WTAS: Grimes’ mediocre fundraising numbers

It’s absolutely baffling that Democrats are excited about Part-Time Grimes’ $2.5 million first quarter fundraising haul.  After making fundraising her main priority, ditching Kentucky for far-off destinations “where the money trees are,” and offending the coal and gun industries for her liberal donors, she’s still incredibly behind.

And here’s an interesting fact: when Kentucky Democrats have been questioned on her silence on the big issues, they have used her need to fundraise as an excuse.

So all of her silence and refusal to talk about the issues… that was for a fundraising haul that the media, professors, and commentators are calling “mediocre,” “far behind,” and essentially nowhere near where she needs to be?

Wonder what Kentuckians think about that one — a candidate who puts fundraising before Kentucky values… and then falls utterly short.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY POLITICAL SCIENTIST CALLS NUMBERS MEDIOCRE “‘It’s a mediocre number given where she has gone and what important politicos have done to try and open up the wallets and purses of star-power Democrats,’ Yanarella said. ‘So it’s not good.’”  (Sam Youngman, “Alison Lundergan Grimes raises 2.5M, sparking battle of spin,” Lexington Herald Leader 10/15/13)

NUMBERS ARE TOO LOW CONSIDERING HER OUT OF STATE FUNDRAISING “UK professor Ernest Yanarella said it was too early to judge whether Grimes would be a successful fundraiser, but he said the amount she reported for the quarter was too low considering she had been traveling to ‘where the money trees are.’” (Sam Youngman, “Alison Lundergan Grimes raises 2.5M, sparking battle of spin,” Lexington Herald Leader 10/15/13)

GRIMES STILL FAR BEHIND, REGARDLESS OF SPIN “Regardless of the spin from both sides, Grimes’s war chest still is far behind McConnell’s, which is just less than $10 million in cash. Grimes is reporting she has about $2 million in cash.” (Sam Youngman, “Alison Lundergan Grimes raises 2.5M, sparking battle of spin,” Lexington Herald Leader 10/15/13)

KENTUCKY MEDIA SAYS GRIMES NEEDED TO RAISE 3 MILLION

WKYT’S BILL BRYANT: “There have been some high-level fundraisers out in the West Coast report maybe that a million dollars raised at one of those events and at some others. So what would be an impressive take for her, in your opinion? She’s been in the race three months essentially.” CN|2’S RYAN ALESSI: “Three million is a good number.” UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY’S AL CROSS: “Three million would be good. Under two-and-a-half would not be good.”  (KET, Comment on Kentucky, 9/27/13)

GRIMES HAD SUPPORT FROM HOLLYWOOD, VEGAS, AND THE CLINTONS “Lundergan Grimes received support from Hollywood producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, who has urged his network of fellow Democratic donors to support the Kentucky candidate. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) hosted a fundraiser for Lundergan Grimes in Las Vegas. And she’s tapping the connections of her father, Jerry Lundergan, who is a well-connected Democratic leader in Kentucky and has ties to Hillary and Bill Clinton.” (Alex Jaffe, “Lundergan Grimes Outraises McConnell,” The Hill 10/15/13)

GRIMES HAS A LONG WAY TO GO “Grimes, though, has a long way to go catch McConnell, who has been re-stocking his campaign warchest since nearly the moment he won his last re-election in 2008. McConnell has raised more $17.7 million and has about $9.6 million on hand, according to McConnell’s campaign.” (Jacqueline Pitts, “Grimes brings in 2.5 million in her first fundraising period, has 2 million on hand,” cn|2 10/15/13)

SHE MADE FUNDRAISING HER MAIN AND ALMOST SINGULAR FOCUS OF HER CAMPAIGN “Grimes has made fundraising the main and close-to-only focus of her campaign since entering the race in July. She traveled extensively outside Kentucky to places such as Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, Los Angeles and Las Vegas in an effort to put up a big number to show she could generate national interest in her effort to unseat McConnell.” (Sam Youngman, “Alison Lundergan Grimes raises 2.5M, sparking battle of spin,” Lexington Herald Leader 10/15/13)

GRIMES REMAINS FAR BEHIND, WILL HAVE TO IMPROVE “However, Grimes remains far behind the five-term Republican Senate minority leader who has raised $17.7 million total for the election cycle and has $10 million cash on hand. Grimes will have to improve on her fundraising in coming quarters if she is to come close to matching what McConnell already has.” (Ronnie Ellis, “Grimes campaign trumpets 2.5 million quarter, Democratic candidate still far behind overall,” Richmond Register 10/15/13)

GRIMES NOT COMPETITIVE WITH MCCONNELL “Earlier today, Alison Grimes announced that she raised $2.5 million for her U.S. Senate campaign. Far short of the $5 million+ people like Jonathan Hurst and Dale Emmons promised she would report. Far short than the amounts Republicans at two huge Super PACs believed she would raise. Far short than the amount we believe she needed to raise in order to be competitive. While mainstreamers at A Kentucky Newspaper fall for the spin that she’s outraised Mitch McConnell, remember that he has more than five times the cash on hand.” (Jacob Payne, “Grimes $ Report: Not Competitive With McConnell,” Page One Kentucky10/15/13)


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