Posted on 01/23/2008 9:33:13 AM PST by Signalman
Genuine front-runners don't have to crisscross the country with a tin cup days before a crucial primary, but the Arizona maverick has no grassroots fund-raising effort like Obama's Romney's or Huckabee's, and no personal wealth to match Romney's. It is a foreshadowing of what the GOP will be up against from now until September if McCain is nominated --a poorly funded, aging, Beltway establishment figure with deep and abiding opposition among conservatives and no real ability to bring in the cash to compete with either Hillary or Obama should he draw the inside straight and gain the nomination.
Even fans of McCain have to admit his candidacy is built on the prayer of converting conservatives and then a second prayer of getting them to open their wallets. Because of the deep disagreements of the past, they won't be converting, and even if they resign themselves to his nomination should it happen, they won't be contributing.
Giuliani, Huckabee and Romney all can make a straight-faced argument that they can tap their opponents' donor bases between now and the Convention. But not McCain. His is a crippled candidacy desperately hoping to lock up the nomination on the strength of MSM-generated momentum against a strong and growing conservative headwind before the GOP wakes up fully to just how damaged a nominee he would be: Bob Dole without the charisma or the money the former Majority Leader had in 1996 on his way to the decisive defeat at the hands of a Clinton.
UPDATE: See Amy Goldstein's "Why They Hate Mitt Romney" in today's American Thinker. The money --both poersonal and in the fund-raising machine-- is part of the answer.
But Republicans who know what is ahead when the Clinton-Soros machine turns from taking Obama apart digit by digit goes after their nominee, and they know the ability to raise money as well as donate from personal wealth is crucial to matching the onslaught ahead.
John McVain has seven - 7 - fundraisers scheduled in the weak leading up to Florida’s primary. If he wants to compete with Romney, who is able to spend tens of millions of dollars on his own campaign, he has to raise a lot.
Although fundraising is nice and all, McVain’s economic woes mean that he can spend less on actual, you know, campaigning.
Romney is leading in the latest Rasmussen poll.
Mc Vain needs money. The press can give McVain all the positive media coverage they want, but if Romney is willing to spend his hard earned money on his campaign, well, it’ll be difficult for McVain to win.
And then there’s also Giuliani who’s focusing completely on Florida. Imagine this: Giuliani or Romney in any order place first or second in Florida.
What’ll happen then? McVain will have fundraised his butt off, but it’s all wasted money. Will that encourage people to donate again?
The problem is there isn’t a level playing field. Romney happens to be wealthy and he is using his wealth to buy a lot of expensive influential ad time to spread propoganda and lies about his alleged conservatism. A lot of people vote base on 30 and 60 second sound bites (Never underestimate the ignorance of the American voter). That’s what is called trying to buy the election.
“How does one “buy” an election?
What exactly is the problem here?”
It’s called channeling your inner class-envy Democrat roots.
Earning your way is never as good as being given your way for some.
I guess he has taken a leave of absence or in military circles is AWOL from Congress.
Since McCain is so convinced that money is a corrupting influence in politics, I think he should be happy to campaign with no one giving him any contributions - it will keep him unsullied by the corruption associated with such money! I know I will be doing my part to keep him pure of corruption by declining to contribute to his campaign.
If Duncan Hunter or Fred Thompson would have had tens of millions of their own money to spend on their campaign, I would have thought it was fantastic that they were flooding the airwaves with their message.
This guy's got to be kidding. Bob Dole had "charisma?"
Wonder where he had it hidden?
If McCain is Bob Dole without all that Dole charisma, then I can cut back on my Sominex order, can't I?
He does not get my vote or my money.
If he is the party nominee. God help us!
So far, I have donated $.10 to McCain.
I have given him my $.02 on Keating, McCain-Feingold, Tax cuts, Gang of 14 and Illegal Amnesty.
In spite of this extraordinary outpouring of support, he thinks I am an uninformed idiot.
>> but the Arizona maverick has no grassroots fund-raising effort like ... Huckabee’s, <<
WTF? Since when did Huckabee have ANY money?
I won’t give McCain a dime.
McCain-Feingold attack on the 1st Amendment, Illegal Immigration Amnesty, against the Bush tax cuts, etc, etc, etc. The man is consistently WRONG on a host of critical issues to America.
They’re not in because they aren’t selected until February 9th. Yesterday was just deciding who get to do the deciding.
Let him hit up his rich father-in-law. He has probably been mooching off him all his life.
I will send him a “virtural” donation.
>> Bob Dole without the charisma <<
That’s the author’s snarky way of saying that McCain doesn’t even have Dole’s charisma
Did Hugh Hewitt get married to Mitt in a beautiful ceremony in Massachusetts or something? This guy is quite the Romney rumpswab.
It would fit right in with his efforts to destroy the Conservative movement and elect a communist Democrat.
No, Hugh Hewitt sees Mitt as the only option ....and he is correct.
Mckennedy is Hillary lite.
Mr. Amnesty himself.....might as well join the Democratic Party.....
I disagree. The playing field is level, but the players aren't. That's the way it should be.
The candidates are free to bring all their money to the campaign, and people are free (within the restraints of McCain-Feingold) to donate money to the campaign. The fact that those amounts of money are different between the candidates is not an indication of anything unfair.
Mitt has money precisely because he's been a very good leader. If he was a bad leader, he wouldn't have all his self-made wealth.
The accusation that he's spreading "propaganda and lies" is your opinion, and you're entitled to that. Suffice it to say that many, many conservative people disagree with your accusation.
A lot of people vote base on 30 and 60 second sound bites (Never underestimate the ignorance of the American voter). That’s what is called trying to buy the election.
OK, so you are slamming Mitt for actually campaigning with his campaign money. That's what I thought.
Hey, every candidate makes 30 and 60 second commercials and throws out sound bites to the media. That's called campaigning, and they have to do that to get elected. As distasteful as it may be, that's the way it's done. Mitt's no more guilty for campaigning than any other candidate is.
Do you suppose any of the other candidates wouldn't spend the money if they had it? Do you think they'd say, "Well, yes, I want to win, but not if it means spending a lot of money."
I sure don't believe that for a second.
Look, Hillary has a nearly endless pile of money for this election, from that treasonous socialist George Soros. Do you really believe anyone can beat her without spending a lot of money?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.