The Candidates
And ties Fred Thompson for 3rd place this quarter in contributions?
From readers RayinNH and Jeffrey:
- Amount Reported In Primary Contributions In The Fourth Quarter: $9 Million
- In The Fourth Quarter, Governor Romney Loaned $18 Million To Romney For President
- Total Amount Raised In Primary Contributions For The Year: Approximately $53.5 Million
- Total Amount Of Revenue For The Year: $90 Million
- Total Number Of Donors In 2007: More Than 119,000
- Contributions Received From All 50 States And Washington, D.C.
- NO General Election Money Collected In 2007
I’ll update this below in a few minutes…
January 31st, 2008 at 9:30 pm
He loaned himself EIGHTEEN MILLION dollars? Jesus!!
January 31st, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Tommy. . .am I reading this wrong? Where’s the “third place tie with FDT” come from? It looks like Romney got $9 million in 4th quarter donations, placing him second after Rudy ($14.2 million) and ahead of FDT ($8.9 million), McCain ($6.8 million) and Huck ($6.6 million).
Or am I looking at the wrong numbers?
January 31st, 2008 at 9:37 pm
100,000 dollar difference is an essentialy tie. Ron Paul has yet to report, and you want to make a wager on whether he brings in more money than Romney?
January 31st, 2008 at 9:39 pm
2,
I think Tommy is saying that there’s little difference between 9M and 8.9M in the big scheme of things.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Ah ok thanks. I saw Obama’s January numbers today. $32 million in January alone???
January 31st, 2008 at 9:39 pm
What the hell did Rudy DO with all of that money he spent in the fourth quarter?!
Wonder if a lot of it was wasted money meant for Super Tuesday.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Thanks Patrick. . . I just wanted to be sure I was reading the numbers right. Math was never my strong suit!
January 31st, 2008 at 9:42 pm
That’s what’s being reported.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:42 pm
#6 TLG - “What the hell did Rudy DO with all of that money he spent in the fourth quarter?!”
He bought McCain the presidency
January 31st, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Can Rudy transfer any wasted money to a run with McAmnesty as his VP?
January 31st, 2008 at 9:47 pm
I’m pretty sure Paul pulled in close to $20 million thanks to his two big money bombs.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Hastert on McCain:
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2008/01/hastert-in-pitc.html
January 31st, 2008 at 9:49 pm
McCain declined an invite by Tim Russert to debate Romney about the economy on Meet the Press this Sunday even though it was McCain who said last Sunday that he would like to debate Romney on the economy….
January 31st, 2008 at 9:51 pm
What Rudy did with all that money was garner 2 delegates, one of which was unpledged…..He spent a lot on advertising, on staff, and campaign organization…..he just didn’t get much bang for his buck.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:52 pm
#13,
I’m not surprised by the Double-Talk Express.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Wow, Hannity and Colmes was a super hour for Mitt Romney. First, Mitt himself was on for about 20 minutes or more, with Hannity showing strong support. Then Ann Coulter saying McCain was so bad she literally said she would vote for Hillary if McCain was the candidate. Then, Newt Gingrich was on with obvious very favorable rhetoric pro Romney, and very anti-McCain. It wasn’t an endorsement, but he didn’t hide who he was for, and especially who he was against.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:55 pm
So I am not understanding this here…
Total contributions to the campaign: 53.5 million.
Total Revenue for the year: 90 millions
So does that mean that Mitt loaned himself a total of 36.5 million in 2007?
If so, with the $40 to $50 million check he wrote himself in January 2008 does that mean that he spent a total of 76-86 million dollars of his personal fortune on this campaign?
Maybe I’m understanding this wrong. Can someone set me straight if I am?
January 31st, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Romney needs to keep reminding people and it will get replayed on the news that John is refusing to debate him even though McCain is the one that brought it up first on MTP. This needs to be hammered home again and again.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:59 pm
16, The Conservative MSM has sure done a good job of derailing McCain so far.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Kavon-Where are you getting the $40-$50 million in 2008, do you have an inside source?
