What We Can Tell By Analyzing Contributions: a Comparison in Fund Raising Between Hillary and Barack
While not quite prepared to elaborate my public campaign funding ideas, which are really nothing new, I would like to share some interesting information about the various sources from which Clinton and Obama have raised their money: all numbers in the millions rounded to nearest $100,000:
Clinton: Total= $90.9 million
Under $200= $9.5 mil
$200-2,999= $23.5 mil
$2,300 (max)= $46.7 mil
PAC= $750,000
Obama: Total= $80.3 million
Under $200= $20.9 mil
$200-2,999= $25.6 mil
$2,300= $32.9 mil
PAC= $25 (no thousands, only one zero, rather than 5)
Upon examining the numbers elaborated above, there are two comparative numbers, which all but scream for our attention. First, Obama has received over twice what Clinton has in donations under $200, which clearly indicates that his message has resonated with "the people." Also, my own experience as a campaign staffer has indicated that a large number of individuals who contribute in such small donations come from one of two groups. On the one hand, those people who, while they may participate in the process (i.e., they are part of the pathetically small 51% of the voting age population, who in that most pivotal of years, 2000, actually discharged their duty to vote), nevertheless do not generally consider themselves to be "political". The second group, on the other hand, is primarily composed of those who are having their first ever real political experiences, i.e., those who do not generally participate in any politics other than those at the office. Such individuals are often quite pleased that they are not required lie to themselves so as to rationalize the choice not to be involved. The myriad rationalizations offered for their apathy are, almost without exception, prima fascia cynical fabrications. My final comment on this issue is perhaps the most important; SMALL GIVERS ARE BIG SUPPORTERS. People who tithe are generally not those who show up only for Easter and Christmas.
The second set of numbers, which veritably leap from the page are those related to PAC money, Hillary has exactly 30,000 times—yes, that is multiplication and do not imagine the $¾ of a million comes cheaply. In one of the starkest contrasts I have seen between the two candidates to this point. Perhaps Obama will go in quarters on a barrel of oil with some of his buddies with his $25.
I am not in any way trying to suggest that Sen. Clinton is dishonest or could be bought. Nonetheless, this provides us with a powerful motivation to Think about what these numbers mean in terms of a true commitment to transforming our currently decrepit country; does it tell you anything important? If not, I am sorry but you have failed to THINK.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
A Warm Hand Please for the Nominee's Choice for Vice President
Here we go, New Hampshire is tomorrow: actually, later today. There are plenty of topics to pick from: Hillary seems to have been coronated just a wee bit too soon, independents seem to be coming out in droves; lovable, even sensible, McCain is getting a boost when just a month ago it seemed as though he had pulled a Giuliani (I know, he is waiting until Feb. 5 to officially hang himself.), albeit in his own "maverick" McCain fashion. Yet, there is something else on my mind on this early morning. In fact, lack of sleep is making me feel somewhat foolhardy.
Thus it is that I am going to jump ahead and lay out the perfect, and eventual, Democratic ticket: Barack Obama and Gov. Bill Richardson. Oh, don't be so incredulous; after all, that is my job. I am quite serious. I know that John Edwards covets that second place on the ticket again. There is, however, very little upside to an Obama/Edwards matching.
First, I will deal with Edwards, then I will make the case for Richardson. For all of his charm and passion--indeed, my initial dream ticket was Edwards/Obama. The fact of the matter is, notwithstanding McCain's noble effort to reform campaign financing, the eventual candidate of each party will require truck loads of money. (One could suggest putting a month's worth of Iraq expenditures back and lending $4 billion to each party's nominee. Rrright!) Alas, in spite of Dean's love affair with internet fund raising at $11.50 a head, we'll take it, but that will not do it. The question on this issue becomes, can Edwards back off of his rhetoric to a sufficient extent as to actually help solicit those who he has thrown into the river, Eastern Promises style, and not seem like a total hypocrite? I fear that the answer there is no. Any rival worth the name would destroy him in a V.P. debate. "Yeah, the man who has pledged not to forget his roots in Seneca, SC, where his parents worked in a textile mill, has suddenly forgotten that the corporate machine that supports Democrats is the source of all evils. (Don't get me wrong, the former Sen. from North Carolina is absolutely right, even if he has not chosen the most expedient platform from which to express his views. I have seen this up close and personal in the Congressional campaigns in which I have been involved. The single most significant way--perhaps the only effective way--for our political culture to be radically transformed is to mandate public funding of campaigns. Least you lose your heads, I will outline a viable plan for this proposal in an upcoming entry. I submit that such a metamorphosis--imagine all of the politicians struggling a la Gregor Samsa to get out of bed without having to solicit money for 3 hours a day--would empower regular citizens, you and I, to require accountability on the part of our representatives. Then again, I am not John Edwards.)
