Loyal Ticket readers from the 2007-08 presidential primary months will remember our many items about the amazing long-shot political campaign of Republican Rep. Ron Paul, Dr. No or Dr. Know-Nothing, depending on your viewpoint. (In fact, over in the right margin here under Categories, you can find an entire Ron Paul story archive to reminisce through.)

The now 11-term Texas congressman raised more money in the final quarter of 2007 than any other GOP candidate, including all the far bigger names.

Fueled by funds from millions of fervent supporters, many new to politics spontaneously roaming the Internet as chanting patrols of talking-point enforcers, his campaign haul totaled some $35 million. A remarkable feat that in many ways presaged the later tea party protest movement against federal spending.

Paul’s campaign millions were way more than what’s-his-name-the-ex-Arkansas-governor who lost so much weight, surprisingly won the Iowa caucuses and went on to do not really much else except get a commentating job on Fox News, the company that banned Paul from its New Hampshire Republican debate.

Shame, shame.

A former losing Libertarian presidential candidate (aren’t they all?) and a retired ob-gyn who delivered 4,000 babies, Paul is even older than the old guy the Republicans eventually chose as their standard-bearer against the $750-million campaign of the hopey-changey guy from Illinois. That Democratic candidate was, btw, only 11 years old when his VP, Joe Biden, entered the U.S. Senate.

Here’s one typically outrageous and ridiculous thing that Ron Paul did: He ran his hopelessly outgunned presidential campaign as if it was a business, not even spending more money than he had in hand. C’mon now, how laughable is that in this day and age in modern America that someone who wants to run the federal government should live within his own campaign means? Just like normal people who live on a real budget with no ability to vote themselves a pay raise and a higher debt ceiling when no one is watching C-SPAN!

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