Election 2012

Mitt Romney’s Astonishing Lack of Small Donors

According to renowned rocket scientist Karl Rove, President Obama has a "money problem" because he isn't bringing in enough large donors.

That may be a problem if not for the fact that a clear majority of President Obama's campaign, or nearly 60 percent, is being funded by people like you and I who donate much smaller amounts in mass numbers.

Mitt Romney, meanwhile, has a different kind of money problem. His problem is that virtually no one like you and I are donating to him. And the difference between his fundraising numbers and President Obama's is nothing short of astonishing.

[...] Romney continues to lag behind his rivals in raising money from so-called small-dollar donors, supporters who donate less than $200. Donations from people who contributed less than $200 — often viewed as a gauge of popular appeal — are filed as “unitemized” donations with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

FEC filings on Tuesday showed Romney’s campaign has so far raised $7.5 million from small donors, which comprises only 10 percent of his fundraising. That proportion has roughly remained the same throughout the campaign. [...]

While the Republican candidates battle through the primary season, the re-election campaign of President Barack Obama has brought in about $71.1 million in unitemized contributions, 59 percent of the money the campaign has raised so far.

These numbers tell you everything you need to know about Mitt Romney's campaign and the president's campaign.

One is essentially an astroturf organization and the other is the genuine article.