It is ridiculous. I am already bombarded by e-mails from various candidates begging for $$, all saying they need to make a showing against Bush so that they are seen as serious candidates. With so many candidates, I don't see how they are going to be able to compete against the Bush fortune. $10-20 million and a candidate will be seen as credible! The only one that comes close or perhaps even surpasses Bush is Trump. Perhaps that's one of the Donald's purposes.
GOP 2016ers battle for second in fundraising warWashington (CNN)The money race for second place is on.
With a June 30 fundraising deadline drawing near, speculation over how much money Republican presidential candidates will collect is reaching a fever pitch. It's already clear that Jeb Bush will come out on top regardless of whether he hits or even surpasses the $100 million target many in the donor world set for the former Florida governor. The more interesting question, many donors and campaign operatives say, is who will come in second.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has an unusually broad donor list thanks to his highly publicized recall election and big dollar backers like Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has worked meticulously to make inroads with prominent GOP fundraisers who aren't sold on Bush. And Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has drawn in small dollar donors, as well as the support of a handful of super PACs. A leader of the super PACs backing Cruz expects those groups and the official campaign committee to raise a combined $50 million by the end of the week.
"When it comes to fundraising in a presidential race, it's the expectation game," said Craig Robinson, a GOP activist in Iowa and editor of The Iowa Republican website. "Every candidate has a different bar they're going to have to clear."
The price tag to wage a competitive primary campaign is likely to come in well below $100 million. Republican fundraisers said if a candidate and allied groups can raise $10 million to $20 million by the end of the month, they will be viewed as credible rivals...
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/24/politics/2016-election-republican-fundraising/index.html
