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by Rod D. Martin
July 25, 2015
Most important political fact of the week: Ted Cruz has over 120,000 individual donors, vs. just over 12,000 for Jeb Bush.
For comparison, the entire Republican field combined had just about 71,000 donors in July of 2007.
Trump is sweeping the polls, but Ted is sweeping the people. It’s certainly adding up on the money side: Ted raised $52 million in 90 days; Jeb — with two ex-Presidents in the family and an air of inevitability — took six months to raise his $103 million. And in hard money — actual contributions to his campaign rather than mega-checks to a Super PAC — Ted beat Jeb $14 million to $11 million in half the time.
The rest of the field isn’t even close. Except for Rubio ($41 million), the next best performance came from Rick Perry: a paltry $18M. Rand Paul managed $7M. Rick Santorum got $600,000: barely enough to cover his sweater vest bill. And interestingly enough, our “inevitable” future President Hillary Clinton only managed $10M more than Ted.
The establishment hates Ted Cruz even more than it hates Donald Trump. And like Donald Trump, the biggest single reason is that he could actually win. He will certainly have all the cash he needs to outspend most of the Republican field put together. And while Trump can certainly fill a stadium, Cruz’s stadiums also fill his coffers: they are putting their money where their mouths are. And that’s a very big deal indeed.
None of this matches the official narrative. And that’s no small part of why it’s the most important political fact of the day.
Second most important political fact of the week: Donald Trump sweeps the field after the “scandal” over his comments regarding John McCain. It turns out no one especially likes John McCain (who knew?). Or to put it in the words of the story, “Trump’s comments ignited a firestorm of criticism from politicians and presidential candidates”.
Yeah, exactly.
Trump is at 28%, second place goes to a Scott Walker/Jeb Bush statistical tie at just half that. Everyone else is in single digits. Rick Perry and Lindsey Graham may not make the cut to be in the first debate.
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin and [former Howard Dean campaign manager] Joe Trippi are America’s two foremost experts on online politics.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
