Top Jeb fundraisers leave campaign amid troubling signs

politico.com ^ | 8/29/15 | Alex Isenstadt and Marc Caputo

[cotton1706]

Three top Jeb Bush fundraisers abruptly parted ways with his presidential campaign on Friday, amid internal personality conflicts and questions about the strength of his candidacy, POLITICO has learned.

There are different versions of what transpired. The Florida-based fundraising consultants — Kris Money, Trey McCarley, and Debbie Alexander — have said that they voluntarily quit the campaign and were still working with Bush's super PAC, Right to Rise Super PAC. Others said the three, who worked under the same contract, were let go because they were no longer needed for the current phase of the campaign.

None of the three immediately responded to requests for comment. Bush spokesman Tim Miller would only say that “Governor Bush has the widest and deepest fundraising operation of any candidate in the field. Ann Herberger — a longtime aide with more than two decades of experience in state and national politics — will continue to lead the operation in Florida with our team in Miami.”

One source attributed the departures to personality conflicts in the campaign, some involving Bush's finance team.

[rbg81]

I’ve said it before and will say it again: If Bush is the nominee, I’m sitting out the 2016 election. Can’t stand the guy.

[jimbo123]

Exactly. We need to make sure George P’s future ambitions are crushed here in Texas.

The Bush donors who are now uncontrollably furious with Right To Rise and Bush Campaign are the same ones who put George P. into office here a year ago. George P. needs to be humiliated defunded for the future.

[nhwingut]

Yep.
Jeb might not have a fundraiser problem. He might have a spending problem.

[proxy_user]

Kasich is a much more viable candidate than Huntsman, and is likely to pick up Jeb’s fundraisers and big-money supporters. In 2012, they already had Romney, and were not in the market.

[jimbo123]

Jeb might not have a fundraiser problem. He might have a spending problem.

He has both problems. That's why he laid off these 3 fundraisers. They must have been on salary, rather than commission and they weren't bringing in enough donations for the campaign to justify their paychecks. Needed to get them off the books before the end of the month.

Third quarter reporting is going to be a disaster for the Bush campaign. A disaster!

[jimbo123]

Kasich has the same Lehman Brothers No Show Job problem that Jeb has.

[Sirius Lee]

“Governor Bush has the widest and deepest fundraising operation of any candidate in the field.

And yet...nobody will vote for him outside of a handful of CoC types.

[Caipirabob]

Did they leave or were they “self deported” back to the USA?

[lucky american]

My prediction will be Trump/ Sanders. How far will we swing.

[BobL]

“Eventually, Marco Rubio will emerge to take over Jeb’s role.”

I don’t see that happening...Trump won’t allow it and will smack him down, big-time, by bringing up his Amnesty bill in 2013.

But, I could be wrong, perhaps Trump will see some value in Rubio, as a way to hold down more credible candidates - but at some point Trump will unload on him - he’s just too easy of a target.

[Timber Rattler]

“Jeb might not have a fundraiser problem. He might have a spending problem.”

Typical.

[proxy_user]

Kasich’s job was not no-show. He was involved in a fair number debt offerings and IPOs in the two-man Columbus office. As far as anyone can tell, he worked diligently at his assigned tasks.

[jimbo123]

Managing director in a 2 person office in Columbus? Who was the other person, Kasich’s secretary? Give me a break.

[SunkenCiv]

Kris Money, Trey McCarley, and Debbie Alexander -- have said that they voluntarily quit the campaign and were still working with Bush's super PAC, Right to Rise Super PAC. Others said the three, who worked under the same contract, were let go because they were no longer needed for the current phase of the campaign.

Doesn't sound too dramatic.

[only1percent]

The premise of Jeb was inevitability and predictability.

Trump has shattered those premises. Even if Jeb emerges the nominee (and it’s still likely) much like the boomlets for Cain, Santorum, and Gingrich demonstrated in 2007-2008 a deep ambivalence about Romney, Jeb’s poll standings show he’s very unlikely to provide the electricity needed to pull the Electoral College inside straight any Republican needs to win in November.

A lot of people will pay for access to the next President. Not as many will pay for backstage passes to a polite concession speech in a Miami ballroom.

[proxy_user]

These big financial companies give all their front men impressive-sounding titles. They had 700 managing directors out of 28,000 employees, so about about 2.5% of the employees were MDs. I believe the other guy in the Columbus office was also an MD.

[Dr. Sivana]

He has both problems. That's why he laid off these 3 fundraisers. They must have been on salary, rather than commission and they weren't bringing in enough donations for the campaign to justify their paychecks. Needed to get them off the books before the end of the month.

Right to Rise had a table at the GA GOP State Convention. They had next to no traffic. It got to the point where I was being stopped while walking past them (probably because I am middle aged, and wore a suit. Could pass for GOP-E on a good day if I had a mind to). I didn't even bother discussing with them. I treated them like one might treat a Scientologist.

[Wallace T.]

Will Jeb Bush have the discipline to run a less expensive campaign? Santorum and some of the others are running shoestring operations. If he has the drive, he can hang out and hope his luck changes.

[jimbo123]

That’s great to hear.

[Caipirabob]