The Top 2012 Republican Fundraiser is?

Money will not win the 2012 Republican Nomination battle for any potential candidate, but it will help them make their case for the general election later that year. It's true new media has a growing influence in the electorate, and in Conservative ranks, but when running against the human fundraiser, Barack Obama, the amount of dollars a candidate can counter-fundraise is absolutely crucial to victory.

So who leads on the fundraising front in the 2012 GOP Presidential field? Jim DeMint.

Senator Jim DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund raised $9.1 million during the 2009-10 cycle, beating out former Governor's Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, and Mike Huckabee, all of whom are expected to run in 2012. DeMint also has $1.3 million cash on hand, which is second in the GOP Presidential field to only Paul Ryan.

The worst fundraiser of all was Governor Haley Barbour with only $1.1 million raised, but his main job in last month's election was to raise money for the very vital Republican Governors Association, which left the aspiring candidate with little time to focus on his own Political Action Committee: Haley's PAC.

In other GOP 2012 candidate fundraising news.....

Huckabee raised $1.8 million, Pawlently raised $3.3 million, Paul Ryan raised $3.9 million, Palin raised $5.4 million, and Romney* raised $8.8 million. Paul Ryan currently has more cash on hand than any other potential GOP candidate with $3.1 million, Mike Huckabee has the smallest amount of cash on hand with $194,578.

Any thoughts?

* - Fundraising means little to Romney; he already has stacks of cash at home.