Reality Checks
October 13th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
As we pointed out last week, Texas Democrats have done a hell of a job raising money this year. Harvey Kronberg of Quorum Report (subscription only) does the math: In 32 key races, Democrats have raised $3,425,132.45; Republicans, $2,735,865.64. But Dems shouldn’t break out the champagne just yet. Kronberg checks in with sober GOP insiders.
The conventional wisdom, of course, is that the big money guys on the GOP side will eventually ride to the rescue. Craddick can always put his thumb on the scale by dispatching some of his nearly $3 million campaign war chest to his Stars Over Texas PAC. Texans for Lawsuit Reform, which gives money to both sides but tends to lean toward GOP candidates, has more than $2.5 million in the bank for a final stretch run. And Bob Perry has shown he has an almost unlimited willingness to put money into Republican races and causes.
As one GOP consultant put it, the 30-day report doesn’t tell the story. The 8-day report is where the story is. He acknowledged that Democrats have put up strong candidates, singling out Diana Maldonado in HD 52, but “I’m not crying in my beer over the reports.”
Translation: The GOP — as in previous elections — will drop a lot of last-minute money and advertising into key races. Those efforts won’t be publicly known until the last round of campaign finance reports, due eight days before the election.
October 13th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
My response — which is not “anonymous” because, unlike most GOP consultants in the press, I don’t have to hide.
That’s the funny thing that happens when there are (1) facts and (2) momentum on your side.