迈克·彭斯美国最新的筹款总额表明，这位前副总统在战斗中前路坎坷都是为了获得共和党选民的支持他曾经帮助领舞，并在下个月的初级辩论阶段.
便士只为他的竞选筹集了120万美元自6月初正式参加竞选以来，致力于美国的pro-Pence super PAC在2023年第二季度获得了270万美元的收入。
这些总额落后于彭斯的几个竞争对手，包括前总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)的第二季度收入1530万美元，佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯(Ron DeSantis)的2000万美元，南卡罗来纳州参议员蒂姆·斯科特(Tim Scott)的580万美元和前南卡罗来纳州州长妮基·黑利的530万美元。
彭斯在经济上也落后于企业家和评论员Vivek Ramaswamy以及北达科他州州长Doug Burgum等知名度较低的候选人。
可以肯定的是，彭斯没有足够的时间为自己筹集资金，比他的许多竞争对手晚加入竞选，而且他也没有像他的许多竞争对手那样的联合筹款委员会。
尽管如此，这一收获意味着彭斯可支配的资金将比其他共和党初选竞争者少得多，这反过来又会影响他在2024年周期真正开始时打广告和获得进一步支持的能力。
更具体地说，这一收获可能预示着彭斯很难在8月23日的第一场初选辩论中登台。
根据共和党全国委员会的资格，彭斯和其他竞争者必须吸引至少40，000名独特的捐助者，同时满足民调标准并签署忠诚承诺，以支持共和党的最终提名人。
彭斯似乎远远没有赢得所有需要的捐助者，尽管他表示有信心在下个月结束辩论。
“我们会做辩论舞台。我们正在夜以继日地工作，以确保我们达到4万人的门槛，”他上周告诉ABC新闻的MaryAlice Parks。“我相信我们会在8月23日到达那里。”
“我一个月前才宣布的，”他后来对另一名记者补充道。“给我点时间。”
彭斯在6月初正式启动了他的竞选活动。当时在爱荷华州的一次演讲中，他试图强调自己的保守派诚意，包括他长期支持堕胎限制、宗教自由原则和缩小联邦政府——他还指责前总统特朗普在1月6日左右的行动以及推翻2020年大选的努力。
“我们可以捍卫我们的自由，给美国生活一个新的开始。但这需要新的领导——白宫和共和党，”他接着说。
早期民调显示，他在拥挤的初选中只获得了一些支持到五点三十八分在全国调查中，彭斯的平均支持率约为7%，而德桑蒂斯和特朗普的平均支持率分别为20%和50%。
前副总统和仍对彭斯的前老板充满热情的草根阶层之间也出现了分歧。上周在爱荷华州的一次多候选人活动中，理论上讲，该州福音派选民应该与彭斯自己的背景保持一致，他因支持乌克兰而被嘘抵御俄罗斯的入侵。
彭斯对自己的机会充满信心-不仅是为了参加辩论，而且是为了对抗特朗普。
“有时人们会问我对辩论唐纳德·特朗普有什么看法。我告诉人们，我已经和唐纳德·特朗普辩论过一千次了，只是不是在摄像机前，”他上周说。"我期待着在舞台上看到他。"
Pence sees lackluster fundraising early in GOP primary, insists he'll make it to debate stage
Mike Pence's latest fundraising totals suggest a rocky road ahead for the former vice president as he fights both for support from voters in the Republican Party he once helped lead -- and a spot on next month's primary debate stage.
Pence raised just $1.2 million for his campaign since formally entering the race in early June, while a pro-Pence super PAC, Committed to America, took in $2.7 million during the second quarter of 2023.
Those totals trailed several of Pence's rivals, including second-quarter hauls of $15.3 million for former President Donald Trump, $20 million for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, $5.8 million for South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and $5.3 million for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Pence also financially lagged much lesser-known candidates like entrepreneur and commentator Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
To be sure, Pence did not have a full quarter to fundraise himself, getting into the race later than many of his rivals, and he does not have a joint-fundraising committee like many of his competitors do.
Still, the haul means that Pence will have significantly less money at his disposal than other GOP primary contenders, in turn impacting his ability to advertise and gin up further support as the 2024 cycle gets underway in earnest.
More tangibly, the haul could portend difficulties for Pence to make it on stage for the first primary debate, on Aug. 23.
Under the Republican National Committee's qualifications, Pence and other contenders will have to attract at least 40,000 unique donors, along with meeting polling criteria and signing a loyalty pledge to support the GOP's eventual nominee.
Pence appears far from winning all the needed donors, though he has expressed confidence that he'll end up debating next month nonetheless.
"We'll make the debate stage. We're working around the clock to make sure that we reach that threshold of 40,000," he told ABC News' MaryAlice Parks last week. "I'm confident we'll be there come Aug. 23."
"I just announced a month ago," he later added to another reporter. "Give me some time."
Pence formally launched his campaign in early June. In a speech from Iowa at the time, he sought to stress his own conservative bona fides, including his longtime support of abortion restrictions, religious liberty principles and shrinking the federal government -- and he also rebuked former President Trump over Trump's actions around Jan. 6 and the push to overturn the 2020 election.
"We can defend our liberties and give America a new beginning for life. But it will require new leadership -- in the White House and the Republican Party," he said then.
Early polling shows he has gained only some traction in the crowded primary field: According to FiveThirtyEight, Pence is averaging about 7% in national surveys, compared to DeSantis' 20% and Trump's 50%.
Fissures have also emerged between the former vice president and a grassroots that remains largely enthusiastic about Pence's old boss. Last week at a multi-candidate event in Iowa, whose heavily evangelical caucus electorate should theoretically align with Pence's own background, he was booed over his support for Ukraine in defending against Russia's invasion.
Pence has projected confidence about his chances -- not just to make it to the debate, but in facing off against Trump.
"Sometimes people ask me what I think about debating Donald Trump. I tell people I've debated Donald Trump a thousand times, just not with the cameras on," he said last week. "I look forward to seeing him on the stage."
