A fundraising tie in May?

[ProSense]

A tie in May

Both candidates raised about $22 million last month, a low for Obama and a high for McCain.

Obama, who's been firing on all fundraising cylinders in June, courting large donors and small, will need to outraise McCain dramatically to make his decision to opt out of public financing worthwhile.

Obama: 23,348,774

McCain: 21,493,729


It's clear this was a low for Obama, but when is $23 million equal to $21 million.

Better question, when is $23.3 million rounded down to "about $22 million."

Practically everyone in the media is using $22 million.

Why can't they simply report that Obama raised $23 million?

[Skinner]

1. You need to read Obama's report a little more closely:

Total Contributions: 21,901,101.49
Total Offsets To Expenditures (Refunds, Rebates, etc): 1,385,803.89
Other Receipts (Dividends, Interest, etc): 61,868.77
Total Receipts: 23,348,774.15

The important part is "Total Contributions" which is slightly less than $22 million.

http://query.nictusa.com/pres/2008/M6/C00431445.html

[Abacus]

2. Using that metric,

McCain raised only $16,627,782.79

[ProSense]

5. The media is using that metric, but only

for Obama

[ProSense]

3. Take a look at McCain's

Total Contributions: 16,627,782.79
Transfers From Other Authorized Committees: 4,260,880.85
Total Offsets To Expenditures (Refunds, Rebates, etc): 583,197.23
Other Receipts (Dividends, Interest, etc): 21,868.85
Total Receipts: 21,493,729.72

[Youphemism]

4. May donations were not available for the GE...

In May, Obama was well set financially to finish the Primary. People know how to invest wisely.

Of course, he has uses for that money. But people who aren't going to max out on donations want to invest what they can afford wisely.

Similarly, people who *are* going to max out want to reserve what they're limited to investing for when it's needed most.

No sense pointing out things like that when you're a pundit, though. That would be adding value to raw information.