Conservative Groups Out Raising Establishment Ones?

2013 political fundraising numbers out and outside conservative groups are doing very well.

Four Republican-leaning groups with close ties to the party’s leadership in Congress — Crossroads and its “super PAC” affiliate; the Congressional Leadership Fund; and Young Guns Action — raised a combined $7.7 million in 2013. By contrast, four conservative organizations that have battled Republican candidates deemed too moderate or too yielding on spending issues — FreedomWorks, the Club for Growth Action Fund, the Senate Conservatives Fund and the Tea Party Patriots — raised a total of $20 million in 2013, according to Federal Election Commission reports filed on Friday.

“This is by far the biggest nonelection year we’ve ever had,” said Matt Hoskins, executive director of the Senate Conservatives Fund, which has feuded with party organizations. “It shows how committed people are to electing true conservatives and to advancing conservative principles.”

Now when you add in the party committees like the RNC, National Republican Senatorial Committee, The Republican Governor's Association and the National Republican Congressional Committee, the "establishment" is going to have far more money.

The thing is the outside groups don't have to go dollar for dollar with the establishment ones because the outsiders are usually targeting their money to a few primary campaigns. The "establishment" groups have to spend money playing defense against the outside groups and the Democrats, so a 1:1 dollar match isn't all that important.

No wonder Team GOP types like to pretend that the Ted Cruz and Senate Conservative Fund types are only in it for the filthy money...they are losing their stranglehold on the life blood of politics and the poor dears don't like it very much.

Fun fact: Karl Rove's Crossroads fund only raised $6 million last year. Now, it's an off year after a Presidential year in which they raised hundreds of millions so maybe they backed off a bit to avoid donor fatigue and will ramp up this year. Or...people didn't like giving all that money with precious little to show for it.

Time will tell if it's a blip or the start of a trend.

But it's something these outsider groups should keep in mind...it's great to raise all this money but you can't be seen wasting it, either on non-candidate expenses or on races where you back too many loser.

Like anything else in life, if you want people's money, you better produce.

posted by DrewM. at 02:08 PM

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