Having little trouble keeping up with President Obama and Democratic super PACs, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is being urged by donors and fundraisers to spend non-stop to offset Democratic attacks that are depressing his poll numbers.
“They’re being told not to worry about the money. We’ll get more, just spend,” said a GOP advisor and political strategist. “He needs to counter Obama’s anti-Romney TV ads that seem to be sticking in places like Ohio,” added the advisor.
Since locking up the Republican nomination for president, Romney’s campaign has turned into a fundraising machine, banking millions more than many party officials thought he would, including $106 million in June alone. What’s more, Republican and conservative super PACs are also raising millions to run TV ads blasting the president and his policies.
Romney, some party advisors fret, has taken a more traditional approach to spending money though, banking tens of millions to use in the fall when TV ads will dominate the campaign. But some in the party are urging continued TV spending, worried that un-answered Obama and Democratic super PAC ads will effectively undercut Romney’s credibility and reputation like the swift boat effort did to 2004 Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry.
“If they are worried about having enough money to spend, they shouldn’t be,” said another Republican strategist. “As both sides are proving, the money pit is bottomless.”
One key source said that key Republicans including Karl Rove are urging Romney to spend now. The source said that record amounts of money will be raised and spent this year, likely topping $1.4 billion for each campaign, far above the $1 billion Obama’s team predicted just six months ago.
