Rick Santorum has some good ink today in the website of Iowa GOP fundraiser Craig Robinson.
Santorum added to his political profile in January with high-profile comments re: abortion, race and Obama. That launched a veritable media tour across the US and in the early GOP primary states. It looks like he’s been hitting the phones, too.
Santorum Posts Impressive Fundraising Number
By Craig Robinson
A lot is always made out of the fundraising numbers that presidential candidates, or in this instance, potential presidential candidates, are able to put up.
In the year-end period, Mitt Romney led all potential Republican candidates with $307,000 raised. Not surprisingly, Sarah Palin came in second with $279,000.
Where the surprise lies is in what long-shot presidential candidate Rick Santorum was able to raise. Santorum raised an impressive $194,000, besting the efforts of John Thune, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, and Haley Barbour.
Santorum’s strong showing shouldn’t go unnoticed. While Santorum’s presidential aspirations have been scoffed at by the national media, so too were Mike Huckabee’s in 2007. Santorum has been busy traveling to New Hampshire and Iowa, but it’s also apparent that he’s been busy fundraising too.
Politics is a game of expectations, and Santorum’s recent fundraising totals beat expectations. Other potential candidates, like Barbour, Gingrich, and Pawlenty, didn’t meet or exceed expectations at a time when these numbers are getting immense scrutiny as the 2012 campaign begins.
Year-End Period Fundraising Totals
Romney: $307,000
Palin: $279,000
Santorum: $194,000
Thune: $71,000
Bachmann: $71,000
Pawlenty: $59,000
Huckabee: $35,000
Gingrich: $31,000
Barbour: $9,850