Only a 'Punk' Wouldn't Volunteer for Ron Paul, Says New Video

“Anybody under 70 who’s not making a phone call on his behalf is a punk.” That’s the opinion of Ron Paul enthusiast and phone bank volunteer Ann, who’s featured in a new video from his campaign posted today.

The Paul campaign is also running ads on a Christian Iowa site whose founder has endorsed Rick Santorum. Along with Paul, Herman Cain and Santorum are looking to gain traction in Iowa as the state’s caucuses close in.

Ann, who tells video viewers she even makes calls to potential voters during her lunch break, marvels at Paul’s stamina: “Frickin goin’ across the country, like, do you know how hard that is?”

The “Volunteer for Ron Paul – Phone From Home” video cuts from images of Paul to young phone-banking volunteers, to Ann alongside fellow Paul supporter Kirby. Though it is clearly targeted to young voters, the colloquial commentary of the two Paul phone bankers is sure to win the campaign earned media coverage, similar to the way a recent video from the Herman Cain camp had news outlets buzzing about Cain’s smoking chief-of-staff.

The video promotes the “Phone Bankers for Ron Paul” Facebook group, which features a call script, and several complaints of phone bank system errors from volunteers.

With less than two months until the January 3 caucuses, GOP presidential hopefuls Paul, Cain, and Santorum are using targeted videos and web ads in the hopes of raising money and building volunteer support to help push people to the polls in the early vote that could make or break some candidates.

In what appear to be targeted ad placements, the Paul camp is running display ads on Caffeinated Thoughts, a Christian Iowa blog whose founder Shane Vander Hart has endorsed Rick Santorum, and on The Iowa Republican, which reported on the endorsement of Santorum by Chuck Laudner, a conservative political operative in Iowa.

It so happens that Santorum recently posted videos thanking Vander Hart and Laudner for their endorsements, naming them specifically. The campaign launched its “50 Days to Iowa Money Bomb” yesterday, which allows supporters to set up custom fundraising sites – a staple of President Barack Obama’s online fundraising approach.

The Paul ads link to a “Declaration of American Sovereignty” petition, which focuses mainly on immigration and border security. “Your American Sovereignty Protection Act will end Birthright Citizenship and welfare benefits for illegal immigrants while securing our borders by increasing the number of border patrol agents.”

Meanwhile, as Herman Cain continues battling sexual harassment claims and a concerns about his knowledge of foreign affairs, a recent video from his campaign is aimed squarely at Iowa farmers.

“Over regulation is killing the American farmer,” says former Iowa Farm Bureau president Dean Kleckner in a video posted earlier this month. Cain has been running display ads promoting his 9-9-9 tax plan, which have included Iowa-centric messaging. An ad seen on Drudge Report last week highlighted his fundraising goal of “$999,000 before 11/9/11 for winning Iowa.” More recent ads suggest “9-9-9 means jobs.”