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President Obama Raises More Than $70 Million In Third Quarter

by Tommy Christopher | 10:21 am, October 13th, 2011

» 88 comments

According to an email to supporters, President Obama‘s reelection campaign raised more than $70 million in the third quarter, from 606,027 donors. The total, including joint fundraisers with the Democratic National Committee, is down from the combined $86 million they raised in the second quarter, but well ahead of their $55 million goal, and miles ahead of the President’s Republican challengers.

Fading former frontrunner Rick Perry raised $17 million in the third quarter, but Mitt Romney and current leader Herman Cain haven’t released their Q3 figures yet.

Much is being made of the fact that President Obama’s campaign is expected to raise a billion dollars, which will likely dwarf his eventual opponent’s tally, but the Goliath vs. David optics of that are deceptive. In a video to supporters last quarter, Obama for America campaign manager Jim Messina pointed out that the President will face an unprecedented amount of opposition from independent groups, with no limits on donations, and no duty to disclose their individual donors. Messina projects the figure at $500 million, but there’s really no way to tell. This will be the first presidential election held in the post-Citizens United petri dish.

The OFA email is less detailed than its last announcement, which probably means that some of the proportions of small door to big donor dollar figures are going to be significantly different than last time. Here are some details that they did provide:

– In the third fundraising quarter of this year, 606,027 people donated to this campaign — even more than gave in the record-breaking previous quarter.

– Those people gave more than 766,000 total donations — 98 percent of them $250 or less, at an average amount of $56. That’s more than twice as many donations than we had at this point in the historic 2008 campaign.

– We are focused on building infrastructure that will help us win in 2012. And each quarter we set a combined goal for the campaign and our allies at the Democratic National Committee. We far exceeded our goal of $55 million this quarter between the two organizations. Great work.

– Together, Obama for America and the DNC raised more than $70 million. And it all happened during a summer when the President was focused on doing the job he was elected to do — a summer when we had to cancel a series of fundraising events and ask everyone to dig a little deeper.

Here is the full text of the Obama campaign’s email to supporters:

Friend –

Remember that deadline we kept emailing you about a couple weeks ago?

Here’s what you should know about what we’ll report to the FEC tomorrow:

– In the third fundraising quarter of this year, 606,027 people donated to this campaign — even more than gave in the record-breaking previous quarter.
– Those people gave more than 766,000 total donations — 98 percent of them $250 or less, at an average amount of $56. That’s more than twice as many donations than we had at this point in the historic 2008 campaign.
– We are focused on building infrastructure that will help us win in 2012. And each quarter we set a combined goal for the campaign and our allies at the Democratic National Committee. We far exceeded our goal of $55 million this quarter between the two organizations. Great work.
– Together, Obama for America and the DNC raised more than $70 million. And it all happened during a summer when the President was focused on doing the job he was elected to do — a summer when we had to cancel a series of fundraising events and ask everyone to dig a little deeper.

If I could sum up this last quarter in a few words: You came through. Thank you.

Here’s even bigger news: Right now, 982,967 people have donated to this campaign. We’re within striking distance of 1 million donors.

You’re one of those first million already, so it’s up to you to inspire someone else to give for the first time. Make a promise to match someone’s first donation to the campaign now — you pick the amount, and we’ll match you with a grassroots supporter who hasn’t given to the campaign yet. You can even leave them a note (and you might get one back).

Will you donate $35 or more and promise to match someone’s first donation to the campaign today?

Part of the reason we send you all these emails is that we don’t accept any money from special-interest groups or Washington lobbyists.

So getting to a million grassroots donors isn’t just a huge accomplishment this early in the campaign. It’s our answer to our opponents, the press, and anyone who wants to know whether the President’s supporters have his back.

The reality is that on top of the hundreds of thousands of supporters from 2008 who decided to make another donation, 257,635 people made their first donation ever to the Obama organization — continuing the record pace you all set in the previous quarter.

That support translates directly to what we can do on the ground. In the past three months we’ve grown our organizing staff by 50 percent, and opened up three new field offices every week. Thousands of volunteers and organizers made 3 million phone calls and in-person visits to voters.

