Looking at campaign disclosures, there is one line that tends to get overlooked in most analyses. It is line 4 of the Summary Report, that says “Total amount of all separate contributions of less than $101.00 received in this reporting period and not listed on the “Itemized Contributions” page.” In other words, these are donations at the $100 mark or lower.
I tend to look at these numbers in particular as one way to determine actual support among the every day Georgian. To me, these numbers represent the people who can’t afford to give $6,100 (the current maximum), $5,000, $1,000, $500, or even $105 because even $105 might mean their entire family goes hungry that week. But they don’t mind sacrificing lunch one day themselves, so they give that $5 they would have spent on their own lunch one day that week. Or maybe they give the $25/$50 they would have put in their car in gas that week and find another way to get to work. Or, let’s be honest, maybe they’re just cheap and could afford to give the $5,000, but choose to only give $100 – but that’s the only $100 they’re giving to ANY candidate.
Regardless, those numbers mean something to me, and since this blog is my creation, let’s look at them, shall we?
Note: For this analysis and any other I do, I am looking strictly at money raised between Jan 1, 2009 and June 30, 2009.
| Candidate | Total Raised | Total Non-Itemized | % Non-Itemized |
| Austin Scott | $180, 620.00 | $15,955.00 | 8.83% |
| David Poythress* | $304,045.00 | $2,075.00 | 6.82% |
| DuBose Porter | $231,250.00 | $1,850 | 0.8% |
| Eric Johnson | $962,773.40 | $5,177 | 0.53% |
| John Monds** | $11,157.00 | $2,342 | 20.99% |
| John Oxendine | $416,580 | $6,847 | 1.64% |
| Karen Handel | $431,179.00 | $29,313.00 | 6.79% |
| Nathan Deal*** | $1,230,290.00 | $5,605.00 | 0.45% |
| Ray McBerry | $18,596.44 | $4,885.33 | 26.27% |
| Roy Barnes | $0.00 | $0.00 | 0% |
| Thurbert Baker**** | $704,331.00 | $9,070.00 | 1.28% |
*Poythress total includes $185,000 in loans.
**Monds total includes $7,500 in loans.
***Deal total includes $250,000 in loans.
****Baker total includes at least $274,000 received after June 30.
This gives us the following ranking:
McBerry: 26.27%
Monds: 20.99%
Scott: 8.83%
Poythress: 6.82%
Handel: 6.79%
Oxendine: 1.64%
Baker: 1.28%
Porter: 0.8%
Johnson: 0.53%
Deal: 0.45%
Barnes: 0%
Interestingly, this ranking almost inverts the list of the candidates’ chances according to popular wisdom.
What does this mean?
Pretty much what I and a few others have been saying for quite a while: Impressive totals or polls mean next to nothing right now, because everything at this stage is by and large name recognition and inside baseball. This race really is anyone’s to win – or lose.
