John McCain may lag in money, but RNC out-raises the DNC by 5 times

Led by chairman Mike Duncan, the Republican National Committee ended May with 13 times more money in the bank than its Democratic counterpart and raised five times as much money in the same time frame.

As The Times' campaign finance guru Dan Morain points out, the sums are significant as presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain squares off against the far more richly funded Sen. Barack Obama for the last 136 days of the general election campaign.

Based on the numbers so far, the Republican Party appears poised to act as the financial equalizer in the fall campaign. The RNC disclosed that it ended May with $53.5 million in the bank, compared to $3.9 million for the Democratic National Committee, which is headed by Howard Dean.

Thanks to the continuing GOP popularity and fundraising attraction of President Bush, the RNC continued to vastly out-raise the Democratic Party, amassing $24.4 million just in May.

Of that, it raised $7.1 million in small donations of $200 or less, the so-called unitemized receipts. The RNC raised more in small increments than the DNC’s total take in May of $4.8 million.

McCain himself reported raising slightly more than $21 million on his own, roughly the same as Obama, whose monthly money haul fell by $11 million in May.

Now that Obama has rescinded his signed promise to accept public funds, he's hoping for a substantial dollar boost from onetime supporters of his opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton.

--Andrew Malcolm

Photo credit: Republican National Committee

Comments

[Larry Clifton]

Excellent! Dfeating the Democrats is imperative to a better, stronger and less racist America.

[John C]

Obama did not sign any agreements saying that he would absolutely accept public funding... at least not that I can find. Perhaps the LA Times is in the business of publishing articles that aren't based on fact or research. Or maybe it's just Andrew Malcolm?

Of course, Andrew Malcolm still thinks President Bush is popular.

No offense meant, but if you're going to make things up, at least try to make it sound believable.

[John Wilson]

"Thanks to the continuing popularity and fundraising attraction of President Bush"

Did the RNC write this article? Bush's approval rating is at 29% (a historical low) and McCain has been trying to avoid Bush fundraisers.

[hoq]

When you consider that the Democrats' constituency mostly consists of uneducated people whose main attraction to the platform is more welfare, it's understandable that they raise less...

[Zzz]

I donated to Obama camp bc I can't stand Hillary. And gender has nothing to do with it. If Obama cannot defeat McCain, then this country deserves a third Bush term. My $25 ain't gonna make any difference. Besides, whoever the next president may be, corporate America still runs your life. I wish people will challenge me with a bet on this, and I sincerely hope I would lose.

[Todd Peterson]

Last I heard the DNC was whipping the RNC's pants when it came to fund raising. I find this information dubious. I would like to see the source that proves this.

[Brian]

The RNC or someone very close to them must have penned the above piece.It has their fingerprints all over it.I think we are going to see another Hilllary type campaign albeit on a much nastier and bigger level- what does it matter? The end game will be the same- Likely victoryfor Obama. Americans want change. That is all!

[Dr. Lilly von Marcab]

Excuse me, did I miss something? Has the RNC flunked math, or is the LA Times merely reprinting their press releases? Since when has President Bush been popular?

[xbjlllb]

It should be horriifcally obvious by now to all in the DNC save the Kool-aid drinking ObamaNation, that Rove and the GOP were behind Obama's massive fundraising efforts and record breaking amounts FROM DAY ONE because they had no wish to run against Hillary Clinton who would have beat any GOP candidate to a bloody pulp (as all polls prior to Obama clearly showed).

Now that Obama is the "can't-win" candidate the GOP's created with GOP "switching" "voters" in the caucuses and primaries (who will be voting for McCain in November) all that decoy money that was going to Obama is going to McCain, Hillary supporters are NOT GIVING A SINGLE PENNY to the DNC, and they're eating it.

WE TOLD YOU SO, you fools.

This is your deathbed DNC; YOU lie in it.

As for 90% of Hillary supporters? We're voting McCain and a straight GOP ticket in November to ram your idiotic politically suicidal failure right down your throat. Eight years of Bush-Cheney wasn't enough apparently for you to pick the only candidate that could win and go with a completely unvetted black Kerry. Now THAT'S genius.

[PulSamsara]

Barack Obama for President of the UNITED States of America.

[John C]

hoq... If you really believe what you said then you have lost (or never had) any grasp of reality. Almost as much as some of the claims in this article.

