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Call it the $75million question.

Its the most important question every Republican who wants to run for president needs to answer and the one that will divide the massive field between those who can win and the rest.

The $75million refers to the threshold amount of money a top-tier candidate will need to win the nomination. That number is based on what Mitt Romney raised and spent to win the nomination in 2012 ($76.6million) and numerous conversations I have had with Republican fundraisers and donors in recent months. And, in truth, it might be a little low.

It depends on the final March 1st composition [of the field], but cash-on-hand at $30million in December/January is a reasonable number to think someone has a viable campaign and can withstand some setbacks, said Ed Rogers, a longtime Republican lobbyist.

So, the first question that needs to be asked of the more than 20 candidates weighing bids for 2016 is: How are you going to raise $75million?

(Sidebar: Yes, I know money isnt everything in politics. At the same time, there are numerous examples throughout history of candidates either never getting off the ground or being incapable of taking advantage of opportunities because of insufficient cash.)

Three nearly certain candidates for the GOP nod can make a convincing case that they could reach that number: Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and Rand Paul.

Bush is the no-brainer of the group. He is the son and brother of presidents and is expected to make a fundraising showing at the end of this month aimed at thinning the races herd considerably. His biggest edge over the rest of the field from the second he announces until he either becomes the nominee or drops out will be his cash-collecting prowess. Bushs financial ceiling is much, much higher than $75million; by way of comparison, remember that Hillary Rodham Clinton raised more than $223million for her 2008 campaign.

Walker, the governor of Wisconsin, has two things going for him when it comes to reaching that $75million goal: (1) He has a national network from Democratic attempts to recall him earlier this decade and (2) He is the hot candidate at the moment.

On the first point, Walker has run three races in the past four years his 2010 election, the 2011 recall and his 2014 reelection and has raised $83million combined for those contests. But that doesnt tell the whole story. Of the 300,000 people who have given to Walkers campaigns, three out of every four donated $75 or less, according to The Washington Posts Matea Gold. That means Walker has a national small-dollar network that can be tapped again and again if he runs for president.

Continued here:
A $75 million question confronts Republican candidates for 2016