This has to mean something. Politico reports on the money game:
Kamala Harris’ campaign spent nearly three times as much as Donald Trump’s did in August — but raised so much that she still grew her cash advantage.
The massive spending disparity came even as the Trump campaign continued to scale up its expenses, which more than doubled from the month prior, according to a POLITICO analysis of campaign finance filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission late Friday. But the continued divergence highlights the Harris campaign’s significant money and infrastructure advantage as the election approaches: Harris has far more campaign cash available than Trump, and she has greater means to deploy it.
Harris entered August with more money than Trump, and managed to raise more than she spent over the month. Trump’s campaign, by contrast, spent more than it raised despite far fewer expenses. Her campaign reported taking in $190 million; his, just shy of $45 million.
The vice president’s campaign outspent Trump $174 million to $61 million in August. But Harris’ preexisting cash advantage and superior fundraising mean that she ended the month with $235 million, $100 million more than Trump.
And then there’s this rather astonishing comparison:
The Harris campaign and the Democratic National Committee had a combined more than 1,200 staffers on payroll, compared to about 320 for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee.
I guess they’re hoping that Charlie Kirk and Turning Point can get the incel boys out to knock on doors?
The RNC has slightly more money in the bank than the DNC ($79 to 50 million) but we don’t know how much they have from the joint fundraising committees and I would guess their at least fairly even. The DNC is spending more on canvassing and the RNC spend on direct mail (much more lucrative for the wingnut grifters…)
Trump is relying on Super PACs funded by his billionaire buddies and we don’t know yet how much they raised and spent. Maybe it’s a wash. But you have to wonder if they are all just doing their own thing without any common themes and if that’s effective.
The big difference is that the Democrats dwarfed the Republicans with small donor donations which is one fair way to gauge enthusiasm. By that measure, the Democrats are far more excited about the race than MAGA.
When I look at the Trump rallies these days it really does look like a lot of them are just going through the motions. It’s the same old thing and the group dynamic they used to love — the party that went along with it —- just doesn’t seem to have much spark.
They’ll all vote for him again. But I think it’s becoming less central to their lives. He’s rapidly becoming a nostalgia act and I don’t think they are willing to pay top dollar for the show anymore.