In The Tank

On Wednesday, the SLTrib breathlessly reported...

Obama out-raising McCain in Utah

As always, the truth is not exactly what was reported...

The rumors of John McCain's Utah demise are at least slightly exaggerated.

Media reports citing Barack Obama's sizeable fundraising advantage only show part of the picture. It is true the Democrats' presumptive nominee has outraised the GOP contender over the entire campaign -- $706,046 to $595,320. But trends are everything in politics, and a closer look at the numbers shows a story more murky than Utah Lake.

Conventional wisdom is that Mitt Romney simply drained Utah pocketbooks in his attempt to secure the nomination. (He took nearly 90 percent of the Utah vote in the primary.)

Romney and McCain were also bitter rivals in the primary races, putting McCain on many Utahns' bad side. So it's no wonder he had raised only about $160,000 here by February, when Romney suspended his campaign.

The first thing to look at in a McCain-Obama race then, is fundraising after Romney dropped out to see if the state's Republican base forgave the GOP pick. Beginning in March, Utahns gave about the same amount to each presumptive nominee through Aug. 20 -- $433,470 to McCain, $431,659 to Obama.

The Herald even did the basic reporting that the AP and the SLTrib neglected to do.

•¬ According to Federal Election Commission reports, McCain took it on the chin for two more months after Romney suspended his campaign, bringing in less than $20,000 each month. But in May, things turned around in a big way, with Utahns giving $257,862 to McCain when Romney and President George Bush came to town for a fundraiser.

• Obama had a huge March, bringing in $119,699. But he was in a battle royale with Democratic opponent Sen. Hillary Clinton until June, and his fundraising here has also been up and down. But if you count just the last three months, Obama has out-raised McCain by about $47,000.

Again I have to ask, is it any wonder at all why the average Joe and Jane Voter have little trust in what they hear from most major media outlets? I mean when they can not even be bothered to do the basic research that is required of their jobs...