Gary Johnson supporters are putting together a Labor Day "Money Bomb," an online campaign fundraiser that collects donations in one day en masse to support Johnson's 2018 Senate campaign in New Mexico and draw earned media attention.
The hope is ostensibly to make Gary Johnson a very real contender for the U.S. Senate this November and make a strong showing of national support for the Libertarian Party's most credible ever candidate for the most winnable federal office in the LP's history, in what the Money Bomb website calls "The Best Opportunity The Libertarian Party Has Ever Had," noting:
"Gary Johnson still enjoys very high name recognition, credibility, and popularity in New Mexico. This 2018 U.S. Senate race with Gary Johnson as the Libertarian candidate is the most winnable federal election opportunity the Libertarian Party has ever had!
If there was ever a time to give money to a Libertarian Party cause, if there was ever a chance to establish a beachhead for the LP in the swampland of Washington D.C., this is it!"
To gather momentum toward the target date of Labor Day on September 3rd, the Money Bomb organizers are asking for pledges and is keeping a tally of pledge totals and amounts at GaryJohnsonMoneyBomb.com.
The first notable use of the Internet to raise mass donations was by Howard Dean's online savvy, antiwar campaign for president in 2004, but Ron Paul supporters took at to an entirely new level in 2007, coining the term "money bomb" for a single day of online fundraising to focus nationwide support for presidential candidate Ron Paul into a single, remarkable point of impressive and relevant electioneering.
Money Bomb supporters used viral advertising and social media to make the effort an historical, record-setting success.
On November 5th of that year (Guy Fawkes day) 35,000 donors raised $4.2 million in one day, with an average donation amount of $120, though the median donation amount was likely smaller with a few donors maxing out the FEC limit of $2,700 per candidate per election and raising that average.
On December 16th (the anniversary of the 1773 Boston Tea Party), a second Ron Paul money bomb raised over $6 million in one day for his presidential campaign.
That quarter Ron Paul, the limited government, antiwar, constitutionalist candidate, out raised every other presidential contender, greatly amplifying his message.
In 2010, even though Rand Paul's money bomb fell short of his campaign's $400,000 fundraising goal, raising instead, a still-impressive $258,000 in two days, it was enough to overwhelm his opposition and propel the Bowling Green, KY eye surgeon to victory on election day and a seat in the U.S. Senate.
This year, the Gary Johnson Labor Day Money Bomb, doesn't currently have a goal amount on its website, but notes that political donations stretch farther in smaller states like New Mexico:
"What makes this opportunity even sweeter, is that New Mexico is a very affordable state to run a Senate campaign in, where the Libertarian Party member's dollar will stretch much farther than it could against the two party system's billion dollar presidential campaigns, and races in expensive states like California or Texas.
But New Mexico has two Senate seats, just like every other state, and Gary Johnson will get just as much speaking time as any other Senator."
The money bomb's organizer has remained anonymous, signing the one page pledge site, "An American Guesser."
