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White House hopefuls make final push ahead of fundraising deadline
All of the presidential candidates, including President Obama, are putting the squeeze on donors as Thursday’s midnight deadline for second-quarter fundraising looms.
The president will attend a fundraiser in Philadelphia on Thursday — though presumably he will not cross paths with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R), who is also raising money in the city.
Romney is expected to bring in the biggest haul for the quarter, given his considerable personal fortune and proven money-raising capacity. Last month, he raised $10 million in a single day in Las Vegas, and he’s had several fundraising stops on his schedule the past few weeks.
But Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) could give him a run for his money. The three-term lawmaker has proven adept at winning the support, and opening the wallets, of social conservatives and Tea Party activists.
She outraised Romney in the first quarter — $2.2 million to $1.9 million when the figures from her political action committee and congressional campaign were combined.
The second-quarter numbers will be of more interest, however, since both of the contenders announced their presidential campaigns during that time.
Also under close scrutiny is former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who’s been on a weeklong East Coast fundraising tour to try to boost his campaign coffers.
Pawlenty, who is in Florida Thursday, is struggling to gain ground, especially after a report that about a half-dozen of his aides were working for free or for little pay. Not helping matters is the scant 6 percent he received in last week’s Des Moines Register poll of likely caucus-goers. Pawlenty has made Iowa a centerpiece of his campaign strategy.
Former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman (R) will be making his debut this quarter. Polls show Huntsman lacks name recognition among voters, which could hamper his fundraising at this time, particularly since he just announced his campaign nine days ago. Observers also will be poring over his report to see if Huntsman, who’s from a wealthy family, loaned his campaign any cash.
Also being watched will be Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), whose fundraising prowess in the 2008 campaign surpassed expectations. Paul emailed supporters last week, asking them to help him haul in $3 million before Thursday’s deadline.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) has been in a downward spiral since several senior aides quit en masse and two members of his fundraising team departed soon afterward.
In an email sent on Tuesday, subject-lined “No Compromise,” Gingrich appealed for donations “of any amount, even if it’s only $10.” He also noted that for his supporters, “it’s been a rough ride the past few weeks.” But, he added, “I hope that my concentration on substance will outlast the media’s concentration on gossip and process.”
Obama is expected to top all of his Republican rivals, and he tapped into his vast network of online supporters Wednesday, sending an email appeal for donations.
The email, which bore the subject line “They’re wrong,” asserted that “A lot of folks will be interpreting our numbers as a measure of this campaign’s success. They’re not wrong, but they are wrong about why.”
The president argued that the number of people who contributed to his campaign was more important than the total sum of money raised.
“We measure our success not in dollars but in people,” the email said.
Obama broke records in individual donations last cycle, and those numbers will be watched closely again this time amid speculation his could be the first billion-dollar presidential campaign.
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