That’s all because you decided to be part of this.

And the continued pace of that growth is up to you — we will open more offices, train more organizers, and knock on more doors at the pace you make possible.

When Republicans think it helps their political fortunes to block the progress that the President is advocating for, we have to speak up and mobilize.

You know why it’s important to engage right now. We’re up against a Republican Party and special interest-funded groups that will spend hundreds of millions of dollars spreading any message that they believe will defeat the President and roll back our efforts to build a fairer economy that rewards hard work and responsibility, not large corporations.

But we’ve also got to build for the long term. That’s what all the fundraising and deadlines are about: building the organization now that will put us in a position to win in 2012.

Thanks for all you did to get us here. I’m excited for what’s ahead, and I hope you’ll take part in the push to 1 million grassroots donors today.

Make a pledge and double your impact by inspiring someone to donate for the first time today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Million-Pledge

Thanks,

Messina

Jim Messina
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

2012 Election, barack obama, Citizens United, fundraising, Herman Cain, Jim Messina, Mitt Romney, Obama For America, President Obama, Rick Perry

Anonymous

I wonder if he’ll beat his own record of being the President who’s received the most amount of corporate donations ever?
Concerned Citizen

The amount of money wasted on these campaigns is disgusting. Obama is by far the biggest hypocrite taking all this money from both the same rich donors he constantly rails against and on the other spectrum from those who probably can’t afford it. His two campaigns will have spent well over 1 billion billion! to get him elected and re-elected.
Anonymous

How much does he get from Green / Solar Power / Wind companies ?

Now that they got loan guarantees from the taxpayers ( billions on the last day of September ), that’ll stop .

As people see that Obama will likely be a one termer , money will dry up .
TruDat

Considering he’s campaigning on the taxpayers’ dime, it shouldn’t be that tough to get some money.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dronetek-Bulk-Vanderhuge/100000918732763 Dronetek Bulk Vanderhuge

How many negative stories have you done on him TC? In fact, how many negative stories have you done about Democrats? Now compare that to your non-stop bashing of the Republicans. You know, the party NOT IN POWER?
Anonymous

The only chance the incompetent one has is to divide this country and buy his re-election.

The so called “Uniter” has divided this Country which is disgusting as all hell for a President to purposely do but there is no amount of money in the world that will buy his re-election!!
http://gregingleright.weebly.com/ Greg

Money matters. Obama is crushing it. So many right wing donatioms wasted… great news for the country.
Anonymous

The “NEW” Republican Tea Party have done a great job of showing the true colors of their party. Keep up the good work. GO TEAM OBAMA!
Anonymous

Well, there’s nothing wrong or illegal about raising the money. It’s perfectly normal and legitimate.

…Although, there are a lot of very bitter sour grapes clearly on offer.
Anonymous

I think the president should have a little fun with the republicans and offer to share half his proceeds with Herman Cain should he get the GOP nomination. Put a little spin on it and present it as ‘a gesture of good will’. Hilarity ensues as the GOP scrambles to disappear Cain. “you mean we actually have to pull the lever for the black guy?”
Anonymous

The “NEW’ Republican Tea Party write their own stories.Not the medias fault they have so much to write about.
sam

“As people see that Obama will likely be a one termer , money will dry up.”
- this might’ve made me laugh more than any mediate post i’ve ever read….so you’re response to 600,000+ donations averaging at around $50 each is that ALL of these middle and low class donors are going to suddenly realize that Obama’s not going to win (even tho he’s beating Perry and Cain by 12 points and the tea-tards won’t let Romney win)…meanwhile, the tea party’s starting to fight FOR wall street against the occupiers, and the repubs in the house want to focus on an abortion bill and totally reject the president’s jobs bill…wow…so voters are just gonna realize Obama can’t win and stop donating??!? Really?!?! HAHAH!!
sam

the only chance repubs have of matching obama for $$$ is Rove and the Koch Bros….who could easily raise hundres of millions…but will the Koch brothers really go all in for Romney?
Anonymous

