Mitt Romney emerged as the big winner in the GOP presidential field in the immediate wake of the withdrawals of rivals Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump.
The former Massachusetts governor made a big move to the front of the pack by raising more than $10 million from a phone bank fundraiser — 20 percent of the amount he believes he needs to win the nomination.
"This is a big kickoff for us," Romney told 400 supporters on Facebook after Monday’s event at the Las Vegas Convention Center. "It’s kind of a celebration.”
The huge amount raised eyebrows in conservative circles. “Who else in the GOP field could raise $10 million in a day?” asked Larry Sabato, Director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
Only yesterday, pollster Scott Rasmussen told NewsmaxTV that he saw Romney ahead of the pack in the race for the nomination. But he likened his position to that of Rudy Giuliani in 2008, calling him “a vulnerable frontrunner.”
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| Romney raised more than $10 million Monday night. (AP Photo) |
Romney has yet to announce an official run. His strategy seems to be to raise far more than any of his rivals by the end of the reporting quarter on June 30.
He knows his positions, especially on health care, make him vulnerable among sections of the party faithful, so he hopes his ability to raise funds would show that only he has the means to go toe-to-toe with President Obama in the final run-up to Election Day.
Sabato told Newsmax that Romney still has serious problems if he is to win the nomination. “But balancing those, he has been quietly and methodically building a giant war chest and a solid organization in many places.”
He said that, among potential candidates, only former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman would be able to come close to matching Romney’s war chest – and then only if he is prepared to dig deep into his personal fortune.
The final tally from Romney’s event was announced as $10.25 million. His backers will now be able to compare that figure to the $800,000 that Tim Pawlenty’s campaign was crowing about after two events in Chicago and Dallas last week.
But money isn’t everything. Democratic pollster and Fox News contributor Doug Schoen told Newsmax the Vegas event proved beyond doubt that Romney has financial support.
“All that he lacks is broad appeal to the tea party and social conservatives,” he said, pointing out the weakness of Romney’s argument in defense of the health care plan he signed in Massachusetts “that he himself recognizes was the model for Obamacare.”
And Romney himself is well aware that money does not always spell success. He spent $40 million of his own money in Iowa and New Hampshire in 2008 but failed to win either state. His campaign never recovered.
Sabato pointed out that however much Romney raises, it will be dwarfed by Obama’s fund-raising machine. “A more realistic goal might be to aim for half of Obama’s total. The key is always to spend enough to get your message out, not necessarily to spend as much or more than your opponent,” he said.
Romney said it was important to him to “get the ball rolling” in Vegas. “It’s more than just a start. It really gives us the boost that we needed at this early stage," he said. "This is one of the early states in the presidential contest and we want to show our intention and interest in Nevada."
Meg Whitman, the former eBay CEO who ran on the GOP ticket for California governor last year, was one of 800 well-heeled volunteers who paid their own way to Sin City to dial for dollars. “This is an extraordinary event,” she told the Las Vegas Review Journal.
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