On October 7, former Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul sent an email to his list urging financial support for Republican candidate B.J. Lawson (N.C.-4). The result has been an influx of hundreds of thousands of dollars for the campaign.

Excerpt of the email:

During my presidential campaign, we set records and shocked the political establishment with "Money Bombs." Individuals came together and pooled their contributions, large and small, to make a huge splash on one day. And, boy, did the Washington fat cats take notice!

Today, I am asking you to do the same for my friend B.J. Lawson. Will you make a contribution at www.lawsonforcongress.com?

I need B.J. in Congress with me to stand up for liberty and limited government, and against the Patriot Act and Wall Street bailouts.

Lawson is running against Democratic incumbent David Price who has one of the worst campaign websites I've ever seen.

The goal of Ron Paul's email was to bring in an additional $200K to the campaign; but it ended up bringing in over $250K for Lawson's campaign. (Lawson's campaign pushed the rest through their means.)

I asked Ron Paul's political director, Jesse Benton, about the money bomb and why Ron Paul decided to back Lawson. He said:

"The money bomb for B.J. Lawson was a confluence of three factors. First, Dr. Paul has tremendous fundraising appeal and his fans and supporters respond to his requests. His nationwide network is second to none. Secondly, B.J. Lawson is a great candidate, and people recognize that. Finally, Dr. Lawson spent time working with Dr. Paul's national following and developed name ID with them. Put all three together, and thousands of supporters came together to give a tidal wave of small contributions."

Will Ron Paul's extra $250K make the difference in the race? Perhaps. But one thing is clear, a national network of citizens like those connected by Paul can impact a Congressional race outside of the establishment.

Is Ron Paul a modern New Guard for the Right?