Cash flows to McCain, Obama

Analysis:

This story is based upon recent data on campaign contributions to GOP and Democratic Presidential candidates from residents of West Michigan. The only person cited in the story is a woman from East Grand Rapids who gave the maximum allowed for an individial to the Obama campaign. The story does provide numbers for donations to both major parties, but does it appear to give more details on the people who donated to GOP candidates? The story ends with a short comparison to how candidates have raised money nationally. There is nothing in the story about candidate platforms or voting records and no mention of candidates who haven’t received much money from West Michigan. Should the media only report on candidates when they have raised a certain amount of money?

Story:

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani continues to lead national polls for the Republican presidential race.

But in the West Michigan Republican fundraising contest, he is a poor third to Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

McCain leads in the race for cash, having raised $108,350 through Aug. 30 in Grand Rapids-area ZIP codes. That compares with $41,425 for Romney and $22,800 for Giuliani in the same area, according to federal totals reported this week.

On the Democratic side, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama tromped Hillary Clinton in local fundraising, raising more than $86,000 in the Grand Rapids area, compared to $9,600 for the New York senator.

The total is all the more surprising because it looks as if Michigan will not have a Democratic primary Jan. 15. Obama and several other candidates heeded threats from the national party that the contest would not count because its early date violates party rules.

East Grand Rapids resident Beverly Verdier, 46, was among more than 100 contributors to the Obama campaign in the Grand Rapids area, donating the maximum individual contribution of $2,300.

“This is my first time ever,” Verdier said. “I am just so passionate about Barack Obama that I felt I wanted to contribute to this. I think he is one of the few candidates that can bring both parties together.”

Statewide, Romney leads GOP fundraising with nearly $1.9 million, compared to nearly $950,000 for McCain and nearly $455,000 for Giuliani. The bulk of Romney’s cash comes from donors in southeast Michigan.

Clinton raised more than $608,000 in Michigan, to $514,000 for Obama and $294,000 for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

Upstart GOP hopeful Fred Thompson, the former senator from Tennessee, raised just less than $38,000 from the state, and $1,000 from the same West Michigan ZIP codes.
McCain’s campaign has been struggling financially, as he tries to recover from a stumbling start.

Romney’s local donors include Van Andel Research Institute executive Steven Heacock, who donated $1,000; charter school magnate J.C. Huizenga, who gave $2,300; and David Frey, co-chairman of Grand Action, who contributed $2,100.

Giuliani’s local contributors include businessman Peter Renucci, who gave $500; Jeanne Englehart, president of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, who gave $250; and Mark Bissell, president of Bissell Inc., who gave $250.

The national picture tells a different story.

Clinton had a total of $50.5 million in the bank as of Sept. 30, with Obama second with $36.1 million. Giuliani had $16.6 million, Romney $9.2 million and McCain $3.5 million.
But McCain had only $1.6 million in cash for the primaries and $1.7 million in debts, putting his campaign in the red.