Rising enthusiasm for Mitt Romney’s surging presidential candidacy has driven Americans to the donation box: Romney’s campaign raised a whopping $112 million in 17 days of October, according to the Republican National Committee. Much of that giving was obviously driven by Romney’s stellar performance in the first debate.

Romney needed a good showing after incumbent President Barack Obama defeated him in fundraising for September, $181 million to $170 million. The Romney campaign has approximately $169 million to spend over the final two weeks of this campaign. Approximately $38 million of the money raised in October came in donations of $250 or under, suggesting burgeoning grassroots appeal for Romney.