JPod – I don’t dispute any of your points , but isn’t there an additional factor that might explain part of the GOP shortfall? There’s no incumbent candidate on the GOP side. The White House can’t help raise money for its anointed candidate because it doesn’t have one. Meanwhile, the Democrats are the party in power (plus all of your other points) so for donors it makes certain sense to pony up bucks to the guys making policy. Indeed, two of their top three candidates are sitting Senators and as is much of the rest of the Democratic pack. On the Republican side, McCain is the only major candidate in office and he’s in the minority. Money always goes disproportionately to the people in power, and among GOP candidates few of them have much.