Obama Spends the Most, but Romney Raises More

[alp227]

Source: NYT

President Obama outspent Mitt Romney 2 to 1 in June even as Mr. Romney far outraised him, according to campaign reports filed on Friday with the Federal Election Commission, leaving Mr. Obama and the Democratic Party with significantly less cash on hand than Mr. Romney and the Republicans as polls show a head-to-head race.

Mr. Obama and the Democratic National Committee spent $70.8 million in June, including about $38 million on television advertising, as the president’s campaign sought to batter Mr. Romney over his ties to Bain Capital, the private equity firm.

Mr. Romney and the Republican National Committee spent $38.8 million, including about $11 million on television advertising — more than double what Mr. Romney’s campaign spent in May but far less than Mr. Obama.

But because money raised for the election cannot be spent until after the two parties hold their nominating conventions at the end of the summer, Mr. Obama appears to have far more money available to spend in the critical weeks ahead, when each candidate seeks to define the other.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/21/us/politics/obama-spends-the-most-in-june-but-romney-raises-more.html

[Drunken Irishman]

1. It's a smart strategy by Obama...

It's one Bush employed in the summer months back in '04 while Kerry saved his cash for a late ad blitz. With Romney being the challenger, someone who still hasn't been defined quite yet, these couple months leading up to the convention are going to be critical toward his image. The image Americans are being presented is one of a potential tax dodging, secretive corporate raider who's the King of Outsourcing.

With less than four months left in the campaign, might as well spend your opponent into the ground now instead of waiting until September.

[nxylas]

3. That's assuming the money will be spent on a "late ad blitz"

My suspicion is that more of it will go on voter suppression efforts, buying voting machine companies and paying off officials so that they look the other way. That, after all, is how Republicans "win" elections.

[mwooldri]

2. The thing is...

How much cash did Obama (the campaign) have on hand to begin with?

If since becoming President he managed to get a nice sized warchest it may not matter that in the election season that he was out-raised.

Ask his challenger - it's all about the cash flow. As long as it is flowing it's OK. It is when it stops flowing that when you have a problem.

[Drunken Irishman]

4. Obama has raised about 300 million so far and Romney 154 million.

So, Obama has far more cash raised than Romney. On hand, it's 97 million for Obama & 22 million for Romney. He's well behind and why he's not spending like crazy throughout the summer.

But you're right - it is about flowing. Even last month, when Romney outraised Obama, Obama still made a nice haul that keeps him well ahead of Romney.

[Archae]

5. And how many TV "news" networks and talk-radio networks are devoted to Obama?

The way they are devoted to Rmoney?