A First: Florida Democrats Outraised Republicans in Second Quarter

[Political Tiger]

For the first time in the history of the world, the Florida Democratic Party (FDP) out-fundraised the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) in the second quarter of a year. The FDP shows $1,196,530 while the RPOF had over $35,000 less, with $1,160,064.

How the money was raised tells a more accurate story of the condition of the two parties. The phrase “rich Republican” means something different in Florida than in say, Iowa or Kentucky. That’s clear from the fact that only 224 donors were responsible for the RPOF’s total. A mere 71 donated $100 or less, meaning the bulk of the purse was given by 153 people. By contrast, it took 1,740 Democrats to cough up their nearly $2 million. Of those, 1,371 gave $100 or less, leaving 369 who were able to give larger amounts.

But the real money isn’t flowing to the parties. Gov. Charlie Crist raised $4.3 million, compared with $1.2 million by U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, his Democratic challenger. That’s assuming Crist wins in the primary against former state House Speaker Mario Rubio, who raised only $340,000 but is young, handsome, Cuban, not metrosexual, and has the gleam of the zealot in his eye, along with the backing of Jeb Bush and Mike Huckabee.

http://www.pensitoreview.com/2009/07/12/a-first-florida-democrats-outraised-republicans-in-second-quarter/