The Republican National Committee raised $27 million in the fourth quarter — $3 million more than its Democratic counterpart. The Wall Street Journal reports that President Obama and the DNC raised $244 million in 2011, while Republicans raised only $216 million. But the incumbent president usually has an advantage in fundraising, and RNC itself has outraised the DNC in four of the last five months. Kim Strassel argues on the opinion page that RNC chairman Reince Priebus is making good use of his time:
These figures suggest Republicans are regaining confidence in the RNC, and with that, a new enthusiasm for committing money to beat Mr. Obama. Heads of Super PACs report similar findings. Donors, they say, are less insistent than in 2010 on supporting only purist, tea-party candidates. The past two years have been sobering, and they are increasingly focused on the end prize of the White House and the Senate. They are writing checks, and big ones.
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