Posted on 03/03/2012 8:23:45 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
WASHINGTON — As the Ohio Republican presidential primary enters its final days, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich can make a legitimate claim that he’s already providing a boost to the state’s wobbly economy.
Gingrich spent more than $5 million using Ohio vendors for his presidential campaign in the past four months alone — far more than any of the other three GOP contenders.
He spent the bulk of that money with two companies — Akron-based InfoCision and Delaware-based Strategic Media Placement Inc. — an affiliate of the Strategy Group for Media. In all, he spent $2.9 million with the former and $2.6 million with the latter, according to an analysis of his Federal Election Commission filings.
Those expenditures don’t necessarily translate into an overwhelming volume of campaign ads on Ohio stations or phone calls to Ohio voters, at least not yet. The campaign reports were filed in the days before Ohio’s primary heated up. But such expenditures show that, beyond the tug on voters’ attention, elections can provide some boost to a state’s economy.
That goes for both parties. President Barack Obama spent $47,079 in Ohio in January alone, with most of it going to campaign staff in the state.
And among the other GOP contenders, it’s translated to some campaign vendors and a lot of incidentals — meals and gas-tank refills, as well as hotel stays.
Gingrich’s selection of the Strategy Group for Media to do his campaign ads and media buys has been a boon to the company, which employs 30 people.
Meanwhile, InfoCision, which provided “telemarketing,” for the campaign, is “a leading provider of call center solutions” and “specializes in political, Christian and nonprofit fundraising, and sales and customer care,” according to its website. It has nearly 4,000 employees and 37 blended call centers.
A spokeswoman for InfoCision declined to comment, citing client confidentiality.
In all, Gingrich spent about $14 million nationally during the period between Oct. 1 and Jan. 31, with $5.9 million spent during January alone. In all, he’s spent $16.53 million during this campaign.
But that figure will no doubt grow when February campaign-finance reports come out. Candidates and their staffs are spending more time in Ohio in advance of the March 6 Super Tuesday primary, where Ohio will divvy up 63 of its 66 electoral votes.
The Romney campaign’s biggest Ohio-based expense was $556,563 on Marquis Jet Partners, which has a partnership with NetJets, the fractional airline company that allows people to buy the equivalent of “time shares” in aircraft. Of its total campaign expenditures in Ohio between October and January, all but $30,682 was spent on the air travel.
Romney spent $526,800 in Ohio during the last quarter of 2011 and $60,445 during January — a fraction of the $37.8 million his campaign spent across the country during that period. Romney has spent nearly $56 million to date nationally.
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, meanwhile, has spent $49,974 in Ohio in the past four months, compared to the $4.1 million he has spent nationwide. His campaign, which relies heavily on a network of volunteers, has spent a total $5.2 million as of Jan. 31.
Santorum’s investment in Ohio has grown as his support has. During the last quarter of 2011, he spent $21,616 on Ohio businesses and companies. In January, he spent $28,358.
The bulk of that has gone to IDMI, a database service in Akron that was formed in 1994.
Ron Paul, meanwhile, spent $176,712 in January in Ohio and $192,219 during the last quarter of 2011.
Ohioans tonight saw the ONE of three who has the answers from stem to stern on every question and on every issue.
Newt didn’t burn up the clock, as both Santorum and Romney did, in an effort to avoid being trapped in details they obviously don’t have.
Newt should see a bounce in Ohio and everywhere else, if voters are but minimally literate.
It seems that most voters look at this election as a ball game or a popularity contest, they’re not looking at the issues unless something grabs they attention the county might be doomed.
Why think onyx when a pundit is more than happy to save you from that trouble.
Thinking for themselves is a lost art to the sheeple, their numbers are growing.
To our demise, that’s sure proving true. Open primaries in purple states. Caucuses. The GOP is truly the stupid party.
I hate MSM moderated debates!
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