Bad sign for McCain
May 11th 2008 00:24
On more than one occasion, I've talked about McCain's stormy relationship with the Republican base. Conservatives don't trust him very much, and they certainly don't embrace him. We've seen this coming over the last couple of years (discussions can be found here and here), but it's evident that many Republican donors are not willing to shell out money for a candidate and a party that does a poor job of representing them. Now, it appears that even the most reliable donors -- the business community -- are not keen on McCain and the GOP brand. It's not that they aren't giving. They are. However, they are giving to the Democrats:
Below is a very telling insight from a Republican insider:
Ultimately, the comment below gets at the crux of the problem:
All of this doesn't bode well for McCain and the GOP. And while the money concerns are a problem, the bigger problem is the reasoning behind the shift in donations. As we've seen, McCain's fundraising pales in comparison to the fundraising results from Clinton and Obama. As the country is mired in an unpopular war and an unfriendly economy, I certainly expect this trend to continue. Can McCain and the GOP overcome this? It's possible. However, the GOP brand and message is tough to sell these days -- and the lack of money is making that sales job even harder.
Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, is struggling to attract money from some of the same industries that helped bankroll President George W. Bush's record-setting fundraising.
Employees from the securities, construction, pharmaceutical and energy industries, who accounted for about a tenth of Bush's money in 2004, are turned off by his record and giving more to his Democratic rivals, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Employees from the securities, construction, pharmaceutical and energy industries, who accounted for about a tenth of Bush's money in 2004, are turned off by his record and giving more to his Democratic rivals, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Below is a very telling insight from a Republican insider:
``A significant percentage of your base Republican support, whether financial or otherwise, are not fans of McCain because of various things he's done or said or sponsored,'' said Republican consultant Eddie Mahe, who is supporting the Arizona senator. ``Many of them don't see Mr. McCain as being a lot better'' than the Democrats.
Ultimately, the comment below gets at the crux of the problem:
``There's a great deal of dissatisfaction with the Republican Party,'' said Mallory Factor, a merchant banker who co-hosts a weekly meeting of conservatives in New York City and raised more than $1 million for Bush and his party four years ago. ``People are just fed up.''
All of this doesn't bode well for McCain and the GOP. And while the money concerns are a problem, the bigger problem is the reasoning behind the shift in donations. As we've seen, McCain's fundraising pales in comparison to the fundraising results from Clinton and Obama. As the country is mired in an unpopular war and an unfriendly economy, I certainly expect this trend to continue. Can McCain and the GOP overcome this? It's possible. However, the GOP brand and message is tough to sell these days -- and the lack of money is making that sales job even harder.
| 60 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by S.L. Bradish
Comment by PopulistConservative
Angry Electorate
I think you've hit the nail on the head. As the guy in the article said, most folks don't see McCain as being much better than the Democrats. And supporting him is just giving legitimacy to his RINO-ism.
The biggest surprise to me with regard to the business community is that they are supporting the Dems as the Dems speak out against corporations and free trade. They probably just believe that the Dems are paying lip service to those who oppose free trade. They may be right.
Comment by Lester Caudill
Round Politics
What would it take to energize the base to back him? I sure hope a miracle will happen for him.
Comment by PopulistConservative
Angry Electorate