CNN's "Inside Politics" segment of New Day broke down the filings by 2016 candidates to the Federal Election Commission Thursday morning, and the panelists came away saying Hillary Clinton had an "enthusiasm issue" and her fundraising numbers "aren't great for her."
Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) received more than 76 percent of his haul from donations of $200 or less, compared to 17 percent for Clinton. Sanders, who has drawn the largest crowds of either party to his rallies so far in the young campaign, trails Clinton in the polls but is posing a stronger challenge than the Clinton team thought, enough so that her own supporters have teased the possibility he could win Iowa, New Hampshire, or both.
"They want to make sure that everyone in the media and everyone in the public knows that she has support and enthusiasm among the rank-and-file Democratic Party voters, but these numbers aren't great for her," said Associated Press reporter Lisa Lerer.
"Her poll numbers [among Democrats] and favorability are fine, but they seem to have an 'eh,'" host John King said.
CNN senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny noted that the Clinton campaign has tried "mightily" to inflate the numbers of small donors by selling things such as $5 aprons online.
"It's a struggle for them, because 60 percent of her contributions came from people who can't give again," he said. "Bernie Sanders' [supporters] can give again and again and again, sort of like paying the phone bill every month ... She has an enthusiasm issue."
Clinton, still the heavy favorite to win the Democratic nomination, raised $47.5 million in the second quarter of 2015, compared to $13.7 million for Sanders.