The LA Times reports on the latest financial filings that continue to show John McCain at a substantial disadvantage. Not only has he only raised a third of the $240 million Barack Obama has raised during this election cycle, but Obama’s small online donations alone eclipse everything that McCain has raised.
McCain has just $11.6 million in the bank compared to Obama, who has $51 million. The story notes that McCain will likely be forced to accept public funds. The only wrinkle of good news is that the Howard Dean led DNC continues to trail the RNC in fundraising–$5.3 million at the end of March, compared to $31.2 million for the RNC. How incompetent, really, does Dean have to be to lag so badly in an environment that is so favorable to Democrats?

What McCain’s weakness in fundraising really reminds us is that no matter how many polls come out showing him neck and neck with Obama, he still enters the general election with substantial disadvantages.