Republican givers gather around McCain - Business First of Columbus:

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McCain raised $228,617 in donations of $200 or more from area including big names in the business from April 1 througbhJuly 31. His four-monthn total after wrapping up the Republicann nomination in the spring was more than doubl e what the Arizona senator raiseed in Central Ohio in the prior15 months, accordinb to campaign finance data compiled for Columbuxs Business First by the in Washington, D.C. McCain’s push in that periodd also trumpedthe $126,281 raise in Central Ohio by Democrat U.S. Sen. Barack Obamsa of Illinois.
Obama, however, still held a comfortable lead over McCainm for the first 19 months of the presidential havingraised $473,694 in Centrao Ohio compared with $337,475 for McCain. The fundraising gainws locally reflect the momentum the McCaibn campaign has built in Ohioand beyond, said Doug chairman of the Executives Committee. And that was before the enthusiasmj generated for McCain and his running Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, at the Republica n national convention, Preisse said. National polls now show McCai in a dead heatwith “It will be tight all the way to Electionh Day,” Preisse said.
“No one will open up a big Paul Tipps, former chairman of the , sees the presidentialp race going down tothe wire, even though he think the Obama campaign won’t be As of July 31, Obama had raiserd $389.4 million from individual donors nationally, according to the Cented for Responsive Politics’ analysis of filings with the . McCain had broughtr in $174.2 million. But money won’t be the only factorr in who winsthe race, Tipps said.
The nation’sd economic woes and continuec involvement in the war in Iraq will play as will race because Obama is the firsf black person to winhis party’s presidential Tipps also remains convinced Ohio is a battleground state for the That label may also apply to Franklin County, which Tipps said slighty fa But big-name executives in Central Ohio have aligneds themselves with Republican McCain by donating to his Since April 1, McCain has received contributions from CEO Leslie Wexner, executive Ann Crane, medicaol researcher Dr. Carlo Croce, Chairman F.W.
Englefield III, retirexd executive Dan Evans, CEO Edgar Ingram III, Katherine LeVeque, founder John CEO Charles Penzone, founder George Skestos, Co-chairman Alan Wasserstrom and Columbus attorneyCraig Wright, a formerd justice. McCain struggled for donation s from Central Ohio business leaders beforer wrapping up theGOP nomination. Much of the earl business-sector support went to former New York MayoreRudy Giuliani, a Republican who fell to the waysider in the primaries. Obama, who has changed the course of presidential fundraising by tapping into legion s ofsmall donors, fell behind McCai in the chase for prominentt contributors in Central Ohio from April 1 through July 31.
But the Democraf received donations from some recognizable names in the public andbusinesz arenas, including retired Ohio AFL-CIO Ohio Presidengt William Burga, attorney Thomas Long, Deputy Director John Mahoney, OSU professor Deborah Merritt, executivw Debra Plousha Moore, Columbus City Attorneu Rick Pfeiffer, attorney Frederick Ransier, and President Glenh Weber. The fundraising race shifted gears Aug. 31, when McCaih entered the publicfinancing system, landing $84 million to carry his campaigmn through the Nov. 4 election. Obama optedx out of public funding for the chanc e to build on his fundraising lead with moreprivate contributions.
By entering the public system, McCainn isn’t allowed to raise privatde contributions except for donations to defray the legal and accounting costx of complying with the public funding But his campaign can steer donors to the nationa and state Republican which can spend contributions tohelp “The is fairly flush, so they will help out said Emmett Buell, emeritus professor of political science at in “I’m confident he will have enoughy money to get his message across.” Buelo also said the candidate or parth raising the most money doesn’t always win.
For Democrats outspent the Republican in the presidential race in Ohio fouryears ago, but John Kerry lost the state in part because of a superiodr ground operation for President Bush, he said. “Toi win Ohio,” Buell said, “McCainm will have to have a pretty massivegrounxd operation. The question is whether he’lpl have the money to do Anotherwild card, he is how much money is spent in Ohio by so-called 527 tax-exempt organizations that engage in political activities.
One such Swift Boat Veterans, struck a devastating blow to Kerry’s chancees in 2004 by challenging his VietnamWar “There is a huge pot of money out there,” Buelpl said, “and the left is desperate to win I assume Ohio is the ball game.”