GOP Funk: Top Dems Have Twice As Many Donors

[DeepModem Mom]

The Politico: GOP Funk: Top Dems Have Twice As Many Donors
By: Jeanne Cummings
April 16, 2007


Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., left, and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., right, share a laugh.
(Photo by AP)

From Congress to the presidential campaign, Republican fundraising is lagging while Democratic donations are surging.

Yet beneath the record-breaking million-dollar totals lies another statistic that could be more ominous in 2008 for Republicans: a yawning gap between the presidential primary fields' donor bases. According to campaign figures, the Democrats' top three candidates received donations from about 204,000 individuals. The first-tier Republican trio drew checks from 110,000, roughly half as many. That donor disparity helped give the Democrats a big first-quarter financial advantage.

The Democrats' top three candidates reported having $61 million in cash at the end of the quarter, compared with $29 million posted by the top Republicans. Of the nine presidential hopefuls who raised more than $1 million, six are Democrats, compared with three Republicans. Two of the Democrats' second-tier candidates -- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd -- matched or beat the quarter-end cash balance of the Republican front-runner, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

The risks to Republicans extend well beyond the first three months of this year. The gap also could be a disadvantage to that party's candidates in such grass-roots activities as voter registration drives and door-to-door get-out-the-vote efforts. Campaign experts say people who give as little as $5 to a campaign are more likely to put out a yard sign, attend a rally or volunteer for a local campaign office or event.

In the general election, the donor base imbalance could become a decisive factor, since both party nominees are expected to opt out of the taxpayer-subsidized campaign finance system and raise as much money as possible for their candidacies. Assuming the Democratic and Republican primary donor bases unite around the two party nominees, whichever side has the biggest pooled list of potential donors also captures a distinct fundraising advantage, said Democratic campaign strategist Joe Trippi....

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0407/3538.html

[rinsd]

1. # of donors, $ raised, $ on hand, lack of debt....we are DESTROYING the GOP (nt)

[Old and In the Way]

2. Anyway you cut it, the Republican brand is tanking.

And we've only started investigating the crimes and corruption of the Republican Syndicate. I wonder what the American voter will be thinking about Republicans in 15 months.

[Arugula Latte]

4. So much for Rove's permanent majority, eh?

:rofl:

[AuntPatsy]

3. Good news indeed.

[MissWaverly]

5. no more voter drives where they shred the dems registrations

Yippee!