Every Obama handout to the unions is a donation to himself .
Dinky

I am surprised they waisted their time to just list fifty dollar donations. Trust me, it is not the grass roots investing into Obama’s 2012 campaign. I wonder if so and so is gonna blow the whole thing wide open or is he gonna wait? Yes I am touting you-you know who you are…
TruDat

More racist rhetoric from a lefty.
The_Reasonable_Lib

This is hilarious. Obama just keeps outdoing them all with little to no effort.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dronetek-Bulk-Vanderhuge/100000918732763 Dronetek Bulk Vanderhuge

Hooray for record unemployment and sky rocketing deficits! I thought it was “the economy stupid”? I guess that only applies if a Republican is presiding over a bad economy?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dronetek-Bulk-Vanderhuge/100000918732763 Dronetek Bulk Vanderhuge

Hooray for record unemployment and sky rocketing deficits! I thought it was “the economy stupid”? I guess that only applies if a Republican is presiding over a bad economy?
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

These days it takes money to win the elections and something like 84% of candidates with the most money raised wins the election against their opponent!!

More proof that Obama will be around or 4 more years… which would drive the Republicons to either kill themselves in mass numbers are be filled with even more hate and fear!! Lol!!
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

I wonder if Republicons will keep repeating the falsehood the Corporations are not standing by the President??
Anonymous

I never heard that. I think you read that off of one of those left wing blogs! Everyone knows wall street stood behind President Zero and I am sure as Obama portrays them as bad rich guys they will still support him.
Norbit

What happened to the big ”Hope & Change” SCAM?

Now you BUY ACCESS to the White House Prostitute Class right out in the open!
Any donations coming in from Solyndra or the Mexican Drug Cartels (as a thank you to Holder for all the guns!)?

This is, by far, the most CORRUPT Administration in US history!
Anonymous

Seriously- It should be on all DNC publicity materials including the Occupy Wall Street posters: “Obama the biggest recipient of Wall Street $ & Corporate Donations EVER!” ” Obama: Number one fan & supporter of Corporate Lobbyist interest of any American President” “$30,000 a plate buys you a waiver from Obamacare”
Anonymous

Gee, I wonder if this self-proclaimed “underdog” could donate that billion dollars to fund his Jobs Bill.
gordonbloyershow

NO amount of money will save this clown from defeat.
Anonymous

I have my home line of credit that I fully expect to draw from—for Obama directly, the DNC, the DLCC, the DSCC, and every other MoveOn, PFAW, etc group between now and Election. I figure I am merely using my grandkids inheritance a little early, to ensure they have the American Dream back from the Republicans who destroyed it in the first place.
Anonymous

I have my home line of credit that I fully expect to draw from—for Obama directly, the DNC, the DLCC, the DSCC, and every other MoveOn, PFAW, etc group between now and Election. I figure I am merely using my grandkids inheritance a little early, to ensure they have the American Dream back from the Republicans who destroyed it in the first place.
Anonymous

I think he should have a little fun with his money as well and feed the homeless, cut a check to the unemployed, and perhaps fund his precious jobs bill that not even his own party wanted to touch.
Anonymous

just a tip, Gordie, don’;t send TOO much of your beer and cig money to any of the losers in the stable of candidates ! lol
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

As you know, that’s how politics are done nowadays!! That’s one of the reasons why people are down at OWS, to get money out of politics… and yes both Parties do it!!

But don’t cry just because Obama is better at it than the Republicons!!
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

As you know, that’s how politics are done nowadays!! That’s one of the reasons why people are down at OWS, to get money out of politics… and yes both Parties do it!!

But don’t cry just because Obama is better at it than the Republicons!!
Tea4dummies

Bring it on Baggers! Prepare to be steamrolled.
RW

And here is Tommy Christopher reproducing the entire fund raising letter – how convenient. Get the letter out in front of more eyeballs. How much do they pay you Tommy? What did posting the entire letter (with donation link no less) contribute to this story?

