Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has been struggling in the polls, despite spending circles around his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination.
Yet for all the money his campaign has invested — $26 million on television ads alone — his donors have yet to see a substantial return.
And they’re getting nervous.
Having fallen from summer front-runner to autumn afterthought, the former Florida governor made deep spending cuts to his campaign operation in October. But he and his backers plowed ahead with a television blitz three times the size of anyone else’s, while putting a new strategic focus on New Hampshire.
As December begins, though, Bush remains mired in single digits — including in New Hampshire — in a race that continues to be dominated by political novices, most notably billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump.
Top Bush donors will head to Miami on Saturday for a campaign update.
But those same backers are also starting to acknowledge that time is growing short, with the leadoff Iowa caucuses now just two months away. And it remains to be seen how long they’ll continue to pour money into what may be a sinking ship.
“We’ve got to do better than expected in those first three states” of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, said Barry Wynn, one of Bush’s biggest South Carolina supporters and a member of his national finance team.
Said Craig Duchossois, a devoted financial backer from Chicago, “I continue to be concerned.”
The pro-Bush super PAC, called Right to Rise, has spent about $26 million on TV and radio commercials in the past 11 weeks, according to Kantar Media’s CMAG advertising tracker. That’s about a quarter of the record-setting $103 million it raised in the first six months of the year.
When Bush gathered his top donors in Houston in October at an event that featured former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, many suggested that the candidate’s poll numbers would improve by the end of November — once those ads had time to penetrate.
That hasn’t happened. At the start of the ad campaign in mid-September, an ABC News/Washington Post poll found that about 8 percent of Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters nationally said they supported Bush. Two months later, and despite thousands of biographical ads that touted Bush as a proven leader, his numbers in that same poll were about the same: 6 percent.
It’s the same story in New Hampshire, a state Bush has visited nearly weekly since November. He was the first choice of 9 percent of likely Republican primary voters in a poll conducted for WBUR in mid-September, and was at about 7 percent by the middle of November.
Duchossois said Tuesday, “The next month is absolutely critical.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story
Just another example that money can’t buy you an election. Cough Hillary cough Trump cough cough cough.
Hey moe of the three stooges, I guess you can’t read nor can you hear. All the polls has Trump around 30%, and he has run very many ads. He’s a business man, he knows how to get free publicity. And haven’t you noticed all the Trump supports at websites like this. They aren’t being paid to make comments you know!
Hillary has her own PAC going plus taxpayers money (she’d never spend her own money)!! She has S.E.I.U.! (That union has had (for several years) the job of setting up and maintaining most of the voting machines in our country. They are one of the largest donors to the democratic party. I have learned that one who knows computers well would have to do very little to alter a vote.—just a thought) Also LUNA and Buffet.
Trump is spending his own and refuses money from anyone thereby “owing” no favors to anyone, unlike the professional politicians. Think on it! Why do you think it’s open warfare on Trump?? Why do you think more and more lies about Trump (by the liberal media with ties INSIDE the White House) are being exposed by people who can prove the lies and by unbiased, truth reporting media?? Researching finds the truth!!! Something else to give much more thought to.. Just saying, loud and clear…………………….
He has some good tv ads about the middle east etc. However, it’s 2015, we don’t need a Clinton or Bush.
desparate times demand men of intellect and strength…i go with the fearless trump!
HEAR HEAR Frances!!
Wake up, shepple.
1. “John” is a HEBREW name, meaning YAHWEH (JEW GOD) IS GRACIOUS.
2. “Ellis” as in ELLIS ISLAND… Jeb obviously wants to take in atheist mulsim jew refugees.
3. “Bush”… Burning Bush. It’s obvious. God fortold in the Bilbe that Jeb would be on fire by this time.
If you can’t see the simple facts I’ve layed out here, you’re a loser.
Jebbbby you are a loser just quit
Bush is owned by donors not looking out for the people that’s why Trump is doing so well. After last election all the promises that GOP made to get our votes than did nothing but protect there jobs.
If these investors had any common sense they wouldn’t have backed him in the first place,WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER BUSH. I’m sure the reason they backed him is they knew he would be easily bought and that is what big money is all about, buying the candidate so they can make their coffers even bigger. They don’t care about America they care only about themselves. It’s strange what money does to people. The Bible says the love of money is the root of all evil, believe most of these people are evil.
Seems to me that 16 years of same family White House rule should be enough. We’ve been Bushed to death!
You will notice, in the article, it’s stated that Bush’s investors didn’t see any ‘return’ on their investment. So this is an ‘INVESTMENT’? Bush is an investment? Exactly what do these investors expect from Bush for their financial ‘investment’? Sounds like politics as usual! BOUGHT AND PAID FOR!
Personally , I would like to see us Cruz — ing along with Trump. Get rid of all the professional Politicians and put some new blood in the White House.
Two members of the Bush family are enough. Both created more problems in the Middle East than they solved. Each left office during an economic downturn. The elder Bush left during a recession. The younger Bush presided over an economic collapse. Jeb would be the favorite of the Democrat party. Campaign ads against him would practically write themselves.
Many of the campaigns will get a second chance in early January as the general public moves past the holidays and begins to focus on the upcoming presidential election. The Republican ranks are likely to thin after Iowa and New Hampshire. Several more will probably exit the race after South Carolina. Jeb needs to have a great January.
Bush is doomed by his name alone. No matter what his policies and ideas are the American people just don’t want another Bush as President.
ARE WE LIVING IN THE DARK AGES, WHEN LEADERSHIP WAS HANDED DOWN FROM KING TO QUEEN TO PRINCE, ETC. WE DON’T NEED TO “ELECT” ROYAL FAMILY MEMBERS OF PAST PRESIDENTS. BESIDES, THAT IS WAY TOO MUCH PENSION MONEY GOING TO THESE GREEDY FAMILIES. TELL THEM TO GET REAL JOBS, AND NOT SKATE ON THE SHIRTTAILS OF THEIR PARENTS, SPOUSES, ETC. I DON’T GET A PENSION. WE NEED A LEADER WHO CAN MAKE AMERICA WORK AGAIN………TIRED OF THE CRAP & B.S!
Shh, sh sh shhh, it’s okay. Don’t worry. Bush won’t be the republican nominee. Let’s just vow not to vote for anyone from greedy families. That rules out Jeb, Clinton, and Trump. And others, I’m sure.
Why would anyone vote for this RINO anyway?!?
Jeb needs a completely different message. He needs to stop attacking Trump and Rubio. He need to look like he would be a strong conservative President who would support only legal immigration.
We have only had one party for far too long. The money we have spent on the elite, self serving bunch now in office has only bought us a slap in the face. I think we should give Trump a chance,what do we have to lose?