How does money factor in here? He wouldn’t be announced until just before the convention, and then McCain will accept the $84 million in public funds... So, how does the money side factor in?
A lot of ad buys have to happen between now and then. The phrasing is “define the opponent”. If the other guy is defining your message, you can’t win. If he also is the only guy painting his own portrait, it will have no blemishes.
The hired guns cost a lot of money. The ultra detailed focus group polling also costs a lot of money. It will get spent before the 84 million shows up, and . . . best to keep in mind that this was always projected to be a 1 billion dollar campaign start to finish. Frankly, 84 million may not suffice.