From The Founder's Desk
columnist: Walt Thiessen

Topic: Ron Paul
"Hotties 4 Ron Paul" Pinup Calendar In Limited Supply

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A group of women independently supporting the Ron Paul campaign have created a nudity-free calendar to help raise funds for the Paul campaign.

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by Walt Thiessen
(Libertarian)
Sunday, December 23, 2007

Juliet Annerino wanted to find an innovative way to support Ron Paul for the presidency. She found it. She created a pin-up calendar. There's no nudity in the calendar, and there doesn't need to be. This is a calendar that celebrates the women who support Ron Paul for their beauty both inside and outside, without resorting solely to sex appeal.

The idea might be surprising to some, but it makes perfect sense to Juliet and the women of the Hotties 4 Ron Paul calendar. Juliet says, "Graced with beauty not just skin-deep, but 'down to every chiseled cheek bone deep,' in social awareness and political activism, each and every one of these women is a dynamic advocate of Peace and Freedom in their support for the only man running for the U.S. presidency who can bring this dream to reality. That man is Congressman, Ron Paul, and these ladies are the torch-bearers of his New American Revolution."

This is a limited edition calendar, and there are no plans for a reprint. So once they're gone, they're gone. There are only a few hundred copies left, and they'll go on a first come, first-served basis. You are required to give at least $10 to the Ron Paul campaign and provide an email receipt to prove that you made the contribution. This permits you to buy your copy of the calendar for $15 plus shipping and taxes. 40% of proceeds from the sale of the calendar go to the Ron Paul campaign, so you end up helping the campaign two ways at once. The rest of the price simply covers the cost of creating and printing it. In short, they don't make any money on the calendar at all. Donors who have already maxxed out their contributions to the Paul campaign are given the alternative of supporting two fine non-profit organizations: Paralyzed Veterans of America and Homes For Our Troops.

It's hard to believe Michelle is a grandmother!

Historically, limited edition collectibles of various kinds have had tremendous upside potential as the years go by. If you've ever watched the Antiques Road Show on PBS, you know what I mean. This is a great way to support your candidate while making a small investment that could pay off big further down the line. Of course, there are no guarantees, but at these prices who cares? Even if there is no appreciation in value later on, you still end up helping the Ron Paul campaign right now, and the fringe benefits are nice too.

The idea was born and nurtured where so many similar ideas have been born, in the Ron Paul Forums. As usual, lots of people contributed to the effort. Dave of MagicPress Printing in Los Angeles is a Paul supporter who provided the printing services. Photographer Fred Branham shot six of the 12 women for the calendar. Juliet herself art-directed seven of the photos. She also contacted and selected the girls herself via Craigslist, Meetups, MySpace, and the Ron Paul Forums.

The ladies themselves have some very interesting reasons why they decided to participate in the calendar. Two of them are already famous. One famous hottie is Liv Gillon, the Ron Paul Girl of YouTube fame whose videos in support of Ron Paul have been downloaded by tens of thousands of people around the world during the past few months. Liv is Miss June in the calendar and appears in a patriotic red-white-and-blue bikini building a sand castle that looks suspiciously like the U.S. Capitol. It's amazing what you can do with a little sand and water.

Liv wrote in her calendar page, "I support Ron Paul because I'm a libertarian. I don't believe government should have the right to tell us what we can and can't do with what is ours. I don't believe citizens should be forced into supporting social welfare programs. Having been raised on welfare, I know first hand that, not only is the system unfair to the taxpayers, but it also does a gross disservice to the recipients as well."

Another famous hottie is Miss March, Michelle Shinghal (shown above) who writes under the name Lady Liberty at LibertarianLady.com. Michelle says on her page of the calendar, "Ron Paul is a life member of the Libertarian Party and ran for president under our banner in the '88 election. It's time to legalize freedom." Some might have trouble believing that Michelle is a grandmother after they look at her picture in the calendar. Shinghal wrote to me:

"I did the calendar because I’ve maxed out on donations to the campaign and know that sexy sells. As a county chairman in the Libertarian Party, I’ve seen firsthand the uphill nature of the fight for liberty. It’s difficult to challenge the status quo when so many think they depend on it.

"Juliet’s vision and her tying the purchase to donation will get Ron Paul some cash; the sex appeal of the calendar will get people interested, but the real meat of the calendar is found in the text that accompanies the photos. I get to support a man who shares many of my libertarian ideals and advance the cause of liberty and by extension, the LP. Besides, how often does a grandma get to feel young and sexy?"

Gina Dumania, Miss August wrote to me, "The reason why I wanted to be in this calendar is because I want to do everything in my power to get Ron Paul's Freedom message to as many people as possible. I believe that if anyone really takes the time to listen to Dr. Paul they will realize, without a doubt, just how much we need him as our next President. He is an inspiration, a hero and makes me feel proud to be an American again. Dr. Paul represents freedom, peace and prosperity ...he is the only candidate that can win for the people of America."

And Lisa Kelly, Miss January writes, "Besides being beautiful on the outside, all of the girls in this calendar are activists in the Ron Paul Revolution, and for that reason, I knew I was in good company. I am proud to help bring the Ron Paul message to my fellow Americans, and I hope our enthusiasm for Dr. Paul is evidenced on the pages of our calendar. It was Juliet's vision, and it was a good one!"

Juliet herself summarized the calendar's goals very well. She said, "I see this as a unique way to reach people with a very important message. As Niccolo Machiavelli said once, 'Most people have eyes and can therefore see. However, few people have the ability to reason. Therefore, appearances are everything.' The 'Hotties 4 Ron Paul' 2008 Calendar is simply a powerful message wrapped in a pretty package!"

It's a great way to start the New Year, too!

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2007 Walt Thiessen, all rights reserved.
Published: Sunday, December 23, 2007
Last modified: Sunday, December 23, 2007

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