Why do you think that the top Super PAC for Hillary Clinton has been able to raise five times more money that the top Republican Super PAC could for Donald Trump?

Arrange these possible answers in order according how correct they are in your opinion.

  • Early starter/front runner - Hillary Clinton started campaigning almost 10 years before Donald Trump. She had been a prospective presidential in 2008 but lost to Barack Obama. Clinton was also the Democratic front runner from the start of the 2016 contest, whereas this was not fully apparent for Donald Trump until mid-way through the Republican Primaries.
  • Crowded field – Donald Trump started as one of 16 possible Republican candidates in the Presidential primaries. Hillary Clinton was one of three. Therefore the potential Super Pac raising monies were spread around far more candidates for Trump.
  • Alienation of key Republican groups by Donald Trump during his campaign made it more difficult to gain support. Many key Republicans, including key fundraisers, distanced themselves from Trump during the contest.
  • Billionaire wealth – Being a billionaire and having his own deep pockets meant that Trump did not need the money of PACs. Whereas as Hillary Clinton’s relatively poorer financial resource meant that her supporters needed to use Super PACS money more frequently.
  • Free publicity – Donald Trump’s controversial style meant that his often ‘outrageous’ statements, he generated news headlines, stories and publicity that avoided the need to spend large sums of money on advertising his message to the electorate.
Reset Print