Obama's fundraising success could well mean the death of public financing

Barack Obama toyed with the idea of entering the public finance system. He even signed a public pledge that he would work to create public funding should he ever become president.

But with his announcement early Sunday morning that he'd raised more than $150 million just in September alone, Obama may well have killed the system that he claims to support. Some experts now suggest the once powerful idea backed by political reformers will just fade away.

Its demise would come courtesy of mass fundraising over the Internet -- a concept that did not exist back in the Watergate era, when the presidential public financing system was created.

By opting out of the government financing system — the freshman Illinois Democrat is the first candidate to do so since its establishment in 1976 — Obama is free to raise and spend unlimited sums.

So, that's exactly what he's doing.

While Republican Sen. John McCain is limited to the $84.1 million in public money he agreed to.

“Being awash in funds allows [Obama] to fight in a lot more states without having to make tough choices,” said political....

...scientist Bruce Cain, director of University of California’s center in Washington, D.C.

Obama is spending in Republican states and is shelling out huge sums for 30-second TV spots that air in Democratic bastions via national programming, including football games and the baseball playoffs.

The Wall Street crisis appears to have had little effect on Obama's small-time donors. He expanded his fundraising base by 632,000 individuals in September to a record total of 3.1 million -- most of whom gave in small amounts. Roughly half of the $605 million Obama has raised has come from small donors, and nearly all of them give over the Internet.

McCain, meanwhile, accepted the $84.1-million grant from the Federal Election Commission. Even though the Republican National Committee is paying for much of his campaign, McCain increasingly is unable to compete moneywise.

A year ago, before he attained front-runner status, Obama signed a pledge to the group, Common Cause, in which he vowed to push for “full public funding for qualified candidates who agree to spending limits and to stop accepting private contributions.”

“I will make passage of such legislation one of the primary goals in my campaign and in my presidency if elected,” Obama said in response to a Common Cause questionnaire.

Whether such legislation comes to pass is now uncertain at best.

Public funding schemes rarely win support from Republicans. Now, Democrats, many of whom also are skeptics, will have less interest. Democratic donors tend to be younger than Republicans and are more accustomed to making Internet purchases.

ActBlue, a company and political action committee based in Cambridge, Mass., has used the Internet to raise $74 million for Democratic federal and state candidates and causes since 2004. Copycat efforts by the GOP have fallen far short.

Obama’s success at Internet fundraising extends to other campaigns on the Democratic side. Opponents of Proposition 8, the initiative that would ban same-sex marriage in California, say they are raising large sums over the Net.

“My guess is that this system will just go away,” Democratic consultant Bill Carrick said. “The public financing system is basically the horse and buggy of politics.”

-- Dan Morain

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Photo credit: Associated Press

Comments

[VJ Machiavelli]

Today the live by it, tomorrow they may die from it.

VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com

[Jean]

This is great news! Barack Obama has democratized political fundraising, the original purpose of campaign finance reform, more than any presidential candidate in history. Acropolis Review has a summary of some good reasons to consider supporting Obama. Be sure to send it to undecided friends:
http://acropolisreview.com/2008/04/top-reasons-to-give-barack-obama-your.html

[scootmandubious]

Hey, at least the GOP can count on free advertising from the media. Why else would we have been subjected to erroneous swiftboater accusations and, this year, phony terrorist connections.

The Republicans don't need the ads, they have William Ayers popping up all over the media through their surrogates.

The GOP also has too much invested in their dirty tricks.

See their latest voter repression tactics and bookmark several great 'voter fraud' sites I highlight.

http://scootmandubious.blogspot.com/2008/10/gop-will-try-to-steal-this-election.html

[mstran]

Good points bad points,

McCain has shown he is about tie with his less funds to do the job.

On the other hand it is taking Obama 4 times or more money spending to do, err... get just over the same amount or votes.

Is that what are things to come, wasteful spending to do the same results?

[Sammy]

obama for the poor with all the money he is swimming in right now will change him..

[Terry]

he is rich now he won't care about the poor.

[toxic Obama]

Obama has gone back on promise after promise. Just think what he's going to go back in if President.

Obama is despicable.

Colin Powell is a joke. He sold away any legacy he had today with his asinine comments.

Black men are the worst sexist pigs. Obama is running for President and he has LESS experience than Palin who is running for VP.

Powell is coming up with irrational excuses for his worthless endorsement but the truth is he is living vicariously through Obama. Powell gave up his candidacy due to skeletons in the closet, so he couldn't be the first Black President. He is living through Obama.

All black people care about or ever talk about is being black. Hilarious how they whine about being treated equally and being seen beyond color but ALL they prattle on about is being black and blaming everyone else for every problem they have in life.

If Obama wins, black people are going to be more toxic and obnoxious than ever. Obama will end up having policies NO DIFFERENT from McCain. You'll see.

[Clinton Supporters STILL NOT VOTING OBAMA]

If Obama really wanted to do something meaningful for this country, or for starving people, he would donate some of this grotesque amount of money. People are hungry and this amount of money is going to an election for commercials???

It is sickening how Obama keeps raking in money shamelessly when people are struggling. He should put his money where his mouth is - but he is full of it, just like he was full of it when he pledged to take public financing.

FYI, the candidate with the most money is not the one that usually wins.

[Benjamin]

This is a free market public finance system that Obama is using and McCain, the guy whose busy calling Obama a "socialist", is the one whining about his beloved socialist "public financing system".

