to vote for matching funds. This requires 4 votes and there are only 2 members on the board at the moment, unless they have resolved that.

 

[slinkymaster]

no way, he'd just be bashed as a hypocrite, and we all know that he would never take the funds.

 

[nate895]

No, that means he can only spend a maximum of 40 mil, and we can reach that ourselves with the next money bomb.

 

[MikeStanart]

Make polls all you want.

The fact of the matter is: He Won't Do It.

 

[MayTheRonBeWithYou]

When do the matching funds kick in?

 

[DealzOnWheelz]

ok guys alot of you think he should but the reason he won't is because when you accept matching funds the FEC puts alot of limits on how much you can take per quarter and also limits on what you can and can't do with the money

we all know we can get him a shit load of cash alot more than the fed matching funds would allow

this is why he won't take them on top of the fact that it is against his principles

 

[Ron LOL]

When you're the principle candidate, you aren't allowed to violate your principles.

 

[RevolutionSD]

He would get slammed in the media for not being principled, but that money could really get our message out. Anyway the media will attack him no matter what right now so what's the difference? Bad press is better than no press.

 

[kotetu]

My point of view is thus:

If he accepts matching funds, that is one way for ME to control how MY tax dollars have been spent.

Ron's had over 100,000 donators, and has raised around $30,000,000 dollars. So, if we all take the point of view that this is $300 of our tax dollars that have already been pulled from our paychecks, then it feels good to me. Honestly, this feels like for the first time I will have really had a say in what the government does with my money. All of that money would NOT be going to Iraq or to welfare, etc. The CIA could not use my money to overthrow Iran. Musharraf would not get my money this time around.

See what I mean?

 

[kotetu]

fyi how it works:

Contributions from individuals where the aggregate amount contributed by the individual is $250 or less are eligible to be matched on a dollar for dollar basis from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. This Fund includes proceeds from the voluntary check-off of $3 per person from income tax returns of eligible taxpayers. Candidates may submit any contribution from an individual (including those where the contribution amount is more than $250) in order to receive matching funds for the first $250 of the contribution. Some contributions included in these files, therefore, will also be included as detailed entries in the regular financial disclosure reports submitted by the campaigns.

http://www.fec.gov/finance/2004matching/matching.shtml

 

[expatinireland]

I didn't realise that Ron Paul might not accept matching funds. Federal matching funds is a rule of the game. I won't vote for another candidate but I won't donate any more of my hard earned money if Ron Paul does not soon announce that he will take the matching funds that are due him. Talk about deliberately putting oneself at a disadvantage. If he doesn't take matching funds the campaign will vaporise.

This is about winning *&@% it! It's not a mental exercise.

 

[expatinireland]

There should have been another choice in the poll.

Yes, I am happy for Ron Paul to take the matching funds and don't understand why he wouldn't.

 

[BiPolarBear]

There should have been another choice in the poll.

Yes, I am happy for Ron Paul to take the matching funds and don't understand why he wouldn't.

Ditto - that is where my vote would have gone.

I don't understand what the problem is here? This is money that was essentially donated via a check box on tax returns...Am I mistaken here? If so, can someone point me to some better info on the subject?