January 31st, 2008 at 9:59 pm
“$40 to $50 million check he wrote himself” was whispered by detractors - the campaign has not come out on the issue.
Romney said in the SC debate (I believe) that he certainly wasn’t spending anything near Bloomberg ($95MM?) and Forbes ($80MM?) on his bid.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Kavon, I don’t think he spent anyways near that much of his own during January, but I could be wrong. Remember he had one day that he raised over 5 million.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Kavon - here’s the PR from Team Mitt
http://www.mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Fourth_Quarter
$27 million in total receipts for the Fourth Quarter ($9mm donations, $18mm loan)
January 31st, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Man Romney’s sure on his way to being a self funded candidate, 2/3 of the way.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:05 pm
I’m just factoring in the rumor that Mitt loaned himself between 40-50 million after Jan. 1. The final number will be much lower if that turns out to be BS.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:09 pm
It is my understanding that he makes $50 million in interest every year. He hasn’t even touched the money he has socked away. Who cares how he spends his money any more than you do yours. I mean some people spend it all on drugs, computers, twinkies, cars etc. If he wants to spend it on himself or his campaign like he has in his run against Sen Kennedy or Gov. then he doesn’t have to answer to anyone else. I LIKE IT!
January 31st, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Kavon,
I think that’s the total loans. If he loaned himself 18 million this quarter, added on to what he’s loaned himself in the 1st 2nd and 3rd quarters, that’s probably at least over 30 million dollars. I’m ADD and its late and it’s math.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:18 pm
What are the Intrade numbers on that loan getting paid back?
January 31st, 2008 at 10:18 pm
26, I don’t guess it bother me all that much either, especially considering he’s losing.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I want to see Paul’s numbers. If he is hoarding cash, that will be a good sign he is gearing up for November.
…or that the guy is truly incapable of spending money, either the taxpayers’ or his donors.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:21 pm
They all lose except one person and then maybe the American people will lose after that.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:02 pm
It must sting to spend so much money spreading a message you don;t really believe, and finish short of your goal anyway.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Mitts money is all primary none for general…all the others took general money. Arnold used his own money to win an election and nobody thinks anything about that. Spend it however you want. But don’t sit and whine (McCain and Huck)that you don’t have the money because you can’t raise it or you weren’t smart enough to make it. If the media had given Mitt the same postive air time they have given McCain and Huck he wouldn’t have had to use ANY of his own money. The dems want McCain so Hillary or Obama wins..Wake up and smell the coffee.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:11 pm
#32 No doubt, Big S!
January 31st, 2008 at 11:12 pm
And PS. He doesn’t owe anybody any favors cause he did it on his own. His father told him never be in politics until you have your own money and you are beholding to no one. GOOD ADVICE.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:17 pm
” His father told him never be in politics until you have your own money and you are beholding to no one. GOOD ADVICE.”
Gosh, given the cost of winning even a state legislative seat, that makes about 99.8% of us unfit for office.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Take the $35 million, add probably $15 to $20 million more through the end of the month
and about $5-7 million so far for Feb. as a reasonable estimate. Not much bang for the buck yet.
He’s big “money bomb” was only $1.5 million for the primaries (out of $5 million).
Overall his fundraising for the month will show a serious lag from prior months.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:34 pm
#37 said,
“Not much bang for the buck yet.”
On the contrary, for a pretty much unknown candidate who has been splitting the socially conservative vote between himself, Huckabee, Thompson, and Paul without any MSM adoration and with an unfortunate religious handicap given the so-called tolerance our modern society is supposed to have, he has come out as 1 of the top two candidates in the repulican party. I would say he has gotten a lot of bang for his buck.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:41 pm
hehe
bang for the buck?
more like fizzle for for the fortune…
January 31st, 2008 at 11:51 pm
Romney,
Bang for buck,
need more Huck!
January 31st, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Since Mitt had to take on the Gang of 14 I mean the gang of 4, and the news media I’d say he did pretty well. Add what the other 4 spent together trying to defeat him, it looks like they over spent.
36 Well if you wnat to keep your integrity I guess so.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Mike is doing just fine - we are still raising good $$ both online and off.
