Posted on 08/02/2007 5:11:36 AM PDT by Brilliant
Republican Fred Thompson on Tuesday reported raising nearly $3.5 million in one month for his expected presidential bid, lagging behind his backers' original $5 million goal...
Mr. Thompson spent only $625,745 of the $3.46 million he raised in June, the first month of his preliminary campaign committee, the report showed. Still, the total raised fell short of the $5 million target his backers initially set...
Although he's not yet officially in the race for the presidential nomination, Mr. Thompson continues to rank high in national popularity polls and surveys...
While he collected more than several other Republicans, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain, in their initial months as prospective candidates, Mr. Thompson's money doesn't even compare to the $6.5 million raised in one day by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
In all, 9,167 people from across the country donated to Mr. Thompson, including 7,534 who donated online. Aides totaled 6,888 small donors who gave $200 or less, a group Thompson can tap again for campaign cash. Among all donors, the average contribution was $369.87.
Donors in his state of Tennessee contributed more than $1.6 million. Other top donor states were Texas, New York and Virginia... and California...
High-profile donors included Trace Adkins, a country music singer, and his wife, Rhonda, who live outside of Nashville. Each contributed the $2,300 maximum. New York socialite Georgette Mosbacher, the president and chief executive officer of Borghese, a cosmetic, skincare and fragrance company, also donated...
The financial disclosure comes amid upheaval within his would-be campaign; his campaign-manager-in-waiting was sidelined, a few additional aides have departed and others are considering doing the same.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Prepare to don your asbestos suit. You are going to hear just how wrong that is.
Performance in polls is more important than cash. By not announcing it has hurt him in cash, but people are not paying attention to the presidential race right now. Once the kids get back to school, people pay a lot closer attention to the news and Fred will get a bigger bounce by announcing. Still a long ways away. Once Fred announces, Fred will get plenty of money.
Well, I am not going to give money to someone that can’t make up their mind if they are going to run or not!
Your opinion parallels mine exactly - that’s why I am withholding donating to his effort.
IOW, I’m reciprocating the perception of his lack of enthusiasm by demonstrating a lethargicness in donating...
Americans won't wait forever. Fred is fooling himself if he thinks people will support or respect a "Last Minute" candidate. It demonstrates "piss poor" planning, not a desirable quality in a President.
It’s funny how so many people say they are disgusted with the way races are run these days, but when someone comes along and does it differently they moan and groan! Fred Thompson is simply refusing to be driven along with the rest of the pack. It could turn out to be a fatal error for his campaign, and make no mistake about his being in the race, or it could turn out to be a stroke of political genius. Time will tell, and thereby hangs the beauty of our system.
He has my support unless and until he does something really stupid. I think it’s starting to dawn on a the other candidates and their supporters that Fred’s approach just might be working. A lot of what we’re seeing in reproach for his campaign that refuses to say it’s a campaign is from opponents who fear it’s working for him.
This is not a ‘last minute’ candidacy by historical perspective. When Fred is announcing is actually more typical.
I believe Fred will make a good all around president, when elected.
was that goal of $5 million set before or after he kicked his announcement back two months? Just curious.
“I think people are tired of Presidential campaigns starting the day after the previous election. It seems like this one has been going since November 04. I recall that Labor Day used to be the kick-off for the next years presidential election.”
Amen! These campaigns that began almost a year ago are very tiresome. Seems like a huge waste of money and time.
Fred bump!
Here’s part I had to cut out do to the word limit:
>Still, the total raised fell short of the $5 million target his backers initially set in a one-month showing for his committee “testing the waters” of a presidential bid.<
So it sounds like they set the goal as a test of whether he should enter the race.
I do understand that it is thought his declaration will affect the other actors on Law and Order, because the episodes with him in them won't be able to be shown without 'equal time' to other candidates. But there are PLENTY of Law and Order episodes without him in them that could be shown.
I also know that some believe he is getting lots of 'free' publicity because he hasn't yet declared. Yet I believe that his delay can't help but impact his ability to raise campaign funds. I know I won't give until he declares - you just never know what could happen.
You and I both know that the 'disgust' doesn't come from "candidates" who refuse to declare.
Seems to me that the media is just trying to torpedo Fred’s campaign before it even starts.
I mean come on, most ordinary voters don’t have the resources or inclination to put their hard earned money behind someone who may or may not run for office. Why risk it? Especially considering his lackluster passion to date.
The money he’s accumulated so far is from special interest groups and high powered donors. That said, 3 million bucks isnt chump change.
In fact, considering that I’m more conservative than Thompson is anyone who wants to send me 3 million, I’ll consider running.
In the meantime, I’ll stick with Hunter - a conservative who is actually in the race and building fences not just hoopla.
The Iowa Caucus is still 5 1/2 months away.
Fred is fooling himself if he thinks people will support or respect a "Last Minute" candidate.
A last minute candidate would be announcing around Christmas time.
It demonstrates "piss poor" planning, not a desirable quality in a President.
Your comment demonstrates an unhealthy obsession with 24 hours news that fills air time about constantly talking about what might happen in the future. It's the first week of August! Just because a whole slew of "candidates" feel the need to announce a year in advance so they can try and get their opinions on issues heard (even though many don't come close to viable candidates), doesn't mean the presidential race really begins a year or more before the first primary.
Historically, who the early front runner is has meant very, very little.
It is still early.
More of the same old negative BS. Every month Fred gains in the polls and the geniuses declare he’s done for. Fred is doing exactly what he should. What is really laughable is the people who proclaim that they can no longer support him since he hasn’t announced, why do I get the feeling that these people never really supported him.
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