Secondly, there is very little to be gained politically from such a pairing. John Kennedy did not choose LBJ because of the Hill Country Texan's mild demeanor and their close personal relationship. A Vice President should be able to either level the ticket somewhat, as Edwards did 8 years ago by off-setting the perception that the country would be run by an honest to God MA Liberal. Or, he/she should bring along some key electoral votes. Something that Edwards is simply not in a position to do given his placement in the fire-engine red deep south. Finally, a running mate should give the perception of gravitas to a nominee who may be conceived as somewhat lacking in experience, for example, though Bush43 could not name a country in Africa, Darth Cheney certainly could. Sorry, John, three strikes: you are out.
On the other hand, Gov. Richardson could enhance the Democratic ticket in ways that should make any progressive's mouth water. One could even argue, assuming an Obama nomination, that Richardson is the apotheosis of what a running-mate should be: how about 3 out of 3? Sen. Obama has not been branded with the capital L: yet, scarlet letter of reactionary ditto-heads and compassionate conservatives as it is. The key here is the "yet." After all, this is the fall-back position of any Republican operative who can think of nothing more substantive with which to charge an opponent. Upon the arrival of this inevitable moment, enter Bill Richardson known proselytizer of Clinton's Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), which was the former President's attempt to eschew the aforementioned scarlet letter and show that all good Democrats were actually centrists at heart. I cannot imagine that Gov. Richardson has missed a single trip to Hilton Head Island's Renaissance Weekend, the intellectual hajj of the DLC. The way in which Richardson would expand the Democrat's electoral base should be obvious enough; he is the Governor of a Western state, New Mexico. While NM possesses a measly 38 electoral votes, it borders Colorado (71), Nevada (33), and the big-daddy of them all, California, Richardson's native state, with 471 coveted electors. Thus, the topographical calculus offers a strong argument for an Obama/Richardson pairing. Finally, according to our short list of the one or more strengths that should be inherited from a VP candidate, there is the issue of experience. This is the single strongest argument for an Obama/Richardson pairing. Let us take a brief look at the Governor's resume, shall we?
First, it is worth mentioning that in his current role as Gov. of NM, Richardson actually balanced the budget of his state, which is not to say that he could affect a similar role as VP, or even the head deity of budgets in the solar system, given our current fantasmagoric deficit, speak of a Kafkaesque undertaking. His career in government began as Rep. Richardson, a title that he carried for 14 years. As a member of the lower chamber of Congress he served on the Commerce, Resources, and importantly the Intelligence committees. Moreover, he did not leave the House of Representatives involuntarily; he did so in order to serve as the first Hispanic ambassador from the US to the United Nations. In this capacity, he played crucial roles, ironically, in negotiating problems to some of Africa's more intractable political issues. In fact, his diplomatic skills and the demonstrative results achieved by his employment of them earned him three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. Following his stint at the UN, he was Bill Clinton's Secretary of Energy for 3 years. Surprise! He was no less effective in that role than he was in his former post. As Sec. of Energy, Richardson was a strong advocate for nature conservation (How about some Green votes?. In addition, he helped to keep the notion of a $100 barrel of oil in the realm of the inconceivable (On the conceivable reality [Bushism] of this latter, please share my incredulity.), and he was active in pursuing a policy of ridding our communities and natural habitats of radioactive waste, notably by pushing to remove that strange glow from the Colorado river.
I therefore ask: is there any other Democrat out there who could lend more in terms of putting to rest the concern of certain members of the electorate that Sen. Obama lacks the necessary experience to be our next President? Of course there are the Joe Bidens and Christopher Dodds out there, but they can play other roles; perhaps Secretary of State and Defense respectively, not to get too far ahead of ourselves.
I will invoke one additional and quite substantial contribution, which Gov. Richardson could make as a candidate for VP. For the few who have failed to notice, Mr. Richardson is Hispanic. What's more, he is Hispanic, and he is not an "alien." In fact, he is a red-blooded American (as opposed to the few and the proud blue-blooded Republicans). Indeed, as a native of California, born after the United State's first war of foreign aggression whereby our country's great destiny was manifested, he is just as American as the various and sundry grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Irish Americans, Italian Americans, German Americans,who are now THE Americans acting as the standard bearers to protect our great land from "aliens" hailing from far and near, Chinese imports notwithstanding. This is just one more constituency that Richardson could help deliver to the Democratic ticket, which is not to say that there is a homogeneous voting block that can be denominated "Hispanic."
