Personally, I think a lot of the cause is the Thompson Effect -- folks waiting around for Fred Thompson's entry into the race. Also, we just don't have the excitement of the Hillary/Obama race, which is being hyped relentlessly by the press.

But I find these statistics to be telling.

Key fundraising numbers:

* Giuliani raised $17 million with about $15 million devoted to the primary and about $2 million for the general election. Candidates can't use general election money unless they win their party's nomination. In six months, he has had revenues of nearly $32 million and has spent about $17 million.

* Romney raised $14 million, all primary election money. He lent himself an extra $6.5 million. His six-month revenues are about $44 million and his expenditures are about $32 million.

* McCain raised $11.2 million with about $10.4 million devoted to the primary. His overall revenues are about $26 million; the campaign spent about $24 million. In the first quarter, the campaign reported a debt of nearly $2 million. Aides would not comment on where his debt may stand.

In terms of the primary fundraising numbers, Romney and Giuliani are very close. It is only because Romney is not taking general election contributions that the gap gets magnified. What stands out, though, is McCain's inability to keep up with his competitors AND the fact that he is burning money without airing a single commercial on television. No wonder he is cutting staff!

Posted by: Greg at 01:51 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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