What is the point of this website? Cheerleaders to the Obama administration.
Anonymous

Little or no effort? – where the heck have you been? He has been criss-crossing the country every weekend to host fundraising dinners in Hollywood and then back to Wall Street. What is hilarious is that he is trying to paint himself as the ‘underdog’ , for sympathy votes? If the Republican candidates are so lame and pose absolutely no threat then why market himself as the loser?
RW

Shouldn’t the OW people carry signs saying, “Share the wealth, Mr. President” Wouldn’t that money go far in helping poor people? Did you hear poverty has increased under Obama? HYPOCRITE!
TruDat

Will do TeaBaggee!
TruDat

Jeepers, goody for you. Sheesh, what a simpleton.
TruDat

More hate-filled violent rhetoric from those peace loving liberals.
TruDat

Like P.T. Barnum said, there’s a sucker born every second, and they’re all loony libs.
TruDat

And he’s using taxpayer money to do it.
Anonymous

Dems just do it more.

Unions
Wall Street

Get the unions and Wall Street out of politics, you’d have a different political landscape.
Anonymous

Money only matters when your policies are horrible.
Anonymous

If you had solid policies to run on, you wouldn’t need so much money. Simple as that.

Obama’s toast.
Tex45

Some teabagger retard asked Limbaugh yesterday ‘to explain things to us so we know what to do next’. LOL
Even the fatman was unnerved by what unthinking sheep some of these people are.
Anonymous

The reality with the Supreme Court ruling between people like Rupert Murdoch, the Koch brothers, Big Oil Super PACS, and some Wall street super PACS they will attempt to buy a Republican President. Who said the next President will be the voice of the people. Much like the congress that was elected in November 2010.
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

Have you ever heard of the case “Citizens United”, the case before the Supreme Court that 5 Conservative Judges voted for??
Anonymous

Norbit said: ” most CORRUPT Administration in US history!”

And taking cash from special interest Super Pacs and the Koch Brothers and Fox’s Murdoch by the Republicans in the November 2010 was all on the up and up? Oh by the way what has the new Republican freshman congressmen group done for me lately? Koch Brothers bought Scott Walker Govenor of Wisconsin as an example. You watch way to much Fox News Norbit.
TruDat

You forgot George Soros and all the Hollywood limousine liberals.
Anonymous

Who’s crying? the voters should make themselves aware of who is buying the WH. Obama may have raised more funds at the moment, but combine the raised $ of all the republican donors behind one candidate and look at those numbers. Republican money is being divided 5-6 different ways right now. I wonder how long it will be before the OWS realize there attempts to get money out of politics is futile.
http://www.davidjkramer.co.cc// DavidKramer

The funny part about raising the $70 million, everyone in the US got to contribute.

See, all that Stimulus money stolen from the taxpayers and then given to Obama backers through kickbacks and loans a percentage is given back to Obama through political donations.

IT IS THE CHICAGO/OBAMA WAY!

Now aren’t you all glad that you are funding the Obama re election campaign?
Anonymous

I hope you are being sarcastic.
Anonymous

Much like the president elected in 2008.
http://gregingleright.weebly.com/ Greg

Silly assertion. A fundraising advantage correlates well with electoral success at all levels and for both parties.
TruDat

Sounds like someone got TeaBagged and is regretting it, eh Tex? Yum yum, you gobbled it up I bet.
Hagen619dj

Isn’t it amazing how all this money is being raised just for obama to be reelected. Good grief, are people nuts? Take that money and pay off the national debt with it….it’s criminal to see this kind of stupidity to give a pres who isn’t worth a block of gold.
Hagen619dj

Yes, your smuggness…..We need to all hope and pray that obama gets left standing in the dust. I personally think that alot of “under the table” information is going to come forward as this election year carries on. You dems won’t be so proud of all of that once it’s told…..and then again, most democrats don’t care how laws are followed as long as they get what they want.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_HNH5FOIRNPH4YGMWM3QR5PEHFI Lighthouse

How much of the money raised is from the money they can’t find that the government gave to Solyndra? Or maybe that other “sun” company? The Big Stink’s coffers will be filled with all the last minute billions being doled out to soon to be failing companies.
And the beat goes on
Hagen619dj

Enjoy it while you can.
Anonymous

George Soros and all the Hollywood limousine liberals contribute because they feel it is the right thing to do. The people I mention contribute in the name of greed and power.
Hagen619dj

If that happened…you demos wouldn’t have any reason to call anyone racist! Golly, wouldn’t that take the fun out of it?
Hagen619dj

To be true….he is a loser. But to be out running like he has is wasting even more money on just himself. Think of what it has cost this country to fly him all over the land. Shouldn’t he be in Washington running the office of president? What happened to that job?
Anonymous

“Now aren’t you all glad that you are funding the Obama re election campaign?”

