The Conservative Cave

Current Events => Archives => Politics => Election 2008 => Topic started by: Wretched Excess on September 09, 2008, 10:43:01 AM

Title: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: Wretched Excess on September 09, 2008, 10:43:01 AM

a couple of things come to mind, the first of which is that The BarackStar! will have to come off the campaign
trail to do fund raising events since he didn't accept public financing.  time off the campaign trail is time not spent
pushing your message.  and the obama campaign may want to keep up the appearance and the perception that he
is financed by little guys over the internet, but it isn't true.  he will need fat cats, and he will need to play up to the
base to shake money loose from them.  the problem with that is that the sort of things that you have to say to whip
up the base (pull out of iraq NOW without conditions!  investigate the bushco crimes against humanity, repeal the
bush tax cuts now, outlaw the SUV, abortion on demand without condition, & etc., & etc.) literally scare the shit
out of swing voters.

he can't let his donations drop.  his campaign apparatus' expense budget, and ultimately the size and scope of his
campaign, were based on revenue projections that may not be sustainable in the general election.  at least not
without having to make a bunch of claims to his corporate donors that would drive away the swing voter that will
probably decide this election  in the first place.

foregoing public financing is turning out to be a double edged sword, and expecting it to continue to rain money
on them in droves could turn out to be a big mistake as well.

Quote
Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors

After months of record-breaking fund-raising, a new sense of urgency in Senator Barack Obama’s fund-raising team is palpable as the full weight of the campaign’s decision to bypass public financing for the general election is suddenly upon it.

Pushing a fund-raiser later this month, a finance staff member sent a sharply worded note last week to Illinois members of its national finance committee, calling their recent efforts “extremely anemic.”

At a convention-week meeting in Denver of the campaign’s top fund-raisers, buttons with the image of a money tree were distributed to those who had already contributed the maximum $2,300 to the general election, a subtle reminder to those who had failed to ante up.

The signs of concern have become evident in recent weeks as early fund-raising totals have suggested that Mr. Obama’s decision to bypass public financing may not necessarily afford him the commanding financing advantage over Senator John McCain that many had originally predicted.

Presidential candidates in a general election have typically relied on two main sources of money: public financing, along with additional money their parties raise. In choosing to accept the public money, the McCain campaign now gets an $84 million cash infusion from the United States Treasury. Mr. McCain is barred from raising any more money for his own campaign coffers but can lean on money raised by the Republican National Committee, which has continued to exceed expectations.

More (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/09/us/politics/09donate.html?_r=1&em&oref=slogin)
Title: Re: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: Zeus on September 09, 2008, 12:09:53 PM
McCain Rings Up $5M At Chicago Fundraiser

Amount Averages To $1 Million Per Hour Spent Here

Mike Flannery CHICAGO (CBS) ― Republican John McCain raised about $5 million in Chicago Monday night, or about $1 million for each hour he spent in Democrat Barack Obama's home town.

http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/mccain.chicago.fundraiser.2.812952.html

Title: Re: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: Wretched Excess on September 09, 2008, 12:34:01 PM
McCain Rings Up $5M At Chicago Fundraiser

Amount Averages To $1 Million Per Hour Spent Here

Mike Flannery CHICAGO (CBS) ― Republican John McCain raised about $5 million in Chicago Monday night, or about $1 million for each hour he spent in Democrat Barack Obama's home town.

http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/mccain.chicago.fundraiser.2.812952.html



making $5M bucks in The BarackStar!'s hometown is surprising.  that's all RNC money that he made, by the way.  he is permitted to raise money for his own campaign since he took the public funding.

Title: Re: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: Zeus on September 09, 2008, 12:39:08 PM

making $5M bucks in The BarackStar!'s hometown is surprising.  that's all RNC money that he made, by the way.  he is permitted to raise money for his own campaign since he took the public funding.


Yep that money was given with the knowledge little of that money will be spent in chicago or Illinois for that matter.

Title: Re: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: Wretched Excess on September 09, 2008, 12:50:20 PM

making $5M bucks in The BarackStar!'s hometown is surprising.  that's all RNC money that he made, by the way.  he is permitted to raise money for his own campaign since he took the public funding.


Yep that money was given with the knowledge little of that money will be spent in chicago or Illinois for that matter.



argh.  that should read, "he is NOT permitted to raise money for his own campaign . . . . ", of course. :thatsright:
Title: Re: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: Sadie on September 09, 2008, 04:04:10 PM
How did Illinois vote in 2004. Was it red? This doesn't look too good for the rock star in his home state.
Title: Re: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: Chris_ on September 09, 2008, 04:12:52 PM
How did Illinois vote in 2004. Was it red? This doesn't look too good for the rock star in his home state.

No.  They voted for John F'n Kommie in '04.  (Did you know he served in Vietnam?)

MAP LINK (http://www.abcnews.go.com/politics/vote2008)
Title: Re: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: thundley4 on September 10, 2008, 06:38:04 AM
At least my county went for Bush over Kerry. If we could just push Chicago into Lake Michigan, (after the Cubs are moved), Illinois would probably go republican most of the time.
Title: Re: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: Wretched Excess on September 10, 2008, 06:46:03 AM
I think the cubs would even win this season if they played underwater :D
Title: Re: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: thundley4 on September 10, 2008, 07:12:24 AM
 :hyper:  Their trying to give the division to the Brewers.
Title: Re: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: Jim on September 10, 2008, 07:35:32 PM
I got my letter today !

Its going back with commentary and everything he sent, including the envelope, and he's paying the return postage !
Title: Re: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: NHSparky on September 10, 2008, 07:45:53 PM
he is permitted to raise money for his own campaign since he took the public funding.



Not exactly.  Since he's taking public money, anything he raises can't go to his campaign per se, but can go to a "compliance fund" to defray legal expenses, or, as you pointed out earlier, to the RNC which will funnel that money to other candidates.
Title: Re: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: Wretched Excess on September 10, 2008, 07:51:21 PM
he is permitted to raise money for his own campaign since he took the public funding.



Not exactly.  Since he's taking public money, anything he raises can't go to his campaign per se, but can go to a "compliance fund" to defray legal expenses, or, as you pointed out earlier, to the RNC which will funnel that money to other candidates.

I corrected my typo in my next reply.  I couldn't edit it because it had been quoted by the time I realized my typo.
Title: Re: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: Lord Undies on September 10, 2008, 08:08:58 PM
The democrats are notorious for knowing a rat hole when they finally see the hole and the rat.   Since the O'Byebye rat hole looks like it isn't going to magically turn into the White House, not many will continue to throw money down it. 

I read that a lot of the congressional races are sufferring because all the democrat money was going to the presidential campaign.  I think the focus is shifting since the White House is getting farther and farther everyday from being a sure thing.   
Title: Re: Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors
Post by: Wretched Excess on September 10, 2008, 08:15:14 PM
The democrats are notorious for knowing a rat hole when they finally see the hole and the rat.   Since the O'Byebye rat hole looks like it isn't going to magically turn into the White House, not many will continue to throw money down it. 

I read that a lot of the congressional races are sufferring because all the democrat money was going to the presidential campaign.  I think the focus is shifting since the White House is getting farther and farther everyday from being a sure thing.   

his campaign is huge.  his 300 foreign policy advisers, for example.  he has got to be spending money at an incredible rate just to keep his apparatus moving.  if he can't raise a ton of money every month, he will have problems just keeping his campaign afloat.