As you probably know, word has leaked out that Mitt Romney once considered homosexuals to be actual human beings; this is giving him a little trouble with the social conservatives he’s trying so desperately to woo for his presidential run. But while that’s the crowd he’s catering to publicly, behind the scenes his success lies, as it always has, with his fellow venture capitalists and business conservatives.
That’s easy to see in the money he raised over the past two years for his Commonwealth PAC.
Romney has reported raising a total of $6.5 million, including $2.7 million in his federal committee and $3.8 million in separate state committees. (Some committees have only reported through September, others through the election.)
Of the total, nearly $3 million came from individuals who work in investing, banking, venture capital, or real estate — and another $700,000 came from “homemakers,” most of whom are wives of men in those businesses.
Very little money flowed from the South or the Heartland, however, where traditional social values are said to dwell. The bulk came from solid blue states like Massachusetts, California, and New York — and specifically, the sinful centers of secular commerce in Boston, Silicon Valley, and New York City.
John McCain’s federal Straight Talk America PAC, by comparison, raised $9.2 million since the Arizona Senator formed it last year. Those donations, limited to $2000 a person, came from far more individuals, including a great many within the Washington Beltway. Rudy Giuliani’s federal Solutions America PAC raised just $3.7 million in 2005–’06.
Commonwealth PAC donors include 21 “Pioneers” and “Rangers” who raised big money for George W. Bush; owners of the Boston Celtics, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Utah Jazz; the CEOs of 1800CONTACTS, New Balance, and eBay; plus, Dick Ebersol of NBC Sports and Donald Trump.
Commonwealth PAC has now run its course —Romney can’t use it while explicitly running for president, which he will be doing in a few weeks.
Contributions to Commonwealth PACS: Federal | $2,707,983 | Arizona | $18,770 | Iowa | $1,826,597 | Michigan | $854,007 | New Hampshire | $659,728 | South Carolina | $522,359 | Total | $6,589,444 |
Top states where the contributions came from: | Massachusetts | $1,935,434 | | Utah | $1,485,390 | | California | $1,119,550 | | Michigan | $616,776 | | New York | $364,700 |
Biggest individual donors:
| Jon Huntsman, Huntsman Corp. | 133,500 | | Peter Karmanos, Compuware | $121,625 | | Darlene Jordan, attorney | $113,500 | | John Rakolta, Walbridge Aldinger | $108,500 | | Mark Fuller, Monitor Group | $100,250 | | Sam Fox, Harbour Group | $100,000 | | Donald Miller, Axiom | $100,000 | | John Kaneb, Catamount | $86,500 | | Blake Roney, NuSkin | $86,500 | | John Fish, Suffolk Construction | $81,750 | | Lawrence Dodge, American Sterling | $81,500 | | Christopher Collins, Collins Nickas | $73,250 | | L.E. Simmons, SCF Partners | $69,250 | | James Davis, New Balance | $68,250 |
Compiled by the Boston Phoenix from campaign-finance reports filed with the federal election commission and each state’s campaign-finance office. |
