GOP Presidential Candidates’ Fundraising Lags : Roll Call Politics
In the never-ending arms race of American political fundraising, campaign receipts are up this year in every category but one: Republican presidential hopefuls.
GOP presidential primary contenders are thus far emerging as the big losers in an election that otherwise appears largely unaffected by the recession. As of the close of the third quarter, 13 GOP White House candidates had collected just shy of $90 million, public records show — about 40 percent less than the $150 million that 10 GOP primary contenders had raised at the same point in the 2008 cycle.
Several factors explain the downturn, political observers say, including the unpredictable and wide-open nature of the primary; the importance of closely watched debates instead of advertising in the campaign’s early stages; and the growing role of nonparty outside groups such as super political action committees.