Traditionally, the congressional Democrats have had trouble keeping up with the Republicans in fundraising. That's because the Republicans have it easier trying to tap into corporate and Wall Street money -- and those monied interests have been generous in their support for the GOP (the party that represents the rich). But things are changing.The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is reporting that it is meeting all of its fundraising goals, and actually is surpassing past records (of money raised and cash on hand). But in spite of that, they still lag behind the numbers posted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). In this campaign cycle, the DCCC has raised $13 million more than the RNCC, and has $7 million more in the bank right now.
It's starting to look like the congressional Democrats will enter the coming general election campaign season better funded than the Republicans. My first thought was that the Republicans will make up for the deficit in spending by outside groups, but it looks like the Democratic super-PACs are currently keeping pace with the right-wing super-PACs.
How has this happened? First, President Obama has been very effective in helping the DCCC raise money. While his approval rating has slipped recently, he still remains very popular among Democrats (and much more popular among the general public than congressional Republicans). Second, the Democrats have been much more effective in reaching out to small donors (those giving less than $200) -- especially on the internet.
Of course, this does not guarantee a Democratic victory in 2014. But it does mean the Democrats can match the Republican campaign spending dollar for dollar -- and that's something they have not always been able to do in the past.
