96% of Negative Super PAC Spending Since Iowa Has Targeted Gingrich

WSJ - blog ^ | Jan 10, 2012 | By Jeremy Singer-Vine

[Jim Robinson]

Nearly all negative spending by super PACs in the presidential campaign over the past week has gone toward opposing Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker who trailed badly in polls leading up to today’s New Hampshire primary, according to a WSJ analysis of expenditures reported to the Federal Election Commission.

In total, anti-Gingrich super PAC Restore Our Future disclosed $89,962 in expenditures opposing Mr. Gingrich’s candidacy since the Jan. 3 caucuses in Iowa, where he came in fourth. That’s 96% of all negative spending in the past week by super PACs, the newest and most controversial form of political action committee, which can raise unlimited sums of money but aren’t permitted to coordinate with the campaigns.

Here’s how negative spending by super PACs looked over the past week, according to our analysis of expenditures submitted to FEC:

Negative Super PAC Spending Since Iowa Caucus

Newt Gingrich		$89,961.75
Mitt Romney		$1,548.41
Rick Santorum		$1,276.23
Ron Paul		$1,121.73

[I_be_tc]

Nope, sending another donation tomorrow. Rush does not think for me.

[o2bfree]

“Maybe Rush needs to lose his audience”

You are so upset you sound a little hysterical about it. Unfortunately Gingrich and the others are running to Mitts left. Strategically that spells doom for Newt - he is done.

[I_be_tc]

Please be right.

[reasonisfaith]

The relevant point is this: Rush’s talent is not what most of us have always thought.

Rush grew his audience based on the fact that they believed he had the unique ability to say what they were already thinking, and to put it in simple, understandable terms. And to figure out some political puzzles that nobody else could.

But Rush’s support for Romney confirms what I have been speculating for the past four years: that his true talent lies in the ability to fool his audience into thinking he cares about conservatism.