The Romney campaign’s reliance on big-money donors has received a lot of attention, but President Obama and the DNC may have also raked in up to $60 million-plus from ultra-wealthy bundlers – nearly 70 percent of the campaign’s total haul.
The Center for Responsive Politics reports that the Obama campaign only disclosed broad ranges of how much each individual bundler contributed. If the bundlers pulled in the maximum for their category, then the total amount could be much higher than previously reported:
These broad categories mean the true amount collected for Obama’s re-election could be even greater than $35 million. In fact, if the maximum amounts raised by these 200-plus elite moneymen and women are used, the total could be as high as $60 million. That’s 70 percent of the total announced haul. And that amount could be higher still, since for the 27 individuals who bundled more than a half-million dollars there is no maximum amount given.
The Obama campaign often tries to downplay its dependence on bundlers, and portray itself as primarily grassroots-driven. And while it definitely collected an impressive amount of small-money donations, Obama is still reliant on wealthy bundlers and special interest groups, just like any other incumbent politician.