Fundraising Comparisons

No question that the RNC has trounced the DNC in fundraising, with the Republicans finishing February with $25M cash on hand versus about $4.7M for the Democrats. That figure ought to stand by itself.

But the moment Republicans try to make any further comparisons.... they might want to note that the presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain has less cash on hand than the DNC -- $3.7M when his debts are taken into account. Clinton and Obama raised more than $80M last month combined. If you add their totals to the DNC's total, then the Democratic general election machine outraised the Republican election machine.

As I resume light posting.... where has McCain's small donor base gone?

Comments

FUNDRAISING COMPARISONS

And here I thought, judging by the title of your post, that you were to discuss Clinton's outright lies in regards to February fundraising numbers.

But I doubt that memo has come through the Clinton-pipes.

Posted by Craig | March 21, 2008 2:00 PM

Hey Marc, have you noticed the link on Andrew's page regarding Clinton's February numbers? Turns out she didn't raise anywhere near $35 million. If I recall, this amount was held up as prove she was still super viable. In reality, she was just lying. Can anybody trust her?

Posted by NHCt | March 21, 2008 2:00 PM

Honestly I don't think there is a McCain small donor base. He's anathema to the party base and for months he's been vilified on conservative talk radio, until he became inevitable. And now talk radio is down on their knees, along with Hannity and the talk show circuit. I think McCain is just tearing the party apart. Especially his recent pro-immigration phrasing - man talk about hitting the hot button. Which is funny b/c the Latino vote would be available to McCain if he ran against Obama if the Republicans didn't come off as so afraid of scary brown people.

Posted by N M | March 21, 2008 2:18 PM

I would like to hear Marc's take on the fact that Hillary's $35 million Feb. fundraising numbers included a $5 million self-loan and $10 million from her Senate campaign.

I remember pointing out repeatedly that the public statements about public fundraising by the campaign didn't at all jive with the announced numbers, and now we see why.

So, to reiterate, in a month where Obama raised $55 million from the public, Hillary didn't quite hit $20 million.

Smart to conceal it though -- the trickle of superdelegates would have become a deluge if this had been disclosed before now. So she in fact prolonged her candidacy... but at what price?

Posted by Jeff Larson | March 21, 2008 2:45 PM

Let's also not ignore Hillary ending the month with a fair amount of debt - close to $9 million. Hope all her donors believe Penn and Wolfson are worth it!!!
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=4493002

Posted by Judy | March 21, 2008 3:14 PM

Hey, I just found two million reasons why Hillbilly will not quit the campaign!

From NYTimes:

"Despite a strong month of fund-raising in February in which she brought in $35 million, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton finished the month essentially in the red, once her campaign’s outstanding debts are factored in, as well as her personal loan, according to filings submitted late last night to the Federal Election Commission.

Mrs. Clinton finished February with more than $33 million in cash on hand, but $21.5 million of that is earmarked exclusively for the general election, leaving her with $11.7 million for the primary.

Mrs. Clinton, however, loaned her campaign $5 million earlier this year and she listed $8.7 million in debts to various vendors, making clear why she has not yet paid herself back from her loan."

What this means:

$21.5 million is for the general election --- if she loses the nomination, she has to return that money to the donors.

So she has $11.7 million LESS $5 million she and her husband lent the campaign, less $8.7 million in unpaid debts.

That is a deficit of $2 million.

If she folded today, she owes $2 million dollars.

That is her two million reasons why she has to keep campaigning at all cost --- to pay the debt.

The only thing that is going to stop her is if her income from contributions start to drop below her operating costs, so she runs up a even bigger debt if she doesn't stop.

It is all about Hillbilly's money.

Hillbilly, it is time to call it quits. $2 million is pocket change when you can go on to make speeches about things like your three fifths rule and delegate arithmetic.

Tell Bill to go make speeches about Monica to make it up instead.

Quit while you are not any further behind.

Posted by D | March 21, 2008 9:06 PM

Maybe some of the Hillbilly staffers can open up some kind of business that brings in $4,500 per hour per staff member ?

That would turn around the finances real fast.

Posted by D | March 21, 2008 9:09 PM

HRC is hiding. On the surface it's been a hard week for Obama, but underneath it's been harder for her.

The Ferraro/Wright stuff added to Bill's constant racial innuendo are hurting Obama but also making her look very petty and divisive.

Her warchest's size was smoke and mirrors; she can't afford much more of this campaign stuff without a huge influx of dough. She's in the red. Obama isn't.

The sanctions against Michigan and Florida held. No chance for Hillary to seat those delegates... her last best chance to win the nomination.

Although "cleaned" of most things damning, HRC's released White House schedule showed her in NAFTA strategy meetings. Add that to her public remarks at the time regarding NAFTA, and the picture becomes clear that she was a supporter.

HRC fought for Richardson's endorsement and lost it. When you can't pull in an endorsement from an appointment from under your husband's presidency, it isn't comforting. With her extreme level of ability and experience she claims, how could she lose someone so close to Clintonia? So, she lost a somewhat embarrasing endorsement. Now her campaign is attacking Richardson on tv as a "Judas." Again, the anger and vitriol look bad on her.

Behind closed doors there is talk of the "high ups" asking Hillary to concede for the good of the "team."

Overall, a vary bad time for HRC...

Posted by Kai_in_LA | March 22, 2008 5:04 PM

The proof that Hillbilly don't have any experience is that she was 'in' the NAFTA strategy meetings according to the WH calendar.

Keep in mind that good old Newt and Bob Dole came in demanding that NAFTA be ripped up, and within 2 weeks of coming to power, they sheepishly said they would pass it. Imagine what kind of a briefing they must have received from the USTR's office in the mean time.

Hillbilly knew that she cannot seriously undo NAFTA because Bill would have told her so.

For her to campaign as if she is going to do anything substantive to change the agreement or to withdraw from it is one of:

- fraud: she knew she is going to walk away from the issue once she is elected. Therefore, her campaign promises are what they are....

- total incompetency: she sat in on all these meetings, had Bill lecture her, and still, she doesn't get why NAFTA is so overwhelmingly to the US's advantage.

The last Presidential candidate to have campaigned using Free Trade as an issue ended up getting the US a much worst deal than it could have otherwise gotten if he had just kept his mouth shut.

But that is about as hard to do as keeping Monica out of the White house... as Hillbilly found out.

Now that the calendar is public.... you mean to say she never walked into Bill's office just to say hello? Unannounced?

I always wondered, beside Monica.... how many and who else?

Posted by D | March 23, 2008 12:27 AM

Dem candidates breaking all records....rolling
in cash...yep, the Dems....party of the little
people. Clinton proved that a rural Bubba can
become a multimillionaire...after his public
service ends. How does that work? Will that
scenario play out for all of you little people
out there willing to give your hard earned bucks
to your "candidates"? Hillary will "work for you"
if you pony up for her. If you do, you're a
horse's ass.

Posted by interferon | March 23, 2008 8:22 PM

Was there ever a resolution on the McCain public financing business? Life would be a lot easier if he suddenly got indicted.

Posted by Tony | March 23, 2008 8:38 PM