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Now We Know Who’s Giving to Super PACs

by Donal 2/1/2012 - 4:59 pm

Romney, sans super PAC money, raised just $57 million, compared with Obama's $140 million from his network of bundlers and grassroots donations last year. But those numbers don't even come close to painting the whole picture, as the super PAC disclosures reveal. Republican groups outraised their Democratic counterparts by four to one, a fairly incredible ratio. This could very well be a year in which, stunningly, an incumbent gets outspent by the challenger.

Read the full article at http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/02/now-we-know-whos-giving-to-super-pacs.html

Ah but what kind of PAC's are included on the GOP side? Ones that are currently doing stuff like calling the GOP frontrunner a liberal? How do we know they will all want to say something good about the GOP's winning candidate? Maybe they'll decide on saying something else, like vote [as-yet-unnamed] as a protest?

There are a lot of Trotskyite comments from the far right I see already, i.e.., if Romney gets the nomination, better to have Obama win and remain a pure and true conservative movement..

We all have probably noticed that there are groups of people on the left that are not happy with with the Democratic candidate, cheeky so that could happen with PAC's representing those feelings, too. Thing is, I can't think of any that have much money, like they do on the far right, nor any magical billionaire willing to go for not just not supporting Obama, but aiding attacks on him from the left, and putting up with grief about being a 1% as well.

by artappraiser 2/1/2012 - 6:06 pm

Thing is, I can't think of any that have much money, like they do on the far right, nor any magical billionaire willing to go for not just not supporting Obama, but aiding attacks on him from the left, and putting up with grief about being a 1% as well.

 I have a couple lottery tickets so it could still happen.cheeky

by A Guy Called LULU 2/1/2012 - 7:18 pm (re: artappraiser)

It better be onea them super mega lotto multi-state thingies; if it's a $50 million pittance or similar, might get more bang for your buck in Canadian politics. devil (I have no idea what their laws are on the matter, but usually money can always find a way.)

by artappraiser 2/1/2012 - 8:15 pm (re: A Guy Called LULU)

I think those PACs will have to really stoke the anti-Obama fires to get out the Rep vote. And that will turn off independents unless they're excellent at targeting.

by Donal 2/1/2012 - 7:47 pm (re: artappraiser)

My main point was that the author's suggestion that the Republican candidate will have the benefit of all that PAC money (This could very well be a year in which, stunningly, an incumbent gets outspent by the challenger) may not be the case. Some might use it against him, some might use it to pressure/lobby him on a single issue where he doesn't want to go. They're wild cards, not subject to party/message/candidate discipline. Also, the more extreme, the more donations out of passion (like AIPAC supporters or anti-abortion supporters for examples.) The GOP candidate may still be at a big disadvantage if Obama's direct kitty is far larger than his own, the disadvantage of not having much control over the other money.

by artappraiser 2/1/2012 - 8:20 pm (re: Donal)

CNN is just making big deal that last financial reports show Repub PACS raised 51 million and Dems just 19 mil. 

Also, how big Wall Street contributors and other big business guys who supported Obama in '08 have switched to Romney - due to the class warfare that Obama is touting.  Yeah, right!  Sure it has nothing to do with the tax policy differences.  Yowza.

by Aunt Sam 2/1/2012 - 8:41 pm

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