The New York Times's poll crunching wunderkind Nate Silver currently puts Barack Obama's chances at winning California at 99 percent.
Two things: 1. The smart money is never betting against Nate Silver. 2. Honestly, this is a pretty conservative estimate.
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For President Obama, California's bounty of 55 electoral votes is essentially assured, but that hasn't left him to ignore the Golden State in favor of more swing state-y pastures. If anything, it's the opposite: Obama has come to the west coast on a near-monthly basis seeking campaign cash to counter the $1 billion spending blitz planned by GOP groups and super PACs looking to install a Republican in the White House next January.
According to OpenSecrets.org, Californians have given President Obama's campaign just over $30 million in this election cycle alone. That's more than the second- and third-ranked states, New York and Illinois, combined.
The top individual Democratic donors in the state are Dreamworks chief Jeff Katzenberg, former Qualcomm chairman Irwin Jacobs and investor Anne Earhart.
Organizations and corporations in California have also been particularly generous donors to Obama's campaign coffers. The employees, their families and affiliated PACs of the University of California have given nearly $500,000 to the president, the most of any organization in the county. Silicon Valley tech giant Google was third biggest organizational donor, with about $357,000.
California-based bundlers, private individuals who raise money for candidates in an organized way from friends, family members and co-workers, have put at least $34.3 million into the president's re-election campaign.
GOP nominee Mitt Romney has also amassed a major haul in the state. The $17 million his campaign has raised in California is the most of any state and the largest individual donors--venture capitalist Peter Thiel and Hollywood businessman Jerry Perenchino--both almost excursively give to Republicans.
Check out this slideshow of California's largest individual donors:
CA Top Individual Donors
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