Obama September fundraising nears record, campaign nears $1 billion
U.S. President Barack Obama waves to supporters during a campaign on the campus of St. Petersburg College September 8, 2012 in St Petersburg, Florida.
President Barack Obama and the Democrats raised a near record amount of $181 million in September, taking advantage of his opponent’s unsteady campaign and a strong convention.
The totals are just short of the record Obama’s campaign set in September 2008, when the Democrats raised $193 million, The Associated Press reported.
“There is exactly one month left to go until Election Day,” campaign manager Jim Messina said in an email, according to the AP. “The stakes are too high for us to take our foot off the gas now.”
September’s gaudy totals are a welcome sign for the Democrats, who trailed for three months before gaining an edge again in August.
Republican candidate Mitt Romney’s campaign didn’t release its September totals, The Washington Post reported.
The Democrats appear to have taken advantage of some Romney campaign missteps in September, while benefiting from some high-profile fundraisers of their own.
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Clint Eastwood’s cryptic address at the Republican National Convention overshadowed the former Massachusetts governor; Romney took flack for appearing “extra brown” during a Latino TV interview; and Mother Jones magazine revealed his now infamous 47 percent comments that month.
However, the GOP is reinvigorated by Romney’s strong debate performance and told The Post is received a swell of donations.
Despite his reserved appearance on the first televised debate, Obama and the Dems are still trumpeting positive messages.
In a series of messages on Twitter, Obama highlighted some campaign numbers, including one that said nearly one-third of September donors hadn’t contributed this year or at all in 2008.
Obama also said 1.8 million people donated to the campaign last month.
Because of September’s totals, Obama’s campaign is now nearing $1 billion, USA Today reported.
“It seems clear that many Obama supporters who were sitting on the sidelines became energized about this race last month,” University of California-Irvine law professor Rick Hasen told USA Today.
Candidates must reveal September fundraising totals by October 20.
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