[Stan]

All the money they raise does not mean one bit of beans to anything! They both still do not address the simplest of issues and are both just the continuation of the status quo that must go! The States are waking up! They may all decide soon that the Government is not the solution but is the problem! So take your millions and frankly stuff it where the sun does not shine! McBush is a joke! Obama is emty platitudes! One wants a socialist State the other a Police State great choice either way we as Americans are finally waking up to the fact that the proganda is powerful and are very smart and this money just ensures continuation of the same!

[Janus]

"When you consider that the Democrats' constituency mostly consists of uneducated people whose main attraction to the platform is more welfare, it's understandable that they raise less..."

Such broad, sweeping comments like that expose just how uneducated some conservatives truly are. Why not use a little critical thinking, hoq. You argument makes absolutely no sense when you see just how much Mr. Obama has raised overall. Even Hillary Clinton had low fund raising months that topped the best of what John McCain has been able to do thus far.

[Mark]

Obama did go back on his word regarding public campaign financing -- the NY Times and most other outlets have explicitly said so.

Asked last September on a questionnaire from the Midwest Democracy Network whether he would "participate in the presidential public financing system" if his "major opponents agree to forgo private funding in the general election campaign," Obama checked the box marked "yes."

McCain in March had already verbally pledged to accept public funds.

[Steve T]

This is the best reason I can think of to vote Democratic.

[sid]

Why is that extremists on both sides of the isle continue to lie and practice name-calling?

To Andrew Malcom, shame on you for ignoring the basic fact that Bush is less like than Nixon. I know that the point you are making that he can still generate funds out of his supporters, but come on?

To HOQ. The internet's ability to let you be anonymous allows you to make ignorant statements. I am a libertarian and would love to see people like you go out in the desert and annihilate yourself. Let the rest of go on about in peace and make a living.

[Lisa]

Bush's approval ratings may be low but the approval ratings of the Democratically controlled Congress are even lower. Funny how the liberal press never seems to mentilon the abyssmally low approval ratings of Congress.

[Jason Schinis]

The continuing popularity of President Bush? What universe does this guy live in? And what agreement did Obama sign? The Republicans are just outraged because now Obama's hands won't be tied like John Kerry's were in 2004 and he will actually be able to fight their despicable lies.

Obama '08

[ubiquitous]

It will be a landslide victory for Obama. The republicans are tired of their dubya, McCain is old and his rhetoric is tired. Who are ya trying to kid about RNC outperforming the DNC in fund raising. Obama need not worry, he's 15 percentage points ahead of McBush, and has lotsa money in the coffers.

[Robert]

This article's authors must be living in some kind of bizzaro parallel universe.

Beside the open bias, I really like the subtle way he represents the fund raising capabilities. McCain and Obama raised the same amount of money, yet reading the paragraph above, it appears that McCain raised those 20 mio, while Obama's contributions just fell.

Nicely done, author, but please quit your job at this newspaper. You're annoying.

[William]

"Thanks to the continuing popularity and fundraising attraction of President Bush".

Is this article from the Onion? Are you trying to be sarcastic? If you say to any of the questions, I can totally understand.

But otherwise, are you serious?

[mikeVA]

Well, you can expect the RNC to raise a reasonable level of money, since the demographics of Republicans consist of a few vultures like Carl Ichan and a lot of naturally unemployed like "hoq".

Commenter "hoq" surfs comments as he listens to talk radio by day and watches murdoch by night, all while he gets some portion of Republican's huge government spending spree. I would love to see the actual gap between the Kudlow cigar smokers and the Republican naturally unemployed.

[Tunde]

"When you consider that the Democrats' constituency mostly consists of uneducated people whose main attraction to the platform is more welfare, it's understandable that they raise less..."

So you think republicans somehow have a monopoly on the educated class? Prove it. When you are done proving it, reconcile the fact that Obama has raised tens of millions more than McCain. Goodluck.

[RadianChalant]

I will be sending my financial support to Barack Obama. We must get him into office. We can not endure 4 more years of a Bush Administration. Our economy is falling apart. Republicans are so wealthy that they do not have to worry abouth healthcare, tuition, high gas prices, etc. The Republicans just pay all expenses straight from their wallets. Most Americans can not afford to pay expenses from their wallets. They have to purchase health insurance, take out loans for tuition, decide to fill the gas tank or forego food on the table, etc. By the way McCain has some nicknames, McBush and Bush Lite. No more Bush!

[goobergrape]

John C. Obama vowed repeatedly, on tv and in print, to use this financing. If you would like the info and links it was all over the web two days ago. Maybe you should get out of the echo chamber every once in a while. If you would like some directions I recall that Koppelman at Salon had an article which linked to the info, amongst many others.

as to W being popular I agree, a bit of a stretch, but the guy can still raise money apparently.