Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 01:54 pm
The Senate is 50-50. President Joe Biden’s approval ratings are subterranean. It would seem as though the situation is set up perfectly for Republicans to capture the Senate by storm and essentially vitiate the last two years of Biden’s term, at least with respect to legislation. But the GOP is having money trouble.
You might say, “Yeah, well – who isn’t having money trouble?” And we have an answer. The Democrats running for the Senate. As Axios reports, “it’s as if the GOP donors don’t know that the Senate is up for grabs,” and PoliticusUSA will hasten to add, “but the Democrats do.” GOP Senate candidates are falling well behind their Democratic opponents in key battleground states.
The second quarter financial reports were due yesterday, and Axios has already poured over the results. Democrats should be pleased. It seems as though Democrats understand how important the 2022 election will be:
- In Arizona, the leading Republican candidate, Blake Masters, raised just $827,000 in the quarter ($1.58 million cash on hand) to $13.6 million ($24.9 million cash on hand) for Sen. Mark Kelly, the Democratic incumbent. Another GOP candidate, Jim Lamon, brought in $1.2 million ($1 million of his own).
To be sure, some of that money will coalesce around the GOP candidate once Arizona has its primary, but… to be sure, $13.6 million is a lot more than $ 0.82 million, even in Arizona.
- In Pennsylvania, another underwhelming fundraising tally from a big-time GOP Senate candidate: Dr. Oz raised $1.6 million in the latest fundraising report, and put in $2.2 million of his own money — ending June with $1.1 million cash on hand. Democrat John Fetterman, despite his absence from the trail following a stroke, raised $10 million ($5.5 million on hand).
Umm, so Oz doesn’t even have the excuse that he’s waiting on winning the primary. He won the primary (barely, and thank God, since Oz is his own worst enemy). Pennsylvania is an awfully big state with an awfully big open seat, and $1.6 million is an awfully small amount given the stakes. If one is Mitch McConnell, Pennsylvania is probably the state that has him day-drinking. Only Donald Trump could endorse the least likable candidate available to go up against the most likable candidate in John Fetterman. (Fetterman is just as likable as Sen. Mark Kelly, which is saying something. Kelly is not only one of the country’s most legendary astronauts, but he is also one of the country’s most respected husbands, having loved Gabby Giffords right through a remarkable recovery.)
The pattern holds in small states:
- In New Hampshire, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D) raised $5.07 million to just $538,000 for her leading GOP challenger, state Senate President Chuck Morse.
When you are raising ten times the amount your opponent raised, it must be indicative of serious enthusiasm and awareness as to what is at stake.
Axios notes that Herschel Walker had a strong quarter, raising $6 million. That is a wonderful sign because it’s money basically buried into a hole. Herschel Walker may be all but unelectable going against the Democratic Senator that even most Republicans will begrudgingly acknowledge as a beautiful man, in Senator Ralph Warnock. If Walker beats Warnock (which is highly unlikely), the country is officially on its final glide slope to fascism. Oh! And Warnock raised $17 million, so – three times that over Walker. Again, voter enthusiasm.
For the first time in modern memory, the midterms may not turn against the party in power even though Biden remains deeply unpopular. Biden’s approval ratings are almost solely based on everyone’s trip to get gas and groceries, two maddening developments that are global in nature. Democrats’ favorability is national in nature. The far-right power grab by the SCOTUS has the American public shaking in terror over what it will do next and seems intent upon “being heard” in the upcoming election.
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