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How Jeb Bush Spent $130 Million Running for President With Nothing to Show for It

&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpcnt">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpa">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<span class&equals;"wpa-about">Advertisements<&sol;span>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"u top&lowbar;amp">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<amp-ad width&equals;"300" height&equals;"265"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; type&equals;"pubmine"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-siteid&equals;"109460728"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-section&equals;"1">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;amp-ad>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div><p id&equals;"story-heading" class&equals;"story-heading"><span style&equals;"color&colon;blue&semi;"><span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;">Jeb Bush started campaigning for the GOP ticket in 2016 with tremendous political capital only to drop out of the race in the first round of a brutal 12 round political  slug-fest and &dollar;130 million later&period; He retired whimpering&period; His corner mercifully hurling the towel into the center of the ring&comma; while their sullen fighter bloodied&comma; mumbled his thanks to the fight crowd<br &sol;>&NewLine;<i><span style&equals;"color&colon;black&semi;"><span style&equals;"font-size&colon;large&semi;">&&num;8230&semi; shaking my head&comma; what a way to <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;konnie-moments&period;blogspot&period;com&sol;2016&sol;02&sol;jeb-bush-when-money-cant-buy-you-love&period;html" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank">expend the political capital<&sol;a> of a dynasty<&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;i><&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p id&equals;"story-heading" class&equals;"story-heading"><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;666666&semi;"><span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;"><i>Here is the financial anatomy of running for the Republican Presidential nomination With Nothing to Show for It<&sol;i><&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<div id&equals;"sharetools-story" class&equals;"sharetools theme-classic sharetools-story "><&sol;div>&NewLine;<div id&equals;"story-continues-1" class&equals;"story-body-text story-content">When Jeb Bush formally entered the presidential campaign in June&comma; there was already more money behind him than every other Republican candidate combined&period; When he suspended his campaign on Saturday night in South Carolina&comma; Mr&period; Bush had burned through the vast majority of that<a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;konnie-moments&period;blogspot&period;com&sol;2016&sol;02&sol;jeb-bush-leaving-republican&period;html" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank"> cash without winning a single state<&sol;a>&period; It may go down as one of the least successful campaign spending binges in history&period; Here is Mr&period; Bush’s story&comma; as told by his ledger&colon;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-1" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content">Positive Advertising&colon; &dollar;84 Million<br &sol;>&NewLine;<span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;">When Mr&period; Bush finally did get in the race&comma; he needed to reintroduce himself to the Republican electorate&period; After all&comma; it had been eight years since the end of his final term as Florida’s governor&comma; and he had spent the intervening period as a philanthropist&comma; consultant and investment banker&period; His campaign and a &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;super PAC” supporting him spent heavily on sunny advertising spots in the hopes of announcing Mr&period; Bush to the post-Tea Party Republican Party as a credentialed conservative&period;<&sol;span><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-2" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content">Clubbing&colon; &dollar;94&comma;100<br &sol;>&NewLine;<span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;">Instead of spending last winter on the hustings of Iowa and New Hampshire&comma; Mr&period; Bush held off&comma; using the first half of 2015 to raise money in places like New York&comma; Chicago&comma; Texas and Florida&period; His goal&colon; Raise enough money for a super PAC to scare other candidates — especially those with a similar political profile — out of the race&period; Over the entire campaign&comma; Mr&period; Bush’s team racked up tens of thousands of dollars in dinner and event tabs at the Yale Club&comma; the Union League Club of Chicago&comma; Nantucket’s Westmoor Club&comma; and more than two dozen other haunts of the well heeled and racquetball-inclined&period;<&sol;span><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-2" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content"><span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;"><span style&equals;"font-size&colon;large&semi;"><i>&&num;8230&semi; The bowing out <&sol;i><&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-2" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content"><span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;lintvksnt&period;files&period;wordpress&period;com&sol;2016&sol;02&sol;def6baf66a920a09910f6a7067003b16&period;jpg&quest;w&equals;512" alt&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;lintvksnt&period;files&period;wordpress&period;com&sol;2016&sol;02&sol;def6baf66a920a09910f6a7067003b16&period;jpg&quest;w&equals;512" width&equals;"640" height&equals;"426" &sol;><br &sol;>&NewLine;<span style&equals;"font-size&colon;x-small&semi;"><i>Photo&colon; <&sol;i><&sol;span><span style&equals;"font-size&colon;x-small&semi;"><i>AP Photo&sol;Matt Rourke<&sol;i><&sol;span><&sol;span><br &sol;>&NewLine;Republican presidential candidate&comma; former Florida Gov&period; Jeb Bush speaks at his South Carolina Republican presidential primary rally in Columbia&comma; S&period;C&period;&comma; Saturday&comma; Feb&period; 20&comma; 2016&period; Bush ended his campaign for the presidency Saturday after a disappointing finish in South Carolina&period; <a name&equals;"more"><&sol;a><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-3" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content"><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-3" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content">Valets&colon; &dollar;15&comma;800<br &sol;>&NewLine;<span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;">Donors’ cars don’t park themselves&period; With an aggressive fund-raising schedule and several major donor gatherings&comma; Mr&period; Bush and the super PAC&comma; Right to Rise&comma; incurred a proportional parking tab&period;<&sol;span><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-4" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content">People&colon; &dollar;8&period;3 