Herman Cain Raises Anemic $2.46 Million, About The Same As Jon Huntsman
Herman Cain wasn’t able to translate grassroots support into campaign dollars in the recently concluded quarter:
Former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain is a grassroots sensation on the 2012 presidential campaign trail. Now we know what that looks like as a dollar figure: Cain brought in $2.46 million in campaign contributions, a number the campaign tells TPM it expects to see rise to closer to $2.48 when all the final reporting is done.
“It’s not Mitt Romney money, it’s not [President] Obama money, but we’re excited,” spokesperson Ellen Carmichael told TPM late Friday night.
Cain, wealthy from his experience running Godfather’s as well as other successful business enterprises, has put in some of his own cash as “seed money” for the campaign, Carmichael said. But she said that the amount Cain has contributed pales in comparison to the $2 million or so former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman gave his own campaign, which reported just over $4 million in total fundraising today.
Carmichael said the campaign intends to use their haul to hire new staff and notes that Cain dropped three national mail pieces to help contribute to the total. She said that’s a sign that Cain intends to spend his campaign cash to boost is name ID and his already surging poll numbers.
“The campaign boasts $0 in campaign debt,” team Cain noted in a press release, “which Cain believes is a testament to his business principles.”
Carmichael said most of Cain’s money came from small donors giving less than $100, noting that the campaign has “more than 27,000” online donors.
Those Huntsman numbers should actually be cut in half because about half of the $4,000,000 he “raised” was actually his own money. So basically, Herman Cain raised the same amount of money as Jon Huntsman, who has been in the race for two weeks.
He’s not a real candidate. I’m surprised he took in that much given that he can self-finance.
@michael reynolds: Who is a real candidate michael, Ron Paul? LoL
@kjw: As of right now I’d say it’s Romney and no one else unless Perry gets in.
Not surprising. There’s a major difference between being popular in certain corners of the Internet and being a legitimate contender in reality. Fred Thompson, anyone?
As No. 3 says the only serious candidate at present is Romney and the only serious candidate on the event horizon is Rick Perry. Everyone else merely is filler for blogs, talk radio and cable-TV.
Herman Cain may have reported the least amount in donations but guess what? More importantly he has no debt. He have not over extended himself like Washington has. he practices what he preaches…a rarity.
Cain 2012!
Huntsman just entered the race, kinda silly his name would be brought up. I am sure Huntsman’s 3rd quarter fundraising will be near or more than Romney’s. Btw, I do like Herman Cain but, Huntsman is my guy.