[ad_1]
That's a stunning – and totally unprecedented – amount of money for a president who has paid less than two years into his first term.
Look, I get it. Money has become so plentiful in american politics – every two years cash fl ows a variety of super PACS and other newfangled entities aims at skirting campaign finance law – that there is a tendency, even among political junkies, to get a little glassy -eyed when it comes to a higher rate of money in the election cycle.
But, Trump's haul is a big deal – even that reality. Here's proof – in the form of a comparison between Trump's fundraising and this point:
Raised: $ 106 million
Cash on hand: $ 35 million
Barack Obama (fundraising through 12/31/2010)
Raised: $ 4 million
Cash on hand: $ 2.3 million
George W. Bush (fundraising through 12/31/2002)
Raised: $ 3.2 million
Cash on hand: $ 3.8 million
A little bit of math shows that in three months of fundraising, Trump has raked in more than 26.5 times What Obama had raised for his re-election race 32 times what Bush had raised.
The reason for this massive disparity is simple: Neither Bush nor Obama is actively seeking re-election campaigns for their first two years in office. Bush just $ 265,000 in individual contributions over those first two years while Obama actually refunded more than $ 179,000 in individual contributions in his first two years.
Why did they make that decision to hold off on fundraising? One practical reason and one symbolic one.
The practical reason is not directly related to the party candidates for House, Senate and governor – all of whom are on the ballot in midterm elections. Most donors like giving to the president – it gives them a feeling of prestige and a check to a House or even Senate candidate does not. So, when given the option, lots of donors will choose to give to the president rather than to downballot races. Sure, there are some contributors who can and will write checks to candidates up and down the nerd. But, it's not all donors – and the theory is that it's all about making it happen in the first two years in office.
The symbolic reason past presidents have been raised in their first two years, because they are so far away from the rest of the world. they were not worry about getting reelected immediately. It's the whole thing-a-time-for-campaigning-and-a-time-for-governing thing.
Trump has never played by the political rules. And his decision to file for re-election on the day he was sworn into office is yet more evidence of just how unorthodox he is. He does not know what he wants and what he wants. This is one of those instances; Whether you like it or not, it's more than $ 100 million for your race, you can not do it in a nutshell.
(Sidebar: Can we put an end to the weirdly persistent theory in certain political circles that Trump is not going to run for a second term? This fundraising haul makes clear he's running – and running hard.)
Trump is a political planet to himself. Normal rules of gravity do not apply. He does what he wants, when he wants and how he wants. Including raise money. Lots and lots of money.
Source link