Mike has run the most frugal campaign. it is good to know that a person can get the kind of mileage that Huckabee has gotten this race.
you don’t have to be a millionaire to get this far along…
February 1st, 2008 at 12:08 am
There’s just something a little disturbing about trying to buy an election (and failing miserably). I just can’t put my finger on it….
February 1st, 2008 at 12:16 am
Romney campaign insiders told the Washington Post recently that Romney would spend $40-50 million of his fortune in total, that means including 2007 & 2008. He had already kicked in some $17 million through the 3rd quarter of 2007. plus we now know he kicked in $18 million in the fourth quarter for a total of some $35 million. That means as of January 1 Romney was willing to spend between $5 and 15 million of his fortune and We know he spent $millions on both SC and FL.
Huckabee wouldn’t even be around to attack Romney for using his personal fortune if it wasn’t for campaign finance reform and the FEC through their regulations encouraging online grass-roots organizing and political activity. Ron Paul demonstrated what could be done. Big money hates campaign finance reform, but online grass-roots organizers love it. Who would you rather have calling the shots in the Republican party?
February 1st, 2008 at 12:40 am
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0712/gallery.candidates.moneymag/6.html
THIS IS AN INTERESTING BREAKDOWN…
Look at 2006 income, listed as $37.6 mil.
“Last year Romney’s adviser sold dozens of stocks, some of which he believed would be politically sensitive.
Among them: gaming companies such as Bally and Harrah’s, and companies that do business with Iran, including European oil producers Eni SpA and Total. The sales explain Romney’s ultrahigh 2006 income. ”
THIS IS AN INTERESTING BREAKDOWN.
Look at 2006 income, listed as $37.6 mil.
February 1st, 2008 at 12:42 am
So, if Money mag mentions “Romney’s ultrahigh 2006 income” (as $37.6 mil), Grandma T, then I doubt
that he makes $50 million EVERY YEAR, in interest as you said.
February 1st, 2008 at 12:44 am
Sorry! I copied statement below twice by error..
THIS IS AN INTERESTING BREAKDOWN.
Look at 2006 income, listed as $37.6 mil.
February 1st, 2008 at 1:14 am
38. Linda
Good points. People here seem to forget where Romney came from in national and state by state polling. I can’t remember the times people would dismiss Romney -
“look, Mr. Money Bags is spending money and he’s only mid-single digits in national polls!”
“look, Mr. Mormon is spending money and he’s only single digits in national polls!”
“look, Living Ken Doll is spending money and he’s only 12% in national polls! haha!”
“look, Mr. Perfect Family is spending money and he’s still THIRD in national polls! what a loser!”
“look, Mr. Favorite Son is spending money and he’s, erm, only tied for SECOND in national polls! take that!”
The color of envy must be green.
February 1st, 2008 at 1:32 am
What is wrong with Romney spending his own money? I think that’s much better then the candidates coming to the American people and using 9 ml in tax payer money to close down their campaign as Edwards is doing.
These candidates have the audacity to say they’ll stop Pork barrel politics and then use our money to finance their campaigns. Shame on McCain.
February 1st, 2008 at 1:39 am
#49 It is an easy attack. I could see it being bad if Mitt was incapable of raising competitive amounts of funds, but he’s obviously got McCain and Huckabee beat on that.
I think he did well when he put it this way: “How can I justify asking other people to contribute to my campaign if I’m not willing to do so myself?”
McCain’s wife is loaded, where’s her contribution? Oh wait, the MSM filled in that blank…
February 1st, 2008 at 2:22 am
49, 50
So again, what you’re saying is that only rich people deserve to run for public office because they’re the only ones that have means to do so without assistance?
February 1st, 2008 at 9:53 am
Yes Patrick, that is what McCain-Feingold has done!
February 1st, 2008 at 10:26 am
Rick Santorium endorses Romney on Laura Ingrahm show!!!!
February 1st, 2008 at 1:54 pm
[...] Tommy Oliver of race42008.com, however, points out that Romney has “tie[d] Fred Thompson for 3rd place this quarter in contributions.” [...]