Spinners and Winners
What would you do if you were a college student who suddenly came into millions of dollars?
Founding a Super PAC may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but that's exactly what John Ramsey did when his grandfather died, leaving him with a generous inheritance. That inheritance made the 22 year-old Ramsey one of the youngest Super PAC financiers in the world.
Ramsey, who supported Ron Paul's presidential campaign, joined forces with 23 year-old Preston Bates to found the 'Liberty For All' Super PAC. Their goal is to elect so-called "freedom candidates" — like minded people who support limiting government and promoting civil liberties, although they bristle at being labeled libertarians. Liberty for All, which some have taken to calling the 'Brat PAC,' has already contributed over $3 million dollars to national congressional races since it began seven months ago.
"We're purging the Republican Party of the war-mongering, anti-civil liberties, socially intolerant neo-conservatives," says Ramsey. "We see these people as just as dangerous as the socialists that make up the Democratic Party."
So, what's the PAC's track record? Ramsey and Bates point to the primary election victories for three of the Republican candidates they supported: Tea Party-backed Congressional candidate Thomas Massie in Kentucky, Congressional candidate Kerry Bentivolio in Michigan, and Senate candidate Jeff Flake in Arizona.
While the Liberty For All PAC can stake a claim of success in these races, the PAC has come under criticism for its decision to support Bentivolio in Michigan's 11th Congressional District race. Bentivolio, a former school teacher and reindeer farmer, once said in a court deposition that he believes he is Santa Claus and resigned from his teaching job after reports that he was intimidating his students. Bates brushes off the criticisms of Bentivolio, saying his creative qualities make him a strong candidate.
As far as the presidential race is concerned, Liberty For All has steered clear of getting involved ever since the general election began. While the Super PAC did support Rep. Ron Paul's primary bid, Ramsey says he sees little difference between President Obama and Mitt Romney in terms of foreign policy and economic policies and thinks there will be little change no matter who wins the election.
With the election just a few days away, this young Super PAC will soon know if their investment paid off. But Ramsey and Bates say they're just getting started and are already looking ahead to the 2014 election, when they plan to target some high-level Republicans, possibly including South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.
To find out more about the Brat PAC and where they will turn their attentions next, check out this week's Spinners and Winners.