Wednesday, February 24, 2016

If you wondered what Jeb Bush spent that 130 million on, wonder no more.

This comes courtesy of the New York Times:

Positive Advertising: $84 Million

Well that was money clearly well spent.   

Clubbing: $94,100 

Instead of spending last winter on the hustings of Iowa and New Hampshire, Mr. Bush held off, using the first half of 2015 to raise money in places like New York, Chicago, Texas and Florida. His goal: Raise enough money for a super PAC to scare other candidates — especially those with a similar political profile — out of the race.Over the entire campaign, Mr. Bush’s team racked up tens of thousands of dollars in dinner and event tabs at the Yale Club, the Union League Club of Chicago, Nantucket’s Westmore Club, and more than two dozen other haunts of the well heeled and racquetball-inclined.

Yep another solid tactic.

Valets: $15,800

Well gee, of course you cannot have rich bigwigs parking their own cars.

People: $8.3 Million 

As Mr. Bush’s campaign matured, he and the group supporting him built one of the largest organizations of any candidate in either party, banking that his superior fund-raising would sustain his high overhead costs, which in turn would yield him wins or near-wins in states like Iowa and New Hampshire, where organizing is critical.

Man if only other candidates had thought this far ahead and been this organized. Then they could have dropped out of the race by now as well.

Wait.....

Branding: $88,387 

Right to Rise, the super PAC supporting Mr. Bush, and then his campaign directly, retained 30 Point Strategies, a public relations company in Bethesda, Md., specializing in “thought leadership” and “brand journalism,” according to the firm’s website. But in the end, the most lasting label of Mr. Bush was supplied by Mr. Trump: “low energy.”

And the thing that must really hurt is that Trump stuck that label on Jeb! using virtually no money whatsoever. He just kept saying it in debates and stump speeches, and tweeted it a few times.  

Vegas, Baby: $48,544 

Mr. Bush and his staff racked up sizable travel bills, including $3.3 million in airfare and hundreds of thousands of dollars at hotels, ranging from a Best Western in Phoenix to the Biltmore in Coral Gables, Fla. But what stands out is the Bush team’s taste for the Vegas Strip, where aides and allies patronized the Bellagio, the Wynn and the Venetian, owned by Sheldon Adelson, the Republican megadonor.

You know Vegas is where so many dreams go to die.

The Consultants: $10 Million 

A well-funded candidate tends to attract hordes of consultants, and Mr. Bush had plenty. All told, his team paid consulting fees to around 140 different companies or individuals, including senior campaign staff members, opposition research firms, and get-out-the-vote operatives in Iowa and South Carolina. 

And here we thought that Sarah Palin wasted too much money on consultants, with no real return on that investment.

And finally.

Pizza! At a whopping $4,837.

As his fortunes declined this winter, Mr. Bush sharply pared back employees’ salaries and consulting fees, even laying off some campaign staff members to bring down costs. But let it never be said that Mr. Bush allowed his team to go hungry. His campaign and super PAC were particularly fond of the pizza, whether from Domino’s or from Pizza Ranch, the Iowa chain.

Well hey, at least he fed people.

Look at that. 130 million dollars spent and he was never able to even break into the top three.

Just goes to show that no matter how much money you spend, you can never spend enough to make people forget that your brother damn near destroyed the country.

20 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:30 AM

    Well, on the plus side, maybe this just goes to show that a lot of our fears about billionaires buying their way into the White House are a bit overblown. Endless sums of money can't turn a crappy candidate into a statesman. Are you listening, Donnie?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:07 AM

      Donnie has spent next to nothing in comparison to others. There are so many disgruntled people in this country that are buying into his shtick, it's mind boggling.

