The vast majority of the $14 million in spending from super PACs, a new type of political group, has been spent on behalf of three candidates: Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman, federal records show. Those are the same three candidates already most reliant on money from large donors.
Two years after the Supreme Court decided the Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission case, it is becoming clear that the super PACs created under the new rules will act as a counterweight to a rise in online grassroots fundraising.
The online efforts, which tend to attract small donations, have been driving unconventional contenders in the GOP field, including Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.
By contrast, super PACs, because they can pull in donations well above the $2,500 limit on donations to campaigns, are boosting establishment candidates who already rely on rich donors. The advantage is likely to grow as the candidates compete in bigger states and rely more on television advertising to reach voters.
