Yahoo Finance Trump can go further than you expect... if he's really willing to spend
Donald Trump’s winning poll numbers have gotten him a spot on the stage in next week’s first Republican Primary debate and he has assured supporters and detractors alike that he will bankroll himself deep into the election season.
So while the broader media wrestles with whether or not his unorthodox style is worth taking seriously, Trump has become, at least for now, a viable candidate for the Republican nomination.
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While others like Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush have raised tens of millions from early donors and Super PACs, Trump has brought in only a little more than $92,000 from people sending him cash. If that trend continues, we may see if he’s really willing to put his personal fortune where his mouth is.
“The non-politician so far has been the best politician,” says Yahoo Finance Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer. “We need to take this seriously but I think the Republicans will do everything in their power to prevent him from ultimately being the candidate.”
Despite others out-fundraising him, “the free media that he’s managed to get tallies way more than anyone has actually spent in real dollars,” says Yahoo Finance Senior Columnist Michael Santoli. That has allowed Trump to spend relatively little of his own money -- he has loaned the campaign $1.8 million so far.
Trump has a long way to go, however, before voters can officially make their voices heard. Will he flame out in a few weeks like Herman Cain did in the 2012 cycle? Trump may have the cash to prevent that, but Santoli believes it all comes down to “his willingness to bankroll himself over time and whether the act grows tired or whether he reaches the limit of people who are receptive to him.“
Santoli also notes that Trump’s “poll numbers are almost the public’s expression of ‘we don’t want to think about this campaign yet, it’s too early.’” Santoli also points out that it is easy for those polled to “vote” Trump when the stakes are low. The first real votes still six months away.
The next big test is that debate he has played his way into next week and like a true politician he is lowering expectations, saying recently, “I’m hearing everyone say I’m going to be good at the debates. I don’t know I’m going to be good. I’ve never done it before. Politicians do it every night.”
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