THERE WAS A TIME WHEN REPUBLICANS WERE RICH – AT 8:23 A.M. ET:  Republican fundraising, which used to be easy before the elite establishment went slumming on the left, is lagging behind, and that ain't good.  From the Washington Examiner:

House Democratic candidates have raised nearly twice as much in campaign contributions than their GOP opponents, according to Andrew Kreighbaum of OpenSecrets.org.

“In 29 toss-up races, Democratic candidates had more than $31 million in cash on hand at the end of the second quarter, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis indicates.The Republicans in these contests had raised $17.9 million,” Kreighbaum said. The analysis is based on FEC reports through June...

...The 29 races are rated as toss-ups by veteran political handicapper Charlie Cook.

COMMENT:  There was a time when Democrats were cash poor.  They got their contributions from laborers, the middle class, and "ordinary" citizens.  Republicans had the banks and Wall Street.

So what happened?

I think higher education happened.  Today, the old "Republican" industries are dominated by products of post-sixties universities.  And to be part of the "in" group in these universities, and among other alumni, one must show appropriate obeisance to chic, trendy, "progressive" causes.  It is a kind of respectability that business people often yearn for. 

The Democrats have responded with warmth to deep-pockets donors by adopting the most anti-business agenda since the sixties.  You see the result.

July 24, 2010