Christmas Miracle? Ron Paul Blimp Close to Take Off UPDATE 1

Friday, December 07, 2007 - FreeMarketNews.com

Only yesterday, an innovative marketing vision supporting the presidential campaign of Ron Paul (R-Tex) was losing altitude faster than the notorious and tragic Hindenburg blimp. The grand vision of a vast hot-air balloon hovering over the Super Bowl asking the Randian question, “Who Is Ron Paul,” was seemingly deflated, a victim of unfilled pledges and generally slow fund-raising.

Twenty four hours can change a lot. Today, Friday morning (EST) with nearly $190,000 in actual donations, and more money regularly pouring in to www.RonPaulBlimp.com, it looks as if the vision of Trevor Lyman and his associates will soon achieve some sort of take off.

Lyman, the volunteer marketing guru for the presidential campaign of Jeffersonian conservative Ron Paul (R-Tex) will likely help Ron Paul raise up to $10 million by mid December through various “mass donation days,” and now his dearest brainchild is shaping up as well.

If it flies, as it seems to be on the verge of doing, modest Lyman, who only yesterday was “almost broke” according to friends, will thank thousands of Ron Paul supporters who decided the "big idea" of a high-flying blimp was impassioned as his fundamental belief in Ron Paul, which nearly led him to bankruptcy.

Only 24 hours ago, an impassioned and “grim” Lyman reached out to the Ron Paul community for help to salvage the blimp project, after certain pledges taken by the blimp site turned out to be bogus. The dire need was for $200,000 - and that seems almost achieved, as of this writing, Friday AM/EST.

But yesterday, friends carried the word to Ron Paul web sites and news networks such FMNN that Lyman was literally down to his last dollar and would be returning to his music marketing business. Now, the blimp looks likely to fly - as improbably as the limited government campaign of Ron Paul itself. Fund-raising will continue as long as Ron Paul supporters believe in it, according to sources close to the project.

These supporters add that the for-profit status of the project was invented purely as a legal response to FEC regs, and that Lyman himself is first and foremost - and always - a supporter of Ron Paul and his limited-government beliefs, and that has always been his sole motivation. He still, as of this writing, has not taken a penny of a modest blimp stipend, despite his circumstances. Likely he will have to, at some point, unless someone can lend him some money.

http://www.freemarketnews.com/WorldNews.asp?nid=52289

There are hurdles of course, as to be operating on anything but the proverbial shoestring, the project needs continued donations - and funding in excess of $200,000. But sources close to the project are betting that with the generous support of the Ron Paul community, the blimp will fly for weeks and even longer.

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UPDATE: A press release has been issued about the blimp as follows:

Presidential Candidate Ron Paul Has a Blimp

7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Supporters of Presidential candidate Ron Paul are excited to announce the launch of their very own privately funded Ron Paul blimp. In less than a month the idea has gone from a wishful post on a website to a full-blown and flying reality.

Launch date is set for the morning of December 11th from Elizabeth City, NC where the blimp will then fly north to New Hampshire with stops in Washington D.C., New York City and Boston. The blimp will be met at each stop by thousands of Ron Paul supporters who will come to cheer it on as it continues its journey while passing over stadiums, parks, highways and anywhere else people gather.

This is a historic event as no other candidate has ever had their own blimp, let alone one initiated by and paid for by their supporters. Paulites, as they are known, have pledged to donate over $420,000 to fund the blimp for as long as it is needed.

The blimp measures 197 feet long and over 66 feet high, making it one of the largest airships in the world. Along with two pilots the blimp comes with a ground crew of 15-20 that travel with the blimp and assist with landing and takeoffs. The gondola seats 12 passengers, plus the pilots. These seats will be made available to supporters, veterans, charities, dignitaries and the media.

The Ron Paul blimp plans to be in Boston for the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party on December 16th where it will join supporters on the ground who will be protesting the high level of taxation we experience. Weather permitting, plans have it in New Hampshire for as long as possible up until the New Hampshire primary at which point it will fly south to South Carolina and Florida.

Contact:
Bryce Henderson, Media Coordinator
Liberty Political Advertising, LLC
www.RonPaulBlimp.com