Yes I am and I’ll be doing in 2012 as well!!!
Anonymous

And what President hasn’t?????
Anonymous

Obama officially cooked :

“Obama loses Hulk Hogan’s support ”

http://www.politico.com/blogs/click/1011/Obama_loses_Hulk_Hogans_support.html?showall
Anonymous

Not even close. Obama’s greatest contributers in 2008 were individuals through internet contibutions in the form of the 5 and 10 dollar amounts. He was the people elected President. Like any campaign he did have his special interest conributers, but most of his funding came from individuals.

2010 election was a good example of buying seats.
Anonymous

Obamagasm !!!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PD5D3ZMY7N367OWXRDTUXABEHI Paul

It’s deeper much much deeper than you can possibly imagine or can be explained in one paragraph http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_CTNSAc_IU
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_LDO6LIQBI2JQ4Q5MWLWBKGKSJY bensanity

Obama is the 1%. Who is “expecting” him to raise over a billion? The people that are going to give it to him. The uber-elite. The 1%, scratch that, the 0.1% that have over 33% of all the wealth in this country.
Mencius

That’s hilarious.
http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

This amount of $70 million was down $16 million from $86 million in Q2.

The headline, therefore, should have read “Obama Fundraising Declines Over $15 Million from Q2.”

Tommy isn’t interested in reporting, though. Flailing and flaking for a failing administration is now his order of the day.
http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

Why don’t you donate that money to charity instead?

So that it actually gets to the poor instead of being wasted on Democrat politics?
http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

Hollywood megamillionaires aren’t greedy? Soros isn’t greedy?

Tell us what “greed” is, because you appear to have no clue.
Texan

They’ve also lowered their original target of 1 Billion to 750 million.
Anonymous

You could say the same thing about Republican candidates raising money
Anonymous

Rich Donors may get railed against from Obama, but it shows that his message may be right or why would they donate.
Anonymous

I can give you Webster’s version which is too “great an appetite; desire for more than is necessary” and I’ll give you my version: anyone that will take advantage or cares less about his follow man that he is willing to exploit them or the circumstance for their own personal gain. “Hollywood Limousine liberals” are not taking advantage of their follow man. You don’t have a gun to your head forcing you to go to a movie. Soros has set up OSI as vehicle to help many in need. I’m sure a man of his power has step on some little people on his journey to the top, but he has also exhibited the willingness to give back. Unlike the behavior of the likes of the Kock brothers, Murdoch to name a few.
Anonymous

I’m donating so the poor will be taken care of and our children will be educated and the failing infrastructure will be rebuilt as oppose to kicking this can down the road for the next generation.
hatessnark

That’s the nuttiest thing I ever saw, it’s what mental patients do in their spare time
hatessnark

silly and wrong
hatessnark

This is the ranting of lunatics, How crazed can you get
Anonymous

Paranoid much/
Anonymous

Only to those who don’t understand politics and money.
Anonymous

…How unbelivably naive.
http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

“great an appetite; desire for more than is necessary”

Determined by who – you? You determine what somebody is allowed to have (unless they’re liberal, of course, in which case, they can have as much as they want and much more than is necessary)?

LOL

Sounds to me that you just don’t want people who disagree with your college-freshman-level politics to have money.
http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

Obama has taken more corporate money than any President in US History.

Figures don’t lie, and liars go figure.
http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

Taxes are not donations, champ.

Donations are donations. They’re voluntary.

Try again.
Impeach The Establishment

I wonder if people would ever spend that kind of money on liberty and a president willing to obey the constitution.