I wish McCain would make up his mind whether sharing the wealth is good or bad. The "public financing system" he backs IS sharing the wealth after all. And it's sharing the wealth to achieve a social objective no less.

[MostEmailedNews.com]

If by any chance he loses he should get a job as a fundraiser....

- T

http://MostEmailedNews.com

[I've had it with the media]

While living in California, I frequently saw bumper stickers which said "The One With the Most Toys, Wins". That will changed to bumper stickers for presidential elections "One with the most campaign money, wins" or "Votes No Longer Count; It's the Money". Democracy is dead in this country. While our now allies Canada and France have gone to conservation leaders, the U.S. is leaning toward election a communist leaning radical. Not a lie; read Obama's first book and the pages where he writes about the late communist Frank Marshall Davis, his mentor, like father/son. Read his book.

[Disgusted]

I do not believe that all the many, many millions contributed to Obama's campaign came from "the average American" or "from small donations over the internet". I do believe that his campaign is being funded in some illegal way by foreign nations and foreign organizations. His ACORN organization tried fraud in their voter registrations (wonder how many were not detected?). Drug cartels "hid" their money, clean it up, so why not Obama. He's perfectly capable of doing so. Afer all he was mentored by a communist and gained knowledge from him.

[William Joseph Miller]

Having spent quite a bit of my own money in campaign contributions this year, I would far prefer public financing. But as Obama himself said, the system of public financing is broken. First of all, McCain enjoys the support of far more well-heeled 527's. MoveOn has not sponsored any attack ads on McCain, yet McCain's 527's consistently attack Obama. In addition, McCain has a whole bunch of ideologues in the media, much of CNN as well as KFOX news, not to mention talk radio. Finally McCain has the backing of a number of organizations like the NRA and a number of PAC's who have far more money than progressive organizations. These are reasons Obama needs the money. I would rather not have to donate so much money, but for public financing to work we need a fairness doctrine in the media and controls on PAC's and 527's

[Rick, Newport WA]

This article sounds like a lot of whining. Why do you think Obama has raised so much cash? Because he is extremely popular. What happens when a popular president is elected. Good things. And speaking of promises, John McCain promised to love his first wife till death do us part, but decided since she was crippled in a car accident, that was close enough for him. How can anyone have any respect for someone that selfish and shallow. Dumb question, most republicans are selfish and shallow.

[Rick]

Public Financing is not dead because there are many politicians who could never get the amount that Obama is making or even the amount given by the grant. McCain would probably not have been able to raise 80 million dollars anyway, so it depends on the candidate. I do think that candidates will think more about their choices, but to say this is the end of public financing is an ignorant statement and shows you don't understand the dynamics of an election. Even if McCain has opted out of public financing his campaign has been so poorly run that he would be loosing even worse then he is now.

[Jermaine]

People like toxic Obama will crucify others for being "Anti-American" when they express their displeasure for some of this country's more dubious eras and attitudes. But really, in all honesty, how can anybody be proud of that kind of bigotry??

The fact that this website supposedly screens these responses and still allowed that hateful filth to be posted is beyond me, but then again maybe its a good thing, because the filth has to be exposed in order to be corrected...

[Mawm]

I believe he is cheating. There is a loophole in campaign finance. The campaigns do not have to report the names and addresses of donors donating less than $200. Therefore, there is no way to check on these donations to see if they are legitimate or not. I just don't believe he raised $150 million in a month where people are seriously tightening their budgets. Retail sales are way down, and so people decide to give their money to Barack? I just don't buy it. They are cheating.

[Fiona Allen]

The best part of following the US elections as a foreigner, is now knowing which TV stations to avoid.

For years I watched Bill O Reilly from the safety and comfort of my living room in another country and did not discern his deep bigotry.

I watched Lou Dobbs, Greta Van Susteren, and admired them greatly. I watched CNN and listened to some of their hosts as if they were the last word in reason.

I realize that these people I admired are frankly, racist. I know that Lou Dobbs hates me even though he has never met me and probably never will - not because of anything I have done- but because I am not an American.

And each time I visit the United States to spend MY MONEY in your stores, I now know that you are all fretting that I might want to live there. Be at ease....with the racism that exists in America, no amount of money could make me want to be a fifth class citizen in America. I will continue to visit but with the advent of the internet, I don't even have to come there to buy my I-Pod or Blackberry or other bit of useless frivol. And China makes them all, and sells cheaper!

Now, with the Election season, I am watching Sarah Palin, Joe Biden, John McCain & Barack Obama and marveling - the United States has a clearly superior candidate who wishes to cut taxes for 95% of the people - improve Health Care and reduce America's dependence on oil and to bring jobs back home.

Yet, because of his color ( skin) all manner of evil things are being said.

Since I don't live in America I can remind you that John McCain is closely associated with G. Gordon Liddy, a convicted felon who gave instructions on how to shoot a federal agent.

He lists on his donor sheet, number 2 from the top, the same Annenberg Foundation that had Barack Obama and Bill Ayres on the same EDUCATION POLICY Board.

I know, that John is a serial adulterer, a gambler and a drunkard. (or was)

I know that Sarah Palin sleeps every night with a former member of a secessionist group whose leader hated America so much he did not wish to be buried under her "dammned flag"

Do "real Americans" read? Or are they so angry that black people are NO LONGER slaves that they will cut off their own noses to spite their faces??