      Delete
    2. 66gardeners6:34 AM

      Donald Trump is literally buying the GOP nomination. People are attracted to him because of his wealth. Without money, he would have no chance.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous3:16 AM

    Jeb Bush thought he was going to waltz into the nomination and the White House on name only. But then, he didn't campaign on his last name, preferring just "Jeb!" to do the job. It didn't.
    What really boggles me is this: what has/was he doing since he left the governorship in Florida in 2007? Nothing. If he was so convinced his brother kept 'us' safe and was a fantastic president, then why didn't Jeb run in 2008? 2012??

    ReplyDelete
  3. Our Lad3:35 AM

    Anyone who thinks what Dominos serves is pizza, well he's a fuckin momo who deserves to lose. And a Harvey Wallbanger for the young lady.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous3:43 AM

    Just sad and pathetic...and he thought the country would just hand it to him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 66gardeners6:35 AM

      In his defense, republicans gave it to his brother.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous3:59 AM

    Poor Jeb! The smarter brother, enough Bushes (h/t Barbara Bush); apparently, some mothers know best.

    dowl

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:25 AM

      Yeah, dowl, and in the end he had to trot out pearls-grabbing mommy and dumbya to try to save his sorry @ss.

      Wuss.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous4:22 AM

    Well at least that money went back into circulation and isn't sitting in some off chore account. That money paid salaries, bought goods and services, and made some cash for the US through taxes. That it came from rich shit heads makes it even more delicious! They can spend as much as they have as far as I am concerned.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous9:21 AM

      Yes, that is what I was going to comment.

      Job creation, republican style.

      Delete
  7. Anonymous4:49 AM

    Fiscal conservative!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous5:22 AM

    Wow. Wasted money! How about these money bags paying off the national debt that they created!! I kinda prefer the disconnected usa wealthy and usa corporations develop business, infrastructure, jobs in usa vs the mj babble and threats in favor of buying usa elections? Hey! Instead of promoting Poverty, oppression, hate, destruction, division and greed? Maybe get money out of politics, remove the babbling idiots from airwaves, pay off the debt, create jobs and clean up the pollution that "you people" created getting wealthy off of America!!. Thank you. The American People. ps. extortion and fraud are very serious charges.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous6:13 AM

    As the Beatles sang... Money can't buy me love. No, no, no, no!!!!!!!

    RAinNC

    ReplyDelete
  10. Maple6:33 AM

    It seems Papa Bush and the two baby Bushes don't have much brains category. Papa was taken in by Reagan, Georgie by Cheney and Rumsfield, and Jeb! by his advisors.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous6:55 AM

    What a blessing...feed the poor...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous10:44 AM

    God, I doubt if any of the GOP hopefuls could handle the national budget or debt. So Jeb spent over 102,000,000. Does the rest of it get returned to the donors and how would they even begin to figure out who gets what? Or does Jeb get to give it to his favorite charity - himself?
    Beaglemom

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:16 PM

      He should sue who ever came up with that JEB! Slogan. Stupidest thing ever.

      Delete
  13. Anita Winecooler4:58 PM

    I yust tink it's a chame we didn't get to meet Columba, Noelle and Jorje along the way, all we saw was Jeb "no backbone" !. He barely mentioned his brother, Former President of the United States whose "mission accomplished" and fake plastic turkey with all the fixin's on a surprise visit to the troops, and on and on... Then he flip flopped to say he luvvves his brother, but worse was No Backbone just stood there when Trump dissed all mexicans as drug dealers, worst of the worst etc. and said nothing. Hey dipshit, your wife is hispanic, your kids are half hispanic, and you let that pass from Bozo the Clown? I hope Columba's still kicking his butt over that.
    All that money down the shithole. Domino's is by no means pizza, it's cheese and sauce on a paper plate. I wouldn't feed it to a dog, let alone people BUT it's owned by a RWNJ and anything to buy that vote.
    Whoever wins the gop nomination, I don't think we'll see the GOP as we used to know it, and I'm fine with that.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Politics is just another way to get rich and live the high life on other people's money.

    Bernie Madoff has nothing on these people. Yet look who's in prison.

    ReplyDelete

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