Million<br &sol;>&NewLine;<span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;">As Mr&period; Bush’s campaign matured&comma; he and the group supporting him built one of the largest organizations of any candidate in either party&comma; banking that his superior fund-raising would sustain his high overhead costs&comma; which in turn would yield him wins or near-wins in states like Iowa and New Hampshire&comma; where organizing is critical&period; But Mr&period; Bush’s message — experience&comma; civility and technocratic competence — did little to win over voters mesmerized by the billionaire provocateur Donald J&period; Trump&comma; who outshone his rivals with a bare-bones organization and millions in free media exposure&period;<&sol;span><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-5" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content">Branding&colon; &dollar;88&comma;387<br &sol;>&NewLine;<span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;">Right to Rise&comma; the super PAC supporting Mr&period; Bush&comma; and then his campaign directly&comma; retained 30 Point Strategies&comma; a public relations company in Bethesda&comma; Md&period;&comma; specializing in &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;thought leadership” and &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;brand journalism&comma;” according to the firm’s website&period; But in the end&comma; the most lasting label of Mr&period; Bush was supplied by Mr&period; Trump&colon; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;low energy&period;”<&sol;span><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-6" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content">Vegas&comma; Baby&colon; &dollar;48&comma;544<br &sol;>&NewLine;<span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;">Mr&period; Bush and his staff racked up sizable travel bills&comma; including &dollar;3&period;3 million in airfare and hundreds of thousands of dollars at hotels&comma; ranging from a Best Western in Phoenix to the Biltmore in Coral Gables&comma; Fla&period; But what stands out is the Bush team’s taste for the Vegas Strip&comma; where aides and allies patronized the Bellagio&comma; the Wynn and the Venetian&comma; owned by Sheldon Adelson&comma; the Republican megadonor&period;<&sol;span><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-7" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content">The Consultants&colon; &dollar;10 Million<br &sol;>&NewLine;<span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;">A well-funded candidate tends to attract hordes of consultants&comma; and Mr&period; Bush had plenty&period; All told&comma; his team paid consulting fees to around 140 different companies or individuals&comma; including senior campaign staff members&comma; opposition research firms&comma; and get-out-the-vote operatives in Iowa and South Carolina&period;<&sol;span><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-8" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content">Pizza&colon; &dollar;4&comma;837<br &sol;>&NewLine;<span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;">As his fortunes declined this winter&comma; Mr&period; Bush sharply pared back employees’ salaries and consulting fees&comma; even laying off some campaign staff members to bring down costs&period; But let it never be said that Mr&period; Bush allowed his team to go hungry&period; His campaign and super PAC were particularly fond of the pizza&comma; whether from Domino’s or from Pizza Ranch&comma; the Iowa chain&period;<&sol;span><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<div id&equals;"sharetools-story" class&equals;"sharetools theme-classic sharetools-story "><a style&equals;"clear&colon;left&semi;float&colon;left&semi;margin-bottom&colon;1em&semi;margin-right&colon;1em&semi;" href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;static01&period;nyt&period;com&sol;images&sol;2016&sol;02&sol;22&sol;us&sol;23LISTY-web3&sol;23LISTY-web3-master675&period;jpg" rel&equals;"prettyPhoto"><img class&equals;"media-viewer-candidate" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;static01&period;nyt&period;com&sol;images&sol;2016&sol;02&sol;22&sol;us&sol;23LISTY-web3&sol;23LISTY-web3-master675&period;jpg" alt&equals;"" width&equals;"640" height&equals;"426" border&equals;"0" &sol;><span style&equals;"color&colon;black&semi;"><span class&equals;"caption-text"><span class&equals;"credit"><i><span class&equals;"visually-hidden"><br &sol;>&NewLine;<&sol;span><&sol;i><&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-8" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content"><b><a style&equals;"clear&colon;left&semi;float&colon;left&semi;margin-bottom&colon;1em&semi;margin-right&colon;1em&semi;" href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;static01&period;nyt&period;com&sol;images&sol;2016&sol;02&sol;22&sol;us&sol;23LISTY-web3&sol;23LISTY-web3-master675&period;jpg" rel&equals;"prettyPhoto"><span style&equals;"color&colon;black&semi;"><span class&equals;"caption-text"><span class&equals;"credit"><i><span class&equals;"visually-hidden">Photo&colon;<&sol;span> Gabriella Demczuk &colon; nytimes<&sol;i><&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;span><b><span style&equals;"color&colon;black&semi;"><span class&equals;"caption-text"><br &sol;>&NewLine;<&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;b><&sol;a><&sol;b><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-8" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content"><b> <&sol;b><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-8" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content"><b>Jeb Bush at a forum in Columbia&comma; S&period;C&period; before bowing out of the 2016 GOP race  <&sol;b><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p><a style&equals;"clear&colon;left&semi;float&colon;left&semi;margin-bottom&colon;1em&semi;margin-right&colon;1em&semi;" href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;static01&period;nyt&period;com&sol;images&sol;2016&sol;02&sol;22&sol;us&sol;23LISTY-web3&sol;23LISTY-web3-master675&period;jpg" rel&equals;"prettyPhoto"> <&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-8" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content"><span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;"> <&sol;span><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-8" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content"><span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;"><span style&equals;"font-size&colon;x-small&semi;"><i> <&sol;i><&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-8" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content"><span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;"> <&sol;span><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-8" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content"><span style&equals;"font-weight&colon;normal&semi;"> <&sol;span><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4 id&equals;"subhead-8" class&equals;"story-subheading story-content"><b> <&sol;b><&sol;h4>&NewLine;

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