As I conclude my somewhat early (read, hopefully rash) "call" of the Democratic ticket, I actually find myself somewhat optimistic. Imagine, an African-American--even if he is, incomprehensibly, not quite African-American enough, a statement that pushes my incredulity towards the infinite--President and a Hispanic American Vice President! If, given the arguments I have just laid out regarding the competency of just one of the pair, such a combination is not enough to galvanize the Democratic/progressive base, then we are a country even more hopelessly adrift than I often fear. Indeed, to wager one further prognostication, I would imagine that this ticket would result in the most significant voter turn-out in two or three generations. I cannot help but to leave you with a smile. Obama/Richardson '08: a bumper sticker that I will not be forced to pledge will remain on my car until we are released from the clutches of an "evil empire" of an administration. Rather, it will stay firmly affixed as a matter of pride and hope.
Here we go, New Hampshire is tomorrow: actually, later today. There are plenty of topics to pick from: Hillary seems to have been coronated just a wee bit too soon, independents seem to be coming out in droves; lovable, even sensible, McCain is getting a boost when just a month ago it seemed as though he had pulled a Giuliani (I know, he is waiting until Feb. 5 to officially hang himself.), albeit in his own "maverick" McCain fashion. Yet, there is something else on my mind on this early morning. In fact, lack of sleep is making me feel somewhat foolhardy.
Thus it is that I am going to jump ahead and lay out the perfect, and eventual, Democratic ticket: Barack Obama and Gov. Bill Richardson. Oh, don't be so incredulous; after all, that is my job. I am quite serious. I know that John Edwards covets that second place on the ticket again. There is, however, very little upside to an Obama/Edwards matching.
First, I will deal with Edwards, then I will make the case for Richardson. For all of his charm and passion--indeed, my initial dream ticket was Edwards/Obama. The fact of the matter is, notwithstanding McCain's noble effort to reform campaign financing, the eventual candidate of each party will require truck loads of money. (One could suggest putting a month's worth of Iraq expenditures back and lending $4 billion to each party's nominee. Rrright!) Alas, in spite of Dean's love affair with internet fund raising at $11.50 a head, we'll take it, but that will not do it. The question on this issue becomes, can Edwards back off of his rhetoric to a sufficient extent as to actually help solicit those who he has thrown into the river, Eastern Promises style, and not seem like a total hypocrite? I fear that the answer there is no. Any rival worth the name would destroy him in a V.P. debate. "Yeah, the man who has pledged not to forget his roots in Seneca, SC, where his parents worked in a textile mill, has suddenly forgotten that the corporate machine that supports Democrats is the source of all evils. (Don't get me wrong, the former Sen. from North Carolina is absolutely right, even if he has not chosen the most expedient platform from which to express his views. I have seen this up close and personal in the Congressional campaigns in which I have been involved. The single most significant way--perhaps the only effective way--for our political culture to be radically transformed is to mandate public funding of campaigns. Least you lose your heads, I will outline a viable plan for this proposal in an upcoming entry. I submit that such a metamorphosis--imagine all of the politicians struggling a la Gregor Samsa to get out of bed without having to solicit money for 3 hours a day--would empower regular citizens, you and I, to require accountability on the part of our representatives. Then again, I am not John Edwards.)
Secondly, there is very little to be gained politically from such a pairing. John Kennedy did not choose LBJ because of the Hill Country Texan's mild demeanor and their close personal relationship. A Vice President should be able to either level the ticket somewhat, as Edwards did 8 years ago by off-setting the perception that the country would be run by an honest to God MA Liberal. Or, he/she should bring along some key electoral votes. Something that Edwards is simply not in a position to do given his placement in the fire-engine red deep south. Finally, a running mate should give the perception of gravitas to a nominee who may be conceived as somewhat lacking in experience, for example, though Bush43 could not name a country in Africa, Darth Cheney certainly could. Sorry, John, three strikes: you are out.
