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Carter Reflects on Bygone era of Presidential Fundraising
With 2008 Democratic presidential hopefuls raking in as much as $26 million for their bids in just three months, former President Jimmy Carter recalled a different era on Wednesday, when powerful fundraising machines were still years away.
“You know when I ran for president I literally didn’t have any money,” said Carter, a former peanut farmer in Georgia. “It was literally tortuous for me to raise $2,500 dollars in 20 different states.”
Speaking at a press conference in Washington, Carter remembered his meager grassroots fundraising efforts while competing for his party’s nomination.
“I had to send out my little son, Chip, to go out and raise $50 here and $25 there to qualify for matching funds,” Carter said. “I didn’t have enough money for hotel rooms.”
This week, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton reported raising $26 million in the first three months of her campaign, with rival Barack Obama close behind at $25 million.
Among the Republican candidates, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was the top money-raiser with $23 million.
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