Mitt's Money

This from realclearpolitics.com

-- Other fundraising hints and murmurs: John Edwards will report about $7 million, according to a senior adviser. Senator John McCain, meanwhile, says fundraising is improving, though he offers no details. Mitt Romney said himself he raised about $10 million and gave another $6 to $7 million of his own money. Karen Tumulty, of Time Magazine, says Romney opponents fear he will simply write himself a massive check shortly after the end to the 4th quarter, a check which opponents wouldn't know about until late February, when the contest will be all but decided. More fundraising news coming as the day rolls on.

In my opinion this is just another reason why Mitt Romney is the candidate I'd like to see secure the nomination. The logic goes as follows:

1) He is the only candidate currently running to have ever made that much money, that conveys a certain amount of competence in business. He has a record of success in private business, while a lot of the other candidates have not only never ran a business - some of them have never even been employed in the private sector. It's not like he got 100's of millions of dollars from suing hospitals or marrying an heiress. He got the old fashioned way - he earned it.

2) In 90% of campaigns the candidate who spends the most money wins. The Hillary machine is out fundraising the Republicans by a two-to-one margin. For the Republicans having a candidate who can write himself a check for 50 million dollars at the last minute could very well be the best chance conservatives have.

3) I like a guy who can put his money where his mouth is. There have been a lot of candidates with cash, I believe John Edwards is worth over 50 million dollars, yet yesterday he agreed to accept matching funds. He says that he would make the best president, and that he is running to help America. Yet, he doesn't want to spend a dime of his own money to do so, and now he's taking your money (the tax payers) to buy TV ads for his campaign. If he really believed it was about public service and helping his country surely he could contribute as he is forcing all of us to do.

4) Mitt Romney is not beholden to special interests. Hillary is bought and paid for. Her forceful fundraising leaves her open to questions about who she owes favors to. And how many criminals have contributed to her campaign? How many foreign companies? Or foreign governments? Mitt Romney will stand out as the independent who is able to put America first.

5) The other candidates might not like that Mitt is able to contribute so much to his campaign, but Americans don't have any problem with it (despite the media's best attempts to convince them otherwise). After all, it's Mitt's money and he can do whatever he wants with it. Besides, some Americans would be a little resentful of someone worth 200 million who is asking for them to contribute to his campaign unless he was doing likewise.


In the end, Mitt Romney's money is just another reason why he's a superior candidate to all the GOP right now. The ability to raise money is another of Mitt's strengths. He is already in 1st place in fundraising, but the ability to contribute his own cash just puts a little more wind in his sails. He is first in fundraising in New Hampshire, Iowa, Michigan, Arizona, Missouri and Wyoming. I expect if it is necessary the other candidates worst fears will come true, Mitt will throw in the extra cash and wins the early primaries and eventually the presidency.