Another candidate may soon be steamrolled by Donald Trump. Jeb Bush is “trimming down.”
Ahead of its required disclosure of third quarter fundraising, the Jeb Bush campaign says it is cutting back and being more frugal in its campaign spending.
A Politico story on Thursday, sourced with a variety of Bush “insiders” is likely a pre-spin of disappointing fundraising over the summer.
Conceived as a fundraising juggernaut that would “shock and awe” opponents into oblivion, Bush’s campaign is suddenly struggling to raise hard dollars and increasingly economizing — not because he’s out of money, but to convince nervous donors, who are about to get their first look at his campaign’s burn rate, that he’s not wasting it.
It is the latest sign that things haven’t gone according to script for the Bush campaign. Once a frontrunner for the GOP nomination, Bush has fallen to the back of the pack in recent surveys. Even in New Hampshire, a state seen as critical to his nomination fight and where his campaign has spent almost $5 million in paid advertising, Bush is mired in sixth place.
Only five days ago, Jeb lost a major backer, billionaire T. Boone Pickens, who has decided to spend his money on Ben Carson:
Republican presidential candidates Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina have wooed away a major GOP donor from Jeb Bush, as the former Florida governor struggles to pick up traction in the primary race.
A spokesman for T. Boone Pickens, told NBC News that the energy billionaire and hedge-funder has instructed his staff to look into how he can offer some backing to Carson, which could mean a donation to one of the groups supporting Carson or a fundraiser.
“He will provide some financial support for him,” the spokesman, Jay Rosser, said. “He likes Dr. Carson.”
The billionaire Koch Brothers, who tend to skew more libertarian than Bush, seem to be placing their bets on Fiorina and Rubio.
If anything, the Jeb campaign is proof positive that money can’t buy elections. Despite using his considerable war chest to line up the top consultants and build a massive campaign operation, Jeb trails Trump by double digits, and is struggling to stay at or around 5 percent in the polls, even after massive ad buys in Iowa and New Hampshire. It’s a clear sign that the country is sick of settling for political insiders and wants true leadership in the White House.
AAN Staff
The staff at American Action News are consummate professionals, who when not producing original, hard-hitting content, are scouring the internet to bring you the unfiltered news that matters to you! Our mission is to maximize your experience on our website. If we can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to let us know!