On the other hand, Gov. Richardson could enhance the Democratic ticket in ways that should make any progressive's mouth water. One could even argue, assuming an Obama nomination, that Richardson is the apotheosis of what a running-mate should be: how about 3 out of 3? Sen. Obama has not been branded with the capital L: yet, scarlet letter of reactionary ditto-heads and compassionate conservatives as it is. The key here is the "yet." After all, this is the fall-back position of any Republican operative who can think of nothing more substantive with which to charge an opponent. Upon the arrival of this inevitable moment, enter Bill Richardson known proselytizer of Clinton's Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), which was the former President's attempt to eschew the aforementioned scarlet letter and show that all good Democrats were actually centrists at heart. I cannot imagine that Gov. Richardson has missed a single trip to Hilton Head Island's Renaissance Weekend, the intellectual hajj of the DLC. The way in which Richardson would expand the Democrat's electoral base should be obvious enough; he is the Governor of a Western state, New Mexico. While NM possesses a measly 38 electoral votes, it borders Colorado (71), Nevada (33), and the big-daddy of them all, California, Richardson's native state, with 471 coveted electors. Thus, the topographical calculus offers a strong argument for an Obama/Richardson pairing. Finally, according to our short list of the one or more strengths that should be inherited from a VP candidate, there is the issue of experience. This is the single strongest argument for an Obama/Richardson pairing. Let us take a brief look at the Governor's resume, shall we?
First, it is worth mentioning that in his current role as Gov. of NM, Richardson actually balanced the budget of his state, which is not to say that he could affect a similar role as VP, or even the head deity of budgets in the solar system, given our current fantasmagoric deficit, speak of a Kafkaesque undertaking. His career in government began as Rep. Richardson, a title that he carried for 14 years. As a member of the lower chamber of Congress he served on the Commerce, Resources, and importantly the Intelligence committees. Moreover, he did not leave the House of Representatives involuntarily; he did so in order to serve as the first Hispanic ambassador from the US to the United Nations. In this capacity, he played crucial roles, ironically, in negotiating problems to some of Africa's more intractable political issues. In fact, his diplomatic skills and the demonstrative results achieved by his employment of them earned him three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. Following his stint at the UN, he was Bill Clinton's Secretary of Energy for 3 years. Surprise! He was no less effective in that role than he was in his former post. As Sec. of Energy, Richardson was a strong advocate for nature conservation (How about some Green votes?. In addition, he helped to keep the notion of a $100 barrel of oil in the realm of the inconceivable (On the conceivable reality [Bushism] of this latter, please share my incredulity.), and he was active in pursuing a policy of ridding our communities and natural habitats of radioactive waste, notably by pushing to remove that strange glow from the Colorado river.
I therefore ask: is there any other Democrat out there who could lend more in terms of putting to rest the concern of certain members of the electorate that Sen. Obama lacks the necessary experience to be our next President? Of course there are the Joe Bidens and Christopher Dodds out there, but they can play other roles; perhaps Secretary of State and Defense respectively, not to get too far ahead of ourselves.
I will invoke one additional and quite substantial contribution, which Gov. Richardson could make as a candidate for VP. For the few who have failed to notice, Mr. Richardson is Hispanic. What's more, he is Hispanic, and he is not an "alien." In fact, he is a red-blooded American (as opposed to the few and the proud blue-blooded Republicans). Indeed, as a native of California, born after the United State's first war of foreign aggression whereby our country's great destiny was manifested, he is just as American as the various and sundry grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Irish Americans, Italian Americans, German Americans,who are now THE Americans acting as the standard bearers to protect our great land from "aliens" hailing from far and near, Chinese imports notwithstanding. This is just one more constituency that Richardson could help deliver to the Democratic ticket, which is not to say that there is a homogeneous voting block that can be denominated "Hispanic."
As I conclude my somewhat early (read, hopefully rash) "call" of the Democratic ticket, I actually find myself somewhat optimistic. Imagine, an African-American--even if he is, incomprehensibly, not quite African-American enough, a statement that pushes my incredulity towards the infinite--President and a Hispanic American Vice President! If, given the arguments I have just laid out regarding the competency of just one of the pair, such a combination is not enough to galvanize the Democratic/progressive base, then we are a country even more hopelessly adrift than I often fear. Indeed, to wager one further prognostication, I would imagine that this ticket would result in the most significant voter turn-out in two or three generations. I cannot help but to leave you with a smile. Obama/Richardson '08: a bumper sticker that I will not be forced to pledge will remain on my car until we are released from the clutches of an "evil empire" of an administration. Rather, it will stay firmly affixed as a matter of pride and hope.
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