Republicans Baffled by Obama Outpacing Romney in Fundraising

Republicans Baffled by Obama Outpacing Romney in Fundraising

Republicans have been puzzled by how the Obama campaign has outpaced Mitt Romney’s campaign in fundraising, especially after the Obama campaign dramatically increased its fundraising in August and September with the help of small-dollar donations under $200, which do not have to be publicly disclosed. 

On Laura Ingraham’s radio show October 1st, vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan said the Obama campaign has falsely been able to attack Romney and Ryan on the airwaves because Romney-Ryan ticket is being “massively” outspent on television.

“When you’re outspent massively on TV with absolutely false and misleading ads by your political adversaries who are suggesting that this somehow raises people’s taxes, it clutters and confuses,” Ryan said. “They have more money for TV… That’s very clear.  Everybody knows that. They’re even outspending us three-to-one in Ohio recently, and we’re still in the hunt, in a very close race.”

Byron York at the Washington Examiner notes that even though the “Romney campaign operates more efficiently” than the Obama campaign, “money is a major concern in the final weeks of the campaign.” 

“The Romney-Ryan claims of poverty strike some Republicans as baffling,” York wrote. 

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich seems just as confused. 

“I don’t understand it,” Gingrich told York. “Everything I thought up until about August 1 was that the Republicans were going to outspend the Democrats. I don’t understand what is going on.”

In August, the Obama campaign raised $25 million from people contributing $200 or less and the campaign, to date, has had “more than 2 million people” who have donated $25 or less. 

Last weekend, the campaign announced it raised $181 million during the month of September, nearly matching its September 2008 record of $192 million. By all measures, the Obama campaign faces lower enthusiasm from its base in 2012, lower turnout at campaign rallies, and Obama’s popularity has remained below 50%. 

But as a new report by the Government Accountability Institute reveals, a lack of credit card security and massive traffic from foreign IPs increases suspicions of fraudulent and foreign donations. 

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